Mets’ deGrom pulled with shoulder soreness amid another gem
NEW YORK » Mets ace Jacob deGrom left his start Wednesday night with right shoulder soreness after three perfect innings, yet another injury scare for the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner amid a historic start to this season.
One start after being pulled from a gem against San Diego with right flexor tendinitis, deGrom went directly down the clubhouse tunnel after finishing the third against the Chicago Cubs. He struck out eight of his nine batters, including his final seven.
DeGrom apeared to grimace after a thirdinning pitch to Eric Sogard. He threw 51 pitches, the last a 99 mph fastball to strike out pitcher Robert Stock.
The right-hander lowered his ERA to 0.54, the best ever by a pitcher through 11 starts. He’s the first pitcher since at least 1901 with at least eight strikeouts over three perfect innings to start a game, according to STATS.
DeGrom pitched one-hit ball over six scoreless innings against the Padres on Friday night before leaving with the flexor issue. He had an MRI the next day that revealed no damage, and he resumed his usual betweenstart routine. He started Wednesday on his standard four days of rest.
REDS 2, BREWERS 1 » Tyler Mahle tied his career high with 12 strikeouts, Tucker Barnhart drove in the go-ahead run with a double in the seventh inning, and Cincinnati beat Milwaukee to finish a three-game sweep.
Cincinnati has won six straight and 11 of 13. The Brewers dropped three straight for the first time in nearly a month and were swept for the third time this season. Milwaukee totaled nine hits and four runs in the series against the Reds.
ROCKIES 8, PADRES 7 » Pinch-hitter Charlie Blackmon singled home the winning run in the ninth inning and Colorado shook off a monster homer by Fernando Tatis Jr. to beat stumbling San Diego.
Tatis hit a 477-foot homer, the longest of his career and his NL-leading 21st. He also doubled, but the Padres lost for the 13th time in 17 games.
ATHLETICS 8, ANGELS 4 » Ramón Laureano hit a home run and made a homer-robbing catch in his return from the injured list, and Oakland rallied past Los Angeles for its sixth straight win.
Laureano, who missed 17 games with a strained right hip, perfectly timed his jump to reach over the fence and catch Justin Upton’s flyball in the fourth.
WHITE SOX 8, RAYS 7, 10 INNINGS » Yasmani Grandal hit a game-ending RBI single in the 10th inning and Chicago took two of three from Tampa Bay in a matchup of division leaders.
NATIONALS 3, PIRATES 1 » Paolo Espino got his first major league win at age 34, Josh
Bell hit a two-run homer against his former team and Washington beat Pittsburgh for a three-game sweep.
TIGERS 6, ROYALS 5 » Willi Castro homered during a three-run rally in the seventh inning and Detroit beat Kansas City for a three-game sweep.
CARDINALS 1, MARLINS 0 » Yadier Molina grounded an RBI single down the third base line in the ninth inning and St. Louis edged Miami to sweep the season series.
Astros’ Bregman leaves game
HOUSTON » Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman left a game Wednesday against Texas with a strained left quadriceps.
Bregman was injured in the first inning while running to first base when he grounded into a double play. He pulled up a few steps before first base and hobbled off the field after the play before heading to the clubhouse.