WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Jacob deGrom held the Astros to three hits and one run and struck out six batters in four innings, and Yoenis Cespedes blasted a two-run home run to lead the Mets to a 2-1 win Tuesday at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.
deGrom had not allowed a run in nine innings this spring until Astros catcher Brian McCann walloped his first homer of the spring with a long solo drive to right field in the fourth. deGrom threw 37 of his 52 pitches for strikes.
"I feel good about how things have gone this spring," said deGrom, who did not pitch after Sept. 2 last year due to surgery to reposition the ulnar nerve in his right elbow. "The ball feels good coming out of my hand. I just need to be consistent. I'm looking forward to the season."
Astros starter Lance McCullers struck out six batters in three innings and allowed four hits and two runs without walking a batter in his second start of the spring. The right-hander threw 60 pitches and continued to work on his changeup, which is the pitch Cespedes hit out of the park in the third.
"I felt like I threw a lot of good pitches that could have kind of gone either way, and that's what it's for, try to get a little better each time you go out there," McCullers said. "I think I made strides as a pitcher today that can help me throughout the season, made a lot of tough pitches when I needed to, which is always something I need to work, so I was happy with that."
Mets Up Next: Right-hander Matt Harvey gets the start for the Mets in a 1:05 p.m. ET start (Gameday Audio) Wednesday against the Marlins in Jupiter. Zack Wheeler is scheduled to make his second Grapefruit League appearance in relief. Right-handers Paul Sewald and Ben Rowen, along with lefty Sean Gilmartin are also slated to take the mound for the Mets.
Astros Up Next: Joe Musgrove will continue his audition for the fifth-starter spot when he starts Wednesday's 12:05 p.m. CT game (Gameday Audio) against the Nationals at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. The Astros are the designated home team.
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