Flushing, NY – Dillon Gee pitched into the eighth inning and the New York Mets held on for a 4-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles to complete a three-game sweep.
The Orioles were blanked in the first two games of this series, and Gee carried a one-hitter into the eighth until Nick Johnson singled and Wilson Betemit unloaded a two-run homer to right field.
The Orioles had a call go against them later in the eighth when they may have loaded the bases, but they filled them in the ninth before Frank Francisco walked Steve Pearce on four straight pitches. Francisco then got Brian Roberts to hit a ground ball to second base for the final out and recorded his 17th save.
"He's my closer and actually he's been throwing great," Mets manager Terry Collins reasoned as to why he left Francisco in the game. "He hasn't been out there very much. He needs the work."
Gee (5-5) reached the 100-pitch mark following his walk to Pearce with one out in the eighth and was removed from the game. It was nonetheless a spectacular night for the 26-year-old right-hander, who snapped a four-start winless streak. Gee allowed three hits, walked two and tied a career-high with nine strikeouts.
David Wright went 3-for-4 with an RBI and scored once for the Mets, while Scott Hairston doubled twice and also knocked in a run.
Brian Matusz (5-8) allowed seven hits and three runs over 4 2/3 innings, and dropped his third straight start.
"For me I like to be able to go deeper in games. That's what's frustrating today," Matusz said.
Betemit's homer ended a 29-inning scoreless streak for Mets pitching. It was the first run given up by them since allowing three to the Reds in the fifth inning on Sunday.
Bobby Parnell replaced Gee and allowed a single to Roberts, but J.J. Hardy was called out on batter's interference when a batted ball hit near the plate and bounced off his left knee as he was leaving the batter's box.
Orioles manager Buck Showalter argued, but the call remained and Chris Davis flied out to the warning track in left to end the inning.
Matt Wieters and Johnson singled with one out in the ninth. and with two down Wieters and pinch-runner Robert Andino advanced on a wild pitch. Pinch-hitter Mark Reynolds walked leading to the final two batters.
The Mets went ahead in the fourth when Hairston doubled to left field, and with two outs and runners on the corners, Mike Nickeas hit a line drive to center. Adam Jones made a diving attempt, but the ball popped out of his glove, resulting in the first run.
Hairston had an RBI ground-rule double to left field in the fifth, and Wright scored later in the inning when Vinny Rottino broke up a potential double play with a takeout slide at second on a ball hit by Ike Davis.
Wright's ground-rule double in the sixth scored Gee, who doubled over the head of Jones earlier in the inning.
Game Notes
Wright has an 11-game hitting streak...The Orioles have dropped six straight to the Mets dating back to June 11, 2010...Matusz is 0-7 lifetime in interleague starts.
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