Sonny Gray Beats The Mets For First Win With The Yankees

Sonny Gray was traded to Oakland on July 31st at the deadline and lost his first two starts for New York at Cleveland and at Toronto

Tuesday night though in the Bronx in the second of a four game set with the Yankees taking on the Mets at Yankee Stadium before the series shifts to Citi Field in Queens was a different story as Sonny Gray picked up his first win in pinstripes.

Sonny Gray hurled six-plus solid innings and outpitched Jacob deGrom to pick up his first win in pinstripes, and Aroldis Chapman survived a bumpy ninth inning as the Yankees defeated the Mets, 5-4, on Tuesday evening, concluding the Yankee Stadium portion of the Subway Series." according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/248617686/sonny-gray-beats-mets-for-first-win-with-yanks/

Backed by homers from Jacoby Ellsbury and Gary Sanchez, Gray made his first home start since being acquired by the Yanks and held the Mets scoreless until Dominic Smith's first big league homer in the seventh. Working in front of a sellout crowd of 46,474, the right-hander scattered five hits in a 104-pitch effort, walking two and striking out five. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/248617686/sonny-gray-beats-mets-for-first-win-with-yanks/

"It was nice. The crowd was great," Gray said. "I was just trying to go out there and pitch my game, and not let anything from the outside affect my mindset and what I really wanted to do out there. It was a fun game overall. Any time you come away with the win, it makes it that much better."

With the victory, the Yankees remained 4 1/2 games behind the Red Sox in the American League East chase. Boston defeated the Cardinals, 10-4, at Fenway Park.

deGrom was peppered for five runs and nine hits over 7 1/3 innings. Aaron Hicks knocked in a run with a third-inning single, Ellsbury hit a two-run shot in the fourth -- his second in three games -- and Sanchez cleared the left-field wall in the sixth. It was Sanchez's fourth homer in seven games and his 21st overall.

"I've been working with the hitting coaches and right now I'm getting good results," Sanchez said through an interpreter. "I want to keep doing what I'm doing right now and keep helping the team win."

Sanchez added a sacrifice fly in the eighth that chased deGrom, which proved to be crucial when Chapman served up a two-run homer to Amed Rosario.

"That's why I think he's going to be a great player," Mets manager Terry Collins said of Rosario. " Any time we've asked him to step up in a big situation, be it offensively or defensively, he's made the play."

Ellsbury turned on a 95.4-mph deGrom heater and smacked it into the right-field seats for his sixth blast of the season. The ball came off Ellsbury's bat at 105.8 mph, according to Statcast™. Prior to his homer on Saturday against Boston, Ellsbury hadn't homered since May 7 at Wrigley Field, a span of 147 at-bats.

"I've felt pretty good maybe since [last week in] Cleveland," Ellsbury said. "I'm just working in the cage, doing everything I can, and I was happy to contribute tonight."

Smith has at least one hit in four of the five games he has played since making his Major League debut on Aug. 11 at Philadelphia, and this was one he will never forget. Smith's two-run homer ended Gray's evening, carrying just over Hicks' leaping attempt into the first row of seats in left. It came off his bat at 101.9 mph and traveled a projected 373 feet.

"It feels like a big weight is lifted off your shoulders," Smith said. "You feel good that you're able to contribute."

After serving up Rosario's homer, Chapman squatted at the front of the mound, seemingly in disbelief, and did not move until Sanchez patted him on the back with his glove. It's only the second time in Chapman's career that he's allowed homers in consecutive games and the first time since 2012. He induced groundouts from Travis d'Arnaud and Juan Lagares to close out the win but appeared to grimace as he left the mound and acknowledged some tightness in his hamstring. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/248617686/sonny-gray-beats-mets-for-first-win-with-yanks/

"It has been a difficult year for me and for my expectations," Chapman said through an interpreter. "I'm going through a rough patch here, but you've got to keep fighting. You've got to keep trying to go out there and do the job." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/248617686/sonny-gray-beats-mets-for-first-win-with-yanks/

"In that situation, I've got to try to cut down on the pressure. I went out there looking for his hardest pitch, and I hit his slowest pitch." -- Rosario, on homering off an 85-mph Chapman slider

"Tonight I wanted to use the slider a little more. I felt it was the right pitch tonight. That's why I did it. I wanted to mix it up a little bit." -- Chapman "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/248617686/sonny-gray-beats-mets-for-first-win-with-yanks/

Aaron Judge struck out swinging in the first inning against deGrom, marking the 32nd consecutive game in which Judge has fanned. That ties Adam Dunn's single-season Major League record, which was set in 2012. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/248617686/sonny-gray-beats-mets-for-first-win-with-yanks/

The Yankees improved to 63-55 while the Mets dropped to 53-64 on the season. With the win, the Yankees are 4.5 games back of their American League East rival who is leading the division with a record of 68-51. The Mets meanwhile are now eighteen games back of National League East leader Washington who has a record of 71-46. 

The series between the two New York city rivals will now shift to Citi Field in Queens for the last two games. 

Left-hander Jaime Garcia who has a record of 5-8 with 4.50 earn run average. Garcia showed improvement in his 2nd start with the Yanks taking a no -decision after allowing three runs in 5/2/3 innings. He has lost to the Mets twice this season, though he permitted just two runs in a June 11th start with Atlanta. He will take on Mets right -hander Robert Gsellman who has a record of 5-5 with a 6.16 earn run average. Sidelined since June 28th due to a strained left hamstring, Gsellman will take the rotation spot of injured teammate Seth Lugo. Though Gsellman struggled in his rehab with Double -A Binghamton. He fired six shutout innings in his last outing there. "according to https://www.mlb.com/gameday/yankees-vs-mets/2017/08/16/491897#game_state=preview,game_tab=,game=491897

First pitch is set for 7:10 pm. The game will be televised on ESPN and Yes. "according to https://www.mlb.com/gameday/yankees-vs-mets/2017/08/16/491897#game_state=preview,game_tab=,game=491897