After getting his last turn in the rotation skipped, Jacob deGrom rebounded with an excellent outing against the Reds. He fired six innings of one run ball while striking out nine to earn his 14th win of the season.
It was a huge comeback for deGrom, who had been struggling with a 6.41 ERA over his previous five starts. Terry Collins and the Mets’ coaching staff believed all he needed was some time off and it looks like they were right.
“I thought skipping him was the right thing to do, and I think today showed it worked out on our behalf,” Collins said. “As much as you want to run your best pitchers out there on a consistent basis in September, I just thought he needed a break. You guys were seeing that he was not pitching like we were accustomed to seeing him pitch. So I think the rest helped him.”
“It was a relief. Even in the first inning you could see he was back. He was down in the zone. The ball had some life. It was the guy we certainly know.”. (Adam Rubin, ESPN NY)
It’s terrific to see deGrom return to from, especially with the playoffs drawing near. He will likely be the Mets’ game one starter and should also pitch in game five if needed.
It will be a well deserved honor for deGrom, who has been the team’s best starter all season. He is 14-8 this year with an outstanding 2.60 ERA in 187 innings. He is also just two strikeouts away from 200, which will be another great accomplishment for the Mets’ All-Star.
How exciting will it be to see him faceoff against Clayton Kershaw in the first game of the NLDS? It’s going to be an incredible matchup to watch, and it will hopefully be the start of a memorable October for the team and their fans.
