Degrom, Mets complete sweep
NEW YORK — Jacob degrom struck out 13 batters — the most ever for a Mets pitcher who threw five or fewer innings — but didn’t factor into the decision Sunday, when the NL East leaders beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3 to complete a four-game sweep.
The Mets scored four in the eighth to break the tie. Terrance Gore pinch ran in place of Tomas Nido, who hit a single off Robert Stephenson (2-2). Gore stole second after three throws to first by Manny Bañuelos, took third when catcher Jason Delay’s throw sailed into center field and scored on Brandon Nimmo’s bloop single. Daniel Vogelbach added a one-out, two-run single and Eduardo Escobar had a run-scoring groundout.
Joely Rodríguez (1-4) struck out a career-high five in two perfect innings.
The Mets stranded 12 runners in the first seven innings. But Jeff Mcneil had an RBI single in the first and drew a bases-loaded walk in the second, when Pete Alonso hit into a run-scoring forceout.
Degrom allowed a leadoff double to Oneil Cruz in the first before retiring the next 15 batters, 13 by strikeout. Sid Fernandez (June 30, 1986) and Oliver Perez (Sept. 12, 2006) each struck out 11 in five-inning starts for the Mets.
Degrom threw 26 pitches in the first — his most since a 29-pitch fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 9, 2021 — but needed just 61 pitches between the second and fifth.
Zack Collins, making his third appearance with the Pirates since being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays, led off the sixth with his first hit for Pittsburgh and Delay followed with a single before Cruz homered just beyond the right-center field fence to chase degrom.
The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner set a big league record by allowing three earned runs or fewer for the 40th straight start, breaking a tie with Jim Scott (1913-14).
Pirates starter Johan Oviedo gave up three runs in four innings.
The benches and bullpens cleared but no punches were thrown after Pete Alonso was hit on the left elbow by an Oviedo pitch in the first inning.
Mets RHP Max Scherzer (left oblique) will be activated to start Monday night, when New York starts a road trip with the opener of a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Manager Buck Showalter said RHP Drew Smith (right lat) could be activated as soon as Tuesday. Smith hasn’t pitched since July 24.