Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

There were high expectations for Francisco Lindor after he was acquired by the New York Mets during the 2020-21 offseason, and in the 2022 season, those expectations were met.

Lindor came over to the Mets along with Carlos Carrasco in a trade that sent Amed Rosario, Andrés Giménez, Josh Wolf, and Isaiah Greene to Cleveland. Before the start of the 2021 regular season, the Mets were able to sign Lindor to a 10-year, $341 million contract extension to keep the four-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger in Queens for the foreseeable future.

The cost to bring Lindor to New York and keep him there was not cheap, and therefore the expectations for the shortstop were high. So, when he finished the season batting .230/.322/.412 with 73 runs scored, 20 home runs, 63 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases in 524 at bats, fans were less than impressed. While he still played solid defense and his overall 2021 season production was still worth 3.0 bWAR and 4.2 fWAR, the fact of the matter was that he put together one of his worst seasons during the first year with the Mets.

As the calendar flipped to 2022, all eyes were on Lindor in his sophomore year with the Mets. Would he continue his struggles from 2021, or would he bounce back to the player the Mets thought they were getting when they went all-in on him prior to last season? The answer to that question is the latter.

Lindor finished the 2022 regular season batting .270/.339/.449 with 98 runs scored, 26 home runs, a career-high 107 RBIs (most ever by a Mets shortstop), and 16 stolen bases in 630 at bats. He played in all but one game the entire season and provided the Mets with 5.4 bWAR and 6.8 fWAR.

“He’s been a rock,” said Buck Showalter regarding Lindor. “You look at teams that have had good years. They have one thing in common. People have to post up. People that play shortstop and play first base and drive in a 100-plus runs. You can’t drive in 100 runs if you’re not able to be the type of player he is.”

Lindor’s 2022 season was among the best-ever by a Mets shortstop. The best season by a Mets shortstop came in 2006 when Jose Reyes hit .300/.354/.487 with 122 runs scored, 17 triples, 19 home runs, 81 RBIs, and 64 stolen bases in 647 at bats. Reyes posted a 5.9 bWAR and 5.7 fWAR in 2006 which puts Lindor’s 2022 season in conversation as potentially being the best ever for a Mets shortstop.

Lindor has nine years ahead of him in New York, and after a rocky first season, he has given the Mets fans much to cheer about in his second season.

Francisco Lindor comes off to an ovation from the Citi Field crowd in the 8th inning

Jeff McNeil has come on as a defensive replacement pic.twitter.com/1ZoYWcW8fH

— SNY (@SNYtv) October 6, 2022

Although Lindor’s 2022 regular season ended nicely on Wednesday with an ovation from the Citi Field faithful, he looks forward to the opportunity to really make 2022 a special year during the playoffs.

“I’ve always said I’ve played the game for my family, for the fans, the people around me,” said Lindor. “I gave them something to cheer on, but now this is the best time of the year. I want to give them a lot for them to cheer.”

The post Francisco Lindor Completes Fantastic Bounce Back Season in 2022 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Eduardo Escobar provided the New York Mets with all five of their runs in their 5-4 walk-off victory against the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night at Citi Field.

“For him to come through for us late in the season, it’s huge,” said Taijuan Walker. “I knew he could do this all along and he’s doing it at the right time for us.”

After a couple two-pitch pop-outs in his first two-at-bats, Escobar began producing for the Mets.

With the Mets down 4-0 in the seventh inning and with Jeff McNeil at first base, Escobar homered on an 88.1 MPH changeup to make it a 4-2 ballgame. Escobar sent the ball 403 feet to left field with an exit velocity of 105.6 MPH.

In the next inning, the Mets were able to load the bases with one out. After McNeil popped out on the first pitch he saw, it was up to Escobar. He once again played hero as he hit a groundball single to right field to tie the game at 4-4.

In the 10th inning, Escobar came to bat with runners at first and second and one out. On the third pitch of the at-bat, he grounded the ball the other way into left field for a walk-off single.

THE EDUARDO ESCOBAR GAME!!! #TheseMets pic.twitter.com/GmHIHfntt3

— New York Mets (@Mets) September 29, 2022

Things did not always come this easy for the 33-year-old. On June 22, after the Mets fell 5-3 to the Houston Astros in a game that Escobar went 1-for-4 in, he vowed to the fans that he would one day give them reasons to cheer for him.

“The one thing I want to say is I understand the frustrations of the fans,” Escobar said on June 22. “I’m a professional baseball player so I’m trying to do the best that I possibly can. One day, I’m going to give them the reasons to cheer for me.”

Escobar picked things up since then, especially in the month of September where he has been scorching hot, batting .330/.379/.638 with eight home runs and 24 RBIs in 94 at-bats. Escobar’s 24 RBIs trail only his teammate Pete Alonso for most by an MLB player this month.

Despite his fantastic play as of recent, Buck Showalter does not attribute Escobar’s success to anything being done differently.

“You know what, the answer’s probably nothing other than he just never gave in,” said Buck Showalter on what he felt Escobar has done differently to result in the success he’s been having.

Escobar shared the same sentiment as Showalter.

“Like I’ve been saying, nothing’s really changed right now,” said Escobar. “The things came out the way they should have been because of all the work that I’ve been putting in, but the most important thing is that the team’s been able to win games.”

One thing that Escobar has benefited from in the month of September is a higher batting average on balls in play. After putting together a BABIP of .241 in June, .226 in July, and .214 in August, Escobar went into Wednesday’s game with a .333 BABIP in September. So while he may not be doing anything too differently, the balls that he’s putting in play are finding holes.

Following his walk-off hit, Escobar gave an energetic on-field interview with SNY’s Steve Gelbs in which he looked ahead to the Mets’ biggest series of the season against the Atlanta Braves.

“Let’s go and play 100 percent every day,” said Escobar. “I will make these people happy.”

The post Eduardo Escobar Carries Mets’ Offense in Walk-Off Performance appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Tylor Megill was one of the lone bright spots in the New York Mets’ 6-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday afternoon.

After six innings of one-run ball from starter Taijuan Walker, he, David Peterson, and Drew Smith all combined to give up five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to put the game out of reach for the Mets.

Megill came on in the eighth and used 11 pitches to induce a couple of groundouts and a pop out to put together a 1-2-3 inning.

Megill’s clean inning comes in only his second appearance back since being placed on the injured list for a shoulder strain on June 17. It was an improvement from his first appearance against the Brewers on Monday. At that time, Megill took the mound during the seventh inning in the midst of a perfect game, and he promptly gave up a double and later a two-run home run.

During the month of April, Megill was the Mets’ best starter behind Max Scherzer as he went 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 28 innings. However, after combining for the second no-hitter in Mets history on April 29, Megill struggled in his starts and also struggled to stay on the mound.

Megill gave up 11 runs in 6 2/3 innings (14.85 ERA) in two May starts before being placed on the injured list with right biceps inflammation. After coming back in June, he only made two more starts in which he gave up six runs in 6 2/3 innings (8.10 ERA) before going on the injured list again with the aforementioned shoulder strain.

Megill is new to the bullpen role at the major league level as it is also just his second relief appearance in his brief 28-game career with the Mets. He has shown flashes of great pitching at times during these last couple season and the Mets will hope to receive some of that production in this new role as they battle for the division with the Atlanta Braves during the stretch run of the season.

The post Megill Throws Clean Inning in Second Appearance Off Injured List appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Trevor Williams has been valuable to the New York Mets all season long and showcased that value yet again in Wednesday’s 6-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

David Peterson started the game for the Mets and got shellacked in only 1/3 of an inning. He gave up three walks in a row to start off the game. Following a strikeout of Patrick Wisdom, Peterson allowed back-to-back RBI doubles to give the Cubs a 4-0 lead.

“I just didn’t throw enough strikes,” said Peterson. “It comes down to that. Got behind in counts. Got deep into counts. Didn’t throw enough balls over the plate.”

After only 29 pitches (12 thrown for strikes) and one out to show for it, Buck Showalter opted to take Peterson out of the game in favor of Williams.

“Obviously I put us in a big hole,” said Peterson. “It’s unfair to ask those guys to try and dig us out of that. The bullpen did a great job.”

Similar to Peterson, Williams did not fare so well to get things started, but unlike Peterson, he was able to settle in a lot sooner. Williams gave up back-to-back hits to allow another two runs to score, before striking out a pair to finally close the book on the inning.

Williams went on to retire 11 of his next 14 batters faced before he was replaced by Tommy Hunter. Overall, Williams pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed four hits, one earned run, and one walk.

He also struck out a season-high eight batters, with six of the strikeouts coming consecutively. The eight strikeouts matched a career high and put Williams alongside Tug McGraw and Ray Sadecki as the only Mets relievers to strike out eight in a single game.

Williams’ performance helped take the pressure off the rest of the bullpen and allowed Showalter to limit the other relievers’ workload to 1 1/3 innings or less. That worked out well as Hunter, Trevor May, Alex Claudio, and Mychal Givens combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings to keep the Mets in the game.

“We did a great job out of the pen,” said Showalter. “Trevor was great. Tommy, all of those guys, gave us a chance to get back in it.”

Williams has a 2.95 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 79 1/3 innings pitched this season. He has especially excelled this year as a reliever as he has pitched to the tune of a 1.77 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 40 2/3 innings pitched.

The post Trevor Williams Saves Bullpen After Peterson’s Implosion appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

New York Mets entered Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates in need of some superb performances by key players, and that is exactly what they received from Chris Bassitt and Jacob deGrom.

The Mets have had a rough few days. The team’s loss to the Pirates on Tuesday allowed the Atlanta Braves to tie them for first place in the National League East for the first time this season. Furthermore, a few hours prior to gametime on Wednesday, the Mets placed Max Scherzer on the injured list for what he expects to be a minimum stay.

Bassitt was unfazed by the last few days and went about his job no differently than how he usually does. He held the Pirates to one run, one walk, and five hits across seven innings. He also struck out 10 batters, which was the second time he has reached double-digit strikeouts this season.

Chris Bassitt, 9th and 10th Ks. pic.twitter.com/k1hiHsGIlT

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 7, 2022

“If Max is 100 percent healthy, I still want to do what I did today,” said Bassitt when asked whether he put added pressure on himself in response to recent events surrounding the Mets. “I’m trying to go nine innings everytime I go out there.”

Bassitt has been a source of consistency for the Mets this season. His outing on Wednesday marked his 17th quality start of the season and his 21st start of six or more innings pitched, both career highs. The Mets have also won each of the last eight games that Bassitt has started for them.

Not to be outshined, deGrom took the mound for the second game of the doubleheader and had a fantastic start of his own.

DeGrom started off on the wrong foot as he gave up back-to-back singles to begin his outing. However, he followed that up by retiring the next 12 batters he faced. Overall deGrom pitched a dominant seven innings in which he racked up eight strikeouts and limited the Pirates to three hits and one walk.

“As soon as he got his feet on the ground after the first inning, he was Jake,” said Buck Showalter.

Jacob deGrom, 3 Pitch K Overlay.

All Painted Glove Side Fastballs (98mph, 99mph and 100mph).

The Glove Side Fastball 🐐 pic.twitter.com/7n1gCqHkZr

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 7, 2022

DeGrom has shown no rust in 2022 despite not pitching for over a year before making his first start of the season on August 2. In his seven starts this season he has gone 5-1 with a 1.66 ERA, 0.550 WHIP, and 63 strikeouts in 43 1/3 innings.

One thing deGrom did differently against the Pirates was utilize his changeup at a much higher rate. In his first six starts, deGrom threw 486 pitches, with only 27 of them being changeups (5.6%). Against the Pirates, deGrom threw 91 pitches, with 14 of them being changeups (15.4%). With deGrom already finding great success in his first few starts this season despite using his changeup at a much lower rate than previous years, there still may be room for improvement going forward.

“I threw a lot of changeups,” said deGrom. “I haven’t had a great feel for it in my previous starts. Been working on it in between and I felt like my changeup was really good. I think I ended up throwing like 14 of them. That was a huge plus for me and definitely going to be a huge plus moving forward.”

Bassitt and deGrom provided exactly what the doctor ordered for the Mets at a critical time. Their combined 14 innings of one-run ball helped propel the Mets back into sole possession of first place in the National League East for the time being.

The post Bassitt, DeGrom Deliver Superb Performances in Doubleheader Sweep appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Aug 17, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty (22) celebrates after a home run in his first career at-bat against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets called up their No. 2 prospect Brett Baty on Wednesday and he had an immediate impact with the club in his MLB debut.

With a runner on second base in the second inning, No. 22 took Atlanta Braves’ starter Jake Odorizzi deep on the second pitch he saw. Baty drove a 72 MPH curveball 377 feet into right field to give the Mets a 4-0 lead.

BRETT BATY HAS HOMERED IN HIS FIRST MAJOR LEAGUE AT-BAT!!!!! pic.twitter.com/EPwfc0BDzK

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 17, 2022

“I was just up there looking for a pitch to drive and had some fun with it,” said Baty. “That’s a great way to start the career for sure.”

Baty cemented his name in the Mets’ record books by homering in his first career at-bat. He became the fifth Met to do so, joining the likes of Benny Ayala (1974), Mike Fitzgerald (1983), Kazuo Matsui (2004), and Mike Jacobs (2005).

“It’s awesome,” said Max Scherzer on Baty’s home run. “He’s happier than anything to get a chance to be here in the big leagues and to go out there and hit a homer. That’s just great.”

Baty took full advantage of an opportunity that presented itself due to a combination of others’ injuries at the major league level and his superb production at the minor league level.

On Monday, the Mets placed Luis Guillorme on the injured list for 4-6 weeks due to a moderate left groin strain. On Wednesday the team placed Eduardo Escobar on the injured list for oblique soreness. While the Mets held off on promoting Baty after Guillorme went down, it would have been difficult to justify similar resistance after Escobar was sidelined, especially with how Baty has played all season.

Baty crushed Double-A pitching for 89 games before recently being promoted to Triple-A. In 95 games across the two minor league levels, Baty hit .315/.410/.533 with 76 runs scored, 19 home runs, 60 RBIs, and a .943 OPS.

“That’s what we need out of this team,” said Scherzer. “Escobar gets hurt, we call up the next guy, and he goes out there and produces. That’s what we’ve been doing this whole season and it’s great to see that Baty gets a chance, and he does it.”

Baty went on to finish the night without a hit in his next three at-bats but was still able to show a little more of his potential.

In the sixth inning, Baty faced left-hander Tyler Matzek. In the first pitch of the at-bat, Baty reached on a fielder’s choice after rocketing the ball to shortstop at an exit velocity of 113 MPH. It was the third-highest exit velocity by a Met this season and third highest by a Met batting lefty against a lefty in the Statcast era.

“Really good two-pitch mix lefty,” Baty said about Matzek. “I was just looking for a heater…and I got a heater over the plate and put a good swing on it.”

Baty has not had many problems hitting lefties in the minors, as he has a .800 OPS in 86 at-bats against them this season.

It is not easy making your major league debut for a first-place team in the midst of a key series against their closest divisional opponent, but Baty rose to the occasion. He did so with the support of 20-25 family and friends in attendance and was even able to stop and bask in the fact that he made it to The Show.

“When I got out to third base I kind of took a look around and I was like, ‘Man, I made it,” said Baty.

The post Brett Baty Makes Instant Impact in Historic MLB Debut appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Credit: Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports

Francisco Lindor has been outstanding of late, and his performance on Wednesday put him in the record books.

The four-time All-Star drove in his 80th and 81st RBIs of the season to tie Jose Reyes‘ franchise record for most RBIs in a single season by a shortstop.

“The team’s been around a long time. When you start saying that that gets your attention,” said Buck Showalter.

As if tying one franchise record wasn’t good enough, Lindor also tied David Wright‘s record for consecutive games with a run scored (13).

While both records were tied by Lindor, such records are difficult to match if not for an offense that gets on base and keeps things moving from at-bat to at-bat. Since the All-Star break, the Mets offense has produced time and time again. In the 19 games during the second half, the Mets lead all of MLB in average (.299), OBP (.370), and OPS (.853). The Mets are also tied for first in hits (196) and are second in runs (107) and RBIs (102).

“We’re playing good ball,” said Lindor. “We’re communicating very well, we help each other out, we support each other, we back each other up no matter what.”

Lindor’s tie of Wright’s record came in the first inning. Lindor walked and scored later in the inning on a Jeff McNeil sacrifice fly.

Lindor’s tie of Reyes’ record came just an inning later. With runners on first and third, Lindor went the opposite way for a base hit that scored both runs. He then came around to score himself on a Daniel Vogelbach RBI single.

.@Lindor12BC goes the other way to drive in a pair! pic.twitter.com/Ac9iGgE9DW

— New York Mets (@Mets) August 10, 2022

Lindor will now potentially have as many as 50 games to break and add to the record. While he may not play in all 50, he has proven to be durable all season long, playing in 111 of the 112 games played.

“The boys are out there grinding, and Buck is out there grinding. I got to grind with them,” said Lindor. “God has given me health, why not go out there and play the game that I love. So, I have no excuse not to play. I’m here to play the game.”

While nothing additional was added to the record books thereafter, Lindor did not stop producing for the team. In the fourth inning he reached base for the third time of the game as he was hit by a 92 MPH sinker.

In the sixth inning, Lindor reached base for his fourth and final time as he lined a base hit into right field. Lindor later came around to score his third run of the game on another Vogelbach RBI hit.

Lindor finished the game by going 2-for-4 with three runs scored, two RBIs, a walk, and a HBP. Overall on the season, Lindor is hitting .270/.349/.464 with 74 runs scored, 20 home runs, 81 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases in 429 at-bats. Lindor also has an .813 OPS, 132 wRC+, and 5.0 fWAR.

“God is good. That’s all I can say,” said Lindor. “Jose Reyes is one of the best shortstops in the organization, so to be next to him is special, but we still got a long way to go. I’m just focused on winning as much games as we can, and the end goal is bigger than tying the franchise record.”

The post Francisco Lindor Ties Mets’ Single-Season RBI Record By A Shortstop appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Daniel Vogelbach has put together some solid games for the New York Mets since being acquired on July 22, with his best game coming against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old went 2-for-5 with a grand slam that gave the Mets a 6-0 lead in the fifth inning. It was both his first home run as a Met and his first RBIs as a Met.

“I’m just trying to keep the same approach as always,” said Vogelbach. “Get something over the plate to hit and hit it hard, and after that, it’s out of my control.”

Vogelbach’s home run came off Nationals righty Jordan Weems, who had just been inserted into the game to replace starter Anibal Sanchez. Vogelbach unloaded on his 97 MPH fastball and sent it 363 feet to right field.

Daniel Vogelbach with a slam via a moon shot to right field. First home run as a Met.

Breaks the game wide open.

6-0 #Mets, top 5.pic.twitter.com/ASP1j2gHAz

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) August 3, 2022

The Mets would go on to score three more runs to make Vogelbach’s home run just seem like icing on the cake at the time. However, after a ninth-inning meltdown by newly-acquired reliever Mychal Givens, Vogelbach’s homer became the difference-maker.

Before coming over to the Mets, Vogelbach batted .228/.338/.430 with 29 runs scored, 12 home runs, 34 RBIs, and a .769 OPS in 237 at-bats with the Pirates. Since the trade, he has hit .308/.471/.500 with three runs scored, one home run, four RBIs, and a .971 OPS in 26 at-bats.

“Night in and night out just trying to have good at-bats and pass the torch because there’s good hitters up and down the lineup all the way through,” said Vogelbach.

While his early success with the Mets has been a very small sample size, the numbers he has produced so far are not as inflated as they may look on the surface.

Vogelbach has historically hit righties at a much better clip than lefties, and this season has been no different. Of Vogelbach’s 237 at-bats with Pittsburgh, 64 of them came against left-handed pitchers which resulted in a .423 OPS. On the flip side, the 173 at-bats he had against right-handed pitchers resulted in a .896 OPS. With Vogelbach bound to see fewer lefties as he platoons with fellow newly-acquired designated hitter Darin Ruf, his numbers on the Mets may end up being more in line with his career .820 OPS against righties rather than his career .747 OPS against all pitchers.

“If you look at their track record and why they were acquired it’s pretty obvious with what we expect,” said Buck Showalter when asked about the potential of a Vogelbach and Ruf platoon the rest of the season. “We looked at a way to upgrade. We think those two guys have a really good track record from both sides of the plate. It presents a real challenge for the other team.”

The post Vogelbach Off to Slamming Start With Mets appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

“Very important win,” Brandon Nimmo said after the New York Mets’ 8-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. “Even though it’s against Cincinnati, they made us fight and scratch and claw for everything we got this whole series. They might not have a great record, but they didn’t play like it when they were playing us, so very important for us to get this win.”

From the beginning of the game to the end, Nimmo provided the Mets with value in different ways. In his first at-bat, Nimmo was plunked with a 100 MPH cutter from Graham Ashcraft to lead off the game. He advanced to third on a Pete Alonso single and later came around to score the game’s first run on a Jeff McNeil RBI single.

Nimmo picked up his first hit of the day in the fourth inning. Ashcraft threw Nimmo a 96 MPH sinker which he sent into right field for a single.

In the ninth inning, Nimmo smacked a single to right field at an exit velocity of 101 MPH to put the tying run on first base. Starling Marte doubled four pitches later and Nimmo hustled to score all the way from first base to tie the game up 3-3.

Nimmo provided a good amount of value to the Mets during the first nine innings but became invaluable to the team in the 10th inning. With the Mets leading 4-3 and Dominic Smith at second, James McCann singled to left field. Smith tried scoring on the play which may have ended in an out had Nimmo (who was on deck) not told him to slide into the front of the plate to avoid the tag.

“My hat’s off to Nimmo because some guys, they don’t get to that position and then the runner ends up running into the out,” said Smith.

The Reds walk Luis Guillorme to get to James McCann. McCann responds with a single that plates another run.

Nice slide by Dominic Smith on the play.

5-3 #Mets, top 10.pic.twitter.com/p9kTf7ntzU

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) July 7, 2022

“I’m just trying to be his eyes,” said Nimmo. “He obviously can’t turn around and look so I’m just trying to be his eyes and let him know that the throw is coming in wide so come in early.”

Three pitches later, Nimmo put the game away with a three-run homer off a 90 MPH changeup that was left in the middle of the zone.

The Mets are pouring it on in the 10th at Great American Ball Park. They’ve needed this in the worst way. James McCann hit an RBI single, and Brandon Nimmo followed with a game-breaking, three-run homer.

Mets 8, Reds 3, top 10. pic.twitter.com/IGYZcWOvcO

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) July 7, 2022

“For [McCann] to come through like that, so so proud of him. Proud of Dom,” said Nimmo. “I don’t even come up to bat if those guys don’t come through.”

The homer marked Nimmo’s second three-run blast of the series. His six RBIs are the most he has collected in any series this season.

Nimmo finished the night by going 3-for-5 with a hit-by-pitch, three runs, and three RBIs. He is now batting .278/.360/.438 with seven home runs, 30 RBIs, and 47 runs in 281 at-bats.

The post Brandon Nimmo Caps Off Mets’ 10th Inning Rally appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mandatory Credit: Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports

Taijuan Walker provided the New York Mets with his longest start of the season before the team fell 2-0 to the Houston Astros on Wednesday afternoon at Citi Field.

The 29-year-old put the team on his shoulders for 7 1/3 shutout innings. He limited the Astros to four hits and two walks, while striking out three along the way.

While Walker was great, Justin Verlander was even better. The two-time Cy Young Award winner matched zeroes with Walker while he was on the mound and went eight scoreless innings in total.

“Our guy matched him for the most part,” said Buck Showalter. “We were in that ballgame because of Tai Walker.”

Walker started his outing off well as he used nine pitches to toss a perfect first inning. He picked up his first strikeout of the day after getting Jeremy Peña to swing on an 84 MPH slider that grazed the outside of the zone.

In the second inning, Walker got his first two batters faced to pop out and ground out, before allowing Yuli Gurriel to line a double to left field. Walker was able to strand Gurriel at second by getting Aledmys Díaz to ground out to third base.

Walker allowed Jason Castro to reach base on a leadoff single to start off the third inning. He allowed contact to his next three batters faced, but all three hit into forceouts at second base to end the inning.

Walker faced the most adversity from his outing during the fourth inning. He walked Yordan Álvarez on seven pitches and allowed a base hit to Alex Bregman to put runners on first and second with no outs. However, Walker was then able to strike out Kyle Tucker and get Gurriel to ground into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.

A nice double play gets Taijuan Walker through the 4th inning 👏

Watch on the SNY app: https://t.co/qQNDHstx1p pic.twitter.com/F37u9aLeym

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 29, 2022

In the fifth inning, Walker received some excellent defensive help from Luis Guillorme to start the inning. Guillorme played the ball on a hop deep behind the third base bag and threw out Diaz at first. Walker followed that up by striking out Castro on an 89 MPH splitter for his third and final strikeout of the day. He then got Jake Meyers to ground out to retire the side in order.

Taijuan Walker, 95mph Fastball and 89mph Splitter, Overlay pic.twitter.com/tUOOzlyPDb

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 29, 2022

Walker continued to roll in the sixth inning. He put together his second-straight perfect frame on only eight pitches.

The seventh inning didn’t come as easily for Walker, but he was still able to keep the Astros off the board. After getting Bregman to ground out to third, he walked Tucker. He bounced back by getting Gurriel to fly out, but then allowed a single off the bat of Diaz. With runners at first and third and two outs, Walker was able to get Castro to ground out on a softly-hit ball to second base.

Walker’s day was supposed to come to an end after the seventh, but the 2021 All-Star did not want things to end there.

“They were gonna take me out, and I said, ‘let me get the last guy and then you can do whatever after that,'” said Walker.

Walker indeed came back out for the eighth and retired Meyers on a ground ball to third after an eight-pitch battle. After getting the first out of the inning, Showalter replaced him with Edwin Díaz.

“We talked to [Walker] between innings,” said Showalter. “He actually brought it up. He could have continued to pitch, but I liked Edwin there. Worked out.”

Walker’s performance against the Astros marked his fourth-straight quality start, and his sixth overall on the season in 13 starts.

Walker was also efficient in the start, needing only 93 pitches to go 7 1/3 innings. Walker has only gone over 100 pitches in one of his 13 starts this year.

Part of Walker’s success so far this season can be attributed to his splitter. He has been utilizing it at a career-high 29.7% of the time and is limiting opponents to a .155 batting average and .186 slugging percentage on the pitch. Furthermore, his splitter has the highest whiff percentage (30.8%), strikeout percentage (29.7%), and put away percentage (21.9%) among all his pitches.

Through the first three months of the season, Walker is now 6-2 and has pitched to the tune of a 2.72 ERA and 3.11 FIP over 72 2/3 innings, while striking out 52.

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