Mets rallying for deGrom as he campaigns for Cy Young

The New York Mets look to finally be clicking in the games that matter: the ones Jacob deGrom starts.

Sitting more than 15 games back in the NL East, the only thing the team has to play for is the right-hander's Cy Young campaign, and deGrom has made no secret of his desire to win the award.

"I've said before that I want to win a Cy Young," he said after striking out 12 New York Yankees batters Monday, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. "I think that's what every starting pitcher, or pitcher in general, wants to win as a personal goal. I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about it."

DeGrom pitched 6 2/3 innings Monday, and despite the Mets holding a 7-3 lead in the bottom of the seventh and his pitch count up to 114, the righty's teammates petitioned manager Mickey Callaway to keep their ace in the game.

"They were all going, 'Leave him in, leave him in,'" Callaway said of the Mets' infielders who joined him in his mound visit. "They were all battling for their teammate to stay in the game."

The Mets are finally stepping up for deGrom, scoring 16 runs during his last two starts, which have resulted in him recording back-to-back victories for the first time since March 31 and April 5 - his first two starts of the season.

Between April 5 and Aug. 8, he pitched to a record of 2-7, including 11 starts in which he took a no-decision or loss after allowing two or fewer earned runs over at least six innings.

It isn't lost on some of deGrom's teammates how important these wins could be as he goes toe to toe with Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer for the hardware. Only one starter since 1982 has won either league's Cy Young award with fewer than 15 victories (deGrom's record stands at 7-7).

"It's tough not putting up runs for him," Mets center fielder Michael Conforto said, according to Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post.

"He's basically been an angel with all we've put him through," third baseman Todd Frazier added.

DeGrom will try to make it three wins in a row for the first time this season when he takes on the Phillies in Philadelphia on Saturday.