NEW YORK — Christian Vázquez hit a tying home run off Seth Lugo in the seventh inning and a two-run single against Justin Wilson in a three-run eighth, rallying the Boston Red Sox over the Mets 6-5 Wednesday night when New York’s bullpen could not hold a lead for two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom.
Boston had lost four in a row following its Opening Day win over Baltimore that included a pair of defeats to the Mets at Fenway Park.
New York closed with a run in the ninth, when a diving stop by third baseman Rafael Devers helped Brandon Workman strand the bases loaded. Workman recovered for his first save of the year by striking out Yoenis Céspedes and retiring Robinson Canó on a soft liner to shortstop.
DeGrom, throwing at up to 101 mph, extended his consecutive scoreless streak to 31 innings before allowing a pair of runs in the fourth but got his second straight no-decision, allowing two runs and three hits in six innings with four strikeouts. He left with a 3-2 lead, but Vázquez tied the score when he drove a hanging curveball from Lugo for his second home run this season.
Wilson relieved for the second straight night and got in trouble by allowing a pair of pinch hitters to reach, Kevin Pillar with a single and Xander Bogaerts with a walk.
Andrew Benintendi sacrificed, J.D. Martinez was intentionally walked and, with two outs, Mitch Moreland hit a 60-foot, four-hopper for a single that third baseman Jeff McNeil grabbed barehanded but couldn’t hold on to. Vázquez followed with an opposite-field poke down the right-field line for a 6-3 lead.
Céspedes hit his second home run of the season leading off the eighth, against Matthew Barnes.
After Workman walked his first two batters, Pete Alonso blooped a curveball just over Moreland just inside the line in short right field for his first four-hit game. Michael Conforto took a called third strike, and J.D. Davis nearly grounded the ball through the infield only for Devers to smother the ball for an infield hit and that forced the potential tying run to hold at third.
DeGrom’s scoreless streak tied for third-longest in Mets history.
Boston went ahead 2-1 in the fourth on consecutive doubles by Devers and Moreland followed by a pair of wild pitches. DeGrom threw just two wild pitches in each of the 2018 and 2019 seasons but catcher René Rivera, making his first start this season, was slow in sliding his mitt toward pitches with movement.
New York’s only longer streaks were R.A. Dickey’s 32 2/3 innings in 2012 and Jerry Koosman’s 31 2/3 innings in 1973.
Nathan Eovaldi gave up two runs and eight hits in five innings. He fell behind in the first when he gave up three straight singles and Dominic Smith followed with an RBI grounder.
NOTES: No. 3 C Jonathan Lucroy was designated for assignment by Boston after making one appearance, as an eighth-inning defensive replacement on Opening Day. The Red Sox recalled right-hander Chris Mazza from their alternate training site.
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