Schwei's Mets Notes: Amazins' Embark On Long Trip Playing Better
By John Schweibacher
» More Columns
After winning six games on their 10-game homestand, the New York Mets came out on top in the opener of their 10-game road trip, 5-3 in San Diego on Monday night.
Jacob deGrom allowed two runs and five hits over eight innings to earn a victory in his eighth straight start, tying the single-season franchise record held by Tom Seaver (1969), David Cone (1988) and Bobby Jones (1997). Frank Viola won nine consecutive starts spanning the 1989 and 1990 seasons.
The Mets' bid for their first home series sweep of the season fell short with a 3-2 loss to Oakland on Sunday afternoon. Rafael Montero took the loss, allowing three runs, all solo home runs, in seven innings.
According to the pitching game finder on baseball-reference.com, six other Mets starters lost games in which they allowed all three runs on solo home runs:
9/16/12 at Milwaukee; Chris Young, lost 3-0
7/8/06 vs. Florida; John Maine, 3-2
5/18/81 at San Francisco; Ed Lynch, 3-1
7/20/69 at Montreal; Gary Gentry, 3-2
4/25/69 vs. Chicago Cubs; Tom Seaver, 3-1
8/17/63 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers; Tracy Stallard, 3-2
Wilmer Flores' two-out, solo home run in the bottom of the ninth on Saturday capped the Mets' 6-5 comeback win over the Athletics.
It was the second walk-off homer for Flores in his career and his sixth game-ending run batted in, which, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, is the most for any major league player since Sept. 8, 2014, the date on which Flores delivered his first walk-off RBI on a sacrifice fly against Colorado.
Four players have had more walk-off RBIs than Flores for the Mets. David Wright's nine game-ending RBI are the most in club history, Kevin McReynolds is second with eight, and Ed Kranepool and Rusty Staub have seven apiece.
The Mets took the opener the series against the A's with a 7-5 win on Friday night.
Michael Conforto hit two home runs. He also homered twice from the leadoff spot on April 29 at Washington and May 23 against San Diego.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Conforto became the third player in Mets history to hit multiple homers as a leadoff hitter in at least three games in a single season. Tommie Agee did it three times in both the 1969 and '70 seasons and Curtis Granderson accomplished the feat three times in 2015.
The Mets defeated the Cardinals, 3-2, on Thursday afternoon at Citi Field, with the winning run coming home on Jose Reyes' infield single in the bottom of the ninth.
It was the fourth walk-off RBI of Reyes' career but just his second with the Mets. His first was back on April 13, 2005, against Houston, an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth against ex-Mets reliever Dan Wheeler to give the Amazins' a 1-0 win.
Elias noted that Reyes had gone 12 years and 98 days between walk-off RBIs with the Mets, the longest gap between walk-off RBIs for a player in club history.
DeGrom held the Cardinals to just one run in the Mets' 7-3 victory over St. Louis on Wednesday. The last Mets starter to win seven consecutive starts had been Steven Matz, who accomplished the feat from April 17-May 25, 2016.
Michael Wacha threw a three-hit shutout for the Cardinals in their 5-0 win on Tuesday night.
According to baseball-reference.com, there had been 10 previous complete game shutouts that featured three hits allowed or fewer by a Cardinals pitcher on the road against the Mets:
6/23/09: Cardnals, 3-0; Joel Piniero (2 hits allowed)
9/11/85: Cardinals, 1-0; John Tudor (10 innings, 3 hits)
6/8/85: Cardinals, 1-0; Tudor (3 hits)
8/9/79: Cardinals, 4-0; John Denny (2 hits)
9/25/78: Cardinals, 3-0; Silvio Martinez (2 hits)
5/28/76: Cardinals, 6-0; John Curtis (3 hits)
5/31/68: Cardinals, 2-0; Larry Jaster (2 hits)
6/8/63: Cardinals, 4-0; Ernie Broglio (2 hits)
4/9/63; Cardinals, 7-0; Ernie Broglio (2 hits)
8/18/62; Cardinals, 10-0; Bob Gibson (3 hits)
Happy Recap: Jose 500. With his eighth-inning stolen base during Monday night's win in San Diego, Jose Reyes became the 39th player in MLB history to record 500 steals.
Nine Miles of Rough Road: Wheels Down. The Mets placed Zack Wheeler on the 10-day disabled list Monday due to a stress reaction in his right arm. It is the second time Wheeler has gone on the DL this season after missing all of 2015 and 2016 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
