NEW YORK — Even without the sold-out crowd and playoff-like atmosphere inside Citi Field, the Mets returned home Monday for an important series. ADVERTISING NEW YORK — Even without the sold-out crowd and playoff-like atmosphere inside Citi Field, the Mets
NEW YORK — Even without the sold-out crowd and playoff-like atmosphere inside Citi Field, the Mets returned home Monday for an important series.
Against the Rockies (47-63), one of the worst teams in baseball, the Mets have an opportunity to improve their record while potentially building their lead in the National League East.
They got off to a good start.
Daniel Murphy’s two-run single in the seventh lifted New York to a 4-2 victory in front of 27,194. The win snapped the Mets’ two-game losing streak and increased their lead in the division to two games over the Nationals who played late in Los Angeles against the Dodgers.
Travis d’Arnaud hit a solo home run in the second, but that was all the damage the Mets (60-52) could produce against Rockies starter Jon Gray, who made his second major-league start.
But the Mets rallied against Colorado’s bullpen to start their homestand on a positive note.
The last time the Mets were home, they played in front of a raucous crowd that watched them vault past Washington into first place.
Jon Niese (7-9) gave the Mets another solid outing, allowing two runs on six hits over seven innings. He had no walks and five strikeouts in his 95-pitch start.
Tyler Clippard pitched a perfect eighth and Jeurys Familia picked up his 31st save by retiring the side in order with two strikeouts.
Niese came into the game off a pair of strong outings, having allowed just two runs in 13 innings against the Padres and Marlins. In his previous seven starts dating to June 30, the left-hander had a 2.38 ERA.
“When he started to get command of his fastball, things changed,” manager Terry Collins said before the game. “Now he’s just commanding everything.”
Niese cruised through the first three innings Monday, but ran into trouble in the fourth.
After DJ LeMahieu led off with a single, Carlos Gonzalez drilled a two-run homer over the left-field fence for his 26th of the season. The Rockies then had runners on first and second with one out, but Niese worked out of it to avoid further damage.
But his offense didn’t give him much run support against Gray, who gave the Rockies an outstanding outing.
Gray’s only mistake came in the second. D’Arnaud crushed the first pitch he saw from the 23-year-old into the left-field stands for his fifth homer of the season. It was the catcher’s first home since returning from the disabled list July 31.
New York had a chance to add a couple more runs on the board in the fifth, but couldn’t drive them in. With two outs, Niese walked and Tejada reached on a throwing error by LeMahieu.
With Curtis Granderson at the plate, Gray threw a wild pitch that allowed the runners to move to second and third. But Granderson popped out to end the inning.
Gray left the game after the sixth, having allowed just one hit with two walks and five strikeouts. He threw only 75 pitches.
Justin Miller came in to pitch the seventh, and the Mets quickly threatened.
With one out, d’Arnaud singled and Conforto walked. After pinch-hitter Juan Uribe popped out to short, Ruben Tejada walked to load the bases.
Rockies manager Walt Weiss then brought in former Yankees lefty Boone Logan to pitch to Granderson.
Logan couldn’t do the job.
He drilled Granderson on the back with his 3-2 pitch to force in a run and tie the game at 2. That brought up Murphy, who connected for his game-winning single to left just past a lunging Jose Reyes to put the Mets up 4-2. Yoenis Cespedes grounded out to short to end the inning, but the damage was done.
ROYALS 4, TIGERS 0
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Johnny Cueto threw a four-hitter in his home debut with the Royals.
Cueto (1-1) did not allow a runner past second base, struck out eight and walked none. It was his sixth career shutout and second this season. Cueto was acquired from Cincinnati on July 26 for three pitching prospects.
Tigers lefty Matt Boyd, who was acquired from Toronto on July 30 in the David Price trade, gave up three runs in the first inning.
Boyd (1-3), who beat Cueto and the Royals 2-1 last Wednesday when he allowed seven hits and one run over seven innings in his Tigers debut, gave up singles to Alcides Escobar and Ben Zobrist on his first two pitches.
Lorenzo Cain doubled to center, scoring both. Kendrys Morales’ one-out single produced the third run of the inning.
WHITE SOX 8, ANGELS 2
CHICAGO — Chris Sale allowed two runs and five hits in 7 1-3 innings, and Avisail Garcia homered twice to drive in four runs for the White Sox.
Tyler Flowers added a solo shot to back Sale (10-7), who didn’t allow more than one baserunner in an inning until Johnny Giavotella drove in two runs with a double in the seventh.
Angels starter Matt Shoemaker (5-8) had thrown 19 consecutive scoreless innings before Melky Cabrera’s sacrifice fly put Chicago ahead 1-0 in the first.
Shoemaker hadn’t allowed a run in his last three starts, but was tagged for seven and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings as Los Angeles dropped its seventh straight on the road.
Garcia had his third career multihomer game to reach 11 for the season, and his three-run drive was the big blow as the White Sox sent nine hitters to the plate and pulled away with a four-run sixth.
DIAMONDBACKS 13, PHILLIES 3
PHOENIX — Welington Castillo tied a career high with four RBIs and Yasmany Tomas and A.J. Pollock homered to lead Arizona.
Arizona scored three runs in the fifth to break a 2-2 tie, highlighted by Castillo’s solo shot with two outs. Castillo has eight home runs and 14 RBIs in his last 12 games.
Castillo went deep to center in the fifth for his 15th home run and a 5-2 lead.
The Diamondbacks put up six runs in the sixth with Castillo driving in three with a triple and scoring on a single by Tomas.
Peralta finished 3 for 5 with two RBIs and Pollock had three hits.
Phillies starter Aaron Harang (5-13) left after 5 1-3 innings having allowed eight runs and 12 hits.
Arizona starter Rubby De La Rosa (10-5) lasted six innings and allowed three runs and eight hits.
NATIONALS 8, DODGERS 3
LOS ANGELES — Gio Gonzalez scattered seven hits over eight scoreless innings and Ian Desmond hit two homers as Washington kicked off a 10-game trip.
Gonzalez (9-4) struck out six, walked one and stranded eight runners. The left-hander is 5-0 with a 1.48 ERA in eight starts since losing 6-1 at Tampa Bay on June 15.
Brett Anderson (6-7) was charged with seven runs and 10 hits through five-plus innings.
Carl Crawford hit a three-run shot in the ninth off Doug Fister, the first pinch-hit homer of his career.
The Dodgers’ four-game losing streak is their first since Sept. 2-13. They were the only team this season that hadn’t lost more than three straight.
ORIOLES 3, MARINERS 2
SEATTLE — Chris Davis hit a go-ahead single and his 30th home run for Baltimore.
Adam Jones launched his 18th homer in the first inning off Seattle starter Vidal Nuno (0-1) and scored on Davis’ base hit in the fourth. Davis then hit a line drive out to center off reliever Mayckol Guaipe in the sixth.
Davis reached 30 homers for the third time in four years. He led the majors with 53 in 2013.
Seattle slugger Nelson Cruz extended his hitting streak to a career-high 20 games with an opposite-field single leading off the fourth. His streak of nine straight games with an extra-base hit came to an end.
Wei-Yin Chen (6-6) won for the second time since July 1, pitching into the eighth inning. Chen allowed only Franklin Gutierrez’s home run leading off the second. The lefty gave up three hits. He struck out five and retired 13 of his final 14 batters.
Zach Britton got five outs for his 24th straight save.
PADRES 2, REDS 1
SAN DIEGO — Justin Upton hit a two-run homer and San Diego snapped a six-game losing streak.
Ian Kennedy pitched five innings for the win, backed up by four relievers who did not permit a run to the Reds, who have lost five of six. Kennedy (7-10) was charged with two hits and a season-high six walks. He struck out four while improving to 5-1 against the Reds.
Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth for his 32nd save in 34 chances. It was his first save since Aug. 1.
David Holmberg (1-1) worked 6 2-3 innings for the Reds. He allowed two runs, five hits and three walks with five strikeouts.
Jay Bruce homered for the Reds.
