NEW YORK — Winners of five straight, the New York Mets have a big test brewing:
Jacob deGrom is getting an MRI.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner was pulled after five innings with right side tightness in his return from an injury to a similar area, but the bullpen closed out a four-hitter as New York beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2 Sunday.
DeGrom (3-2) was perfect through four innings but labored in the fifth, then called for trainer Brian Chicklo after throwing two warm-up pitches ahead of the sixth. DeGrom exited and went straight to the clubhouse.
“No pain whatsoever, just tightness,” manager Luis Rojas said. “That’s what he told our trainer.”
DeGrom was coming off a 10-day layoff, skipping his previous turn in the rotation because of a right lat issue. Rojas said the side tightness — centered around the lower-right side of his back — seems to be a different issue.
Prior to Sunday, deGrom had a 0.51 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 35 overpowering innings.
“I want to sit and wait and see what (the results are), and then we can plan as a group what’s next,” Rojas said.
The right-hander threw 68 pitches over five innings, allowing a run with six strikeouts, a hit and three walks.
DeGrom walked three during a 29-pitch fifth inning, just the second time in his career he’s done that.
Right-hander Miguel Castro relieved deGrom with New York ahead 2-1. He hit a batter and walked another before completing a scoreless inning.
Jacob Barnes worked a perfect seventh before allowing Asdrúbal Cabrera’s solo homer in the eighth, and Edwin Díaz got five outs for his fifth save.
It was Díaz’s second career five-out save and first with the Mets of more than three. He stranded Nick Ahmed in the ninth after catcher James McCann, third baseman Jonathan Villar and Díaz let Ahmed’s popup fall between them for a single.
Michael Conforto had two hits, an RBI and a superb catch against the right-field wall, and New York improved to 16-13 — again achieving its season best at three games over .500.
The Mets matched their longest winning streak since August 2019. They also beat the Diamondbacks for the 10th straight time at Citi Field.
Arizona has lost six in a row overall and totaled just eight runs during this three-game sweep in Queens. Rookie right-hander Riley Smith (1-2) allowed two runs, four hits and a walk in four innings, striking out one.
DeGrom reached 100 mph twice in the first inning but didn’t look entirely comfortable, shaking out his arm behind the mound at one point. Still, he opened with four perfect innings for the first time since retiring 15 straight to start against San Diego on June 1, 2015, per MLB.com.
His rocky fifth began with a free pass to David Peralta, and Stephen Vogt followed with a long double.
Center fielder Kevin Pillar and Conforto both dived for Vogt’s drive on the warning track but came up short. Pillar’s face clipped Conforto’s left cleat on the play, and Pillar appeared to be bleeding on the side of his head while he was checked by a trainer. He remained in the game.
DeGrom walked Eduardo Escobar to load the bases with no outs and fell behind Ahmed before inducing a 4-3 double play that cut New York’s lead to 2-1.
