Jacob deGrom was back to pumping 102 mph in the zone, baffling hitters with his vicious slider, and using pinpoint control to allow no walks in five innings of work.
But the Mets ace admitted he was feeling a little more nerves than normal in what was his first start in the majors in more than a year.
"I felt good," deGrom said. "Definitely had some nerves early on, but it's been a year since I've been out there, a year plus, so definitely exciting to be back out there.
"How long it's been since I pitched in a major league baseball game, there were definitely more nerves than normal."
DeGrom threw 59 pitches, 46 for strikes, in his return from the IL, and heard plenty of cheers in Washington.
"That was nice," deGrom said. "It's been a long time. To be back out there, it's definitely rewarding. To be on the road and have Mets fans give me support me like that was a really cool thing."
DeGrom allowed just one run and the bullpen faltered in a 5-1 defeat, but most importantly, the team welcomed back the best pitcher on the planet, all went well, and he expects to pitch again after regular rest.
"Just prepare as normal," deGrom said. "Felt really good, so go through my in-between routine and stick with the plan, run out there every fifth day."
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