Syndergaard pitches Mets past Brewers
NEW YORK -- Noah Syndergaard struck out 11 and allowed an unearned run over seven strong innings and Asdrubal Cabrera delivered a tie-breaking two-run single in the fourth inning as the New York Mets completed a three-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers with a 3-1 win at Citi Field.
The sweep capped a 4-2 homestand for the Mets (25-18) and gave them some momentum heading into a three-game series at the first-place Washington Nationals beginning Monday in Washington, D.C. The Nationals took two of three games from the Mets prior to the Brewers' visit.
The Brewers (18-26) have lost seven of 11, all by three runs or fewer.
Syndergaard, who earned the Mets' lone win against the Nationals by throwing seven shutout innings Tuesday, overcame a laborious start Sunday. He allowed a run in the first -- when Scooter Gennett reached on an error by David Wright, advanced to second on a groundout by Ryan Braun and scored on a two-out single by Jonathan Lucroy -- and threw 57 pitches through the first three innings
But Syndergaard retired 14 of the final 17 batters he faced, a stretch in which he recorded six strikeouts.
The Brewers threatened in the seventh, when Hernan Perez singled, went to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a single by Alex Presley. But Presley was thrown out trying to advance to second on a pitch in the dirt, after which Syndergaard struck out Ramon Flores and retired Aaron Hill on a groundout.
Right-hander Jim Henderson worked around a two-out single by Braun in the eighth and Jeurys Familia, pitching for the third time in as many games, notched his 15th save with a one-hit ninth.
Michael Conforto homered in the first for the Mets and began the go-ahead rally in the fourth, when he drew a leadoff walk. Conforto went to third on a double to left by Yoenis Cespedes and both runners raced home on Cabrera's one-out single.
Right-hander Chase Anderson took the loss for the Brewers after allowing three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out six over five innings.
Perez was the lone player on either team with two hits.
NOTES: Mets 1B Lucas Duda (lower back) sat out for the second straight day and for the fourth time in the last six games. Duda, who underwent an MRI exam Saturday, met with team doctors Sunday morning. Manager Terry Collins said he would have a better idea of Duda's prognosis after the game. ... Mets RHP Matt Harvey, who has the third-highest ERA in the National League, will start Tuesday against the Washington Nationals. Harvey gave up a career-high nine runs (six earned) over a career-low 2 2/3 innings against the Nationals last Thursday. ... Brewers LF Ryan Braun returned to the lineup after missing four games with a sore back. ... Brewers IF/OF Ramon Flores made his first big league start at first base in place of 1B Chris Carter, who sat for just the third time this year.