Mets ace Jacob deGrom gave up two runs for the first time this season and New York rallied after he exited, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 Saturday on Michael Conforto's sacrifice fly in the ninth inning.
DeGrom's bid to set the Mets record for the longest scoreless-inning streak fell just short. His run ended at 31 innings on rookie Nick Maton's RBI single in the second — R.A. Dickey set the team shutout mark of 32 2/3 innings in 2012.
DeGrom allowed three hits in six innings, striking out five and walking one while throwing 88 pitches, his most since tossing 93 against Boston on April 28 in a 1-0 loss.
The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner saw his ERA rise from 0.50 to 0.69. It is the lowest by any pitcher through 13 starts since earned runs became a statistic in 1913.
DeGrom also got another hit. His single in the fifth was his 12th this year and raised his average to .414.
With the game still tied into the ninth, the Mets turned to Edwin Diaz, who hit McCutchen to lead off the inning. After McCutchen stole second, Diaz walked Luke Williams and uncorked a wild pitch to give the Phillies runners at the corners with no one out. Williams stole second (the Phillies' fifth steal of the day) to put the runners at second and third, and Maton lifted a sac fly to left to put the Phillies ahead 3-2.
Fortunately, a caught stealing at third and a strikeout got Diaz out of the inning with just one run allowed.
In the bottom of the ninth Travis Blankenhorn reached on a fielding error by first baseman Rhys Hoskins and Billy McKinney drew a walk from back at closer, Héctor Neris (1-5). Kevin Pillar, who hit a tying, pinch-hit homer in the seventh, had an infield single that went under the diving attempt of third baseman Alec Bohm to load the bases with no outs.
Guillorme drew a tying walk from Neris. Francisco Lindor struck out, but Conforto lifted a flyball to center field for the winning run. Neris blew a save chance for the sixth time this season.
Andrew McCutchen had a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the Phillies sixth that made it 2-all. It came after deGrom hit Bryce Harper in the left leg with a changeup, and the Phillies star left the game after the inning.
The Phillies ended deGrom's scoreless streak in the top of the second.
McCutchen hit a single that deflected off deGrom's back and into center field, stole second and scored when Maton's single to right dropped in front of Conforto.
It was the first run allowed by deGrom since giving up a homer to Colorado in the second inning on May 25.
The Mets tied the game in the second on Jose Peraza's double.
The Mets will go for the series win in the final game of the homestand on Sunday at 1:10 PM
Former Met Zack Wheeler (5-4, 2.36 ERA) will make his sixth start against New York since signing a five-year, $118 million deal in Dec. 2019.
The Mets announced after the game they will send Marcus Stroman (6-5, 2.32 ERA) (who left his last start in the 2nd inning with hip soreness) to the mound.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 26: Michael Conforto #30 of the New York Mets has his jersey ripped off by teammates after hitting a game-winning sacrifice fly during the ninth inning of a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field on June 26, 2021