Stanton hits 45th HR, Conley fans 11, Marlins beat Mets 6-4 (Aug 20, 2017)
NEW YORK (AP) Mets rookie Amed Rosario learned a painful lesson: When speedy Dee Gordon is running, there's no time to waste.
The 21-year-old shortstop scooped up a seventh-inning grounder Sunday and patted his glove with the ball before throwing to first base, allowing Gordon to beat the play for an infield single.
New York ace Jacob deGrom (13-7) threw up his hands in disgust for a moment, and the mistake soon cost the Mets. Giancarlo Stanton hit the next pitch for a three-run homer that gave the Miami Marlins a four-run lead in a 6-4 victory.
If the Mets had retired Gordon, they might have been much more inclined to pitch around Stanton or walk him intentionally with a runner on third and two outs. Instead, with runners at the corners and one out, he made them pay.
''That changes the whole dynamic of my at-bat,'' said Stanton, who upped his major league-leading total to 45 home runs. ''Even though it's first pitch, it changed the whole dynamic of my at-bat for sure.''
Stanton's homer backed a stellar performance by Adam Conley, who struck out a career-high 11 in seven innings.
''I think Adam's seven strong is really what set the tone for the whole day,'' Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.
Conley (6-5) allowed one run and three hits. Brad Ziegler pitched the ninth for his sixth save.
''Just really encouraged, in contrast to my last start (when) I was telling you guys about how I didn't feel I could do anything,'' Conley said.
Yoenis Cespedes homered and hit an RBI double for the Mets, who have lost six of seven. They fell to 6-15 on Sundays this season, including 2-9 at Citi Field.
Miami went up 1-0 with two outs in the first on Christian Yelich's hard grounder that glanced off Wilmer Flores' glove. Yelich then picked on Flores again in the third inning with another shot that the Mets' third baseman couldn't corral, allowing Gordon to score from second as the ball rolled into foul territory.
''Everybody is trying. When Rosario didn't make that play, I put my hands up,'' deGrom said. ''Probably shouldn't have done that. I'll have to talk to him. That's my bad. I can't show emotion out there like that, especially when it has to do with your other players when you know they're out there trying to play defense behind you.''
Conley improved to 3-0 in seven career starts against the Mets. He gave up Cespedes' 16th homer in the first and not much after that.
The Marlins lefty managed to get out of a jam with runners on second and third when he struck out deGrom in the second inning.
After entering 9-3 with a 2.18 ERA in his last 12 starts, deGrom weaved in and out of trouble before he was chased off the mound during Miami's big seventh.
The Mets righty, who gave up 10 hits, five runs and struck out eight in 6 1/3 innings, allowed singles to Miguel Rojas and Gordon before serving up Stanton's big drive.
''You can't worry about what's going behind you - you've got to pitch. And if there's not plays made, you've got to pitch around them once in a while,'' Mets manager Terry Collins said. ''Same when a guy makes an error. They don't stop making plays when you hang sliders. So you've got to keep pitching.''
Cespedes hit an RBI double in a three-run eighth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mets RHP Matt Harvey will start Monday for Double-A Binghamton. The 28-year-old former ace was put on the disabled list in June with a stress injury to the scapula bone in his right shoulder. He has had made two starts for Class A Brooklyn, allowing two hits, one run, a walk and three strikeouts over four innings. Harvey was 4-3 with a 5.25 ERA in 13 starts before his injury.
HE'S GOT A NAME
The Mets announced they had acquired RHP Jacob Rhame as the player to be named to seal the deal that sent OF Curtis Granderson to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night. Rhame was selected by the Dodgers in the sixth round of the 2013 draft and was 0-2 with two saves, 55 strikeouts and a 4.31 ERA in 41 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City. He'll report to Triple-A Las Vegas.
UP NEXT
Marlins: RHP Dan Straily (7-8, 3.80 ERA) starts the first game of a doubleheader Tuesday at Philadelphia. Straily is 0-4 in his last seven starts and has not won since July 7 at San Francisco. RHP Jose Urena (11-5, 3.61) will take the mound in the nightcap against the Phillies. Urena has gone 2-0 in his last three starts, allowing four earned runs over 16 1/3 innings.
Mets: Rookie RHP Robert Gsellman (5-5, 5.98) gets the nod Monday night for the opener of a four-game set against Arizona. Gsellman makes his second start since returning from the disabled list last week. He got a no-decision Wednesday in the Mets' 5-3 loss to the New York Yankees.
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