Mets, deGrom shut out Reds, 8-0
Jacob deGrom tossed six scoreless innings and finally received some run support Wednesday afternoon, when the New York Mets ace snapped a seven-start winless streak by earning the victory as the Mets beat the Cincinnati Reds, 8-0, at Citi Field. The Mets took two of three from the Reds for just their second series win in 22 series since May 21. Cincinnati has lost seven of nine. DeGrom (6-7) allowed four hits and one walk while striking out 10 in lowering his major league-leading ERA from 1.85 to 1.77. The Reds built their lone threat in the first, when Phillip Ervin and Scooter Gennett hit back-to-back one-out singles to put runners at the corners. After deGrom struck out Eugenio Suarez, the Reds tried a double steal, but Gennett was tagged out in trying to create a rundown before Ervin could cross home plate. The win was the first for deGrom since June 18. He went 0-5 with a 2.47 ERA in between wins, a span in which the Mets scored just eight runs while deGrom was on the mound. Austin Jackson's RBI double gave deGrom the only run he'd need in the second. The Mets added two more runs in the fourth, when deGrom drew a bases-loaded walk and Amed Rosario lofted a sacrifice fly, before Brandon Nimmo (double) and Jackson (single) laced consecutive run-scoring hits in the fifth. Nimmo added a two-run double in the eighth and tied a franchise record with three doubles. Jackson followed with an RBI double to complete his first three-RBI day since Apr. 28. Reds starter Robert Stephenson (0-1), who was recalled from Triple-A Louisville earlier in the day, took the loss after allowing three runs on four hits and five walks while striking out four over four innings in his season debut. Reds pitchers tied a season high by issuing 11 walks. The only hurler not to walk a batter was Phillip Ervin, who made his professional pitching debut in the ninth and retired the only batter he faced, Devin Mesoraco, on a grounder. --Field Level Media
