 made his final regular-season start, striking out 10 and allowing just two singles against the NL East champions. He retired the final 20 hitters after allowing a single to Johan Camargo.DeGrom gave up no more than three runs in his last 29 starts to extend his own single-season record. The All-Star ace also matched the overall mark set by Jake Arrieta in 2015-16.The Braves (89-69) had a six-game winning streak snapped. They began the day two games behind the Cubs for the best record in the NL.DeGrom recorded his 11th double-digit strikeout game this season and 32nd of his career. Most of his strikeouts came on sliders in the low-90s mph and his velocity was in the high 90s on his fastball throughout the night.DeGrom received numerous ovations from the crowd of 23,205, even when he struck out in the seventh. By the eighth, the crowd was hanging on every pitch and, after he fanned Tyler Flowers for the third time, the fans began ''MVP'' chants.As the Mets batted in the eighth, the crowd began chanting ''We Want Jake'' and booed when Seth Lugo entered. Lugo finished off deGrom's latest gem by tossing a scoreless ninth for his third save.DeGrom also won for the first time in six starts against Atlanta this year. He allowed four runs in 41 innings against the Braves.Dominic Smith drove in the first run with an RBI single in the sixth off Luke Jackson (1-2).Smith's hit was enough for deGrom, who allowed one or no runs in 18 of 32 starts this year, the most in the National League.Michael Conforto hit his career-high 28th homer in the eighth with a long drive off Kyle Wright. Two batters later Smith homered to make it 3-0.Atlanta left-hander Sean Newcomb allowed one hit in five scoreless innings but four walks raised his pitch count.Ronald Acuna Jr. opened the game with a single and stole second, but deGrom retired Ender Inciarte, Freeman, Markakis. Camargo opened the second with a single, but deGrom fanned Flowers and induced a double play by Ozzie Albies and did not allow a baserunner the rest of the way.HONORARY COACHOzzie Virgil Sr. was an honorary coach and exchanged lineup cards. Virgil, 86, was the first Dominican-born player in the major leagues when he made his debut for the New York Giants in 1956. During an eight-year career with the Giants in New York and San Francisco, Detroit, the Kansas City Athletics, Baltimore and Pittsburgh, Virgil appeared at catcher, third base and outfield. He currently serves as a special catching instructor for New York's teams in the Dominican Summer League and has spent the last 11 seasons doing so.TRAINER'S ROOMBraves: SS Dansby Swanson has a partially torn ligament in his left hand and it's unclear if he will be available in the postseason. He flew from New York to Atlanta Wednesday to get his wrist and hand examined by team doctors. He will undergo treatment while missing the rest of the regular season, which ends Sunday. Swanson will be revaluated next week before the best-of-five Division Series begins on Oct. 4.UP NEXTBraves: RHP Julio Teheran (9-8, 4.13 ERA) makes his final regular-season start Thursday. He is 9-6 with a 2.42 ERA in 24 career appearances against the Mets.Mets: LHP Jason Vargas (6-9, 6.25) concludes a disappointing first season of a two-year deal for New York. He is 4-1 with a 3.11 ERA in his seven starts)
Mets' deGrom tries to bolster Cy Young hopes vs. Braves 2h ago 3 min read NEW YORK - Jacob deGrom may never be willing to look back on his record-setting 2018 season, at least publicly.But as the New York Mets ace gets ready for his final scheduled start of the season Wednesday night, Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker is more than willing to marvel at deGrom's success - and how his unrewarded dominance against the Braves symbolizes a Cy Young candidacy like no other in history.DeGrom will get one more chance to burnish his National League Cy Young Award resume Wednesday night, when he takes the mound for the Mets in the middle game of a three-game series against the NL East champion Braves at Citi Field.DeGrom (9-9, 1.77 ERA) is lined up to face Braves left-hander Sean Newcomb (12-9, 4.04 ERA).The Braves earned a 7-3 win in the opener Tuesday night, when they came back from a 3-0 deficit by scoring all their runs in the seventh and eighth inning. Atlanta (89-68) entered Tuesday a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the race for the second seed and home-field advantage in the NL Division Series.DeGrom's other-worldly statistics outside of his won-loss record appears to have him ahead of the Washington Nationals' Max Scherzer and the Philadelphia Phillies' Aaron Nola in the three-way race for the Cy Young.In addition to leading the majors in ERA and ranking second (behind Scherzer) in WHIP, strikeouts, strikeout-to-walk ratio and innings pitched, deGrom has set single-season big league records by allowing three runs or fewer in his last 28 starts and throwing a quality start in each of his last 23 outings.But deGrom wasn't ready to try to put his season into context last Friday, when he earned the win by allowing one run over seven innings as the Mets beat the Washington Nationals, 4-2."When I reflect on the season, it may sink in a little bit," DeGrom told reporters. "But you've got to prepare for next season." By that point, he'll know whether or not the Mets' remarkable lack of support cost him the Cy Young. New York has scored just 83 runs for deGrom while he's been on the mound in his 31 starts. He has allowed three runs or fewer over at least six innings yet not recorded a win 19 times, which is also a record.Outside of the Mets (73-84), nobody knows deGrom's hard-luck story better than the Braves. DeGrom is 0-2 despite a 1.09 ERA in five starts this season against Atlanta, which has won all five games."You don't like to face him, but man, I love watching him compete, how he gets after it, how he competes, and the stuff - everything," Snitker said Tuesday afternoon. "The record and all that's probably not what he wants, but you watch that guy and how he goes out there every time. I like turning the TV on and watching him pitch."It's a challenge. I mean, you don't look forward to facing a guy like that. But those guys - (that's) what we do, competition. And he's the best." While deGrom will be looking to lock up the Cy Young, Newcomb will be hoping he can make a last-ditch case for a spot in the Braves' postseason rotation.Newcomb, who is likely vying with right-hander Anibal Sanchez to be the fourth starter in the playoffs, took the loss in his previous start Sept. 16, when he allowed five runs over three innings as Atlanta fell to the Nationals, 6-4.The 25-year-old southpaw is 2-4 with a 6.52 ERA in eight starts since coming within one out of no-hitting the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 29.DeGrom is 5-5 with a 1.83 ERA in 16 career starts against the Braves. Newcomb is 2-2 with a 2.15 ERA in five starts against the Mets.
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