Steven Matz followed up Jacob deGrom’s brilliant performance Saturday, with an exceptional outing Sunday. He took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning, the farthest any Met pitcher has taken a no-hitter since Johan Santana’s in 2012. Alexei Ramirez ended Matz’s no-hitter with one out, but that did not diminish Matz’s performance by much. Terry Collins lifted him immediately after that hit, so he finished the day allowing just that one single while striking out eight.
Wilmer Flores and Neil Walker provided the offense for Matz with two solo home runs, and T.J. Rivera picked up his first career RBIs to extend the lead in the eighth. The Mets now head to Arizona seeking revenge for the sweep the Diamondbacks dealt them last week.
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Steven Matz felt 120 pitches in his last outing helped him Sunday, but with his pitch count rising, the specter of Johan Santana hung over Terry Collins.
The offense has suffered without Yoenis Cespedes, but they won’t be without him for too much longer.
If the pitching continues to perform like it did over the weekend, whatever offense they do get might be enough.
Jose Reyes and his speed were able to manufacture runs over the weekend and the Mets will need more of that going forward.
T.J. Rivera had a good day at the plate on Sunday and wants to prove he belongs in the big leagues.
This upcoming 10-game road trip could be a key turning point in the 2016 season.
The Mets have been felled by injuries this season, but some other key injuries are keeping them in the Wild Card race.
Around the National League East
The Marlins suffered a huge blow when it was announced that Giancarlo Stanton will miss the rest of the season. This is something the Marlins have had to deal with in the past since Stanton has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career. One option to replace Stanton is the recently released Alex Rodriguez.
Despite missing Stanton and having to face Chris Sale, the Marlins defeated the White Sox 5-4.
The Braves struggled mightily against the Nationals and lost 9-1.
The Phillies completed the sweep of the Rockies with a score of 7-6.
Tanner Roark was dominant for the Nationals in the win over the Braves.
Around Major League Baseball
So what path to the playoffs do each team in the National League race need to take?
The Dodgers’ rotation woes continued when they placed Brandon McCarthy on the DL, but they were able to activate Brett Anderson.
Mookie Betts had a day to remember at Fenway as the Red Sox pummeled Zack Greinke and the Diamondbacks 16-2.
Stephen Piscotty’s eighth inning home run lifted the Cardinals over the Cubs.
The Yankees honored Mariano Rivera with a space in Monument Park among the other Yankee greats.
Yesterday at AA
Steve Sypa updated all the action in the minors with the Mets Daily Prospect Report.
This Date in Mets History
On Saturday Styx performed a postgame concert and sang “I am the Walrus” to honor a little band called the Beatles that had played at Shea. It was on this date in 1965 that over 55,000 screaming fans flocked to Shea to see John, Paul, George, and Ringo in concert.