ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Robert Stock pitched shutout ball into the sixth inning for his first major league win in seven years, Mark Vientos homered in his return from the injured list and the New York Mets beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 on Monday night.
Francisco Alvarez had an RBI single and left fielder Christopher Morel made two pivotal defensive plays as the last-place Mets stopped Tampa Bay’s four-game winning streak. New York, which snapped an eight-game skid at Tropicana Field, had lost six in a row and 11 of 13 to the Rays overall.
Liam Hicks and Chandler Simpson each had an RBI single with two outs in the eighth to pull the Rays to 3-2.
Kodai Senga worked a scoreless ninth for his fifth save.
Tampa Bay has the best record in the American League at 82-55 and began the day with a 4 1/2-game lead in the AL East over the New York Yankees.