rumbo’s homer was his fourth in his last six game

Standing in foul territory Ed Oliver Jersey , Steven Matz stared at the ball he had just mishandled and started to give it an angry kick, then changed his mind and instead just picked it up.

Matz and the New York Mets keep their cool Sunday, barely, overcoming three errors and escaping the NL East cellar after a one-day stay by beating the Miami Marlins 5-2.

The Mets, who endured their worst June ever, won for only the second time in the past 12 games to reach the season’s halfway point at 33-48.

”We’re all disappointed with where we’re at,” Matz said. ”We had higher expectations. We’re just going to keep pushing.”

Matz (4-5) did that in the series finale, when he pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed only an unearned run. It scored on his error, and he worked around misplays by two teammates – an encouraging sign from a pitcher still learning not to let setbacks snowball.

”You still see him get a little flustered out there,” manager Mickey Callaway said. ”But he regroups and makes the next pitch. Today he won the game for us because he did that, because they easily could have tacked on some runs there early. He held them right where he needed to hold them.”

New York’s bullpen leads the majors in losses but limited Miami to one hit in the final 3 2/3 innings. Jeurys Familia completed the four-hitter with a perfect ninth for his 15th save.

Asdrubal Cabrera hit his 14th homer off Dan Straily (3-4). Todd Frazier had two hits and scored three times, and Kevin Plawecki doubled home New York’s first run.

Straily allowed three runs in seven innings, matching his longest outing of the year. Cameron Maybin hit his first homer for the Marlins, but they slipped back into last place in the division.

”We just didn’t do a whole lot with Matz,” manager Don Mattingly said. ”That’s probably the best I’ve seen him.”

Matz loaded the bases with two out in the second by walking Straily, an .056 career hitter, but then struck out Starlin Castro to escape.

Matz also reached behind his legs to snare Lewis Brinson’s grounder and retire him in the fourth. But the left-hander failed to come up with Straily’s safety squeeze bunt with two out in the inning, allowing Miguel Rojas to score from third.

”If I had taken my time I would have had him, but I rushed it Cody Ford Jersey ,” Matz said.

MISCUES

Callaway talked before the game about how the Mets needed to play better defense, but they didn’t. Second baseman Cabrera and third baseman Frazier misplayed grounders for errors.

Miami misplays in the eighth led to the Mets’ final two runs. Center fielder Brinson failed to catch Frazier’s drive after a long sprint, and the play was ruled an RBI double.

”He probably should have caught that,” Mattingly said. ”I know they gave him a hit there, but if you ask him he gets to that ball and catches that pretty much all the time.”

Frazier then came home on a wild pickoff throw by catcher J.T. Realmuto.

UNEXPECTED CONTRIBUTION

Matz was 2 for 26 this year before he hit a two-out single in the fourth for his first RBI of the season.

”I was in a slump,” he said, ”but I’m out of it now.”

NIMMO SLUMP

The Mets’ Brandon Nimmo, hit by a pitch on his right hand a week ago, went 0 for 5 and is in a 1-for-19 slump.

”I’m super late. My bat speed is not there,” he said. ”But my hand feels fine.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: INF Dominic Smith, who had a cortisone shot for his sore right wrist, pinch-hit in the eighth and flied out. … OF Jay Bruce (hip) is expected to begin taking batting practice in the next few days.

UP NEXT

Mets: After an off day, RHP Zack Wheeler (2-6, 4.47) is scheduled to start Tuesday at Toronto.

Marlins: LHP Wei-Yin Chen (2-5, 6.14) is scheduled to start Monday against Tampa Bay to begin a three-game series.

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Wilmer Font worked into the sixth inning to get his first major league win, Willy Adames homered and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 4-0 on Saturday.

Font (1-3) allowed three hits, one walk and struck out four over 5 2/3 innings. Four relievers completed a four-hitter.

Adames had an RBI single during a two-run second and added a solo homer in the seventh off Sonny Gray (5-5).

The Rays have won the first two of a three-game series against the Yankees, who have the best record in the majors.

New York (50-24), coming off a three-game sweep over Seattle Devin Singletary Jersey , is the only team in the big leagues not to have dropped more than two straight games this year. This is the latest the Yankees have gone into a season without losing three in a row since August 1954.

REDS 11, CUBS 2

CINCINNATI (AP) – Anthony DeSclafani hit the first grand slam by a Cincinnati pitcher in 59 years, helping the last-place Reds beat the Chicago Cubs for their sixth consecutive victory.

It was Cincinnati’s third slam in five days and major league-leading seventh of the season, two short of the record set in 2002. The last Reds pitcher to hit a grand slam was Bob Purkey against the Cubs on Aug. 1, 1959. DeSclafani (3-1) also pitched a season-high 6 1/3 innings and allowed three hits, struck out three and walked four.

Tucker Barnhart and Joey Votto also went deep in front of a crowd of 36,818, Cincinnati’s largest since opening day. Votto hit a three-run shot off backup catcher Chris Gimenez in the eighth.

Willson Contreras and Ben Zobrist homered for Chicago, which has lost three straight. Luke Farrell (2-3), a former Red and the son of ex-Red Sox manager and current Reds scout John Farrell, was charged with three runs and two hits in his second career start.

MARINERS 7, RED SOX 2

BOSTON (AP) – Mike Leake pitched eight shutout innings, Mitch Haniger drove in three runs and the Seattle Mariners snapped a season-high five-game losing streak with a victory over the Red Sox.

Nelson Cruz had three hits and scored twice a night after hitting two homers and driving in seven runs for Seattle, which went on its skid after beating Boston two straight at home last weekend. Leake (8-4) gave up three singles, struck out five and walked two six days after he allowed five runs and took the loss against the Red Sox at Safeco Field. Edwin Diaz gave up two runs in the ninth.

Eduardo Rodriguez (9-2) gave up five runs, four earned, in four innings, snapping his personal six-game win streak. The Red Sox were 13-1 in his starts this season.

RANGERS 9, TWINS 6

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Adrian Beltre and Robinson Chirinos homered to help Yovani Gallardo win for the first time since last July as the Texas Rangers beat the Minnesota Twins.

Delino DeShields had two hits and drove in two runs for the Rangers Dawson Knox Jersey , who have won a season-high seven in a row.

Eddie Rosario homered and drove in four runs, while Logan Morrison also homered and Mitch Garver had three hits for the Twins, who have lost three straight.

Gallardo (1-0) entered with a 15.95 ERA and made his second start for Texas after opening the year with Cincinnati. He fell behind 2-0 just five pitches into the game on Rosario’s homer before turning it around and pitching into the sixth. Gallardo gave up four earned runs on six hits. Keone Kela gave up a two-run double to Rosario, but struck out Morrison with the bases loaded to end the game, earning his 18th save.

Twins starter Jake Odorizzi (3-5) retired the side in order in the first inning, but the Rangers knocked him out in a six-run second.

DODGERS 8, METS 3

NEW YORK (AP) – Clayton Kershaw and Jacob deGrom stumbled in an unexpected ace showdown, Matt Kemp hit a pinch grand slam during a five-run eighth and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the slumping Mets.

The Dodgers have won 11 straight against the Mets dating to May 2016, matching their best run in the rivalry. Los Angeles beat New York 11 straight times across 1963 and `64.

Kershaw gave up two runs over three innings in a surprise return from the disabled list. He threw 55 pitches, starting out strong before laboring through his final inning. Left-handed rookie Caleb Ferguson (1-1) replaced him and escaped a couple tight situations over four scoreless innings for his first major league win.

DeGrom (5-3) allowed three earned runs in six innings, including Max Muncy’s 14th home run in the first. He entered the game with a major league-leading 1.51 ERA and hadn’t allowed three earned runs in a game since April 16 against Washington. New York has lost five straight overall and 12 of 13 at home.

ORIOLES 7, BRAVES 5

ATLANTA (AP) – Mark Trumbo hit a first-inning grand slam, Chris Davis doubled in three runs and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Braves.

Dylan Bundy (6-7) allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings while improving to 3-0 in June. One day after allowing four runs and recording only one out, Zach Britton pitched around a one-out walk to Johan Camargo in the ninth to earn his first save.

AL East-leading Atlanta dropped its third consecutive game. Julio Teheran (5-5) allowed a season-high seven runs in 4 2/3 innings.

Trumbo’s homer was his fourth in his last six games. He has seven homers this season after missing April with a right quad strain.

Nick Markakis, who spent his first nine seasons with Baltimore, drove in three runs for Atlanta, including a two-run double off Donnie Hart in the seventh.

CARDINALS 3, BREWERS 2

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Yadier Molina homered twice to back a strong start by Miles Mikolas and lift the St. Louis Cardinals to a victory.

Molina’s two-run homer in the sixth inning off