NEW YORK -- The reigning National League champion New York Mets received a jolt at the trade deadline Monday when outfielder Jay Bruce was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds in hopes he could bolster one of the most inconsistent lineups in baseball.

Perhaps as important for their title defense, the Mets are also getting back the 2015 version of Jacob deGrom for the stretch run.

DeGrom continued his recent run of dominance Tuesday night by throwing seven shutout innings for the second straight start as the Mets cruised past the New York Yankees 7-1 at Citi Field.

DeGrom (7-5) allowed four hits and one walk while striking out eight in throwing shutout ball for the third time in his last four starts.

The long-haired right-hander, who led the Mets in ERA (2.54) and strikeouts (205) last season, is 2-1 with a 1.71 ERA in his last four starts -- a run that includes his shortest outing of the season, a 3 2/3-inning stint on July 23 in which he gave up five runs -- while striking out 26 and walking just four in 26 2/3 innings.

"Jake's had one start that you'd like to throw out in the last couple months," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "Otherwise, he's done what we expected him to. Fastball's starting to creep back up, velocity-wise. He's still changing speeds, he's still commands it and that's what makes him effective."

DeGrom struggled to find a groove earlier this season as he recovered from throwing 216 innings last year and a hectic April in which he missed two starts because of an oblique injury and a trip home to be with his hospitalized newborn son, Jaxson.

After going 3-1 with a 3.07 ERA in his first 12 starts, deGrom is 4-4 with a 2.06 ERA in his last 12 outings, a stretch in which he has allowed more than three runs just once.

"I feel like I'm close," deGrom said. "I definitely feel a lot more comfortable on the mound these past few starts, especially the last two, than I did earlier in the year."

DeGrom wriggled out of two jams in the first two innings, during which the Yankees stranded four runners but retired 12 in a row between the second and sixth and retired 16 of the final 18 batters he faced.

He also helped provide the only offense the Mets needed in the third, when deGrom singled with two outs for the first hit against Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka. Six pitchers later, Alejandro De Aza hit a two-run homer into the second deck in right field.

Travis d'Arnaud led off the fifth with a homer before the Mets blew the game open in the seventh, when deGrom had one of his team's six hits against Tanaka and Richard Bleier. Michael Conforto (double), Matt Reynolds (single), pinch-hitter Yoenis Cespedes (single) and Neil Walker (double) all delivered run-scoring hits.

With the win, the Mets (55-51) moved to within 1 1/2 games of the Miami Marlins in the race for the NL's second wild card.

The only starter without a hit Tuesday was Bruce, who went 0-for-4. Bruce entered Tuesday with an NL-high 80 RBIs and a .362 average with runners in scoring position. He'll be counted on to deliver in those situations for the Mets, who began Tuesday with the worst batting average (.205) with runners in scoring position.

"I know what I expect out of myself -- pretty high (standards)," Bruce said. "The way we won tonight obviously makes that 0-for-4 a little better. I look forward to getting back at it tomorrow."

Didi Gregorius homered leading off the ninth for the Yankees (53-53), who have lost five of six while embarking upon the franchise's first rebuilding project in a generation. Outfielder Carlos Beltran and pitchers Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller and Ivan Nova were all traded within the last eight days.

"The only thing to do is focus on baseball," Gregorius said "That's the only thing we can focus on right now and try to move forward from there. Whatever happened in those days is gone."

Tanaka (7-4) was charged with all seven runs, eight hits and no walks while striking out four in 6 1/3 innings.

"Last inning, just gave up too many hits and just wasn't able to do a good job out there," Tanaka said.

NOTES: The Mets made a flurry of roster moves, adding RF Jay Bruce and LHP Jonathon Niese, each of whom they acquired Monday, to the active roster and recalling LHP Josh Edgin and IF Ty Kelly from Triple-A Las Vegas. In corresponding transactions, the Mets placed SS Asdrubal Cabrera (strained left patellar tendon) and OF Justin Ruggiano (left hamstring strain) on the disabled list and optioned RHP Seth Lugo and OF Brandon Nimmo to Las Vegas. ... Yankees RHP Chad Green will start Wednesday when the "Subway Series" shifts to Yankee Stadium and will remain in the rotation as the replacement for RHP Ivan Nova, who was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday. ... The pair of two-game series marks the first time the Mets and Yankees have played each other in August.