NEW YORK — Mets ace Jacob deGrom could not assist however contemplate his long run on Saturday night time. With unfastened company looming and the San Diego Padres taking Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series, deGrom mentioned he went into his get started in Game 2 realizing that if he did not pitch neatly, it might be the remaining time he pitched at Citi Field as a Met.
“That went into my mind, but the hope was that we would win a baseball game and continue to keep playing,” deGrom mentioned.
He got here thru, going six innings and permitting 5 hits and two runs on two walks with 8 strikeouts in a 7-3 Mets victory. The win assured that deGrom would have no less than another day to place on a Mets uniform, on Sunday night time when the Padres and Mets will play Game 3.
DeGrom set the tone early, beginning off the sport throwing 12 pitches over 99 mph and 7 over 100 mph. He retired the highest of Padres’ lineup so as, placing out slugger Juan Soto and Manny Machado swinging. Throughout the night, deGrom essentially trusted his fastball — which crowned 100 mph on 19 of his 99 pitches — and slider, throwing his curveball simply two times and his changeup six instances. Sixty of his pitches have been moves.
The Padres scored two runs off deGrom, the primary approaching a house run from Trent Grisham, his 2d in as many nights.
“I gotta tip my hat to Trent, that homer, I felt like that was a good pitch, and he just got to it,” deGrom mentioned.
The 2d run got here after deGrom walked Grisham to guide off the 5th inning, as Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar hit a game-tying RBI unmarried down the right-field line. DeGrom threw 5 consecutive sliders in Profar’s six-pitch at-bat.
“That’s the one I wish I would’ve went fastball,” deGrom mentioned at the Profar at-bat. “Felt like I had a good feel for it; I just threw too many in a row to him, and he kept one fair.”
DeGrom mentioned he hit a groove in his remaining inning at the mound.
“Slider used to be excellent and fastball, if truth be told to [Padres first baseman Brandon] Drury, I threw one down and away the place I sought after,” deGrom mentioned. “Early on, they were just a little bit off and not quite the height I wanted them. I felt like I made an adjustment there, and the sixth inning, I felt the best.”
After deGrom exited, Mets supervisor Buck Showalter made an odd selection to usher in nearer Edwin Diaz within the 7th inning. With Grisham hitting two homers towards the Mets all through the primary two video games of the sequence, Showalter sought after to problem the Padres outfielder with the group’s hardest reliever earlier than the highest of the San Diego lineup got here up in a 3-2 recreation.
Against Diaz, Grisham grounded out earlier than Padres catcher Austin Nola singled up the center. Diaz then were given Profar and Soto to floor out to finish the 7th inning.
Diaz returned for the 8th inning. After getting Machado to floor out, he walked Josh Bell and struck out Jake Cronenworth. Showalter then got here to the mound to interchange Diaz with reliever Adam Ottavino, who struck out Drury to finish the inning.
Showalter mentioned he had no purpose to have Diaz pitch 3 innings and end the sport.
(*3*) Showalter mentioned of Diaz. “There were things that would have changed that; if he had two eight-pitch innings, I would think about it.”
Diaz requested to stay within the contest to complete off Drury, however Showalter mentioned he wanted him to be to be had for Game 3 on Sunday.
“I was feeling great. I thought I could get Drury out, but he told me that he needed me tomorrow and this was enough for today,” Diaz mentioned. “So, I said let’s win the game tomorrow.”