Mets Come Back Down To Earth, But Still Hold 1 1/2-Game Lead Over Nats
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (CBSNewYork/AP) — Once again, the New York Mets were in control early. That was until All-Star Chris Archer found his control.
The Mets scored three times in the second inning when Archer walked four batters, but were shut out the rest of the way Sunday in a 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
For the second day in a row, the NL East leaders took a quick 3-0 edge but wound up losing. Curtis Granderson drew a bases-loaded walk and Daniel Murphy hit a two-run single to excite the many Mets fans at Tropicana Field.
"I thought the offense that inning really did a good job to put some good at bats on him," said Murphy, who had two of the Mets' six hits. "We put ourselves in a position to put up a crooked number right there. He threw me three really good sliders. Fortunately one of them was a ball or the inning would have been over, and then I had to just battle up after that."
Archer got Yoenis Cespedes on a foul pop to end the inning, then struck out the side in the following inning. The Mets never got another runner to second base.
"There's a lot of talk about this guy being the best in the American League and he certainly looked like it outside that one inning where he just lost command," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "Great stuff."
Nor could the Mets get anything going against three Tampa Bay relievers. Xavier Cedeno (2-1) pitched a scoreless seventh inning and Jake McGee earned his sixth save.
Rookie Richie Shaffer's third hit in three at-bats against Bartolo Colon (10-11) was a solo homer into the left-field seats. Shaffer entered with one hit — a homer — in seven at-bats this season.
John Jaso drove in three runs for the Rays, who reached the .500 mark at 56-56.
Archer gave up three runs, four hits, four walks and struck out 10 over six innings. All the walks and eight of his strikeouts came in the first three innings.
"This is a morale booster," Archer said.
The Mets, who are scheduled to open a seven-game homestand Monday night against the Colorado Rockies, have lost two straight after a seven-game winning streak. They went 4-2 on a Florida road trip and remain a game and a half ahead of the second-place Washington Nationals, who also lost Sunday.
"It was a good road trip," general manager Sandy Alderson said. "It could have been a great road trip, but this team played us well."
FAN FRIENDLY
The Mets struck out 15 times on Saturday and 13 more times Sunday. "When you face good pitching, our lineup is going to strike out," Collins said. "We're designed to hit homers, and guys who hit home runs strike out. I'm a little concerned about 28, but . . ."
OLD-TIMERS
Colon is just one of five active players — joining Alex Rodriguez, LaTroy Hawkins, David Ortiz and Torii Hunter — who made their major league debuts before the Rays played their first game in 1998. The 42-year-old Colon pitched the 18th game at Tropicana Field on May 12, 1998.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mets: Star third baseman David Wright will start a rehab assignment Monday with Class A St. Lucie. Wright will DH on Monday, then play five innings in the field on Tuesday... OF Michael Cuddyer (left knee) is expected back Monday.
UP NEXT
Mets: LHP Jonathon Niese (6-9) will be at home to face Colorado RHP Jon Gray (0-0) Monday night. It will be Gray's second big league start.
Rays: RHP Erasmo Ramirez (8-4) and Atlanta RHP Williams Perez (4-2) are Tuesday night's starters at Tampa Bay.
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