It seems like a Mets starter hasn’t recorded an out in the seventh inning since Noah Syndergaard pitched seven innings in the Wild Card Game. It hasn’t been quite that long. It was actually that long. It was “just” 18 games. 

It seemed tonight that streak just did not want to die. With a 1-1 count to Andrelton Simmons, Jacob deGrom had a finger issue. He continued pitching, and he allowed a double. This led to Terry Collins coming out of the dugout with Ray Ramirez to check on deGrom, who stayed in the game. 

He then walked C.J. Cron and hit Martin Maldonado with a pitch to load the bases with no outs. As Dan Warthen visited the mound, Rob Darling was saying the Mets needed to pull him. Instead, the Mets stuck with deGrom. It was the right decision.  

deGrom fought back by striking out Danny Espinosa. Then, a Mets pitcher finally got some help from a Mets shortstop as Jose Reyes made a nifty catch. 

Here's that Jose Reyes run-saving juggle to help Jacob deGrom escape a bases-loaded jam in the seventh. #Mets pic.twitter.com/AxdHW0E2Nj

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) May 20, 2017

Entering tonight, Mets shortstops have posted a -9 DRS, the worst in the majors. It was about time they helped their starters.  A Cameron Maybin fly out, and deGrom escaped a bases loaded no put jam. 

It was the perfect cap to what was a terrific night by the man all fans overlook when naming an ace. This was a big start when the Mets needed it most. He pitched seven scoreless innings allowing just four hits and three walks with nine strikeouts. He would be the first Mets starter to get to three wins. 

As good as deGrom was going, former Marlin Ricky Nolasco was nearly as good. Still, the Mets got to him just enough times. 

In the first, it was a big two out RBI  ground rule double by the suddenly resurgent Curtis Granderson scoring Michael Conforto. 

Neil Walker started the next rally with a lead-off single to start the sixth. He smartly moved up when Wilmer Flores flew out to the warning track for the second out. Forgetting that Rene Rivera has suddenly become Gary Carter, the Angels intentionally walked Lucas Duda to face him. Rivera made them pay hitting an RBI single to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. 
The Mets capped off their scoring when Conforto hit an opposite field solo homer in the seventh to extend the lead to 3-0. This gave the Mets bullpen a comfortable lead to protect and just six outs to get. 

With two left-handed batters bracketing Mike Trout, Jerry Blevins started the eighth. This was Blevins’ 25th appearance making him the first Mets pitcher to made 25 appearances in the Mets first 40 games of the season. 

Blevins did his job recording two strikeouts around a Trout single. Collins then went to Paul Sewald for his first ever hold opportunity in the majors. He locked it down striking out Cron to end the inning. 

Addison Reed came on to close out the game recording his fifth save of the year. It was the type of 3-0 win you expected to see all year.  This was the first of its kind this year. With that said, if the Mets starters step up like deGrom did today, we could be seeing more of these again. 
Game Notes: T.J. Rivera snapped an 0-10 streak with a eighth inning pinch hit single. deGrom entered the game with the highest batting average in the Mets lineup. The win snapped the Mets seven game losing streak.