New York Mets stay alive behind Jacob deGrom, force Game 3

NEW YORK — New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom couldn't help but ponder his future on Saturday night. With free-agency looming and the San Diego Padres taking Game 1 of the NL wild-card series, deGrom went into his start in Game 2 knowing that if he didn't pitch well, this could be the last time he pitched at Citi Field as a Met.

«That went into my mind, but the hope was that we would win a baseball game and continue to keep playing,» deGrom said.

He came through, going six innings allowing five hits and two runs on two walks and eight strikeouts across six innings pitched in a 7-3 Mets victory. The win guaranteed that deGrom would have at least one more day to put on a Mets uniform, on Sunday night when the Padres and Mets will play Game 3.

DeGrom set the tone early, starting off the game throwing 12 pitches over 99 mph and seven over 100 mph. He retired the top of Padres' lineup in order, striking out slugger Juan Soto and Manny Machado swinging. Throughout the evening, deGrom primarily relied on his fastball — which topped 100 mph on 19 of his 99 pitches — and slider, throwing his curveball just twice and his changeup six times. Sixty of his pitches were strikes.

The Padres scored two runs off deGrom, the first coming on a home run from Trent Grisham, his second in as many nights.

«I gotta tip my hat to Trent, that homer, I felt like that was a good pitch and he just got to it,» deGrom said.

The second run came after deGrom walked Grisham to lead off the fifth inning before Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar hit a game-tying RBI single down the right-field line. DeGrom threw five consecutive sliders in the six-pitch at-bat.

«That's the one I wish I would've went fastball,» deGrom said on the Profar at-bat. «Felt like I had