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          New York Mets

          Mets starter Jacob deGrom slices ERA to 1.98

          • Adam Rubin, ESPN Staff WriterAug 19, 2015, 04:43 AM
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              Adam Rubin has covered the Mets since 2003. He's a graduate of Mepham High School on Long Island and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He joined ESPNNewYork after spending 10 years at the New York Daily News.
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          BALTIMORE -- Right-hander Jacob deGrom is among some elite company with the New York Mets.

          After limiting the Baltimore Orioles to a solo homer by Gerardo Parra in 7 2/3 innings in the Mets' 5-3 win on Tuesday at Camden Yards, deGrom shaved his season ERA to 1.98.

          Not only is that the second-best ERA in the majors this season behind Zack Greinke's 1.58, it also is among the best in Mets history.

          Among qualifiers, deGrom's ERA would rank third in a single season in franchise history. The only two who are better: the 1.53 ERA posted by Dwight Gooden in 1985 and the 1.76 ERA posted by Tom Seaver in 1971.

          "I'm just looking forward to continuing to go out there and try to have success and put us in a position to win," deGrom said, downplaying his accomplishments. "What's happened has already happened. I just have to continue to work hard and try to improve on that."

          Gooden unanimously won the Cy Young in '85. Seaver finished second to 24-game winner Ferguson Jenkins in '71.

          "He's one of the best in the game right now," manager Terry Collins said about deGrom. "There's no question. I've talked to too many other managers. He's one of the first guys they ask about. He's very, very good. I talked to [Orioles manager] Buck [Showalter] before the game. He said, 'How's this guy pitching?' I said, 'Really good.' He said, 'Yeah, I know. I've been watching.'"

          Pitching on an extra day of rest because of Monday's off day, deGrom (12-6) felt like he started the game off slowly. He walked Manny Machado to begin his outing, but stranded him at third base by striking out Chris Davis. In the second, deGrom allowed a leadoff single to Matt Wieters but followed by retiring 11 straight batters.

          Collins lifted deGrom with two outs in the eighth and his pitch count at 100 after a single by Machado. With the lefty-hitting Parra -- who had homered the previous at-bat -- due up, and with deGrom navigating through the lineup for the fourth time, Collins inserted Tyler Clippard. He retired Parra on a dangerous fly out to the wall in right field to preserve a 3-1 lead. Parra dropped to 0-for-9 in his career versus Clippard.

          "My pitch count got up there a little bit early on," deGrom said. "After that, I wanted to get some quick outs, so I got some ground balls."