MIAMI -- Every five days, the sample size is growing. Jacob deGrom's National League Rookie of the Year Award candidacy is becoming real now. And the Mets are all too happy to take advantage. DeGrom's six innings of one-run ball Wednesday night led the Mets to a 4-3 win over the Marlins, which his batterymate, Travis d'Arnaud, helped deliver with a go-ahead RBI double in the eighth. 
From the start, deGrom showcased everything that made him a legitimate NL Rookie of the Year candidate in the first place. Striking out six over his first five innings, deGrom allowed his only run on Casey McGehee's RBI infield single in the third. The righty gave up six hits and walked two in his six frames.Perhaps most impressively, deGrom handled white-hot Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton better than rotation-mates Zack Wheeler and Jon Niese did earlier this series. In three at-bats against deGrom, the NL MVP candidate singled, hit into a double play and struck out.Outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis gave the Mets their first lead with a two-run homer off New York native Tom Koehler in the fourth inning. But after deGrom left the game, Christian Yelich stuck him with a no-decision by tying things on an RBI single off rookie Dario Alvarez, on the second pitch of Alvarez's big league career.The Mets rallied an inning later, reclaiming the lead on d'Arnaud's double and plating an insurance run when Dilson Herrera beat out a potential double-play ball. But the rally stalled after that, with the Mets' short bullpen forcing reliever Carlos Torres to hit with the bases loaded and two outs. That proved significant in the bottom of the eighth, when Stanton's leadoff homer sliced the Mets' margin in half.Anthony DiComo / MLB.com
From the start, deGrom showcased everything that made him a legitimate NL Rookie of the Year candidate in the first place. Striking out six over his first five innings, deGrom allowed his only run on Casey McGehee's RBI infield single in the third. The righty gave up six hits and walked two in his six frames.Perhaps most impressively, deGrom handled white-hot Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton better than rotation-mates Zack Wheeler and Jon Niese did earlier this series. In three at-bats against deGrom, the NL MVP candidate singled, hit into a double play and struck out.Outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis gave the Mets their first lead with a two-run homer off New York native Tom Koehler in the fourth inning. But after deGrom left the game, Christian Yelich stuck him with a no-decision by tying things on an RBI single off rookie Dario Alvarez, on the second pitch of Alvarez's big league career.The Mets rallied an inning later, reclaiming the lead on d'Arnaud's double and plating an insurance run when Dilson Herrera beat out a potential double-play ball. But the rally stalled after that, with the Mets' short bullpen forcing reliever Carlos Torres to hit with the bases loaded and two outs. That proved significant in the bottom of the eighth, when Stanton's leadoff homer sliced the Mets' margin in half.Anthony DiComo / MLB.com
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