New year, same frustrating Mets. I joked on Twitter last night that it’s not really spring until the Mets squander a gem from two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom. Needless to say, spring has sprung.
DeGrom, who many would argue is the best pitcher on the planet and has been for several years running, took the mound for his third consecutive Opening Day start Monday night at Citizens Bank Park in Philly, where he has never lost (3-0, 2.59 ERA in nine career starts). It went exactly as you’d expect with deGrom cruising through six scoreless frames, scattering three hits (two singles and a double) and two walks over 77 breathtaking pitches. The 32-year-old ace looked to have plenty more in the tank, but second-year manager Luis Rojas chose to play it safe, saving a few deGrom bullets for later in the year by calling on his bullpen in the seventh inning.
And as they’ve done time and again, the hapless Mets let it all fall to pieces, wasting deGrom’s brilliance en route to another demoralizing loss.
This has been an all too frequent occurrence throughout deGrom’s New York tenure with the Mets falling to a maddening 36-41 in games the right-hander has started since 2018. These stats will make any Mets fan want to walk into the ocean.
Not only did deGrom, who, I might add, has NEVER allowed a run on Opening Day (all zeros in 17 career innings), dominate the Phillies with his arm, but he also contributed two hits including an RBI single in the fourth inning. It’s the smallest sample size possible and rust certainly looked to be a factor Monday night with New York beginning its season four days later than anticipated (Washington’s COVID outbreak prevented them from playing this past weekend). But how do the Mets, a team with legitimate World Series aspirations, continue to hang their best player out to dry?
We’ll see if that narrative continues when deGrom makes his home debut against the Marlins Saturday at Citi Field.
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