Major League Baseball

Travis d'Arnaud, Jerry Blevins suffer broken bones in Mets' win

Published Apr. 19, 2015 5:10 p.m. ET

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Travis d'Arnaud had his right hand in a blue cast. Jerry Blevins' left arm was in a sling. About the only thing not broken Sunday at Citi Field was the New York Mets' winning streak.

Matt Harvey won his third straight start to begin his comeback season and the banged-up Mets, despite losing two important players to injuries, held off the Miami Marlins 7-6 for their eighth consecutive victory.

"It's really unfortunate," Harvey said. "We're playing such good baseball right now. The last thing you want to happen is something like that."

Ruben Tejada had a three-run double and d'Arnaud singled twice in a seven-run fourth inning. But it was a costly win for the Mets, who lost their catcher to a broken hand and a key reliever to a fractured forearm.

Blevins took a line drive off his pitching arm, and d'Arnaud was hit by a pitch.

"It's not a good day," manager Terry Collins said. "It's a good day we won and we'll take that away, but a tough day for us."

After the Marlins trimmed a six-run deficit to one, Jeurys Familia retired Christian Yelich and Giancarlo Stanton on grounders with a runner at second for his sixth save.

Already missing captain David Wright (hamstring) and right-hander Zack Wheeler (elbow surgery), the Mets matched the best start in franchise history at 10-3. They won their first seven home games for the first time and completed their first four-game sweep since July 2011 in Cincinnati.

"It's a bittersweet day, I guess. We're playing so well, and the two guys that got hurt were playing awesome," said Eric Campbell, who has been filling in nicely for Wright at third base.

The winning streak is the club's longest since an eight-game run in June 2010. New York also opened 10-3 in 1986 and 2006 -- and won division titles both times.

Harvey (3-0) has been sick lately but said he didn't want to give up a start. Handed a 7-1 lead, he tired and was chased with none out in the seventh.

"I can't swallow anything. Just felt weak, rundown," he said.

The ace, coming off Tommy John surgery that sidelined him last season, yielded four runs and eight hits. But he threw 63 of 84 pitches for strikes while whiffing seven and walking none. He has struck out 24 and issued one free pass.

"It was a battle," Harvey said. "I think I kind of ran out of gas."

The first three innings could not have gone any better for Marlins starter Tom Koehler (1-2). Pitching close to home with family and friends in the stands, he retired his first nine batters and even singled off Harvey.

The fourth inning could not have gone much worse.

Koehler loaded the bases with none out and gave up RBI singles to Daniel Murphy and Juan Lagares. Kirk Nieuwenhuis drew a four-pitch walk to force in another run before Tejada, the No. 8 batter, drove a bases-clearing double to deep left-center.

"Extremely disappointing, just hanging the bullpen out to dry," Koehler said.

The Mets made it 7-1 with d'Arnaud's run-scoring single off Sam Dyson. New York sent 12 hitters to the plate in its biggest inning since a seven-run seventh against Arizona on July 2, 2013.

"That's the second time this year that we've given up seven runs in an inning. It's tough to win ballgames like that," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "Needed a deep start out of Tommy and it was looking good there for three innings and then it just snowballed on him."

TRAINER'S ROOM

More bad news for the Mets: RHP Vic Black (shoulder tendinitis) complained of soreness in his shoulder and neck while on a minor league rehab assignment and will be examined again. "There's an issue there," general manager Sandy Alderson said. ... Blevins exited after he was struck on the left forearm by Dee Gordon's liner. The left-hander scooped up the ball and flipped it to first base with his glove for an out. Left-handed batters are 0 for 14 this season against Blevins, acquired from Washington a week before Opening Day. "It's a pretty big letdown," he said. ... In the seventh, d'Arnaud was hit by a pitch from A.J. Ramos on the right hand. The catcher was replaced by backup Anthony Recker. "Just got to keep my head up and cheer my teammates on," d'Arnaud said.

THE REPLACEMENTS

Alderson said catcher Kevin Plawecki, a prized prospect, and right-hander Hansel Robles will be called up from Triple-A Las Vegas to help fill in. Blevins and d'Arnaud are headed to the disabled list, and it's unclear how long they'll be out. Both are scheduled to be examined by a specialist Monday. 

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