Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Joey Lucchesi lasted three innings against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday night. The Mets lost 4-3 in extra innings.

Replacing Jacob deGrom‘s spot in the rotation, Lucchesi threw the most pitches he has this season but failed to get through four innings. A feat he hasn’t accomplished since his final start in 2019 on the San Diego Padres. He spent most of 2020 at the Padres alternate site.

Lucchesi’s pitch count should climb throughout the season but he was replaced after 60 pitches, 34 went for strikes.

He lived up to his moniker Joey Fuego in the first. Ian Happ opened the game with a sharp groundout stopped by a marvelous dive and throw from the knees by third baseman Luis Guillorme. Lucchesi settled in to strike out Wilson Contreras and Kris Bryant swinging.

The second followed the same formula. Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo hit a bullet toward Pete Alonso that was picked and flipped to Lucchesi for the first out. He then struck out Javier Baez and Matt Duffy on foul tips.

Lucchesi opened the third inning with a strikeout of David Bote, his fifth.

Trouble began with former Met Jake Marisnick. Marisnick worked a 3-2 count then fouled off four straight sinkers. He walked on the tenth pitch of the at-bat, a churve that landed six inches outside. Lucchesi remained wild and walked pitcher Trevor Williams on four pitches.

They’re his first two walks this season.

The top of the order now up, pitching coach Jeremy Hefner met with him at the mound. Luchessi got Happ to line out to Michael Conforto in right but a poor transfer from glove to hand from Conforto allowed Marisnick to advance to third.

Contreras followed up with an infield single that bounced of Lucchesi and brought in the first run. Bryant doubled and cleared the bases. He went to third on an errant throw. Rizzo grounded out to end the inning.

Lucchesi would’ve likely received the ball for the fourth. The Mets bats knocked in two runs on three hits before recording an out. Lucchesi’s spot was up in the order with two on and two out. Luis Rojas opted for Brandon Nimmo to pinch-hit instead. He was called out on strikes in three pitches.

The Mets would be fine without Lucchesi. Sean Reid-Foley recalled from the alternate site for Trevor Hildenberger, pitched three perfect innings. The righty brought over from Toronto in the Steven Matz trade struck out four, walking none.

Reid-Foley started 26 of the 42 games he appeared in for the Blue Jays. Like Lucchesi, he only threw a handful of innings last season.

Lucchesi has transitioned back into a two-pitch pitcher. The cutter he debuted alongside his sinker and churve in 2019 has rarely appeared. He threw it just twice on Thursday.

Lucchesi deviated from his historic pitch usage and increased his sinker usage to 70% and lowered the churve to 27%. The lone hit allowed on the churve this season was the single to Contreras. It’s resulted in four strikeouts and only one hard-hit ball.

The Mets have off days on Monday and Thursday next week. New York might opt for a four-man rotation and leave Luchessi out until the next turn. If deGrom pitches on Wednesday, April 28 versus Boston, Lucchesi wouldn’t start again until the series at St. Louis starting May 3.