ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Manuel Margot, Willy Adames and Brandon Lowe homered off Marcus Stroman, leading the Tampa Bay Rays over the New York Mets 7-1 on Sunday for a three-game sweep.
Two-run homers by Margot in the fourth and by Adames in the fifth built a 4-0 lead, and Lowe led off the sixth with his seventh home run this season.
Ji-Man Choi had three hits, including an eighth-inning RBI double, in his first game after recovering from arthroscopic right knee surgery.
Josh Fleming (3-3) allowed up one hit in five scoreless innings, an infield single by Jeff McNeil leading off the game.
Diego Castillo, Ryan Thompson, Collin McHugh and Cody Reed finished a two-hitter.
Patrick Mazeika, who replaced McNeil, homered off Diego Castillo in the sixth for his major league hit, in his sixth big league at-bat.
Stroman (3-4) dropped to 0-4 in his last five starts. He allowed five runs and six hits in six innings as his ERA rose from 2.01 to 2.72.
ADVERTISEMENTThe three homers off Stroman matched the total he gave up in his first seven starts.
Mets right fielder Michael Conforto left in the middle of the first inning after grounding into a double play and McNeil came out for a pinch hitter in the third inning. The Mets said Conforto had a right right hamstring and McNeil had a tight left hamstring.
Tampa Bay has won four in a row, one shy of its season high.
New York was swept after arriving with a seven-game winning streak.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mets: RHP Jacob deGrom (right side tightness) hopes to throw a bullpen session Tuesday before the Mets determine when he can return to the rotation. ... OF Brandon Nimmo (left index finger bone bruise) will travel with the team to Atlanta but will not play until he can swing pain-free.
Rays: RHP Chris Archer, who has not pitched since April 10 due to right forearm tightness, has resumed throwing. No rehab plan is in place yet, but manager Kevin Cash said Archer is likely to need rehab starts at Triple-A Durham.
UP NEXT
Mets: Taijuan Walker (3-1, 2.20) will face the Braves’ Max Fried (1-1, 6.55) in the opener of a three-game series in Atlanta on Monday night.
Rays: A six-game trip opens Tuesday night at Baltimore.
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