New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom stabilized the Mets after the fiasco from Sunday. He put together another excellent start to end the five-game losing streak and avoid a sweep to the Atlanta Braves. Unfortunately, the Mets suffered multiple injuries on the day.
.@JdeGrom19 brought the ? tonight. #LGM pic.twitter.com/jtvtqz3Rcq
— New York Mets (@Mets) August 4, 2020
deGrom looked unhittable throughout the first four innings of his start. Two runs in the fifth inning were all he allowed in his six innings of work and struck out ten on the night. Former Met Travis d’Arnaud got the Mets back once again when his home run tallied the first Braves run. He followed in the footsteps of Wilmer Flores, who did the same as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2019.
Run Support?
It is a rare game where deGrom received enough run support to pitch comfortably. The offense broke out of their slump with runners in scoring position, going 5-for-13 on the night in those situations. Wilson Ramos had a breakout night with two hits, including his first home run, and three runs batted in.
Michael Conforto and Robinson Cano remained hot for the Mets as well. Conforto moved up to the two spot in the lineup and recorded three hits, including a double. His average sits at a pretty .325 on the season. Cano recorded three RBIs and hits during both of his at-bats before leaving with a leg injury.
Injuries Galore
The Mets infield is in shambles as three-quarters of the infield suffered an injury, and the other quarter is in the midst of a major slump. Cano injured is groin attempting to score from second on a groundball that squeaked past Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson. It was clear the second Cano had to run hard and slide that some injury would occur just base on his injuries in 2019.
Amed Rosario left the game with left quad tightness in the third inning. It is unclear when the injury occurred, but it pained him enough that he could not run down the first baseline on his ground out. At least the Mets have Andres Gimenez as a reliable replacement should the injury linger.
Jeff McNeil was scratched right before the game due to back tightness he suffered during batting practice. It did not seem major enough to keep him out multiple games, but his back was not in good enough shape to get through the game.
Welcome to the Bullpen
Jared Hughes showed why he was an underrated signing for the Mets. He pitched two innings, allowing only two walks and striking out three to end the game. Hughes’s sinker/slider combo is an excellent addition to the Mets bullpen, which lacked depth behind their top horses.
The Mets try to take advantage of a Washington Nationals team who has not played since July 30th. They begin a short two-game series at Nationals Park on Tuesday, with Steven Matz facing a Nationals starter to be announced. The first pitch from the national capital is at 7:05 p.m.