OAKLAND, Calif. — Jacob deGrom got hit around and lasted a season-low four innings, and the New York Mets lost 10-4 to the Oakland Athletics on Saturday to miss a chance to create some distance in the NL East race.
DeGrom (5-3) was tagged for five runs and four walks — the worst start for the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner since 2019. The right-hander had never faced the A’s before.
In his last three starts, deGrom has allowed 11 earned runs in 15 innings. The four walks doubled his previous season total.
The Mets lost for only the second time in their last nine games. They began the day with a 2 1/2-game division lead over reigning World Series champion Atlanta.
Mark Vientos hit a tying solo home run in the Mets second to make it 4-all. Seth Brown's leadoff homer in the third put the A's ahead for good.
Pete Alonso hit a two-run homer, his 38th, in the Mets. Staked to an immediate 3-0 lead, deGrom gave up four runs in the bottom half.
DeGrom had struck out eight or more with either one or no walks in eight straight starts, the longest such streak in major league history, but fanned a season-low five.
His last time out against Pittsburgh, deGrom became the only pitcher to strike out at least 13 batters with no walks in five innings.
Francisco Lindor added a sacrifice fly in the first off Ken Waldichuk (1-2), who earned his first major league victory in his fifth career start with five solid innings.
Rookie Dermis García hit a two-run double in the bottom of the first against deGrom, who surrendered Vimael Machin's one-out single and then issued consecutive walks to Sean Murphy and Brown.
Conner Capel homered among his career-best three hits and drove in a career-high four runs. He had an RBI groundout and Shea Langeliers also doubled in a run in the A's first.
Capel homered in the fifth and Brown added an RBI single in the sixth. The A's kept adding on, with Nick Allen hitting an RBI single in the seventh.
Former A's outfielder Mark Canha was hit by a pitch to start the third. He singled in the first and struck out twice.
A'S 2023 HALL OF FAME CLASS
Oakland announced its 2023 Hall of Fame class to be honored during next year's Bay Bridge Series on Aug. 6 — AL MVP Jason Giambi, World Series champions Carney Lansford and Gene Tenace, Bob Johnson of the Philadelphia A's, and former PA announcer Roy Steele.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mets: CF Brandon Nimmo was held out of the lineup as a precaution after he returned Friday from a left quadriceps injury. He left Wednesday’s game following the first inning hurt then an MRI showed no structural damage. Nimmo is scheduled to play Sunday afternoon's series finale. Manager Buck Showalter didn't want to take a chance with Nimmo with the quick turnaround after a night game Friday, and the training staff expects that with the off day Monday he should be full strength by Tuesday. ... All-Star RF Starling Marte has been hopeful of returning for a key series with the Braves next week as he works back from a non-displaced fracture of his right middle finger. He flew back to New York on Saturday afternoon for further imaging tests. Also going back early were starting pitchers Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker.
Athletics: CF Ramón Laureano is recovering from a PRP injection in his right hip that he opted to have because he was already sidelined and expected to miss the remainder of the season with a right hamstring strain. He's expected to have a normal offseason to be ready for spring training and will begin a rehab program this coming week rejoining the team.
ROSTER MOVE
Oakland designated infielder Sheldon Neuse for assignment to clear roster room for infielder Ernie Clement, claimed off waivers from Cleveland on Friday.
UP NEXT
RHP Max Scherzer (10-4, 2.15 ERA), coming off his 200th career win, faces the A's for the first time since surrendering five earned runs over six innings in Oakland on May 27, 2014, while with Detroit. The A's send LHP JP Sears (6-2, 3.58) to the mound to face the Mets for the first time after he beat the Mariners on Tuesday.
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