Ray pitches five strong innings as Diamondbacks beat Mets

(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- A comebacker off Robbie Ray's calf in the fourth inning Thursday afternoon provided closure on a scary chapter in what has otherwise been an upbeat season for Ray and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The sight an inning later of Michael Conforto hobbling off the field with a dislocated shoulder suffered following a swing and a miss offered more proof for the New York Mets that the end to their misery is nowhere in sight.

Ray, pitching less than a month after he was hit in the head by a 108 mph line drive, was activated from the disabled list Thursday and tossed five strong innings as the Diamondbacks edged the Mets, 3-2, in the finale of a four-game series at Citi Field.

Ray (10-5) suffered a concussion and needed three staples to close a wound on the left side of his head when he was hit by a ball off the bat of St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Luke Voit on July 28. He said he didn't feel any extra nerves Thursday, when Ray allowed one run on two hits and two walks while striking out nine.

"There hasn't really been any issues getting back up on the mound," Ray said. "I was just trying to go out there and put up zeroes like I know how to."

Ray struck out the side on 12 pitches in the first inning and didn't allow a hit until the fourth, when Yoenis Cespedes broke a scoreless tie with a leadoff homer.

Two batters later, Amed Rosario hit a sharp one-hopper that bounced off Ray's left calf. Ray recovered to throw out the speedy Rosario.

"I think we were all kind of holding our breath," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "But I know there's a series of things that happen that lead you to the end of the story; that is telling you he's going to be OK. And I think that was the final piece of the puzzle."

Lovullo and a trainer visited Ray, who threw a pitch before remaining in the game.

"It's going to happen, comebackers are part of baseball," Ray said. "Luckily, this time, it hit me in the calf and I made the play."

The Diamondbacks took the lead in the top of the fifth on an RBI single by Gregor Blanco and a sacrifice fly by Ketel Marte, after which the Mets received yet another reminder that losing players to injury has been an inescapable part of their star-crossed season.

With two outs and two on, Conforto, the Mets' lone All-Star this year, swung and missed at a 2-0 pitch. He immediately crumpled to the ground clutching his left shoulder and remained there for a couple minutes. Conforto eventually got up, still holding his left shoulder, and walked slowly into the dugout with a trainer.

The Mets announced the dislocated diagnosis less than 20 minutes later, an unusually quick announcement that may not bode well for Conforto, who underwent an MRI exam after the game. Conforto was 0-for-2 Thursday and is batting .279 with 27 homers and 68 RBIs in his first full major league campaign.

"Just kind of makes you feel depressed," Mets rookie first baseman Dominic Smith said. "A lot of people have been going down all year, so it just (stinks) to see another player go down."

Conforto's injury may be the most jarring one suffered this season by the Mets, who have used the disabled list 28 times for 21 players.

"It turns your stomach," said Mets manager Terry Collins, whose postgame press conference lasted barely two minutes and consisted of seven questions about Conforto. "A young player who's having a tremendous year, really making a name for himself to go down like that, with that kind of injury, it's tough to watch."

Brandon Drury had an RBI single in the sixth for the Diamondbacks (70-58), who took three of four from the Mets to move into the first wild card spot in the National League, a half-game ahead of the Colorado Rockies.

Four relievers combined to strand seven Mets baserunners over the final four innings, with Fernando Rodney earning his 30th save by stranding runners at the corners in a scoreless ninth.

Brandon Nimmo, who replaced Conforto, delivered an RBI groundout in the seventh for the Mets (55-71), who went 2-6 on an eight-game homestand. Cespedes and Kevin Plawecki had two hits apiece.

Mets right-hander Rafael Montero (2-9) took the loss after allowing the three runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five over 5 1/3 innings.

NOTES: To make room on the 25-man roster for LHP Robbie Ray, the Diamondbacks optioned RHP Matt Koch to Triple-A Reno. ... Diamondbacks SS Nick Ahmed (broken right hand) is scheduled to play his fourth rehab game for the rookie-level Arizona League Diamondbacks on Thursday night. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said it could be the final game for Ahmed before he is moved to Reno. ... The Mets announced RHP Zack Wheeler (shoulder) will not pitch again this season and that RHP Tyler Pill (elbow) underwent elbow surgery Wednesday. ... Mets RHP Noah Syndergaard (torn right lat) is scheduled to throw batting practice at the team's spring training complex in Florida on Friday.

Tigers beat Yankees in brawl-filled encounter

(TSX / STATS) -- DETROIT -- Pitches buzzed heads, tempers flared, fists flew and thumbs were extended. The New York Yankees-Detroit Tigers game on Thursday turned in a giant fiasco.

The Tigers emerged with a tension-packed 10-6 victory that included eight ejections and three benches-clearing incidents at Comerica Park.

"You don't see games like this very often, for good reason, because of injury concerns," said Detroit manager Brad Ausmus, who drew one of the ejections. "I hope I never see one again."

Tigers cleanup hitter and 11-time All-Star Miguel Cabrera and Yankees catcher Austin Romine were tossed after a benches-clearing brawl during the sixth inning. Yankees manager Joe Girardi and relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle had just been ejected after Kahnle threw a pitch behind Cabrera in the sixth.

Yankees reliever Dellin Betances and bench coach Rob Thomson were ejected in the bottom of the seventh after Betances drilled Tigers catcher James McCann in the helmet with a 98 mph fastball.

Detroit reliever Alex Wilson was tossed after hitting New York third baseman Todd Frazier with a pitch in the eighth. Ausmus was ejected after that incident.

The scuffle between Cabrera and Romine began after reliever Aroldis Chapman finished his warmup pitches following Kahnle's ejection. Cabrera approached the plate and exchanged words with Romine. Romine removed his mask and Cabrera shoved him with both hands and then threw punches while Romine wrestled him to the ground.

Ironically, Romine is the brother of Tigers utility player Andrew Romine.

"First of all, when they threw at me, it was OK. I was cool with that," Cabrera said. "They started to argue with the umpire and I said to Romine to calm down. He said, "I'm not talking to you" and I said 'Oh, wow.' ... When I got back to home plate, I tell him, 'You got any (bleeping) problem with me?' He said, 'Why?' I said because I try to calm (things) down and you try to act tough. And he said something like, 'You want to fight?'"

Detroit starter Michael Fulmer hit Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez with a pitch the previous inning. Sanchez homered four times during the series, including a fourth-inning solo blast on Thursday.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Fulmer hit Sanchez intentionally. The Tigers said Fulmer, who recently came off the disabled list with elbow irritation, felt a 'zinger' when he released the ball.

"If you can't see that Fulmer clearly hit Sanchez on purpose, there's something wrong," Girardi said. "I think it could have really been avoidable."

Girardi was steamed at the umpires in general afterward. He was especially upset that Betances was tossed by crew chief Dana DeMuth after home plate umpire Carlos Torres didn't. Girardi also felt Torres expanded his strike zone in the latter innings.

"That doesn't make a lot of sense to me," Girardi said of the Betances ejection. "To me, there's a lot of confusion and that's not to mention the strike zone late in the game. Just a very poor job on their part, very, very poor."

The game was essentially decided three batters after Betances hit McCann, who didn't feel Betances did it intentionally. Jose Iglesias hit a bases-clearing double to break a 6-all tie.

Iglesias had three hits and drove in four runs, while Justin Upton and McCann hit solo homers for Detroit (55-71). Wilson (2-4) pitched an inning-plus of scoreless relief to collect the win. Shane Greene got five outs to record his fourth save.

Sanchez and Aaron Hicks drove in two runs apiece and Brett Gardner had four hits for the Yankees (68-58).

New York scored three runs the inning after the Cabrera-Romine brawl to tie it at 6-6. Gardner and Sanchez had run-scoring singles and Hicks contributed a sacrifice fly, though left fielder Upton robbed him of a homer.

Iglesias answered with his bases-clearing double in the bottom off the inning off left-center off David Robertson. Betances (3-5) was tagged with the loss.

"We did a nice job fighting back, excuse the expression, and holding on for the win," Ausmus said.

NOTES: Detroit DH Victor Martinez got the day off. Martinez had just three hits in 17 at-bats (.176) during the homestand. ... Tigers 2B Ian Kinsler has 13 home runs this season and all have been solo shots. He's the first major leaguer to have 13 consecutive solo homers from the start of a season since the first 14 of Shin-Soo Choo's 21 home runs for Cincinnati in 2013 were solo shots. ... The Yankees play 24 of their remaining 36 games at home. ... Yankees manager Joe Girardi has now been ejected 36 times in his managerial career, including four this season.

Rookies guide Mets to win over Diamondbacks

(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- Back in April, the New York Mets did not expect an upbeat late-season mantra to be symbolized by the postgame attire worn by Chris Flexen, who had never pitched above Class A prior to this year.

But for the Mets, it's better to get the "positive vibes" -- the phrase emblazoned on the hat and T-shirt Flexen wore at his locker late Wednesday night -- in late and unlikely fashion than never.

Flexen earned the win by tossing a career-high six innings Wednesday night, and four other rookies -- Brandon Nimmo, Dominic Smith, Amed Rosario and Paul Sewald -- all played vital roles in the Mets' 4-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citi Field.

"It's a lot of fun for us to be able to come up there and help the team win ballgames," Smith said. "I've been seeing this go on all year at Triple-A. Now I'm just happy that we could come up here and show the world what we could do."

Of the five rookies, only Sewald was on the Mets' active roster on July 26, the day before first baseman Lucas Duda was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays. That move began a rapid overhaul by the Mets (55-70), who started the season with World Series aspirations but are on pace to lose 90 games.

Six more veterans have been dealt since then as the Mets created everyday opportunities for Nimmo, Smith and Rosario, all of whom were listed among the organization's top five prospects prior to beginning the season at Triple-A Las Vegas.

The transition has not always been smooth -- Nimmo, Smith and Rosario are batting a combined .253 with 54 strikeouts in 170 major league at-bats this year -- but their collective performance Wednesday provided hope the Mets have staked their hopes on the right youngsters.

"I think right now they're in the part where they're just getting their feet wet, just trying to find what works for them," said Mets outfielder Michael Conforto, who is in his first full big league season. "At this level, there's a period of adjustment -- there is for everybody -- but I think they're doing a great job so far."

Nimmo reached base in all four plate appearances via three walks and a leadoff double in the first, when he scored the tying run on the first of Conforto's two RBI singles.

The Mets took the lead for good in the fourth, when Smith drew a one-out walk and scored on Rosario's single.

Nimmo coaxed another walk in the fifth and scored on Conforto's two-out single. Smith homered leading off the sixth.

"I look more on the mental side -- we all know they had skills or they wouldn't be where they are," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "And they've been great. They go out, they work at it, they ask questions about how do I prepare for the next day when they have a bad night."

Flexen (3-2), who was promoted from Double-A Binghamton to replace the injured Zack Wheeler on July 27, allowed two runs on six hits and four walks while striking out five. The Diamondbacks stranded seven runners against Flexen, who limited the middle of the Arizona order -- Jake Lamb, Paul Goldschmidt and J.D. Martinez -- to one RBI in nine plate appearances with runners on base.

"Just really bear down and get an out and really try to limit the damage," Flexen said.

Jerry Blevins got one out in the seventh before Sewald retired all five batters he faced. AJ Ramos recorded his 23rd save, and his third since being traded to the Mets on July 28, with a hitless ninth to close out New York's second win in the past 10 games.

Martinez had an RBI single in the first and Chris Iannetta homered in the sixth for the Diamondbacks (69-58), who remain a half-game ahead of the Colorado Rockies in the race for the first National League wild card.

Arizona's David Peralta reached base four times via three singles and a walk. He also stole a base and scored a run.

"We built some innings," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "The pitcher (Flexen) made some pitches and got some really good hitters out."

Zack Godley (5-7) took the loss after allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and four walks while striking out five over five innings.

"It wasn't a perfect outing for him, but he threw the ball well enough," Lovullo said. "He did his job, but offensively, we couldn't get anything going."

NOTES: Mets manager Terry Collins won his 536th game at the helm, tying him with Bobby Valentine for second place on the franchise's all-time list. ... Mets RHP Jeurys Familia (blood clot in right shoulder) threw a scoreless inning for Class A Brooklyn for the second straight night. ... Arizona SS Nick Ahmed (broken right hand) went 0-for-2 on Tuesday night in his third rehab game for the rookie-level Arizona League Diamondbacks. ... Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray (concussion) is scheduled to be activated from the disabled list to start the Thursday series finale. Ray was hit by a 108 mph line drive July 28.

Sanchez powers Yankees over Tigers

(TSX / STATS) -- DETROIT -- Gary Sanchez continued his power surge with his third homer in two games. A couple of his teammates hopped on the bandwagon.

The New York Yankees have regained their offensive groove, battering the soft underbelly of the Detroit Tigers' pitching staff.

The Yankees reached double digits for the second straight night, rolling to a 10-2 victory on Wednesday at Comerica Park.

Didi Gregorius and Chase Headley also smacked solo shots, while Ronald Torreyes supplied a career-high-tying four hits.

New York, which won the series opener 13-4, scored in double digits in back-to-back games for the first time since piling up a combined 30 runs against Baltimore June 10-11.

"I think hitting can be contagious, I really do," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We're getting contributions up and down the lineup. When we were going really well as an offense, that's what we were doing. It wasn't just coming from one spot, so that's really good to see."

Sanchez once again led the charge. He homered in the first inning and added a two-run single in the third. The catcher had a pair of two-run homers during the series opener on Tuesday. He has homered in six of the past nine games, and he has nine long balls over the past 14 games.

Girardi hinted he would keep Sanchez's hot bat in the lineup as a designated hitter on Thursday.

"I might," he said. "We'll see what we do tomorrow, but, yeah, he's going really well."

Luis Severino (11-5) collected a victory for the sixth time in his last seven starts. He limited the Tigers to one run on six hits and a walk while striking out eight in 6 2/3 innings.

He enjoyed working with a big cushion.

"I try to compete every time they give me the ball but when you go out there and see six runs, it's good," Severino said.

Gregorius and Headley drove in two runs apiece for New York (68-57). Torreyes scored once and drove in a run, and Aaron Judge chipped in two hits, including a run-scoring double.

Torreyes is filling in for injured second baseman Starlin Castro. He is batting .328 since the All-Star break.

"He figured out how to do it last year," Girardi said. "He has a pretty simple swing. He understands what he needs to do to be prepared. He works really hard and he's gotten more consistent playing time this year."

Ian Kinsler and Jose Iglesias ripped solo homers for the Tigers (54-71), who have lost 14 of their past 17 games.

Losing pitcher Jordan Zimmermann (7-11) gave up seven runs on nine hits in five innings. He has allowed seven earned runs in each of his past three starts.

"I'm scuffling right now. I'm scuffling bad," Zimmermann said. "The last three outings I did absolutely nothing to help this team win."

Zimmermann admits his confidence is shaken.

"Obviously, when you go through something like this, you're not going to be as confident," he said. "It's just the command right now. I have no clue where it went or what the problem is but I'm going to go back to the drawing board and keep searching."

Sanchez's shot in the first inning didn't travel as far as his monstrous 493-foot blast the previous night, but it still put the Yankees up 1-0.

New York opened a 6-0 lead in the third. Sanchez's bases-loaded single brought home the first two runs. Judge's double to deep center made it 4-0. Gregorius ripped a single up the middle to knock in Sanchez, and Headley's sacrifice fly brought home Judge.

Gregorius clubbed his 19th homer of the season to right-center field in the fifth for a 7-0 lead.

NOTES: Yankees rookie RF Aaron Judge served as the designated hitter on Wednesday. "Physically, I think he's doing pretty well but when you get in a stretch like we're in, 13 (games) in a row, if you can give a guy a DH day, I think it helps him," manager Joe Girardi said. ... New York's Gary Sanchez is just the third catcher in American League history to hit at least 25 homers in a season at age 24 or younger, joining Detroit's Rudy York (1938) and Matt Nokes (1987). ... Detroit RHP Anibal Sanchez threw on flat ground Wednesday for the first time since going on the disabled list with a hamstring strain. ... Tigers CF Mikie Mahtook did not start Wednesday, though he appeared as a defensive replacement. He has gone hitless in his past 13 at-bats.

Corbin stays hot as Diamondbacks throttle Mets

(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- It took five tries, but Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Patrick Corbin sent his friends and family back home with a victory Tuesday night.

Corbin won his third straight start -- and earned his first career win in his native state -- by allowing one run over eight strong innings as the Diamondbacks held on to beat the New York Mets 7-4 at Citi Field.

Corbin (11-11), who grew up about 4 1/2 hours north of Citi Field in the Syracuse suburb of Clay, said he had a rooting section of about 20 fans watching him allow four hits and two walks while striking out six.

"For them to be able to watch me at home, kind of where I grew up, is great," Corbin said. "You always want to pitch well when you've got a big crowd here."

Prior to Tuesday, Corbin was 0-3 with a 5.91 ERA in four starts in New York. All three losses came at Citi Field, where he had an 8.16 ERA in three starts between 2012 and 2015.

But Corbin was in complete command Tuesday, when he stepped to the mound with a 3-0 lead thanks to J.D. Martinez's three-run homer in the first.

"Patrick took over from there," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said.

Corbin allowed multiple baserunners in only one inning and retired 11 of the final 13 batters he faced following Amed Rosario's one-out homer in the fifth.

"I enjoy playing in front of my family and coming back here," Corbin said. "It's tough for them to come out to Arizona to see me start, so it works out."

Rosario's homer snapped a 20-inning scoreless streak for Corbin, who didn't allow a run in winning his previous two starts. He has lowered his overall ERA from 4.76 to 4.09 during the winning streak.

"It just comes down to just minimizing mistakes and attacking the zone, getting ahead of guys, mixing it up," Corbin said "It just comes down to strike one and (that's) something I've definitely done in the last couple games."

Paul Goldschmidt had two doubles and two RBIs, via a fifth-inning double and a seventh-inning bases loaded walk for the Diamondbacks (69-57).

Arizona has won the first two contests of the four-game series for their first set of back-to-back wins since a three-game streak from Aug. 2-4. The Diamondbacks lead the NL wild card race by one-half game over Colorado.

Adam Rosales homered in the fourth while Chris Iannetta had two hits and two runs scored for Arizona.

Yoenis Cespedes had three singles for the second straight game for the Mets (54-70), who have lost eight of nine to fall 16 games under .500 for the first time since Sept. 19, 2013.

New York made things interesting by scoring three times in the ninth. All the runs were charged to Matt Koch, who failed to record an out in his season debut.

Andrew Chafin replaced Koch and gave up a pinch-hit RBI double to Dominic Smith, a run-scoring groundout to Matt Reynolds and an RBI triple to Rosario.

Five of the six runs the Mets have scored in the last two games have in the seventh inning or later.

"They are all playing hard," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "That's why two nights in a row, you have seen rallies late in the game, because they play hard."

Fernando Rodney recorded the final out for his 29th save.

Left-hander Tommy Milone (1-3) allowed six runs (five earned), five hits and a walk while striking out five over 4 2/3 innings.

"Obviously the box score doesn't look good," said Milone, who hadn't pitched in the majors since May 21 because of a left knee injury "But I felt like I made some pitches when I needed to after that first inning."

NOTES: The Mets placed LHP Steven Matz (left elbow) on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to Saturday, and recalled RHP Kevin McGowan from Triple-A Las Vegas. ... Mets 3B David Wright (neck, shoulder, back) began a rehab assignment Tuesday, when he went 0-for-4 as the designated hitter for Class A St. Lucie. It was the first game action of any kind for Wright since he last played in the majors May 27, 2016. ... The Diamondbacks placed C Jeff Mathis (broken right hand) on the 10-day disabled list and optioned RHP Jimmie Sherfy to Triple-A Reno while also recalling RHP Jake Barrett from Reno and activating OF Reymond Fuentes from the 10-day disabled list. ... Diamondbacks RHP Rubby De La Rosa underwent Tommy John surgery Tuesday.

Yankees pound Tigers; Judge halts strikeout streak

(TSX / STATS) -- DETROIT -- Their ace pitcher returned from a shoulder injury and looked sharp. Their celebrated slugger finally ended a streak he never wanted to own.

It was a good night all around for the New York Yankees, who pummeled the Detroit Tigers 13-4 on Tuesday night at Comerica Park.

Masahiro Tanaka came off the disabled list and pitched seven solid innings, and Aaron Judge's record-breaking strikeout streak ended at 37 games.

Tanaka (9-10) was making his first start since Aug. 9 after recovering from shoulder inflammation. He held the Tigers to three runs on six hits and no walks while striking out four.

"I felt good. I had a little bit of time off and there was no issue, no problem with the arm," Tanaka said through his translator. "I think I went through the process pretty well. I gradually built up the strength of it and got ready for the game, so I wasn't worried about it at all."

Judge had struck out at least once in 37 consecutive games dating back to July 8. The streak was a single-season major league record, and it matched the all-time record set by Montreal Expos pitcher Bill Stoneman from 1971 to '72.

The rookie slugger walked on full counts during his first three trips to the plate and added an RBI single. Jacoby Ellsbury pinch-hit for Judge in the seventh inning.

Manager Joe Girardi denied that he deliberately pulled Judge to snap the streak. Girardi said he simply wanted to give Judge a little rest.

"I wouldn't have even known about it if you had not told me," he said. "I don't look at those things. It's not like he sat on his average or didn't play. I've got to take care of this guy. He plays every day."

Gary Sanchez hit a pair of two-run homers, including a mammoth blast in the first inning, for New York (67-57). Sanchez's first-inning shot to left field traveled an estimated 493 feet, according to MLB's Statcast, the second-longest homer in the majors this season behind only a 495-foot blast by Judge.

Sanchez, who was moved to the No. 3 spot in the order, has 11 homers in his past 24 games.

"He has the ability in a sense to carry a club," Girardi said.

Aaron Hicks hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs. Todd Frazier had three hits, including a two-run triple, for the Yankees.

Nicholas Castellanos hit two home runs, including an inside-the-park homer, and Ian Kinsler added an RBI double for Detroit (54-70). Matthew Boyd (5-7) was tagged for seven runs and seven hits in 2 1/3 innings, equaling his shortest start of the season.

"I didn't execute pitches, that's what it is," Boyd said. "It's wanting to go down and away with a changeup and missing up and Sanchez hits a homer. It's wanting to go down with a fastball and missing up and away and Frazier gets a chance to get a ball in the air for a two-run triple. It's little things like that. That's the difference."

Boyd has allowed 17 runs (16 earned) in his past four starts, spanning 16 1/3 innings. His rotation spot is in jeopardy.

"I need to be better," he said. "In terms of what other people decide about me, that's out of my control. I know I need to be better, and that's what I'm going to work on when I step in the door tomorrow."

Sanchez's monstrous blast followed Hicks' one-out single in the first. The Yankees tacked on another run in the inning when Judge walked and scored on Tyler Austin's sacrifice fly after advancing to third on Didi Gregorius' double.

A leadoff walk to Judge set the stage for the Yankees' four-run third. Austin knocked in Judge with a single. Frazier ended Boyd's night two batters later with his two-run, opposite-field triple. Ronald Torreyes' sacrifice fly off Warwick Saupold made it 7-0.

The Tigers got one back in the bottom half on Kinsler's two-out RBI double.

Hicks' fielder's choice and Judge's single brought home the runs during New York's two-run fifth.

NOTES: Detroit 3B Nicholas Castellanos is still expected to get an audition in right field this season. Management wants to see how Castellanos handles the switch, which would create a spot for top prospect Jeimer Candelario. "He's not ready to go out there right now," manager Brad Ausmus said. "The biggest thing is his comfort level." ... Yankees 1B Greg Bird appears to be close to returning from the 60-day disabled list. Bird, who is recovering from a right ankle bruise, collected four straight two-hit games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. "You hope he can make a big impact for us," manager Joe Girardi said. ... The Yankees began a stretch of 39 games in 41 days.

Mets trade Curtis Granderson to the Dodgers

The New York Mets announced tonight that they have traded outfielder Curtis Granderson and cash considerations to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Granderson hit .228 (77-337) with 19 home runs, 52 RBI and 58 runs scored in 111 games with the Mets this year.

Marlins deal Mets their fifth straight loss

(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- The Miami Marlins moved one step closer Friday night to salvaging something out of a disappointing season. The New York Mets moved one step closer to finishing the fire sale generated by their underperformance.

J.T. Realmuto hit a two-run homer in the second inning and Justin Nicolino posted his second straight win with five solid innings as the Marlins crept closer to .500 with a 3-1 win over the Mets at Citi Field.

While the streaking Marlins (59-61) won for the sixth time in seven games to move within within two games of .500 for the first time since May 3, the fifth straight loss for the free-falling Mets (53-67) was overshadowed by a postgame trade in which New York sent outfielder Curtis Granderson and cash considerations to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for a player to be named or cash considerations.

Granderson gained 33 games in the standings with the trade to the Dodgers, who have the best record in baseball at 86-34.

"A little bittersweet," Granderson said before exchanging hugs and phone numbers with now ex-teammates such as Robert Gsellman and Wilmer Flores. "But to get an opportunity to play in the postseason is going to be exciting."

Granderson, one of the few big-name free agent signings to work out for the Mets, was batting .228 with 19 homers and 52 RBIs this season.

He batted .239 with 95 homers and 247 RBIs while playing in 573 out of a possible 606 regular-season games for the Mets since signing as a free agent after the 2013 season. Granderson also hit .283 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 14 playoff games during the Mets' World Series run in 2015.

Granderson is the fifth veteran traded since July 27 by the Mets, who reached the National League wild-card game last year and were expected to be one of the NL's premier teams again this season.

But New York is 14 games below .500 for the first time since the end of the 2013 season and staring at the reality of trying to stay focused while playing out the string with unproven youngsters in the lineup and acres of empty seats at Citi Field, where the announced attendance Friday was 25,908.

"(With) all the rumors that are still flying, I think, yeah, the air might have been out of the building today a little bit," said Mets manager Terry Collins, who spoke a few minutes before the trade was officially announced. "That's my responsibility to make sure they get back and (are) ready for (Saturday)."

The Marlins, meanwhile, could be at .500 by the end of the weekend -- no small feat for a team that was last at the break-even mark on April 27 and fell as many as 13 games below .500.

"Just try to keep the emphasis on trying to win series," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "Keep marching down the road. Obviously, we've got to get back to .500 before anything can happen. (Would) be good to be able to get there."

Marcell Ozuna lofted a sacrifice fly in the third inning for the Marlins. Giancarlo Stanton, whose six-game home run streak was snapped in Miami's previous game Wednesday, went 0-for-2 with two walks. Stanton leads the majors with 44 homers.

Nicolino (2-1) allowed one run, six hits and no walks while striking out one as he won consecutive starts for the first time since April 27-May 3, 2016. Four relievers combined to limit the Mets to one hit the rest of the way, with Brad Ziegler picking up his fifth save with a perfect ninth.

"He's kept us in the game," Mattingly said of Nicolino. "I think that's what we've tried to ask, tried to get our guys buy into.

"It's not really about six (innings), it's not really about seven (innings). It's really about leave the game with the lead, keep us in the game, let our bullpen go."

Wilmer Flores had an RBI single in the fourth for the Mets. Asdrubal Cabrera and Amed Rosario each had two hits. Rosario added a stolen base.

Rookie right-hander Chris Flexen (2-2) took the loss after allowing the three runs, five hits and four walks while striking out one in 5 1/3 innings.

NOTES: The start of the game was delayed one hour and 53 minutes by rain. ... The matchup of Marlins LHP Justin Nicolino and Mets RHP Chris Flexen marked just the third time this season both starters in a game pitched at least five innings and had one strikeout or fewer. It also happened in a Marlins-San Francisco Giants game on Monday and an Atlanta Braves-Pittsburgh Pirates game on May 25. ... Mets INF Wilmer Flores returned to the lineup after missing two games with a sore left oblique. ... Marlins LHP Wei-Yin Chen (left elbow) threw a two-inning simulated game Friday.

Late rally lifts Red Sox over Yankees

(TSX / STATS) -- BOSTON -- When you average more than six runs a game, you're going to win a lot of baseball games.

The Boston Red Sox have scored 6.27 runs per game over their last 15.

They've won 13. And when you're hitting like that, being behind doesn't really matter.

"We are pretty good at the comebacks," Mitch Moreland said after his two-run pinch single in the seventh inning capped a four-run seventh inning and gave Boston the lead in a 9-6 victory over the New York Yankees on Friday night.

"We are never out of the game," Moreland said. "For us to come back with four in the seventh and take the game back, we just never quit. We stay on the gas pedal the entire game. It has been great for us lately."

The win, which moved the Red Sox five games ahead of their rivals atop the American League East, came after Boston survived a 65-minute seventh inning -- the Yankees scoring four to take the lead and the Red Sox answering right back with four in the bottom half.

A wild inning.

"On both sides," Boston manager John Farrell said. "You're talking about two bullpens that have performed very well throughout the course of the year. It's an hour long, eight runs combined, a lot of different things went the offensive way on both sides."

Farrell lost his starter, Drew Pomeranz, to back spasms with one out in the fourth inning and then tried to patch things together. Brandon Workman got it through the fifth with his team ahead 3-0 (on homers by Rafael Devers, his seventh in 19 games, and Christian Vazquez), but Matt Barnes gave up a two-run homer to Todd Frazier and couldn't get through the sixth.

Joe Kelly got out of that inning but gave up a long homer to Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez (his ninth in his last 21 games) and he had to be rescued by Addison Reed.

With the bases loaded, one out and the Yankees up 6-3, Reed (1-1) struck out Aaron Judge (his record 35th straight game with a K) and got Sanchez on a soft liner. He worked through the eighth for his first Red Sox win and, after Jackie Bradley Jr. singled home two runs off Aroldis Chapman, Craig Kimbrel fanned the side in the ninth for his 29th save.

New York went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 14.

"We had more opportunities to score runs that we didn't cash in on too," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. "You can look at a lot of different things."

It all added up to a second straight bad loss to the Red Sox.

"It's a tough loss," Girardi said. "Our guys fought really hard to get in front of the lead, really good at-bats from a lot of different people. It's frustrating but we'll be back."

Ronald Torreyes smacked a long two-run single and Aaron Hicks was hit by a pitch to give the Yankees a 6-3 lead in the top of the seventh.

A Mookie Betts sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Andrew Benintendi set the stage for Moreland's winner off Tommy Kahnle (2-4).

"The more you are in those situations, the more comfortable you will feel. I think that has shown," said Moreland. "We get in those situations and we just feed off of each other. Everyone has been a hero at one point. It has been fun to watch and be a part of."

Before the game, Girardi said Chapman, who has been bothered by a hamstring problem and poor pitching, was still his closer. But Chapman relieved with his team down in the eighth and he failed again.

"We need to get him right," his manager said, adding he would "sleep on" whether Chapman is still the closer.

Pomeranz, 6-0 in his previous 11 starts and a 12-game winner, left runners in scoring position in the first three innings. After Benintendi made a diving catch of a Didi Gregorius line drive to start the fourth, Pomeranz fell behind Chase Headley 2-0.

Pomeranz, trying to beat the Yankees for a second straight time, could be seen stretching and then, after throwing a few warmup pitches, was removed and immediately began treatment.

"He did have this last year when he first arrived here," said Farrell. "We've got to get the spasms calmed down."

Vazquez went 3-for-3 with a walk, two RBIs and three runs scored. He also stole second on the back end of a double steal with Devers in the eighth inning.

NOTES: LHP David Price didn't throw for a third straight day due to stiffness in his troublesome left elbow. ... Yankees RHP Masahiro Tanaka (shoulder) threw at Fenway Park on Friday and is expected to return next week in Detroit. ... Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia, on the disabled list with a sore left knee, will resume baseball activities next week in Boston with the team in Cleveland. ... RHP Rick Porcello will work the series finale against the Yankees with Doug Fister pushed back to Monday in Cleveland. ... LHP CC Sabathia, 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in two starts Boston this season, comes off the DL to pitch against Red Sox ace Chris Sale on Saturday night. Sabathia said Friday he thought about retirement when his right knee acted up Aug. 8. Sale has pitched well in all three games against New York this season but doesn't have a win. ... The Red Sox unveiled a Tony Conigliaro display on the Fenway concourse on the 50th anniversary of his serious beaning by Jack Hamilton.

Severino carries Yankees to season sweep of Mets

(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- Luis Severino and Steven Matz looked as if they would be linked together in New York for years in the summer of 2015, when they made their major league debuts within six weeks of one another and pitched dynamically as rookies.

However, Severino and Matz never seemed further apart than Thursday night, when Severino took another step toward becoming the New York Yankees' long-desired homegrown ace and Matz sent the New York Mets back to the drawing board.

Severino earned the win by tossing 6 1/3 strong innings, and Matz took the loss after allowing a career-high-tying seven runs in the Yankees' 7-5 victory in the Subway Series finale at Citi Field.

The Yankees completed a four-game sweep of the home-and-home Subway Series this week, the teams' only meetings of the season.

The strong start for Severino (10-5) provided the Yankees more evidence he is able to learn from his mistakes without becoming overwhelmed by them. Severino made his debut on Aug. 5, 2015, and went 5-3 with a 2.89 ERA in 11 starts while going back and forth between the majors and minors that season. He finished 3-8 with a 5.83 ERA in 22 games (11 starts) for New York in 2016.

The 23-year-old cruised on Thursday, when he allowed an unearned run on four hits and three walks while striking out nine. He lowered his ERA to 3.18.

"I think a lot of times in life, you grow more through your struggles than you do your success," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Last year, he went through his struggles and figured out what he needed to do to be really successful at this level over and over."

Severino recovered to make the American League All-Star team this season but entered Thursday looking to bounce back from the worst start of his career. Last Saturday, he gave up 10 runs (eight earned) over 4 1/3 innings in the Yankees' 10-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox.

"I was ahead in the count most of the time," Severino said. "This time, I just went after everyone."

The Mets got just two runners into scoring position in the first six innings against Severino, who carried a two-hit shutout into the seventh, when Aaron Judge dropped a one-out fly ball by Travis d'Arnaud for a two-base error. Matt Reynolds followed with an RBI single.

"Sometimes you have to make the adjustments, and that's what he learned how to do last year," Girardi said. "And I think it helps him make the adjustment after a poor start."

The Mets are running out of possible adjustments to make with Matz, who gave up a three-run homer to Gary Sanchez in the first inning and was chased after giving up the Yankees' final four runs in the fourth. Brett Gardner had a two-run double off Matz, and Sanchez greeted reliever Chasen Bradford with a two-run single for a 7-0 lead.

The five RBIs tied a career high for Sanchez.

Matz (2-7) allowed the seven runs (six earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out four over 3 1/3 innings. The 26-year-old is 0-6 with a 10.19 ERA in his past eight starts after going 15-9 with a 2.99 ERA in his first 33 big league starts.

He went 4-0 with a 2.27 ERA in six regular-season starts in 2015 following his debut on June 28 that year. Matz also made three postseason starts during the Mets' World Series run.

"We absolutely ring the rag dry with ideas that we've all seen in that past, that we've all used in the past," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "I think Steven's open to any suggestions. But when he's out on the mound, he's got to just think about one thing, and that's making a quality pitch."

Collins said Matz, who had bone chips removed from his left elbow last October and didn't debut this season until June 11 due to left elbow inflammation, told him he was healthy. However, Collins didn't rule out having him skip a start to either give Matz some rest or time to figure out what's wrong.

"He said he was fine, so we've got to find some different answers, something that might work," Collins said.

The Mets pulled within 7-5 in the ninth, when Curtis Granderson hit a grand slam off Bryan Mitchell, who didn't retire any of the four batters he faced. Dellin Betances then recorded the final three outs for his eighth save as the Yankees (65-55) swept the season series from the Mets for just the second time ever. The Yankees went 6-0 in 2003.

Reynolds and d'Arnaud each had two hits for the Mets (53-66), who are at least 13 games under .500 for the first time since ending the 2013 season 74-88.

NOTES: The Yankees lead the all-time Subway Series 66-46. ... The Mets recalled INFs Gavin Cecchini and Matt Reynolds from Triple-A Las Vegas, placed INF Jose Reyes (left oblique) on the 10-day disabled list and optioned RHP Kevin McGowan to Las Vegas. ... The Yankees placed 1B Garrett Cooper (left hamstring) on the 10-day disabled list and recalled 1B Tyler Austin from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Yankees go for Subway Series sweep of Mets

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(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- A pair of young pitchers coming off pivotal moments in their development will square off Thursday night when the New York Mets host the New York Yankees in the finale of the Subway Series at Citi Field.

Mets left-hander Steven Matz (2-6, 5.54 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Yankees right-hander Luis Severino (9-5, 3.32). The Yankees will be going for a sweep of the four-game season series after earning a 5-3 victory Wednesday night.

Matz and Severino lost their previous starts, albeit in wholly different fashions. Matz had one of his best starts during a nearly two-month winless stretch Saturday, when he gave up two runs over 5 2/3 innings as the Mets fell to the Phillies 3-1 in Philadelphia.

It was only the second time in his past eight starts -- a stretch in which he is 0-5 with a 7.68 ERA -- that Matz allowed two runs or fewer. Mets manager Terry Collins said Wednesday he believed the solid start provided proof to the 26-year-old that he can pitch when he is at less than 100 percent.

Matz underwent Tommy John surgery in 2010, had bone spurs removed from his left elbow last October and didn't debut this season until June 10 because of left elbow inflammation.

"You're talking about a guy (who has) had (multiple) elbow operations -- you're never going to be 100 percent," Collins said. "Out of 30-something starts, you're not going to feel good a majority of the time. You've got to learn how to get through it. And I think his last start really did that."

Severino, who made his first All-Star team this season, endured the worst start of his career Saturday. He allowed 10 runs (eight earned) on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings as the Yankees fell to the Boston Red Sox 10-5 at Yankee Stadium. The 23-year-old entered Saturday having allowed just eight runs (six earned) in his previous six starts, a stretch in which he went 4-0 with a 1.36 ERA.

"He made some mistakes," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said following the loss. "He's been so good and executing so well, and we haven't seen that for a while. But it just shows that he's human."

Matz is 1-1 with a 5.25 ERA in two career starts against the Yankees. Severino earned the win in his lone previous appearance against the Mets on Aug. 3, 2016, when he allowed an unearned run and one hit over 4 1/3 innings of relief in the Yankees' 9-5 victory.

The Yankees, who won the first two contests of the four-game, two-stadium series Monday and Tuesday in the Bronx, are looking for the third Subway Series season sweep in the 21-year history of the interleague rivalry. The Mets won all four games in 2013, and the Yankees won all six in 2003.

Aaron Judge had an up-and-down game for the Yankees on Wednesday at Citi Field. He hit his American League-leading 37th homer but also struck out in a 33rd consecutive game, setting a single-season record for position players.

Yankees get 3rd straight win vs. Mets

(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK --The third of four games this season between the New York Yankees and New York Mets was time capsule-worthy, in that it provided a succinct summary of 2017 baseball in the Big Apple.

Yankees rookie slugger Aaron Judge hit a ball a really long way and struck out, the Mets absorbed multiple injuries and bad breaks, and the Yankees' bullpen proved to be the far superior one.

Didi Gregorius laced a tiebreaking, two-run double in the seventh inning Wednesday night for the Yankees, who received 3 2/3 innings of one-hit relief from a trio of pitchers in a 5-3 victory over the Mets at Citi Field.

"We've got probably, if not the best, one of the best bullpens in the game right now (after) the acquisitions we've made," Judge said after Tommy Kahnle, Adam Warren and David Robertson combined to quiet the Mets. "Have your starter go a strong five innings, six innings and just hand it over."

The formula looked pretty solid against the Mets, who are springing leaks everywhere at the end of a lost season. With infielders Wilmer Flores and Jose Reyes scratched after batting practice because of rib cage injuries, Mets manager Terry Collins had to start catcher Travis d'Arnaud at third base.

It was the first professional appearance at the hot corner for d'Arnaud, who switched positions with second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera a whopping 22 times in order to minimize the possibility of the ball being hit to him. The shuffling worked as d'Arnaud had only one chance, a pop-up to second base that he caught in the ninth.

"I told him before the game, look, I've seen this done before," said Collins, who said he once had to employ a similar strategy as a minor league manager. "Not that it's always going to work, but it was the only opportunity we had."

But Collins could not hide his bullpen, which entered Wednesday with the fifth-worst ERA (4.64) in the majors.

Paul Sewald (0-5) relieved starter Robert Gsellman with one out and the bases loaded in the sixth and gave up a go-ahead sacrifice fly to Chase Headley. The Mets tied the score in the bottom of the inning when Yoenis Cespedes walked, went to third on a double by Michael Conforto and scored on d'Arnaud's sacrifice fly.

The Yankees benefited from a charitable call by home plate umpire Chad Whitson in the seventh, when Ronald Torreyes delivered a leadoff double and Jacoby Ellsbury drew a one-out walk.

Aaron Hicks worked the count full against Sewald and drew ball four on a pitch that appeared to land squarely in the strike zone, according to pitch charting technology. Sewald managed to retire Judge on a pop-up before Gregorius doubled down the right field line.

"I thought it was strike three," Collins said. "You get him out, Judge pops up, we're out of the inning. We don't have to go through Didi. Anytime you've got a chance to get out of an inning and you let a good team at this level have extra outs, you're going to have a tough time stopping them."

Kahnle (2-3), who was acquired from the Chicago White Sox with Robertson on July 18, earned the win by retiring both batters he faced in the sixth. Warren allowed one hit over two innings before Robertson earned his 14th save, and his first since the trade, with two strikeouts in a hitless ninth.

Garrett Cooper had an RBI groundout while Headley, Torreyes and Judge had two hits apiece for the Yankees (64-55), who have won the first three contests of the four-game, split-stadium series with the Mets.

Judge continued his two-pronged assault on the record book by striking out for the 33rd straight game, the longest single-season streak by a position player in history, and hitting a mammoth third-inning homer into the upper deck in left field that was measured at a seemingly too short 457 feet.

"If that ball only went 450, then no ball is ever going 500 feet," Headley said. "Because that was crushed."

Cespedes lofted a sacrifice fly and Rene Rivera hit a homer for the Mets (53-65), who are 12 games under .500 for the first time since September 2013. Juan Lagares had two hits.

Yankees left-hander Jaime Garcia allowed three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out three over 5 1/3 innings. Gsellman surrendered three runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks while striking out two over 5 1/3 innings.

NOTES: A win in Thursday's finale will give the Yankees the third season sweep of the Subway Series. The Yankees swept the six-game set in 2003, while the Mets swept the four-game series in 2013. ... Mets RHP Matt Harvey (right shoulder) tossed three scoreless innings in a rehab start for Class-A Brooklyn. ... Yankees LHP CC Sabathia (right knee) threw a 25-pitch bullpen session and is expected to return to the rotation Saturday against the Boston Red Sox.

Yanks could be without Chapman for Game 3 vs. Mets

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(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- If the New York Yankees hold a close lead over the New York Mets on Wednesday night at Citi Field, there might be some concern about Aroldis Chapman.

The Yankees closer had his hamstring tighten up on him as he covered first base for the final out Tuesday in his team's 5-4 win over the Mets at Yankee Stadium.

"It's nothing to worry about," he said through an interpreter.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said no tests were scheduled, and he didn't even know which hamstring it was.

"I think you're always worried when there's a hamstring issue," Girardi said. "You worry about him overcompensating somewhere else and hurting his arm."

Any kind of leg injury might be concerning, further compounding the concern fans hold about the left-hander based on his recent outings. Chapman is 16-for-20 in save opportunities, but in his past two saves, he walked the first three hitters Friday against the Boston Red Sox, then gave up a two-run homer to Mets rookie Amed Rosario on Tuesday.

Those outings, along with the homer Boston rookie Rafael Devers hit off his 103 mph fastball to tie the Sunday game, give Chapman a 13.50 ERA in his past three appearances.

"He's searching a little bit right now," Girardi said. "He's too good. He's like some of the other guys (in the bullpen) that had some troubles this year and he'll be really good again, I'm telling you."

The Yankees are hoping the next chance occurs Wednesday, should the game follow a similar formula as the first two of the Subway Series. The Yankees hit five homers in getting two wins at Yankee Stadium, two of the long balls coming from Gary Sanchez.

The catcher heads to Citi Field with 21 homers despite missing most of April. He also has five in his past 11 games and is hitting .440 (11-for-25) in his past seven games.

"I just think he's in a really good spot," Girardi said. "We've seen him get really, really hot, and it happened to be in the month of August last year, and hopefully that carries over the rest of this month and next month."

Last season, Sanchez was just starting his major league career when the teams met for four games Aug 1-4. This year, it is the careers of Mets rookies Rosario and Dominic Smith that are just beginning.

Rosario hit his second homer in the ninth inning off Chapman on Tuesday, two innings after Smith hit his first homer off Sonny Gray. Rosario is batting .255 (12-for-47) through his first 14 games, while Smith is at .235 (4-for-17) though his first five games heading into his home debut.

"You can't have a better scenario for young player development than put them in pressure situations," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "I believe that at any level. There is a time they need to be challenged, and when they come up here, you need to challenge them with big opportunities like tonight."

The Mets hope Smith and Rosario can help them get some more wins. The Mets are 4-8 in their last 12 games, and they were outscored 26-5 in four losses during their last homestand.

Jaime Garcia makes his third start for the Yankees on Wednesday, seeking his first win with his new team.

Garcia is 0-1 with a 6.97 ERA since the Yankees obtained him from the Minnesota Twins on July 30. He also is 0-3 with a 4.13 ERA in four appearances at Citi Field.

The left-hander's most recent appearance against the Mets in Queens occurred April 6 when he opposed Matt Harvey and allowed four runs and six hits in six innings of a 6-2 loss with the Atlanta Braves.

Garcia is 2-5 with a 3.00 ERA in nine career starts against the Mets, with seven of those outing occurring for the St. Louis Cardinals.

The current Mets roster holds a combined .288 average off Garcia. Jose Reyes is 7-for-24 off him, and Wilmer Flores is 4-for-12, but Yoenis Cespedes is 1-for-7 in their matchups.

Garcia took a no-decision Friday when he made his home debut. He allowed three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings of an eventual 5-4 win for the Boston Red Sox.

Seth Lugo was originally slated to start Wednesday for the Mets. Instead, he was placed on the disabled list Tuesday with right shoulder impingement.

"I know that if it's not the elbow, that it always concerns me that you're changing your delivery to compensate because you've got a bad elbow and all of a sudden it's your shoulder," Collins said. "I know one thing: I don't like to hear shoulder problems. Those scare you more than anything."

Robert Gsellman will make the start after being activated from the disabled list Tuesday. Gsellman missed over a month with a strained left hamstring and threw six scoreless innings during his fourth rehab start for Double-A Binghamton on Friday.

Gsellman is 5-5 with a 6.16 ERA in 17 appearances (14 starts). He last pitched in the majors June 27 at Miami.

Before injuring his hamstring, Gsellman posted a 12.41 ERA in his last three starts.

Last season, Gsellman was 4-2 with a 2.42 ERA in eight appearances (seven starts). He made his major league debut three weeks after the Mets faced the Yankees last season.

He faced Aaron Judge in 2014 while pitching against Class A Charleston for Savannah, with Judge going 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Yankees' Gray gets win against Mets

(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- Sonny Gray's home debut for the New York Yankees was a stress-free night.

The latest outing by struggling closer Aroldis Chapman was not, and also created a possible injury concern.

Gray pitched effectively into the seventh inning, but Chapman allowed a two-run homer to rookie Amed Rosario in the ninth as the Yankees held on for a 5-4 victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.

Using a deceptive delivery, Gray (7-7) took a shutout into the seventh before giving up Dominic Smith's first career home run, a two-run shot. He allowed two runs and five hits in six-plus innings before exiting to a nice hand from the sellout crowd.

"It was a fun game overall and anytime you come away with the win it makes it that much better," Gray said.

It wasn't as enjoyable for Chapman, whose ERA is 13.51 in his last three appearances.

Two nights after allowing a game-tying homer on a 103 mph fastball to Boston rookie Rafael Devers, Chapman allowed an infield hit and Rosario's second career homer on a 2-1 slider.

He recorded two ground ball outs to notch his 16th save in 20 chances, but after the game said he felt some tightness in his hamstring after running off the mound to cover first base on the game's final out.

Chapman also said through a translator that "it's nothing to worry about." The Yankees said no tests are planned and manager Joe Girardi did not even know which hamstring it was.

Before Chapman's latest adventure, Gray delivered a third straight effective showing as a Yankee.

Gray allowed two earned runs or fewer for the ninth straight start. It is the longest streak in the American League and the second-longest in the majors, one behind Philadelphia's Aaron Nola.

"The delivery's so deliberate and then all of sudden there's action," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "He's really a tough guy to get too much timing on."

Jacoby Ellsbury hit a two-run homer in the fourth and Gary Sanchez hit a solo homer off Mets starter Jacob deGrom in the sixth. Aaron Hicks had an RBI single in the third, and Sanchez lifted a sacrifice fly in the eighth as the Yankees remained 4 1/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox in the American League East.

Before Tuesday, the Yankees did not score when Gray was pitching in his first two starts for them. Prior to Hicks' hit, the Yankees were 0-for-15 with runners in scoring position when Gray was on the mound.

DeGrom (13-6) made his 100th career start. He allowed five runs and nine hits in 7 1/3 innings against the opponent he made his major league debut against on May 15, 2014, at Citi Field.

"Three balls hit hard, the rest were just out of reach of somebody," deGrom said. "They did a good job of hitting my mistakes and hitting some good pitches They just did a good job and they beat me tonight."

He showed little effect from getting hit in the triceps Thursday at Philadelphia but allowed five earned runs for the first time since June 6.

After the Yankees took a 3-0 lead through four innings, Sanchez hit a 1-0 changeup into the first row of the left-center bleachers. It was Sanchez's 21st homer and fifth in 11 games.

Sanchez hit a sacrifice fly after Smith ended Gray's night with a two-run homer into the left field seats.

Tommy Kahnle pitched a scoreless seventh, and Dellin Betances struck out Michael Conforto with Yoenis Cespedes on second to end a scoreless eighth before Chapman nearly endured his fifth blown save.

NOTES: The Mets placed LHP Seth Lugo (right shoulder impingement) on the 10-day disabled list before the game. RHP Robert Gsellman (strained left hamstring) was activated from the DL, and will start Wednesday against the Yankees at Citi Field in place of Lugo. ... Yankees 1B Greg Bird (bruised right ankle) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday. ... Mets RHP Noah Syndergaard (strained lat muscle) threw 20 pitches in a bullpen session, marking the first time he threw of a mound since going on the DL. ... Yankees LHP CC Sabathia (right knee inflammation) could be activated from the disabled list this weekend in Boston if his second bullpen session Wednesday goes well.

Hicks' go-ahead homer guides Yankees past Mets

(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- Three fastballs were in similar locations for the New York Yankees.

Those pitches turned into key homers for the Yankees, especially one by Aaron Hicks.

The center fielder led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a go-ahead homer, lifting the Yankees to a 4-2 victory over the New York Mets on Monday night at Yankee Stadium.

Three nights after joking about coaxing a two-run homer off Boston's Addison Reed just fair and just over the right field wall, Hicks left little doubt when he connected on a 1-1, 94 mph fastball from Hansel Robles (7-4).

"It feels good," Hicks said knowing he hit a homer right off the bat. "You don't have to run as fast."

The ball traveled 400 feet into the right-center-field seats, giving the switch-hitting outfielder a career-high 12 homers. It was his second career go-ahead homer in the eighth inning or later.

"It's consistent playing time," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of the improvement by Hicks, who batted .217 in 327 at-bats during 123 games last season. "I think he understands his swing better and made some adjustments during the winter."

Before Hicks' homer, Aaron Judge hit a game-tying homer in the sixth off Rafael Montero. Judge's 36th homer and first at Yankee Stadium in two weeks came on a 1-0 fastball and soared 391 feet into the right field seats.

Judge's homer also occurred on a night when he struck out for the 31st straight game. He fanned in his first and final at-bats.

"It's driving it the other way, which tells you that mechanically, he's more sound," Girardi said.

Three batters after Hicks homered, Gary Sanchez drove a 1-2 fastball from Erik Goeddel 401 feet into the right-center-field seats. It was Sanchez's 20th homer, matching his total from last year's two-month binge.

"I noticed it," Hicks said of the homers occurring on the same pitch. "Those two guys hit it farther than I did."

Judge and Sanchez both reached 40 career homers, marking the second time two Yankees reached that mark in the same game. The other instance was Kevin Maas and Roberto Kelly on Sept. 13, 1991, at Fenway Park.

The homers helped the Yankees rebound from a pair of losses to the Red Sox. New York is 4 1/2 games behind first-place Boston in the American League East.

Three Yankees relievers combined on 4 2/3 scoreless innings after Luis Cessa exited with an upper back injury. Cessa, who will get an MRI, allowed two runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings while filling in for Masahiro Tanaka (right shoulder inflammation).

Cessa exited after appearing to injure himself during Juan Lagares' at-bat. He stayed in the game after being visited by Girardi and assistant trainer Tim Lentych, but he left the game following Lagares' single.

David Robertson (6-2) struck out Yoenis Cespedes to end the eighth. Dellin Betances fanned rookie Amed Rosario with a runner on in the ninth to secure his seventh save.

The Mets were unable to add on after Curtis Granderson and Cespedes homered in a span of four pitches in the third inning.

"You know they're dangerous in this park," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "You're not satisfied two runs is going to hold up in Yankee Stadium. We just couldn't add on."

Montero gave up a sacrifice fly to Sanchez with the bases loaded in the fourth but escaped further trouble. He allowed two runs and five hits in six innings, and the game remained tied until Robles allowed Hicks' homer.

"The ball came out over the plate," Collins said of the homers in the eighth.

NOTES: Yankees LHP CC Sabathia (right knee inflammation) threw a bullpen session and said he felt fine. Sabathia will throw another bullpen session within the next two days, and if it goes well, he could be activated from the disabled list shortly thereafter. ... Mets manager Terry Collins said RHP Noah Syndergaard (torn right lat) would throw off a mound for the first time Tuesday and RHP Jeurys Familia (surgery to remove a blood clot) would make a rehab appearance with the team's rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliate Tuesday. ... Baseball writer Claire Smith, the winner of the Hall of Fame's Spink Award, was honored before the game and also threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Devers, Benintendi lead Red Sox past Yankees

(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- Chris Sale and Aroldis Chapman brought the heat with their left arms.

So did rookie Rafael Devers -- with his bat in the ninth inning, and he impressively introduced himself to the rivalry between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

Sale struck out 12 in seven dominating innings, and Devers hit a game-tying homer off Chapman's 103 mph fastball as the Red Sox edged the Yankees 3-2 on Andrew Benintendi's bases-loaded single in the 10th.

While Sale's 16th double-digit strikeout game and Benintendi's hit off Tommy Kahnle helped the Red Sox win for the 10th time in 11 games and take a season-high 5 1/2-game lead on the Yankees, it was Devers' swing that left everyone abuzz, especially considering who it occurred against and how rare a feat it was.

"An incredible swing," Boston manager John Farrell said.

Devers hit the 1-2 pitch over the 399-foot sign into the Boston bullpen beyond the left-field wall. It was the left-handed-hitting third baseman's fourth homer in 15 career games.

"First time," said Devers through an interpreter when asked if he ever saw a 103 mph pitch. "I've seen 100, but never 103."

Said Sale, who was in the training room watching the game on television on a delay: "You can't help but smile."

It also was the first homer hit by a left-handed hitter off Chapman since Luke Scott had one June 26, 2011, for the Baltimore Orioles against the Cincinnati Reds. For Chapman, it was the second time a left-handed hitter homered off him in his career, which has seen him faced 444 left-handed hitters in 379 at-bats in the regular season and postseason.

"To me, it was a good pitch, a good fastball," Chapman said through an interpreter. "He made contact."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of Devers, "We know the young man has power, and if you put the barrel of the bat to a 100 mile per hour fastball, it's probably going to go somewhere."

Chapman (4-2) blew a save for the fourth time in 10 attempts, and it was the fourth time in six appearances against the Red Sox he was scored upon. He was charged with the winning run as Benintendi singled after Chapman hit Jackie Bradley Jr. and walked Eduardo Nunez.

Before Devers homered, the Yankees took a 2-1 lead in the eighth on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Todd Frazier off Matt Barnes. In the bottom of the ninth, the Yankees missed a chance to win it when Brett Gardner struck out with Chase Headley on third against Craig Kimbrel (4-0).

Before Boston's rookies helped the Red Sox beat the Yankees for the first time in a game Sale pitched, their ace allowed one run on four hits and two walks during his 51st career double-digit strikeout game.

He hit 99 mph on the final pitch of his 114-pitch outing, but the Red Sox did little offensively, costing Sale a chance at becoming the American League's first 15-game winner.

Sale upped his major-league-leading strikeout total to 241. He also became the first pitcher to record three straight double-digit strikeout games against the Yankees since Pedro Martinez in 2001, according to STATS.

"Tonight, he was hitting his spots," Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge said. "He was making pitches when he had to. He just didn't make a mistake."

Before Sale's night ended and the Yankees went ahead in the eighth, both teams scored in the fifth.

Bradley Jr. hit an RBI single off New York starter Jordan Montgomery, and Austin Romine hit a run-scoring triple off Sale.

Montgomery made the start in place of the injured CC Sabathia (knee), even though he was hit in the head during batting practice Saturday. He allowed one run and two hits in 5 1/3 innings.

The Red Sox (67-50) made several hard outs in the opening four innings against Montgomery, including a diving catch by center fielder Aaron Hicks on Eduardo Nunez's liner to start the game.

Boston broke through with two outs in the fifth inning. Brock Holt walked, took second on a wild pitch and scored standing up on Bradley's single to left field just under shortstop Didi Gregorius' glove.

The Yankees (61-55) tied the score in the bottom of the inning. Headley hit a one-out single. With two outs, Romine lifted an 0-2 slider to deep right field. The ball caromed off Mookie Betts' glove, and Romine reached third with his first career triple.

NOTES: Boston LHP David Price (left elbow inflammation) threw for the third straight day. He will get a scheduled day off Monday before resuming Tuesday. ... 1B Greg Bird (bruised right ankle) will start a rehab assignment Wednesday, and 2B Starlin Castro (strained right hamstring) will start a rehab assignment Friday, though the Yankees did not say which minor league affiliates they would play for. ... Red Sox RHP Carson Smith (recovery from Tommy John surgery) made his third rehab appearance for Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday, and Boston manager John Farrell said Smith's velocity was increased and the command was good. Smith will make his next appearance Tuesday.

Conforto, Granderson lead Mets past Phillies

(TSX / STATS) -- PHILADELPHIA -- Phillies manager Pete Mackanin has a pretty simple motto when it comes to the curveball.

"You hang it, they bang it," Mackanin said.

Phillies starter Zach Eflin learned that the hard way Sunday.

Michael Conforto and Curtis Granderson each hit home runs on misplaced curveballs and the New York Mets topped the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 at Citizens Bank Park.

The Mets (53-62) took three of four from the Phillies (43-72).

Conforto's two-run shot in the first inning opened the scoring and upped his career-high total to 26 for the year. It was his 12th homer since the All-Star break and 30 is right around the corner.

"I've still got to get there, but it's exciting," Conforto said.

"Two years ago, we thought he could hit 30 home runs," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "We saw the power. What you're seeing this year is the swing is so consistent. You can look at a guy who has a chance to hit 30 homers who wasn't even in the lineup in April."

Granderson was 3-for-5 on the day with the home run, a double, a run and three RBIs.

"We needed him today to step up and he did," Collins said.

Mets starter Chris Flexen (2-1) earned the win despite not having his best command. Flexen lasted five innings and allowed two runs on six hits. He walked four batters and struck out five.

Eflin (1-4) was handed the loss. The righty surrendered seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed four runs, all coming on the pair of two-run shots from Conforto and Granderson, and struck out five.

"I threw the ball really well, had command of all five of my pitches," Eflin said. "It's unfortunate it's one of those days that you get beat by two bad pitches."

With the Mets ahead 2-1 in the fifth, Eflin sandwiched a Jose Reyes double with a pair of strikeouts to bring Granderson to the plate with two outs. On a 1-1 count, Eflin's curveball got too much of the plate and Granderson sent the offering to right field for a three-run lead.

"Basically those pitches, if you hang them you're going to get hurt," Mackanin said. "If you make the pitch nobody says a word if you keep it down where it's supposed to be."

After the Phillies cut the deficit to 4-2, Granderson tallied a run-scoring single in the seventh to make it 5-2. He then scored on a Wilmer Flores RBI single.

The Phillies, who left nine runners on base on the day, loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning with no outs but only scraped across one run on a Rhys Hoskins RBI groundout, the first RBI of his career.

They loaded them again in the fifth with no outs. Nick Williams sent a fly ball to shallow center field that Conforto corralled and fired toward home. Freddy Galvis, on third base, did not run, but, inexplicably, Odubel Herrera -- whose mental mistakes have become common -- ran from second to an occupied third base and was tagged out. The double play allowed Flexen to get out of the inning without much trouble, though Galvis did cross the plate on a wild pitch.

"The mistake he made was he assumed that Freddy was going to go," Mackanin said of Herrera's blunder. "He saw him take off but then he put his head down. The only thing he did is he didn't keep his head up. He just put his head down and ran to third."

The Phillies tallied just one hit the rest of the way and were outhit 12-7.

NOTES: Philadelphia OF Odubel Herrera extended his career-long hit streak to 16 games with a single in the first inning. The streak is the longest by a Phillies player since 2014. ... After trading INF Neil Walker on Saturday night, the Mets selected the contract of RHP Kevin McGowan from Triple-A Las Vegas prior to the game Sunday to take Walker's roster spot. ... The Phillies embark on a seven-game road trip to California starting Monday in San Diego. ... The Mets begin a four-game set with the Yankees (each team hosts two games) on Monday in the Bronx.

Nola pitches Phillies past Mets

(TSX / STATS) -- PHILADELPHIA -- Aaron Nola has been one of the hottest pitchers in baseball the last few months. Saturday night against the New York Mets was not any different.

Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies clawed their way to a 3-1 victory over the Mets behind two RBI singles and a sacrifice fly.

Nola (9-7, 3.02 ERA) stifled the Mets for seven innings, allowing one earned run and two hits while striking out eight batters in the Phillies' come-from-behind victory.

"I'm really not trying to do too much and I'm really just trying to get ahead and execute all of my pitches," Nola said.

The right-hander has posted a 1.71 ERA in his last 10 starts, mastering command of his curveball in the process.

"It's night-and-day difference," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It gives him an extra place to go when he's in trouble. Let's say on a given night he doesn't have his changeup, he can go to his curve to get hitters out."

Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes crushed the only bad pitch from Nola, a 2-1 curveball, deep over the left field fence to give New York a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning.

Cespedes continues to swing a hot bat in Philadelphia. His 10 home runs in 18 games at Citizens Bank Park are the most he has in any visiting ballpark.

But the Phillies answered in the bottom of the fifth inning when Cesar Hernandez singled home Nick Williams to tie the score 1-1. Freddy Galvis followed with an RBI single, scoring Maikel Franco, to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead.

Tommy Joseph hit a sacrifice fly to score Galvis in the bottom of the eighth to provide the Phillies' bullpen some insurance with a 3-1 lead.

Luis Garcia picked up his second save of the season for the Phillies, pitching two-thirds of an inning in the ninth.

After giving up a home run to Cespedes earlier in the game, Nola threw inside to the star outfielder before striking him out with a changeup in the seventh inning, something Nola's manager likes to see.

"We like to see our guys come in on hitters," Mackanin said. "One of the things that Matz did well there was use both sides of the plate. ... I was happy to see Nola do that and I want to see more of that to keep those hitters honest."

The Mets threatened to get on the board first in the top of the third inning. Amed Rosario doubled to the gap in right-center field for the first hit of the ballgame. Rosario later advanced to third on a passed ball by Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp, but the rookie was caught while attempting to steal home on a double steal to end the inning.

"Command of his stuff, moved the fastball around, pitched inside, good breaking ball, he pitched very well," Mets manager Terry Collins said of Nola's performance.

Williams went 1-for-1 with an infield single, two walks and a run scored for the Phillies. He was also hit by a pitch, reaching base all four times he stepped into the batter's box.

Steven Matz (2-6, 5.54 ERA) tossed 5 2/3 innings for New York, striking out one and surrendering two runs, both earned, in the bottom of the fifth inning.

"Much, much better," Collins said of Matz's performance. "Secondary stuff was much better, spin on his breaking ball was better. He's worked hard on it and I thought he pitched well."

Mets second baseman Neil Walker was traded before the start of the game to the Milwaukee Brewers. Infielder Jose Reyes started in his place at second base and batted second, going 0-for-4.

NOTES: As a Met, 3B Asdrubal Cabrera is hitting .366 (41-for-112) with eight home runs against the Phillies. ... Mets RHP Matt Harvey made a rehab start for Class A Brooklyn. ... Phillies rookie LF Rhys Hoskins struggled in his second start since being called up to the big leagues, going 0-for-4 and he remains hitless since being called up. ... Phillies OF Odubel Herrera has hit safely in 15 consecutive games after a single in the bottom of the eighth inning. ... In the rubber match of the series on Sunday, Phillies RHP Zach Eflin (1-3, 5.67 ERA) will face Mets RHP Chris Flexen (1-1, 8.49).

Benintendi homers twice as Red Sox drub Yankees

(TSX / STATS) -- NEW YORK -- Many among the packed stands at Yankee Stadium might have cringed at the sight of Andrew Benintendi sending two pitches from Luis Severino soaring into the seats.

An exception might have been Benintendi's family, especially his 85-year-old grandfather, a Brooklyn native who grew up rooting for the New York Yankees.

Benintendi continued his torrid month by hitting two three-run homers as the Boston Red Sox posted a 10-5 victory over the Yankees on Saturday.

"Today, two beautiful swings for the six RBIs," Boston manager John Farrell said.

In front of the ninth sellout crowd of the season in New York, Benintendi put on an impressive power display and tied a career high by driving in six runs for the second time. He also had his third career multi-homer game, helping the Red Sox rebound from blowing a three-run lead Friday and win for the ninth time in 10 games.

The home runs continued the tear for the left fielder. Since sitting out two games on Aug. 1-2 while mired in a 4-for-23 slump, Benintendi is batting .484 (15-for-31) with four homers and 11 RBIs after hitting .222 during July.

"More than anything, pitches that he's gotten on the plate, he hasn't missed," Farrell said. "I can't say anything's fundamentally changed. He's got a beautiful swing. He's a natural lefty hitter. Prior to the date we were talking about, he was just missing some pitches that he otherwise squared up."

By not missing those pitches against Severino, Benintendi achieved three notable things in the rivalry, according to STATS.

He became the youngest (23 years old, 36 days) Boston player with at least six RBIs against the Yankees and the eighth Red Sox hitter with at least six RBIs against New York.

Benintendi also became the first rookie in baseball history to hit two three-run homers against the Yankees. He also joined Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx as the second Boston player to belt two three-run homers against the Yankees. Foxx achieved it twice -- on Sept. 7, 1938, at Fenway Park off Red Ruffing in a rain-shortened game and on Oct. 1, 1938, when he hit a grand slam and three-run homer at Fenway.

"I didn't know that," Benintendi said. "I guess that's cool."

Benintendi also continued to get good results against Severino (9-5). After hitting the two homers, he is 6-for-11 off the hard-throwing right-hander.

"He throws hard, he's got hard off-speed," Benintendi said. "You know whatever's coming is going to be hard. It's not easy to make an adjustment, but velocity kind of helps."

Besides Benintendi's historic showing, Mookie Betts added a two-run single in the third and rookie Rafael Devers contributed a two-run double in the fifth.

Benintendi's big day also helped Drew Pomeranz (12-4) win a career-high sixth straight decision as he allowed three runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings.

The left-hander escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fourth by allowing only one run and rebounded from allowing Gary Sanchez's two-run homer

He also struck out struggling slugger Aaron Judge twice and got the right fielder to hit into a double play in the fifth.

The Yankees dropped 4 1/2 games behind first-place Boston in the American League East and lost for the seventh time in 11 games.

Severino saw his four-game winning streak come to an emphatic halt by producing the worst outing of his career. He allowed career highs of 10 runs (eight earned) and eight hits during 4 1/3 innings.

"He wasn't executing his pitches today," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He made some mistakes. The location I think of some fastballs and some sliders today. He's been so good and executing so well, and we haven't seen that for a while. But it just shows that he's human."

Chase Headley and Jacoby Ellsbury added solo shots in the ninth well after Benintendi put the game out of reach.

The Yankees opened a 2-0 lead on Sanchez's homer down the right field line with two outs in the first, but the Red Sox put together an 18-minute third inning and sent nine to the plate.

With runners on first and second, third baseman Todd Frazier misplayed Eduardo Nunez's ground ball, making the error while transferring the ball from his glove to his hand. Two pitches later, Betts lined a single to left to tie the score.

Benintendi then lined a 1-1 fastball into the center-field seats for a 5-2 lead. After the Yankees scored on Ellsbury's bases-loaded grounder in the fourth, the Red Sox sent nine to the plate in a 24-minute fifth.

Benintendi made it 8-3 when he lifted a 1-0 fastball into the right-center bleachers and Devers doubled to center field against Giovanny Gallegos to bring in two more runs.

NOTES: The Red Sox placed 2B Dustin Pedroia (left knee inflammation) on the 10-day DL and the Yankees put RHP Masahiro Tanaka (right shoulder inflammation) on the DL. Boston manager John Farrell said it's too early to determine if Pedroia will be out for the season. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he doesn't expect Tanaka to miss much more than the 10 days. ... The Red Sox recalled LHP Robby Scott from Triple-A Pawtucket and the Yankees recalled RHP Giovanny Gallegos from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. ... Boston LHP David Price (left elbow inflammation) completed a long-toss session for the second straight day by making throws from 120 feet without any pain. ... LHP Jordan Montgomery, who is scheduled to oppose Boston LHP Chris Sale on Sunday, was struck by a ball on the right side of his head when he was signing autographs during batting practice.

Mets belt 4 HRs in 10-0 romp over Phillies

(TSX / STATS) -- PHILADELPHIA -- A trip to Citizens Bank Park was just what the slumping New York Mets needed.

The Mets slugged four home runs among 13 hits in a 10-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night. New York is 4-0 this season in Philadelphia, hitting 14 homers in those contests.

Wilmer Flores and Michael Conforto both hit three-run homers, while Neil Walker and Curtis Granderson also went deep.

"I don't know what it is. We come here a lot," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "It's a great, great place to hit. It's a great ballpark to play in. Our guys are comfortable here."

The homers provided plenty of offense for a nearly unhittable Jacob deGrom, who threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings before taking a line drive off his right triceps. DeGrom left the game after the play, but he doesn't expect to miss his next start.

"When it first hit me, it didn't feel good," he said, "but I was fortunate enough that it didn't hit me in the elbow, it was above it."

The Mets had already built a 7-0 by the time deGrom exited. The offensive outburst was a welcome sign after the team scored only 10 runs in its previous five games and was shut out in two of those games.

Flores made sure that would not happen with a towering, three-run homer to straightaway center field off Phillies starter Vince Velasquez in the first inning. It was Flores' 14th home run of the season and part of a 3-for-5 night that also featured a double.

"Wilmer had a nice night," Collins said. "Big home run in the first inning. It kind of kick-started everything, and after that, we had everyone chip in."

Velasquez came out of the game after the 32-pitch first inning because of numbness in his right middle finger. His fastball velocity sat below its normal 94 mph during his brief outing.

"He's mentioned it before, but he felt like he could go out there," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of Velasquez's injury. "I don't know what it is exactly, but we'll know more (Friday)."

Walker made it 4-0, lining the first pitch of the third inning from Mark Leiter Jr. over the right field fence for his 10th homer of the season.

Conforto broke the game open in the seventh. With two on and two outs, the left-handed-hitting All-Star hit a slicing line drive off the left field foul pole. The home run against Phillies reliever Jesen Therrien was Conforto's 24th of the season and his third in five days.

He was penciled into the cleanup spot for the first time this season the day after the Mets traded Jay Bruce to the Cleveland Indians.

"I was kind of thinking just fight it off because it was a good pitch," Conforto said. "I ended up getting the barrel there. I was on time there, and it was a pretty good swing. Luckily, it stayed fair. I snuck it in there."

Granderson capped the long-ball display with a two-run shot in the ninth inning against Luis Garcia.

DeGrom (13-5) struck out nine and did not walk a batter. The right-hander struck out seven of the first 10 batters he faced and allowed only four hits.

"I was able to locate pretty well," deGrom said. "I had a little more 3-2 counts than I wanted to, but I had a pretty good feel for my slider and changeup, so I was getting ahead strike one and going from there."

On deGrom's 100th pitch, Nick Williams shot a line drive up the middle that caught the pitcher in the arm and forced him out of the game.

It was the first scoreless outing for deGrom since May 19, and it marked the 10th time in 23 starts this season that he recorded at least nine strikeouts.

"He mixed up his pitches well," Collins said. "I thought he threw the ball great tonight."

Leiter struck out seven batters in five innings while allowing one run on four hits and no walks.

"The most positive thing I can think of is that Leiter again saved our bullpen. He did a great job," Mackanin said.

Maikel Franco's double in the second inning was the only extra-base hit for the Phillies, who were shut out for the eighth time this season.

NOTES: Phillies LF Rhys Hoskins went 0-for-2 with a strikeout and a walk in his major league debut. ... The Phillies honored Darren Daulton with a video tribute and a moment of silence before the game. It was the team's first home game since Daulton died of brain cancer at 55 on Sunday night. Daulton spent nearly all of his 14-year major league career, and the catcher is part of the Phillies Wall of Fame. ... The Mets have 51 home runs in their past 23 games at Citizens Bank Park.

Estrada snaps slide as Jays blank Yanks

(TSX / STATS) -- TORONTO -- Marco Estrada had been pitching too well recently not to win sooner or later.

It finally clicked for the Toronto Blue Jays starter Thursday night when he delivered seven scoreless innings in a 4-0 victory over the New York Yankees.

It was his first win since May 27, even though it was the third straight start in which he had pitched seven innings.

"I don't think he could be any better than tonight," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "Really his last three starts. It's like he's found that groove again. No matter what he's throwing, he's locating it, they're not picking up the changeup."

Estrada (5-7) allowed five hits and three walks while striking out six to end the drought of 12 starts without a win.

"We just couldn't square him up when we had guys in scoring position," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Jose Bautista hit a solo home run for the Blue Jays (54-60), who have a 7-6 lead in the season series with the Yankees (60-53).

"I've been feeling good for a little while now," Estrada said. "I've changed my mechanics a little bit. And things are kind of working out now, I feel like I've got a pretty good downhill plane when throwing fastballs and changeups. I've been able to elevate a lot. It's kind of going back to how I was pitching before."

"Everything looks like a fastball," Yankees third baseman Todd Frazier said. "We were out front today. He was very effective with that changeup."

Sonny Gray (6-7), starting for the second time since the Yankees obtained him in a trade with the Oakland Athletics, allowed three runs (two earned), four hits and four walks in six innings. The right-hander struck out six and is 0-2 with the Yankees.

"Clearly, I wasn't throwing enough strikes," Gray said. "I just gave them too many free passes and I just didn't throw enough strikes, definitely not enough quality strikes."

Estrada also was mentioned in trade rumors leading to the deadline and he said not being traded has eased his mind.

"It's a little weight off your shoulders when you know you're not going anywhere," he said. "I know we still have a month and things could happen but I'm really not thinking about it anymore."

Ezequiel Carrera doubled with one out in the second inning, took third on Gray's errant pickoff attempt and slid home safely after the pitcher scooped the ball to catcher Gary Sanchez on a trickler by Ryan Goins.

The Blue Jays went up 2-0 in the third on a walk and stolen base by Bautista, and a single by Josh Donaldson.

Toronto took a 3-0 lead in the fourth. Pearce led off with a single, Carrera sacrificed him to second, Goins walked and Kevin Pillar rapped an RBI single to left.

"Sonny's tough, you're not going to knock him around a lot," Gibbons said. "You have to take advantage of any opportunity."

Bautista hit his 19th homer of the season with two out in the seventh against reliever Chasen Shreve to increase Toronto's lead to four runs.

Toronto's Ryan Tepera pitched around a single in the eighth and Roberto Osuna worked around two walks by striking out three in the ninth.

"We haven't been as consistent (offensively) in the second half," Girardi said. "The guys are working at it. There's early BP, they're doing their cage work, they're doing everything. It's just been a little bit of a struggle. This is who we have and we have to get the job done."

The Yankees are home to the Red Sox for a three-game series starting Friday.

"It's really important," Girardi said. "You've got to stay in striking distance so when you have a chance to play them, you can make up ground. You can't rely on other teams."

NOTES: Yankees OF Clint Frazier (left oblique strain) went on the 10-day disabled list Thursday and OF Aaron Hicks (right oblique strain) was reinstated from the DL. ... Toronto RHP Taylor Cole (fractured right toe) was put on the disabled list Thursday after he was hit on the foot by a comebacker during his major league debut Wednesday. RHP Chris Smith was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo to take his place. ... Toronto DH Kendrys Morales (illness) was a late scratch Thursday and RF Jose Bautista moved to DH and OF Ezequiel Carrera played right field. ... Yankees LHP Jaime Garcia (5-8, 4.49 ERA) will face Boston Red Sox LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (4-3, 4.08) on Friday in New York. ... RHP Marcus Stroman (10-5, 3.17) will oppose Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Jameson Taillon (6-5, 4.60) on Friday in Toronto.