PHILADELPHIA _ Jacob deGrom continued to make the unfathomable all too ordinary on Saturday.
Entering the game with a microscopic 1.81 ERA, and pitching the day after two strong performances by his main competition in the NL Cy Young award race, Aaron Nola and Max Scherzer, deGrom was again untouchable. He allowed no earned runs in a complete game, 3-1 win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The one run was in the seventh and was unearned. He walked none and struck out nine.
DeGrom's ERA dropped to 1.71, best in the majors and, if the season ended today, it would be the second-best season ERA in franchise history, behind Doc Gooden. His record improves to 8-7 _ which could be pivotal in his Cy Young candidacy. It was his third career complete game.
The Mets made good against one of the worst defenses in the league in the top of the fourth. Jeff McNeil led off with a single and advanced to third when a pickoff attempt went awry and skittered to foul territory. Wilmer Flores singled McNeil in to put the Mets up 1-0. They looked primed for more when, one batter later, Todd Frazier singled to right and a passed ball put runners on second and third. But Austin Jackson struck out swinging and Jose Bautista popped up to second base to end the inning.
After that, the weather did its best to rain on everyone's parade _ a swath of ominous dark clouds enveloped the stadium, eventually giving way to rain, lighting and thunder, a 41-minute delay. Both starters returned, though Jake Arrieta only for two more innings _ a pitching line of six innings with one earned run on four hits, no walks and six strikeouts.
The Mets got deGrom some insurance in the seventh against reliever Luis Garcia. Devin Mesoraco homered on a hanging 3-and-2 slider to make it 2-0. With one out, Amed Rosario singled and then McNeil, having another stellar game, tripled to right to drive him in for a 3-0 lead.
An error led to the Phillies' run in the seventh. Nick Williams and Maikel Franco strung together back-to-back one-out singles, and Odubel Herrera hit a relatively slow grounder to Flores who got the lead runner at second. Rosario's throw back to first, though, went a little wide of deGrom, who couldn't corral it and Williams scored. Herrera took too big of a turn at first, though, and was ruled out after a video replay reversed the safe call.
DeGrom was charged with the tough-luck error, but as far as anyone is concerned, it was his only mistake of the day.
