The New York Mets took the second game of the 2016 Subway Series thanks to a brilliant performance from Jacob deGrom.
- New York Yankees: 1 (53-53)
- New York Mets: 7 (55-51)
- Subway Series, FINAL, Box Score
- Citi Field, Flushing, NY
The night belonged to Jacob deGrom and the New York Mets. A night after suffering a tough defeat in the Subway Series opener, working each and every bullpen arm along the way, a quick bounceback was provided featuring a steady offensive attack and even greater starting pitching.
Seven innings of pure deGrominance paved the way to a convincing victory, which saw the eventual dismantling of Yankee ace Masahiro Tanaka.
After plating three runs through the first six innings, the Mets went to work in a four-run, six-hit seventh inning which put the icing on the cake.
Tanaka, who displayed poor command throughout the evening, surrendered seven earned runs on eight hits over 6.1 subpar innings. deGrom, on the other hand, lowered his ERA to 2.41 while overmatching the Bombers immensely.
With the win, the Mets, who had lost seven of 10 coming in, gained ground in the NL Wild Card chase and restored order to some extent in Flushing.
Put it in the books! #MetsWIN!
.@JdeGrom19 deals 7 strong in a 7-1 #Mets win!Box: https://t.co/FT6XiCkIWn pic.twitter.com/Roxqpp66f2
— New York Mets (@Mets) August 3, 2016
Highlights
Tanaka was cruising through the first 2.2 innings of his outing, but it all went downhill following a two-out single by who else but his counterpart, Jacob deGrom. Following the base knock, Alejandro De Aza smashed a two-run homer to right to give the Mets an early 2-0 lead.
Check out Travis d’Arnaud’s solo shot! ?
— New York Mets (@Mets) August 3, 2016
The score remained that way until the fifth inning when Travis d’Arnaud led off with a long solo blast to left field which extended the lead to three.
If this team is gonna do anything down the stretch, TDA is one who’ll be looked upon. #Mets 3, #Yankees 0. pic.twitter.com/q5jGgEwwoB
— Elite Sports NY (@EliteSportsNY) August 3, 2016
Despite his poor command, the Yankee right-hander was able to maintain a sense of stability up until the seventh inning, a frame in which everything unraveled for him and the team. A Michael Conforto RBI double, a Matt Reynolds RBI single, a Yoenis Cespedes pinch-hit RBI base hit, and a Neil Walker RBI two-bagger highlighted a four-run half inning that ended with a nice 7-0 cushion for the Mets.
Hi-✋! We score 4 in the 7th.
7-0 #Mets | End-7 pic.twitter.com/oqdqZ9VURl
— New York Mets (@Mets) August 3, 2016
At that point, deGrom had already played his part, and the offense provided no doubt that the Mets would pull even in the four-game series.
Didi Gregorius’ ninth-inning solo shot avoided the first shutout in Queens for the Yanks since 2002, but it was an afterthought with regards to the overall outcome.
Yankees haven’t been shut out by Mets in Queens since June 15, 2002 (8-0).
— Katie Sharp (@ktsharp) August 3, 2016
deGrominance
All of the hype surrounding Noah Syndergaard has been truly spectacular, but it is time to realize who the true rock of the New York Mets staff is. Start by start, Jacob deGrom has thrived and shown who the real ace is.
Nothing less was expected in tonight’s outing. The 28-year-old right-hander fired seven innings of four-hit, shutout ball, adding eight strikeouts for his seventh victory of the year. 69 of his 103 total pitches were delivered in the strike zone.
.@JdeGrom19 throwing ???! #Mets #LGM pic.twitter.com/U5bqQo7LxC
— New York Mets (@Mets) August 3, 2016
Poise, command, and prestige are three factors that always apply to deGrom when he toes the rubber. All three were in full effect tonight.
Welcome to the Big Apple
In his first game as a New York Met, Jay Bruce went 0-4 with two strikeouts. Ironically enough, the team had one of its better offensive performances since the All-Star break minus the production of the newly-acquired right fielder.
Perhaps it is more than simply driving in runs. Bruce provides a presence and ultimately spaces an otherwise pedestrian lineup. His debut can only be a sign of greater offensive production on the way.
What’s Next?
The 2016 Subway Series will flip over to the Bronx tomorrow night as the Yankees and Mets battle it out in the third game of their four-game set.
Steven Matz (8-7, 3.35 ERA) will take the ball for the Metropolitans opposing Chad Green (1-2, 4.56 ERA), who will slide back into the Yankee rotation.
First pitch will commence at 7:05 pm ET from Yankee Stadium. The game can be seen on YES, SNY, and ESPN. In addition, the game can be heard on WFAN 660/101.9 FM and 710 WOR.
