Jimenez Looks For First Road Win Of The Season
(AP) -- The New York Mets are hoping their offense is back on track, and they'd like to see Jacob deGrom do likewise at home.
DeGrom attempts to bounce back from his worst performance at Citi Field and help the Mets to the longest active winning streak by an NL team over an AL one in interleague play Wednesday night against the Baltimore Orioles.
New York (17-10) snapped a 21-inning scoreless streak with a three-run fourth inning in Tuesday's 3-2 win over Baltimore (12-12) in the opener of this two-game set. The seven hits - three of them doubles - were a relief after the Mets totaled 11 while losing back-to-back 1-0 games to Washington last weekend.
The Mets are looking for deGrom (2-3, 3.34 ERA) to regroup after giving up five runs in 5 1-3 innings of an 8-2 loss to Washington on Thursday. Last year's NL Rookie of the Year had gone 7-0 with a 0.95 ERA over his eight previous outings at Cit Field.
Manager Terry Collins, though, isn't concerned about the right-hander.
"You hate to admit it, but it's a great experience for him," Collins told MLB's official website. "He's got to learn to slow himself down and make pitches count when he needs to, and you can't rush the game. You got to let it come to you a little bit. I'm not too worried about it."
DeGrom has lost two of three interleague starts behind a 3.79 ERA and gave up six runs and three homers in five innings of a 6-1 loss to the New York Yankees on April 24.
New York, though, has won seven straight meetings with the Orioles for the longest interleague winning streak in franchise history. It's also tied with Milwaukee's run against Cleveland for the longest active by an NL team.
Daniel Murphy went 2 for 3 with an RBI on Tuesday, giving him a .353 average (12 for 34) while driving in nine runs over the past nine games.
The Orioles have won five of seven games during a stretch that's been interrupted and adjusted due to the riots in Baltimore.
Ubaldo Jimenez (2-1, 1.59) was on the mound for the most bizarre game over that stretch, allowing two unearned runs in seven innings of an 8-2 win over the Chicago White Sox last Wednesday in an empty Camden Yards that was closed to the public due to safety concerns.
"We all know everything the city is going through," Jimenez said. "So that's something you put in your mind, you have to go out there and do something that would be good for the fans."
Jimenez hasn't allowed an earned run in 14 innings while winning two home starts, but the right-hander is 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA in two road games.
He's 0-2 with a 3.15 ERA in three starts at New York, losing the most recent with Colorado on Aug. 10, 2010.
It's unclear if Steve Pearce will be in the Orioles' lineup after missing one game with a stomach bug. He's 4 for 21 in nine meetings with the Mets.
