{{pageModel.leagueAbbr}} {{pageModel.subtitle}} | Las Vegas Review-Journal
Major League Baseball
Seattle 3, NY Mets 2
When: 4:10 PM ET, Saturday, July 29, 2017
Where: Safeco Field, Seattle, Washington
Temperature: 68°
Umpires: Home - Shane Livensparger, 1B - Jerry Meals, 2B - Ron Kulpa, 3B - Chris Conroy
Attendance: 33519

SEATTLE -- Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais often talks about the importance of his team winning each series it plays.

After blowing a late lead Friday night in the opener of a three-game series against the New York Mets, and with Jacob deGrom on the mound Saturday afternoon, the Mariners' chances weren't looking very good.

But veteran right-hander Yovani Gallardo came through, allowing just one run in 5 2/3 innings as Seattle defeated deGrom and the Mets 3-2 at Safeco Field.

"Going in, we knew it was going to be a low-scoring game," Servais said. "We outpitched them today."

Gallardo (5-7) posted his first victory as a starter since June 12. He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out two. He was sent to the bullpen after a June 17 loss in Texas and didn't return to the rotation until last weekend against the New York Yankees. He received a no-decision in that game despite leaving with a lead after five innings.

"I felt good against the Yankees but just had a couple of mistakes," Gallardo said, referring to three solo home runs he allowed. "Today I stayed away from that.

"It's a big win for us to get after a game like (Friday). We've got a chance to win the series (Sunday)."

DeGrom (12-4) had won eight straight starts, tied for the longest season streak in franchise history with Tom Seaver (1969), David Cone (1988) and Bobby Jones (1997).

DeGrom allowed three runs (two earned) and five hits in six innings. He struck out 10 and walked one. It was deGrom's eighth game with double-digit strikeouts in 21 starts this year.

Seattle's Tony Zych, Marc Rzepczynski and Nick Vincent combined for 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief before turning it over to closer Edwin Diaz in the ninth.

Wilmer Flores doubled to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a groundout. Michael Conforto, the Seattle native who hit two home runs the previous night, singled to right field with two outs to drive in Flores. Diaz struck out Asdrubal Cabrera to end the game and post his 19th save of the season.

There was damage done in the bottom of the second inning -- to both teams.

Nelson Cruz led off by lining a pitch off deGrom's left shin. The ball struck the right-hander so hard it caromed into shallow right field. Manager Terry Collins and the Mets' training staff checked on de Grom, but he was able to continue.

Kyle Seager followed with a double to right-center field, putting runners at second and third. DeGrom struck out Danny Valencia, but then came the second scary moment of the inning.

DeGrom threw a 95 mph fastball that rode up and in on Mitch Haniger, hitting him in the mouth.

Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud immediately tended to Haniger as Servais and trainer Rick Griffin raced from the dugout. Cruz could be seen standing on third base with his head in his hands as a hush came over the crowd.

Haniger was able to get up and walk off the field with help from Griffin and was replaced by pinch-runner Guillermo Heredia, loading the bases. The Mariners later announced Haniger sustained a mouth contusion and had been taken from the ballpark for further examination.

"Obviously, any time that happens it's pretty scary. It was a severe laceration of the upper lip," said Servais, who indicated Haniger will need some time to recover and likely is headed for the disabled list. "It could have been much worse. He was never unconscious. When I went out there, he was talking."

Jarrod Dyson followed with a two-run single to right field, snapping the scoreless tie.

"You don't want to see that happen to anybody, especially Mitch," Dyson said. "I hope he gets well, we'll need him in the stretch."

Dyson stole second to put runners at second and third, but deGrom got out of the inning by striking out Mike Zunino and Jean Segura.

The Mariners added another run in the third as Ben Gamel led off with a single, extending his hitting streak to 15 games. Robinson Cano then hit a grounder to second baseman Neil Walker, who tried to get a force on Gamel, but his throw was errant, allowing Gamel to take third. Cruz followed with a sacrifice fly to left field to make it 3-0.

DeGrom retired 11 of the last 12 batters he faced, allowing only a one-out walk to Seager in the sixth. Seager was caught stealing to end the inning.

"I mean, you look back and really the worst pitch he threw was the hanging slider to Dyson," Collins said of deGrom. "So he comes off and gets himself right and doesn't do it again. He doesn't get too down about it. He's got to go about his job, and he kept us in the game. We had lots of opportunities. We just didn't score him any runs."

The Mariners nearly had another run in the third, but Conforto made a lunging, over-the-shoulder catch of a ball hit to left by Seager. Conforto also threw out Seager attempting to score to end the eighth inning.

The Mets finally scored in the sixth.

With two outs, Yoenis Cespedes and Walker singled, knocking Gallardo from the game.

Zych struggled to find the strike zone, walking Curtis Granderson to load the bases and then Flores to drive in a run. Jose Reyes flied out to center field to end the threat.

After Zych allowed a leadoff single to d'Arnaud in the seventh, Rzepczynski entered and walked Conforto. But the left-hander got Cabrera to ground into a double play and struck out Jay Bruce to end the inning.

Vincent pitched a perfect eighth for the Mariners before handing the ball to Diaz in the ninth.

"This was a bounce-back (win) for us," said Seager, who had two doubles. "Yovani was awesome. That's a good lineup (for the Mets) and he went right through it."

NOTES: Mariners DH Nelson Cruz snapped an 0-for-16 slump with a single in the second inning. His sacrifice fly in the third gave him an American League-leading 76 RBIs. ... Former Miami closer A.J. Ramos, acquired by the Mets late Friday night for two minor leaguers, is expected to be available out of the bullpen Sunday. ... Mets fans took up a couple of sections in the right-field corner of the first deck, wearing orange T-shirts that read "Queen's Court," in response to the Mariners' "King's Court" in the opposite corner when longtime ace "King" Felix Hernandez pitches. ... Mets RHP Seth Lugo (5-2, 4.10 ERA) is scheduled to face Mariners LHP James Paxton (10-3, 2.84) on Sunday afternoon in the finale of the three-game interleague series.
Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
NY Mets   Seattle
Jacob deGrom Player Yovani Gallardo
Loss W/L Win
6.0 IP 5.2
10 Strikeouts 2
5 Hits 5
3.00 ERA 1.59
Hitting
NY Mets   Seattle
Wilmer Flores Player Jarrod Dyson
2 Hits 2
1 RBI 2
0 HR 0
3 TB 2
.667 Avg .667
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Hits HR TB Avg LOB K RBI BB SB Errors
NY Mets 8 0 9 .242 19 4 2 5 0 1
Seattle 9 0 11 .300 17 13 3 1 1 0