Well, it had to happen eventually. Christian Scott got deGrom’d.
After taking game one of the split doubleheader Wednesday afternoon, the Mets sent their 27-year-old right-hander to the mound, marking him responsible for bringing a sweep of the division rivals home to a crowd of fans looking for something to celebrate. While the Mets offense couldn’t manage more than two hits versus Chris Sale and the Braves, Scott did give them something to cheer for.
Scott pitched six innings, his deepest outing of the season so far, allowing five hits and walking one, striking out seven. He matched the southpaw for the Braves for five of those innings, allowing just two hits before taking the mound in the sixth.
During that sixth frame, he began to lose steam, surrendering two hits to start the inning and a one-out single, giving the Braves the lead in what would end up being the first and only run of the game.
He settled down, though, and was able to retire two more batters in the inning via the flyout before taking a seat on the bench, a job well done.
“I felt like my cutter was playing really good today, righty’s as well, just being able to have multiple options to go to when I need them,” Scott said postgame.
The outing lowers his season ERA to 2.99, with a 1.29 WHIP. He also threw 69 of his 98 pitches for strikes, a great sign for a pitcher struggling with the amount of free passes he’s allowing.
“Pretty dominant, only one walk,” said Mets Manager Andy Green postgame. “[He] went toe-to-toe with one of the best in the league today.”
In fact, Scott joined elite company on Wednesday, becoming one of just six pitchers in MLB history to allow four runs or less in their first 24 starts, according to Michael Mayer. He’s among elite company, as Paul Skenes, Cam Schlittler, and Shane McClanahan all reside on that list with him.
With the trade deadline looming and many players set to be shipped elsewhere, Mets fans can be excited about their young pitching, with potentially more talent to come.
