Duda hits 2-out, 2-run HR in 9th, Mets beat Astros ... Lucas Duda hit a two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday night, rallying the New York Mets over the Houston Astros 2-1. Held to two hits by four Houston pitchers through eight innings, the Mets came back against Tony Sipp (4-3). Eric Young Jr. tripled with one out and stayed there on Daniel Murphys flyout to shallow left field. Duda followed with a line drive off the right-field foul screen for his 29th home run, and the first game-ending homer of his career. Jenrry Mejia (6-6) pitched one inning for the win. Jose Altuve, hitless in four at-bats for Houston, heads into Sunday with a chance to win the AL batting title. He leads the majors at .340, and Detroits Victor Martinez is at .337. Altuve is vying to become the first player in Astros history to win a batting crown. On the eve of the regular seasons final day, two clubs with losing records and an eye on the future matched zeros for the first five innings in front of an announced crowd of 34,886 — many presumably for a postgame concert by 18-year-old Austin Mahone. Houston scored in the sixth. Dexter Fowler hit a slow roller that straddled the line and third baseman Daniel Murphy advanced on the grounder, wishing it foul by waving his glove over the ball. He eventually scooped it up in fair territory, just short of the bag, for a single. Jason Castro followed with an RBI double that chased Mets starter Rafael Montero. Reliever Buddy Carlyle limited any further damage, striking out Jake Marisnick with runners at the corners. Astros starter Samuel Deduno gave up one hit in four innings, striking out four and walking one. It was his first start since June 14 with Minnesota at Detroit. Deduno had made four relief appearances for Houston since being claimed off waivers on Aug. 30. Deduno also got his first big league hit, a hard-hit double to deep center in the third that caused his teammates on the Houston bench to erupt in cheers and fist-pumping. Owners of the worst ERA in the American League, the Houston bullpen proceeded to stifle New Yorks lineup until the ninth. Relievers Jake Buchanan, Kevin Chapman and Jose Veras combined for four innings of one-hit ball. Montero, starting in place of fellow rookie Jacob deGrom, escaped trouble several times in the early innings. NOTES: *Astros Deduno was limited to 65 pitches because he hasnt been out there in a long time, according to interim manager Tom Lawless. *Met: LHP Jonathan Niese, who exited Friday nights game in the sixth inning with an elevated heart rate, was feeling better on Saturday. *OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis, scratched from the lineup on Friday night due to an illness, was in a local hospital Saturday and was not expected to be released until Sunday. * 2B Dilson Herrera (strained right quad) will not play the rest of the season. *The Mets start RHP Bartolo Colon (14-13, 4.08) for the regular-season finale, looking to win 15 games for the eighth time in his career. The former Cy Young Award winner last pitched on Tuesday in Washington, taking the loss after allowing four runs over six innings. Astros rookie starter RHP Nick Tropeano (1-2, 3.78), hails from West Islip, less than an hour drive from Citi Field, and pitched at nearby Stony Brook University. The 24-year-old is expecting a large cheering section comprised of family and friends on Sunday afternoon, saying that the total number of well-wishers may top 100. Tropeano has dropped two straight decisions after winning his major league debut on September 10 in Seattle. Below: New York Mets Lucas Duda, right, hits a two-run walkoff home run in the ninth inning as Houston Astros catcher Jason Castro, center, looks on during an interleague baseball game Saturday, at Citi Field in New York. The Mets won 2-1. Samuel Deduno #44 of the Houston Astros gave up one hit in four innings, striking out four and walking one. It was his first start since June 14 with Minnesota at Detroit. New York Mets Lucas Duda throws his helmet as he comes home after hitting a two-run walkoff home run in the ninth inning off Houston Astros pitcher Tony Sipp on Saturday. Wilmer Flores #4 of the New York Mets is tagged out at home for the final out of the second inning by Jason Castro #15 of the Houston Astros. New York Mets Lucas Duda throws his helmet and is showered with sunflower seeds as he comes home after hitting a two-run walkoff home run in the ninth inning at Citi Field in New York. The Mets won 2-1.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 04:03:02 +0000
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