MIAMI -- The drought has finally come to an end for Steven Matz, and it came at an opportune time for the Mets. The lefty threw six dominant innings and struck out six on Sunday as New York blanked Miami, 3-0, at Marlins Park to take two of three in the series.
Matz, who ran his fastball up to 94 mph, won for the first time since May 25, and he snapped a string of nine consecutive starts without a victory. The left-hander was 0-5 with a 4.73 ERA during that dry spell. By taking the series, the Mets moved to within a half-game of the Marlins for second place in the National League East and the second Wild Card spot.
The lone run the Mets got off Marlins right-hander Jose Urena came in the third inning on Jose Reyes' two-out RBI triple. The slim lead held until the eighth, when the Mets tacked on a pair of runs off Kyle Barraclough. Yoenis Cespedes and James Loney each had RBI singles.
Reyes' RBI triple
NYM@MIA: Reyes rips an RBI triple to left-center
Jose Reyes opens the scoring with an RBI triple to left-center field that scores Michael Conforto in the top of the 3rd
Jeurys Familia notched his 51st consecutive save dating to Aug. 1, 2015. He's now tied for the third-longest streak in MLB history with Jose Valverde, who converted 51 straight saves from 2010-11. Familia's 35 saves lead all Major League closers.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Welcome back, Matz: Matz's pitch execution looked far better Sunday than it did in his last start in Chicago. The left-hander needed 99 pitches, and the only jam he found himself in was with Giancarlo Stanton at the dish with first and third and two outs in the fifth. On a 2-0 pitch, Matz flipped up a curveball that jammed Stanton and resulted in a groundout to Asdrubal Cabrera.
Spot start not spotty: If Sunday is any indication, Urena promises to be an interesting pitching candidate for Miami. The 24-year-old, used in relief at the start of the season, made his second straight spot start, and it was strong. Urena allowed one run in six innings, struck out four and didn't walk a batter. The right-hander threw 86 pitches, with 51 for strikes. However, there was a medical concern for Urena. After he struck out swinging in the fifth inning, Urena talked with trainer Dustin Luepker in the dugout. In the sixth, after Cespedes smoked a long foul ball, Urena was checked out on the mound by manager Don Mattingly and Luepker. Urena stayed in, and his next pitch was a 97-mph fastball. He got through the inning.
Joe Frisaro has covered the Marlins for MLB.com since 2002. He writes a blog, called The Fish Pond. Follow him on Twitter @JoeFrisaro and listen to his podcast.
Patrick Pinak is a reporter for MLB.com and covered the Mets on Sunday.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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