Duke baseball: Marcus Stroman let down by Mets after gusty effort

Former Duke baseball ace Marcus Stroman was let down by the New York Mets. 

It has not been a fun month of baseball if you are a fan of the New York Mets (59-60), but the former leaders of the National League East turned to former Duke baseball ace Marcus Stroman (8-12) to get the team back on track against the San Francisco Giants (78-42) on Tuesday night in the Bay Area.

Stroman was touched up for two home runs in his outing, a 2-run shot by Tommy La Stella in the first inning and a solo bomb by Evan Longoria in the seventh inning.

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The former Blue Devil threw a season-high 114 pitches over seven innings as he scattered five hits with three runs, two walks, and nine strikeouts.

New York failed to score until the eighth inning when Pete Alonso brought the club within one run of the Giants with a 2-run homer, but the Mets could not tie the game in the ninth inning, dropping to below .500 for the first time since early May.

Duke baseball ace trying to turn into newfound ace for New York Mets

Marcus Stroman has always been a front line starting pitcher in his Major League Baseball career. But with the slew of injuries the Mets have, most notably to CY Young winner Jacob deGrom, the former Blue Devil is trying to fill those large shoes.

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Stroman is 8-12 this season with a 2.84 ERA, but the Mets have seen what was once a five game lead in the division turn into a four and a half game deficit in a matter of six weeks.

Things will not get easier for the Mets, losers of five straight games, as their stretch against the Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers continues tomorrow afternoon with the series finale at Oracle Park at 3:45pm EST.