"That was fun" - New York Mets manager elated as multiple-time All-Star duo take to the mound in the same game, start of something big for 2022 Mets?
With Opening Day inching closer and closer, New York Mets manager Buck Showalter tinkered with his pitching rotation during yesterday’s Spring Training game against the St. Louis Cardinals. It was a fruitful outing for the team as they beat the Cardinals 7-3.
Former two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob DeGrom started and allowed an earned run on four hits with five strikeouts over three innings. Then, in an interesting twist, deputized fellow (three-time) Cy Young Award winner and recent acquisition Max Scherzer to relieve him. The latter allowed two earned runs on three hits with seven punchouts and a walk over six innings.
Showalter, the New York Mets' skipper wasn’t allowed to hold discussions with Max Scherzer, who, coincidentally, is also a member of the Major League Baseball Player Association’s executive subcommittee. He did, however, hear reports that Mad Max had a couple of innings in workouts with other Major Leaguers during the lockout.
Meanwhile, DeGrom, who is returning from inflammation in his pitching elbow that cut his 2021 season short, is taking the normal steps to prepare for the new season.
Another notable event in the game was Jacob DeGrom hurling three curveballs in succession, a pitch that he seldom uses. He completed the feat against Alec Burleson in the second inning and the last of the three pitches was converted by the Cardinals batter into a single.
Jacob deGrom gives up a hit on a Curveball...and then is like "That's why I don't throw Curveballs" 😂 https://t.co/U8R5Al3YnT
“The first couple were good and then I was just seeing if I could bounce one and I wasn’t able to. See if it would work as a strikeout pitch. I think if I had thrown it like the first two it would have been better, but just left it up a little bit, so just something I am working on and who knows, it could be something I use during the year.” -DeGrom said, per @ Rob Friedman
According to Showalter, Max Scherzer volunteered to relieve DeGrom in the middle of an inning—the manager found it entertaining.
Will DeGrom-Scherzer 1-2 punch be the cog that leads New York Mets to win the National League East pennant?
Looking to bounce back from an underwhelming 2021 campaign, the New York Mets certainly loaded up on the batting side of things as they signed versatile infielder Eduardo Escobar, former Oakland A's outfielder Mark Canha, and the controversial Starling Marte to help All-Star Pete Alonso in the batting order.
However, the biggest leap that the Brooklyn-based squad took was on the pitching side of things as they signed Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, starter Chris Bassitt, and reliever Adam Ottavino to complement reliable reliever Edwin Diaz and the aforementioned DeGrom.
.@Max_Scherzer out of the 'pen following deGrom is just unfair. https://t.co/SIPpf4Lvzw
"@Max_Scherzer out of the 'pen following DeGrom is just unfair." - @ MLB
With experienced manager Buck Showalter manning the helm for the New York Mets, the upcoming season is something to look forward to in the Big Apple.