Flushing, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Jacob deGrom got himself back on track and continued the Mets' recent success against the Baltimore Orioles by leading New York to a 5-1 victory.
Battered for 11 runs in losing his previous two starts, deGrom (3-3) struck out a season-high nine while yielding one run over seven sharp innings in the Mets' eighth consecutive win over Baltimore.
Dilson Herrera backed the reigning National League Rookie of the Year's cause by going 3-for-3 with a homer and three RBI. Curtis Granderson also homered and knocked in two runs to help the Mets sweep the two-game series and win back-to-back tilts for the first time since they ripped off 11 in a row from April 12-23.
"We played a good game tonight, all the way around," deGrom said.
The Orioles managed nine hits but stranded 10, with Jimmy Paredes' RBI single in the fifth inning Baltimore's lone hit in seven chances with runners in scoring position.
Ubaldo Jimenez (2-2) lasted just four innings for Baltimore, permitting three runs on six hits.
DeGrom flashed his rookie year form early on, holding Baltimore to just three hits while striking out six over the first four innings, and the Mets put up single runs in the second, third and fourth to build a comfortable lead.
A pair of walks issued by Jimenez in the second enabled New York to open the scoring on Herrera's two-out single that plated Michael Cuddyer. Granderson then began the bottom of the third with liner into the right-field seats to extend the margin to 2-0.
Singles by Kevin Plawecki, Herrera and deGrom got Jimenez in further trouble an inning later, though the Mets managed just one run via a sacrifice fly from Granderson.
Baltimore was able to get to deGrom a bit in the fifth. A hit batsman and Travis Snider's pinch-hit single put two runners on and set up Paredes' two- out base hit that scored a run. DeGrom then walked Adam Jones to load the bases, but struck out Chris Davis for the third time of the night to minimize the damage.
"Obviously, he's a quality pitcher," Showalter said of deGrom. "We didn't take advantage of the few (chances) we did have. We haven't done much offensively in two nights."
DeGrom bounced back to retire the next Baltimore hitters as well, and Herrera increased the lead to 5-1 with a blast off Brad Brach with Wilmer Flores aboard in the sixth.
Game Notes
Not counting last weekend's series in St. Petersburg in which they were the designated home team, the Orioles have dropped six straight on the road ... Herrera entered the game 1-for-13 since being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas ... The Mets' eight straight wins over Baltimore is the longest interleague streak in club history and the largest active one by an NL team ... Baltimore will remain in New York to open up a four-game series with the Yankees on Thursday.
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