5/15 Game Recap: Mets fall 1-0 in Subway Series finale

In the fourth and final game of the 2014 edition of the Subway Series, a little bit of history was made. For the first time since 2010, both starting pitchers were making their Major League debut, and according to Gary Cohen and the SNY broadcast, it was the first time in history this feat occurred in the month of May.

For the Mets, Jacob deGrom took the ball, while the Yankees used Chase Whitley in place of an injured C.C. Sabathia. DeGrom, who had initially been pegged to be of help in the bullpen, was called in to action thanks to Dillon Gee landing on the 15-day Disabled List. In well-pitched game, one mistake did the Mets in, and the Yankees shut out the Mets for the second consecutive day, this time 1-0.

May 15, 2014; New York, NY, USA; New York Mets pitcher

(48) reacts after 7th inning against the New York Yankees at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: William Perlman/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports

Game Recap

Coming out in the first inning, deGrom showcased a 95-mph fastball a few times against the top of the Yankee order. The rookie retired Brett Gardner and Derek Jeter before Jacoby Ellsbury laced a double into the right-center field gap. DeGrom came right back though, striking out Mark Teixeira for his first-ever strike out.

Whitley looked just as impressive in his half of the opening inning, retiring the Mets in short fashion, including a strikeout of David Wright.

Working around a lead-off bloop single to left by Brian McCann in the second, deGrom got Alfonso Soriano to wave at a fastball on the outside corner for out number one, and then induced a 1-6-3 double play to end the frame.

During the third with one out, Whitley recorded his first hit in his first professional at-bat, singling through the whole between first and second. Gardner followed with a walk, but for the second straight inning, deGrom’s defense prevailed. Jeter lined one back up the middle, but deGrom snagged the liner and tossed it back to first to double off Gardner to end the frame.

In the bottom half, the Mets were able to finally get a hit when Ruben Tejada singled to right. Juan Centeno, who was filling in for the concussed Travis d’Arnaud, bounced a ball to first, but it was slow enough for Ruben to advance to second. With one out, the streak finally ended — a Mets pitcher recorded a hit. In his first-ever at-bat, deGrom lined a single to center to end the streak at 64 hit-less at-bats for Met pitching. Whitley worked his way out of the jam, getting Eric Young and Daniel Murphy out to end the scoring chance.

The Mets threatened again in the fifth when Tejada and Centeno walked with one away. DeGrom followed with a perfectly executed bunt to put both in scoring position. After the bunt, Joe Girardi pulled the plug on Whitley’s outing for Dellin Betances. Eric Young failed to come through again, however, grounding out to third to end the inning.

Finally in the seventh, the scoreless tie was broken when Alfonso Soriano doubled to left field with two outs to bring home McCann all the way from first base to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead.

Betances struck out the side in the bottom half of the seventh, the second inning in a row that he did that.

Using a combination of Scott Rice, Jeurys Familia and Josh Edgin the bullpen worked out of a jam in the eighth. But in the next half, the Yankees did the same when Murphy singled to left to make it first and third with two outs. Girardi motioned to the pen and brought in David Robertson to get one out in the eighth to start a four-out save. He did indeed get Wright to ground out to short, again ending another Met threat. Wright had a rough day at the plate, going 0-for-4 with three strike outs.

Hours after Kyle Farnsworth was relieved of his duties with the Mets, Jenrry Mejia was called on for the ninth, and pitched a scoreless inning to keep it a 1-0 game.

But Robertson shut down the Mets in order in the ninth, winning both games over the Mets at Citi Field to split the season series.

Next Up

Tomorrow night the Mets begin a three-game set with the Washington Nationals down in D.C. Jon Niese will be pitching for the Mets against Tanner Roark of the Nationals.