Jacob DeGrom Falls To 5-5 As Padres Top Mets
NEW YORK (AP) — Jacob deGrom's winless streak reached five games as the major league ERA leader was hurt by a pair of errors behind him, and the San Diego Padres beat the New York Mets 3-2 Monday night in a matchup of teams with the worst records in the National League.
Rookie left-hander Joey Lucchesi (5-5), brought back from the minor leagues, baffled the Mets for the much of the evening with his churve, a combination curveball-chanegup at about 80 mph.
Manuel Margot hit a go-ahead triple in a two-run fifth inning after right fielder Jose Bautista dropped Christian Villanueva's fly ball. The Padres made it 3-1 in the sixth when Wil Myers doubled and scored when charging shortstop Amed Rosario let Eric Hosmer's chopper get under his glove and bounce into the outfield.
DeGrom (5-5), whose ERA rose from 1.68 to 1.71, allowed three runs — two earned — and five hits in eight innings, striking out 10 and walking two. He has given up three runs or fewer in 17 consecutive appearances and became the first pitcher to win fewer than seven games in his first 20 starts with an ERA below 2.00 since earned runs started being compiled in 1912, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
New York, just 40-57 despite an 11-1 start, dealt closer Jeurys Familia last weekend and is considering trading deGrom, who is eligible for free agency after the 2020 season. DeGrom's agent said during the All-Star break he would prefer either a long-term contract or a trade.
"We love him. We know what we have," Mets assistant general manager John Ricco said. "He's one of the top pitchers in the game, and in order to move him in a trade it would take an awful lot."
Second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera is likely to be dealt before the July 31 deadline for trades without waivers, and the impact of a losing record was clear at the box office. The game drew 21,731, the Mets' smallest home crowd since April 4.
San Diego, which is 42-61, had lost seven of eight and 23 of 30 coming in and also is retooling, dealing All-Star closer Brad Hand last week.
Lucchesi has a herky-jerky windup in which the 25-year-old left-hander brings his hands high overhead, lowers them to his chest, pauses and only then rocks and throws. He made the crowd restless in the fourth, when he threw 10 pickoffs to first with Michael Conforto on base. Lucchesi ended the inning with a fine glove flip to first baseman Eric Hosmer to retire Jose Reyes on a slow roller.
Lucchesi allowed two runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings, struck out six and walked none. Kirby Yates pitched the ninth for his third save.
Wilmer Flores' RBI single put New York ahead in the third, and deGrom had thrown 37 pitches through the fourth and extended his scoreless streak to 15 2/3 innings. After reaching on Bautista's error with one out in the fifth, Villanueva stole second and scored on Freddy Galvis' single.
New York closed to 3-2 in the sixth. Brandon Nimmo loaded the bases when Craig Stammen hit him with a pitch on the right knee and left ankle, the 16th time Nimmo has been plunked this season and third in two games. Reyes followed with a slow bouncer off the end of his bat to third for a run-scoring infield hit. DeGrom, who had thrown 80 pitches, grounded out to shortstop.
CURIOUS
When Myers nearly missed third base while running home in the sixth inning, the Mets waited for an indication from the video room rather than have deGrom throw to third and appeal.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Padres: RHP Colten Brewer was put on the 10-day DL, a day after straining his left oblique while pitching in the ninth inning of a doubleheader opener at Philadelphia.
Mets: OF Yoenis Cespedes had an MRI and was examined by a specialist in an effort to determine whether he needs surgery on both feet that would sideline him for 8-to-10 months. ... RHP Noah Syndergaard was placed on the 10-day DL, retroactive to Saturday, with hand-foot-and-mouth disease. The team recalled RHP Corey Oswalt from Triple-A Las Vegas, and he will start Wednesday against his hometown Padres.
UP NEXT
Eric Lauer (5-6, 4.87 ERA) is on the mound Tuesday night, the second of three left-handers the Padres planned to start in the series. RHP Zack Wheeler (3-6, 4.44) goes for the Mets, pushed back a day because of Sunday's rainout at Yankee Stadium.
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