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After snapping the longest losing streak of his career in his previous start [url=http://www.oaklandraidersteamonline.com/customized]Customized Oakland Raiders Jerseys[/url] , Marcus Stroman went straight back to struggling.

Todd Frazier hit a two-run homer, Brandon Nimmo reached base three times and the New York Mets beat Marcus Stroman and the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 on Wednesday night.

Stroman (1-6) lost six straight decisions before beating Detroit last Friday but couldn’t build on that performance. He allowed six runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings, raising his ERA from 6.02 to 6.50.

”I just didn’t have a feel for anything from pitch one,” Stroman said.

Frazier gave the Mets the lead with a drive to center field off the right-hander in a five-run fifth.

Now in his fifth season, Stroman was expected to be a steadying presence in Toronto’s rotation. Instead, he has dealt with a sore shoulder that sidelined him for more than a month, and been hit hard when healthy enough to pitch.

Mets manager Mickey Callaway, a former pitcher and pitching coach, said location is at the root of Stroman’s rough stretch.

”Everything is just up a little bit from what I’ve seen in the past,” Callaway said. ”I think, from a pitching coach’s perspective, for him to have his good sinker and his good slider, he’s got to make sure he gets the ball down. That’s kind of how he lived in the past and what his success was all about, getting guys to chase below the zone.”

Former teammate Jose Bautista flied out in his first two at-bats against Stroman but delivered an RBI single in the fifth.

”His stuff was moving, he just wasn’t locating as well as I’ve seen him do in the past from the outfield,” Bautista said.

Stroman, from Long Island, had never faced the Mets before.

Seth Lugo (3-3) pitched three innings of relief for the win. Jeurys Familia closed for his 16th save in 20 opportunities.

Wilmer Flores had two hits and Kevin Plawecki scored twice for the Mets, who had lost 11 of 13.

Toronto’s Kendrys Morales hit a solo home run in the second but the Mets answered on Nimmo’s RBI single in the third. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. restored Toronto’s lead with a two-out RBI single in the fourth before Stroman unraveled in the fifth.

Flores led off with a single and scored on Frazier’s 10th home run. Bautista and Asdrubal Cabrera chased Stroman with consecutive RBI singles, and Michael Conforto capped the outburst with a run-scoring single off reliever Luis Santos.

Making his second major league career start, New York right-hander Corey Oswalt allowed two runs and five hits in four innings.

”That’s a good leap forward for him,” Callaway said. ”He looked a lot better.”

LOOK OUT BELOW

Mets relievers Tyler Bashlor, Jerry Blevins and Robert Gsellman [url=http://www.philadelphiaeaglesteamonlines.com/customized]Customized Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys[/url] , and outfielder Kevin Kaczmarksi, ascended Toronto’s CN Tower earlier in the day for the Edge Walk attraction, which lets visitors circle the exterior of the observation deck. The tower’s official Twitter account posted a photo of the quartet.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: RHP Noah Syndergaard (right index finger) will make a rehab start for Class A Brooklyn on Sunday. … C Devin Mesoraco passed concussion tests again but was not in the starting lineup. Mesoraco was hit in the head in back-to-back innings Tuesday, once by a ball and once by a bat. … RHP Zack Wheeler will get an extra day of rest before his next start. Wheeler will be pushed back to Monday, when the Mets play a doubleheader against Philadelphia.

Blue Jays: An MRI on RHP Marco Estrada revealed a mild strain in his left gluteal muscle. Estrada left Tuesday’s start after just 12 pitches. It was not yet known whether he’ll be placed on the disabled list. … RHP Preston Guilmet was designated for assignment and LHP Tim Mayza was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. Toronto selected Santos and RHP Rhiner Cruz from Triple-A. … RHP Seunghwan Oh was available after missing Tuesday’s game because of flu-like symptoms.

UP NEXT

Mets: RHP Jacob deGrom (5-4) pitches Friday night at home against Tampa Bay. The right-hander leads the majors with a 1.84 ERA but has lost four of his past five starts despite not allowing more than three earned runs in any of them. Tampa Bay is expected to open with right-handed reliever Ryne Stanek (1-2, 1.98).

Blue Jays: RHP Sam Gaviglio (2-2, 3.97) goes Friday night in the opener of a three-game series against the Yankees. Gaviglio is 0-2 with a 4.78 ERA in six outings since winning his first start for Toronto. RHP Sonny Gray (5-6, 5.44) starts for New York.



Once Jose Berrios escaped a jam in the first inning, the rest of the day belonged to the ace right-hander.

Berrios struck out a career-best 12 in seven innings, helping the Minnesota Twins beat Bartolo Colon and the Texas Rangers 2-0 on Sunday.

Shin-Soo Choo jumped on Berrios’ first-pitch fastball for a leadoff double, but Berrios settled down before the Rangers could grab an early lead.

”Yeah, he surprised me,” Berrios said through an interpreter. ”I threw a fastball right down the pipe and he obviously connected as you guys know. That kind of gave me a heads up like, `Oh, OK, game on here.”’

Eddie Rosario had two hits for the Twins, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Bobby Wilson and Robbie Grossman each singled in a run.

Berrios (8-5) surrendered just three hits while improving to 3-0 in June. Trevor Hildenberger pitched a perfect eighth and Fernando Rodney finished the three-hitter for his 17th save.

The Rangers had won seven in a row and missed out on a chance for a perfect six-game road trip. Colon (4-5) yielded two runs and seven hits in seven innings.

”I think I pitched a great game, but I have to give credit to Berrios because he also pitched a great game too,” Colon said through an interpreter.

Choo reached base safely for the 37th straight game with the leadoff double. He advanced to third on Adrian Beltre’s two-out single to left, but didn’t try for home with Rosario charging the ball. Berrios then struck out Rougned Odor to end the inning.

No other Texas runner reached second against Berrios. Only four batted balls left the infield, three coming in the first.

”Sometimes you got to tip your hat to a guy that throws the ball extremely well,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. ”We saw him last year, very similar stuff [url=http://www.pittsburghsteelersteamstore.com/customized]Customized Pittsburgh Steelers Jerseys[/url] , electric fastball, very loose arm, hard to pick up the release point off of him mixed with a solid breaking ball and changeup, just kept us off balance.”

Berrios retired 14 of 16 batters at one point and struck out at least two batters in each of the first four innings. Berrios has allowed eight earned runs over his last 34 1/3 innings (2.10 ERA).

”Every time when I warm him up before the game, I have in my head that it’s going to be a special day,” said Wilson, who was behind the plate for the Twins. ”He’s just that electric of a pitcher and has that good of stuff. You just have a good feeling every time you see him on the mound. His pure stuff is elite in the game.”

NO MORE SHENANIGANS

There were no further incidents after an intriguing sequence during Texas’ 9-6 win on Saturday. Jurickson Profar stole second base in the fourth inning with a 9-2 lead. Profar was later hit on the leg by reliever Addison Reed with a pitch that appeared intentional.

The interaction drew a quip from Twins manager Paul Molitor when he was asked before Sunday’s game about the three hit-by-pitches for Profar.

”The first one, our pitcher got his cleat caught in the dirt, the second one was a borderline strike,” Molitor said. ”With the armor these guys wear, they don’t worry about getting out of the way. And the last time, we wanted to give him an opportunity to steal another base.”

MINNESOTA MOVES

Before the game, Minnesota optioned rookie starter Fernando Romero to Triple-A Rochester and recalled right-handed reliever Alan Busenitz. The Twins bullpen had to account for 7 1/3 innings in Saturday’s loss after Jake Odorizzi’s short start.

The Twins will need a fifth starter again on Saturday in Chicago. Romero (3-3, 4.38 ERA) won’t be eligible to return unless a player is put on the disabled list. Molitor said the likely starter on Saturday isn’t on the current 25-man roster.

After the game, Minnesota optioned outfielder Ryan LaMarre to Triple-A and will make a corresponding move before Tuesday’s game in Chicago.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: Joey Gallo was back in the lineup after leaving Saturday’s game with left hamstring tightness. Gallo said the injury has lingered for much of the season but he has played through it. He was at designated hitter on Sunday after playing first base on Saturday.

Twins: Byron Buxton (10-day disabled list, left great toe fracture) went 0 for 2 while playing designated hitter in his fifth rehab game for Triple-A Rochester, which was later suspended due to rain. Buxton is 3 for 16 on his rehab stint and there is no timetable on his return to Minnesota.

UP NEXT

Rangers: LHP Cole Hamels (4-6, 3.41 ERA) starts on Monday as Texas returns home against the San Diego Padres. Hamels has a 2.89 ERA over his past seven starts and has pitched into the seventh inning in five of the appearances. San Diego counters with LHP Joey Lucchesi (3-3, 3.86 ERA).

Twins: After an off day, RHP Lance Lynn (5-5, 4.64 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game series at the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. Lynn owns a 1.73 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 36 1/3 over his last six starts. Chicago will start RHP Reynaldo Lopez (2-5, 3.59 ERA).




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