Griffin struggles, Guardians slip out of wild-card spot
Phil Long, Associated Press
Cleveland pitcher Foster Griffin delivers against the New York Mets during a game Thursday in Cleveland. (Phil Long, Associated Press)CLEVELAND — All-Star Foster Griffin struggled in his first start for the free-falling Cleveland Guardians, allowing five runs in four innings of a 13-6 loss to the Mets on Thursday afternoon that gave last-place New York a three-game sweep.
Cleveland (57-59) has lost 11 of 14 and fell one-half game behind Texas in the race for the final AL wild card.
Acquired from Washington at the trade deadline, Griffin (12-4) allowed homers to Marcus Semien and Luis Torrens in the second inning, the latter a two-run shot that put the Mets ahead 3-2.
The left-hander gave up two more runs in the third, including an RBI triple by Carson Benge, and was lifted after working out of trouble in the fourth.
Francisco Lindor also homered for New York, a three-run shot in the seventh off Craig Yoho. Benge, Semien and Luis Robert Jr. each had three hits, and Torrens drove in three runs.
The Guardians got within 6-5 in the fifth on Nathaniel Lowe’s three-run homer off Nolan McLean (8-7), who stranded two runners to get out of the inning and qualify for the win.
It was the third series sweep for the Mets this season and first on the road.
Guardians reliever Slade Cecconi faced five batters in the eighth and did not record an out as New York added four more runs for a 13-5 advantage.
Up next
Mets: Begin a three-game series at Pittsburgh on Friday with LHP Zac Thornton (2-2, 2.88 ERA) on the mound.
Guardians: Visit the Chicago White Sox starting Friday with a chance to make up some ground on the AL Central leaders. LHP Parker Messick (8-6, 2.57) starts for Cleveland against Chicago LHP Noah Schultz (3-8, 5.92).