Mets rookie deGrom ties K mark; Marlins win 6-5

MIKE FITZPATRICK
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Jacob deGrom overpowered the first eight Miami hitters, and all that stood between him and sole possession of a major league record was the opposing pitcher.

Line drive, base hit.

“I had no idea,” Marlins starter Jarred Cosart said. “Any time you can keep the other pitcher out of the history books, it’s a good thing.”

By striking out eight in a row to begin the game, deGrom matched a big league mark Monday night before the Marlins finally started making contact and rallied late for a 6-5 victory over the New York Mets.

Adeiny Hechavarria hit a two-run single and Jeff Mathis put the Marlins ahead with an RBI single that capped a three-run eighth inning. But with both teams under .500 and only two weeks left in the season, it was deGrom who provided some early and unexpected excitement.

On a night when New York’s goofy mascot, Mr. Met, wore a shaggy wig to mimic deGrom’s long hair, the rookie finished with a career-best 13 strikeouts in seven innings. He whiffed eight consecutive Marlins at the start, tying a record set by Jim Deshaies of the Houston Astros against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sept. 23, 1986.

Deshaies and deGrom are the only pitchers to accomplish the feat since 1900.

“That felt good. I had a good fastball early on,” deGrom said. “My two-seamer was moving a lot.”

Now a Chicago Cubs broadcaster, Deshaies had fun noting the occasion on Twitter: “Congratulations to Jacob Degrom for tying one of the most hallowed records in all of sport,” he posted.

A top contender for NL Rookie of the Year, deGrom equaled Deshaies’ mark by freezing Mathis with a 95 mph fastball. The right-hander then gave up a sharp single to Cosart on a 1-0 pitch and received a warm ovation from the Citi Field crowd of 23,027.

“I threw ball one so I thought maybe he would take the next one,” deGrom said. “I was trying to go outside corner and I just left it over the middle.”

Despite squandering a two-run lead, deGrom was in line to win before Miami scored three in the eighth against New York’s best relievers. Jeurys Familia (2-5) gave up four straight hits, and Mathis delivered a two-out single off closer Jenrry Mejia.

“We got a couple soft hits but at the right time. Sometimes you need those,” Miami manager Mike Redmond said. “Had some great at-bats and that was a great team win.”

With the bases loaded, Sam Dyson (3-1) threw a called third strike past Dilson Herrera to end the seventh. Steve Cishek closed for his 36th save in 40 chances.

Miami finally solved deGrom in the seventh, when Hechavarria doubled and ex-Met Jordany Valdespin looped a two-run single that tied it 2-all. Pinch-hitter Reed Johnson added a sacrifice fly.

Dating back to Aug. 23, deGrom had gone 28 innings without allowing an earned run.

Casey McGehee’s error at third base helped the Mets take a 5-3 lead with three unearned runs in the bottom half. Daniel Murphy hit an RBI single, Travis d’Arnaud broke his bat on a go-ahead double and reliever A.J. Ramos walked three consecutive batters to force in a run.

Wilmer Flores hit a two-run double off Cosart in the first.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: Giancarlo Stanton, seriously injured last Thursday when he was struck in the face by a pitch, has some appointments with doctors on Tuesday. After that, Redmond said, he should know more about whether it’s even possible the slugger could return this season. Teammates hung Stanton’s jersey in the Miami dugout. … Valdespin became the fourth player to start in right field for Miami in four games since Stanton was hurt.

Mets: RHP Vic Black was examined by a doctor and has a mild rotator cuff strain, general manager Sandy Alderson said. The reliever will rest for five or six days before he tries to throw again. It’s conceivable Black won’t pitch again this season, Alderson said, but the Mets are not shutting him down just yet. … LF Matt den Dekker made his first start since he was hit by a pitch on his left hand last Tuesday.

BOUNCING BACK

Miami had its second straight late comeback win following a four-game skid and beat the Mets for only the second time in the last nine meetings.

NICE ADDITION

Acquired from Houston at the July 31 trade deadline, Cosart is 4-1 with a 1.52 ERA in his past seven starts.

UP NEXT

Marlins RHP Nathan Eovaldi (6-11, 4.29 ERA) starts the middle game of the series Tuesday night against Bartolo Colon (13-12, 4.14), who was ejected from his most recent outing, a 6-2 loss to Washington last Thursday.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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