The New York Mets returned from the All-Star break and split their rain-shortened series versus the rival Yankees and then wasted another solid start from their ace against the Padres on Monday night.
Jacob deGrom was a hard-luck loser again, as the Mets were defeated, 3-2, in the opener of the three-game series versus San Diego at Citi Field.
The Mets' lone All-Star allowed two earned runs and struck out 10 in eight innings, but dropped to 5-5 with an ERA of 1.71 to become, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, the first pitcher in MLB history to have an ERA below 2.00 in his first 20 starts of a season and win fewer than seven games.
DeGrom has won just one home game since his victory on Opening Day, a 3-1 win over Arizona on May 18.
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The Subway Series finale Sunday night between the Mets and Yankees was postponed because of rain. It will be made up Aug. 13 at Yankee Stadium.
This will be the first time a postponed Mets-Yankees game will not be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader.
There had been four previous rainouts in interleague games between the Mets and Yanks: June 11, 2000; June 25, 2004; and May 16, 2008 at Yankee Stadium, and June 21, 2003 at Shea Stadium.
On Saturday, a ninth-inning Mets rally fell short, as they lost the second game of the weekend series in the Bronx, 7-6.
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The Mets' Brandon Nimmo was credited with a run batted in when he was hit by an Aroldis Chapman pitch with the bases loaded in the ninth inning.
It was Nimmo's 15th hit by pitch of the season, a new Mets record.
Here are the most HBPs in a season in Mets history:• Brandon Nimmo, 15, 2018• Lucas Duda, 14, 2015• John Olerud, 13, 1997• Ron Hunt, 13, 1963
After the game Saturday, the Mets officially announced the trade that sent Jeurys Familia to the Oakland A's.
In exchange, the Mets acquired Triple-A reliever Bobby Wahl, Class-A third baseman Will Toffey and $1 million in international signing bonus pool money.
Familia ranks third all-time in Mets history with 123 saves, trailing John Franco (276) and Armando Benitez (160).
Familia appeared in 313 games for the Mets, the ninth most ever by a Mets pitcher.
• John Franco, 695• Pedro Feliciano, 484• Tom Seaver, 401• Jerry Koosman, 376• Jesse Orosco, 372• Tug McGraw, 361• Armando Benitez, 333• Bobby Parnell, 329• Jeurys Familia, 313
Familia got a win in his debut with Oakland on Sunday, pitching two scoreless innings in a 6-5, 10-inning A's victory over the Giants.
Three other pitchers won at least one game for both the Mets and A's in the same season: Ron Darling (1991), Kenny Rogers (1999) and Tyler Clippard (2015).
On Friday night, the Mets took the opener of the Bronx portion of the Subway Series, 7-5, at Yankee Stadium.
Noah Syndergaard got the victory in his first career road start versus the Yankees. Six other Mets starting pitchers won their first career starts for the Mets against the Yanks in the Bronx:• June 16, 1997: Dave Mlicki• June 27, 2008: Mike Pelfrey• June 13, 2009: Fernando Nieve• June 18, 2010: Hisanori Takahashi• May 29, 2013: Jeremy Hefner• April 25, 2015: Matt Harvey
Syndergaard's strikeout of Neil Walker to end the fourth inning was the 500th of his career, making him the fastest in franchise history to 500 strikeouts in terms of innings pitched, a mark previously held by Dwight Gooden.
Syndergaard reached the 500-strikeout milestone in 436 1/3 innings. Gooden's 500th K came in 445 1/3 innings. Gooden's 500th strikeout victim was future Met Mike Marshall, who fanned against Doctor K in the fourth inning of a 2-0, 13-inning Mets win versus the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Sept. 6, 1985.
Syndergaard took 14 more career games than Gooden to reach the 500-strikeout plateau. Here are the Mets pitchers who took the fewest games to 500 Ks from the start of their careers in club history, according to Elias:• Dwight Gooden, 61• Noah Syndergaard, 75• Matt Harvey, 77• Jacob deGrom, 78
DeGrom's second career All-Star Game appearance did not go as well as his first did three years ago. DeGrom, who struck out all three batters he faced in the Mid-Summer Classic in Cincinnati in 2015, retired both Mookie Betts and Jose Altuve before allowing a home run to Mike Trout on a 1-2 pitch. DeGrom then fanned J.D. Martinez to end the top of the third inning.
DeGrom became the fourth different Mets pitcher to allow a home run in an All-Star Game.
• 2018: Jacob deGrom (Mike Trout, Angels)• 2007: Billy Wagner (Victor Martinez, Indians)• 1988: Dwight Gooden (Terry Steinbach, A's)• 1986: Dwight Gooden (Lou Whitaker, Tigers)• 1976: Tom Seaver (Fred Lynn, Red Sox)• 1975: Tom Seaver (Carl Yastrzemski, Red Sox)
Happy Recap: Gsave. Robert Gsellman recorded his fifth save of the year Friday night vs. the Yankees, his second straight six-out save. (The other came on July 13 against Washington.)
Nine Miles of Rough Road: Slumping Nimmo. Nimmo is hitting just .157 (11-for-70) with one home run since getting hit on the hand versus the Dodgers on June 24.
