Jacob deGrom’s pursuit of the National League Cy Young Award remains very much intact after another quality outing against Major League Baseball’s best offense in the Boston Red Sox on Sunday afternoon.
The New York Mets ace went seven strong innings, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out 12.
His league-leading ERA experienced a minor bump up to 1.78 as he was saddled with another no-decision.
Still, deGrom extended his major-league record to 27-straight starts in which he allowed three runs or fewer. It was also his 22nd-straight quality start which tied Bob Gibson and Chris Carpenter’s single-season record.
All three of deGrom’s earned runs came in the third inning, highlighted by a Brock Holt two-run home run which put the Mets back 3-0.
The Mets managed to rally back to tie the game against the Red Sox bullpen, which was tasked into an extended outing on Sunday.
Boston ace Chris Sale, the favorite for the American League Cy Young Award, was limited to just three innings of work as he works his way back from left shoulder inflammation.
He shut the Mets out while allowing a single hit. The match-up on Sunday between the two Cy young hopefuls was the first time that two opposing starters had at least 100 innings and a sub-2.00 ERA in a season since the Mets’ Dwight Gooden met the St. Louis Cardinals’ John Tudor on Sept. 11, 1985.
DeGrom’s Cy Young chances increased after Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer’s allowed six runs on seven hits over just four innings against the Atlanta Braves on Friday.
