Another game, another Jacob deGrom start with a no-decision for the hurler, even though the New York Mets‘ best pitcher only allowed an earned run and struck out 14 batters. It happened on Wednesday night against the Miami Marlins, and the bullpen blew another lead only to be rescued by the offense a few moments later.
The Mets were up 4-1 after seven innings, but deGrom left, and Justin Wilson and Edwin Diaz surrendered the lead. They ended up winning 5-4, thanks to Wilson Ramos’ RBI single in the bottom of the eighth, and Brad Brach, who was able to get the last four outs of the ballgame.
“We trust our guys,†Mets manager Luis Rojas said to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. “We know their ability to get outs, to get strikeouts, throw in stress situations, tension situations. It’s something they’ve done in the past and they’re going to be able to do.â€
Diaz had to go out with left leg cramps, but it doesn’t seem like he’s going to be out for long. “He wanted to keep going,†Rojas said. “He wanted to stay in there. … Thank God it’s not a major issue. It’s nothing of major concern right now.â€
The Mets’ ace bad luck with wins continues
It is not a secret that Jacob deGrom is among the unluckiest pitchers when it comes to wins. By now, we know that the Win stat isn’t particularly useful to determine a pitcher’s level or even future performance, but it is frustrating that the New York Mets’ ace has endured 14 outings in the last three seasons in which he has pitched a minimum of seven innings with one or zero runs allowed, and not won the game.
No major league pitcher has more than seven such games over that span, according to DiComo.
To make matters worse, Seth Lugo, who is probably the Mets’ best reliever at this point, is starting games because the rotation is severely depleted.
“We definitely liked him in the bullpen to be the multi-inning guy, to close games when we needed him to,†Rojas said of Lugo. “But right now, that’s just not the case. He’s in our rotation, and we like our guys. And we feel that we have so much depth, and we have guys that can definitely help us close games.â€
The Mets have until August 31 to make a splash prior to the trade deadline. Will they get a reliever? Should they go after a top starter and return Lugo to the bullpen?