DeGrom Dominates Phillies As Mets Get Shutout To Even Series

Jacob deGrom firing the pitch that would strike out Rhys Hoskins in the sixth inning. Photo by Jason Schott.

The Mets, backed by a dominant Jacob deGrom throwing six shutout innings, beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 1-0, on Saturday night at Citi Field in front of a crowd of 43,857, a sellout and the ninth-largest crowd in the history of the ballpark that opened in 2009.

DeGrom earned his second win of the season, to go along with a 1.62 ERA (earned run average) in his third start since he returned after missing the first four months due to an injury. He allowed just two hits and no walks, while striking out 10 in those six shutout innings. This was an impressive follow-up to his 2022 Citi Field debut last Siunday against the Braves, which he started by retiring the first 17 hitters, and allowed just one run on two hits, with 12 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

The Mets, who have won eight out of 10 games on this homestand and evened this series after the Phillies won the opener of the three-game set, 2-1 in 10 innings, on Friday night, improved to 74-40. The Phillies fell to 63-50, in third place in the National League East, 10 1/2 behind the Mets. The Mets' lead over the second-place Atlanta Braves is 5 1/2 games, as Atlanta (69-46) swept a doubleheader with the Marlins in Miami, in which they won the first game, 5-2, and the second game, 6-2. 

Jacob deGrom pitching to Bryson Stott in the first inning. Photo by Jason Schott.

DeGrom opened the game with a strikeout of Bryson Stott. Rhys Hoskins then singled and was erased in a force out hit into by Alec Bohm before J.T. Realmuto struck out to end the first inning.

The Mets gave deGrom the lead in the bottom half of the first against Phillies starter Aaron Nola. Starling Marte got a one-out single to right field, then he stole second base (on strike three of Francisco Lindor's strikeout) and took third on a bad throw from Phils catcher Realmuto. Pete Alonso then singled in Marte to make it 1-0 Mets.

Pete Alonso watching his hit go to right field for a RBI single, scoring Starling Marte, along the third base line. Photo by Jason Schott.

DeGrom kept firing in the second, as he struck out the side, and then struck out Nick Maton to open the third, giving him five K's in a row and six of the first seven outs of the game. He then got Matt Vierling to ground out to second and Stott to pop out to shortstop to end the third. 

Hoskins opened the fourth with a shot to center that Brandon Nimmo caught on the lip of the warning track, and then he struck out Bohm and got Realmuto to bounce out to third.

DeGrom kept it going, as he retired the Phillies in order in the fourth and fifth innings, and he got the first two outs in the sixth before Stott singled to left field breaking a streak in which deGrom got 16 Phillies out in a row.

Hoskins then struck out swinging to end the sixth inning, and it was deGrom's 10th strikeout of the game, which wound up closing out his night.

Jacob deGrom striking out Brandon Marsh in the fifth inning. Photo by Jason Schott.

Meanwhile, Nola settled in for Philadelphia, and after allowing singles to Luis Guillorme and Jeff McNeil, retired 17 in a row through the seventh inning, keeping it at a 1-0 game. That streak was broken by a Jeff McNeil walk to open the eighth before he got Tomas Nido to ground into a double play on a bunt attempt, and Nimmo to pop out to third base to end the inning.

The Mets bullpen did the job, as Seth Lugo pitched a perfect seventh inning, working around a single by Nick Castellanos and notching a strikeout of Darick Hall, and Trevor May pitched a perfect eighth, with two strikeouts.

Edwin Diaz came on to close it out for the Mets in the ninth, and he got Stott to ground out to third to open the inning before Hoskins singled. Edmundo Sosa came in to run for him, and he stole second. Bohm then flew out to right field, and Sosa stayed there, not testing Marte's arm, which drew a big ovation from the astute Mets crowd. Realmuto drew a walk, second in the frame by Diaz, and then he and Sosa executed a double steal while Castellanos was up to make it second and third. Castellanos would strike out to end it, and give Diaz his 27th save of the season.

Nola would be the hard-luck loser for Philadelphia, as he allowed just that one run in the first inning on four hits and a walk, with eight strikeouts. His record is now 8-9, and he lowered his ERA (earned run average) to 3.07.