Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Joey Lucchesi made his first start back in San Diego on Friday night after the January three-team trade that sent him  from the Padres to the Mets. Lucchesi pitched for the Padres from 2018-2020 and led the team in many pitching categories such as wins and strikeouts over the first two years. Coming off of impressive outings against the Marlins and Rockies, Lucchesi looked to continue his run of success in his first start against his former team.

The Padres did not do too much damage in the first inning, but they made Lucchesi work to get through the inning. Tommy Pham led off the inning for the Padres with a fly out to Mason Williams in center field. Manny Machado followed by working another full count before sending a home run to the second deck in left field to put the Padres ahead. Lucchesi bounced back by getting a ground out to second from Jake Cronenworth on a 3-2 pitch. The inning finished with Fernando Tatis Jr. striking out looking on a 3-2 fastball. Lucchesi only allowed the one solo home run in the inning, but needed 24 pitches to finish the first.

In the second, Lucchesi settled down. Eric Hosmer struck out chasing the churve to begin the inning. Wil Myers and Jurickson Profar both flew out to left fielder Kevin Pillar. After throwing 24 pitches in the first inning, Lucchesi needed only six pitches in the second inning.

Lucchesi made quick work of the bottom of the Padres’ order in the third inning. He retired rookie catcher Webster Rivas on a ground out to Jose Peraza at second base. Opposing pitcher Blake Snell followed with a strike out before Pham flew out to right fielder Billy McKinney to retire the side in order for the second consecutive inning.

The heart of the Padres’ order was due up in the fourth with Machado, Cronenworth and Tatis Jr. coming to the plate in the inning. Machado kicked off the inning with a fly out to left field before Cronenworth doubled to right field to end Lucchesi’s streak of consecutive hitters retired at nine. Tatis Jr. hit a ball right back to Lucchesi, who was able to tag Cronenworth out himself in a rundown between second and third. A fielder’s choice from Hosmer closed out another scoreless inning.

Myers opened the fifth inning with a well-placed bunt single that Lucchesi had no play on when he got the ball. After a fly out to right field from Profar, Rivas singled up the middle to put runners on the corners with one out. Snell bunted to advance Rivas to second before Lucchesi was lifted for Jacob Barnes. Barnes retired Pham to strand the two runners.

Lucchesi pitch 4 1/3 innings allowing only one run on four hits and no walks while striking out three.

Lucchesi’s first season in New York has not gotten off to the best start, but he has pitched three of his best games as a Met in his past three outings. He has allowed just two earned runs on six hits over 12 1/3 innings. The three outings were also his three longest outings of the season, with the 4 1/3 innings pitched in San Diego being a season high for the 2019 Padres’ innings pitched leader.

“I’ve been working really hard in between my starts,” Lucchesi said. “My numbers were really bad, and it’s hard to ignore that. I just tell myself to focus on this game.”

Lucchesi has worked exclusively as an opener or a long reliever to this point in 2021. Facing his former team for the first time and pitching in the park he called home for three years, he made his best case that he is capable of taking on a larger role by having his best outing of the season against the best team he has faced to date. With uncertainty around the returns of Noah Syndergaard and Carlos Carrasco, Lucchesi stepping up and continuing the his recent run of successful outings would be a huge bonus for a team that has seen plenty of players step up and produce when their roles were magnified.

“Each good outing makes me feel that much better,” he said. “It makes me feel good and builds my confidence.”