Jun 12, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman (0) throws a pitch during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Marcus Stroman is pitching like a true All-Star for the New York Mets right now and he was dominant on the mound once again on Saturday night.

While Jacob deGrom receives the majority of the plaudits for the Mets’ damn impressive pitching so far this season – and rightfully so – but Stroman has been playing at the peak of his powers all year long and he also deserves a plethora of praise for his team boasting the second-lowest collective ERA in MLB in 2021.

And Stroman was locked in against the San Diego Padres on Saturday evening as the Mets won 4-1 for their third straight to improve to 32-24 on the year, while maintaining a four-game lead over the Phillies at the top of the NL East.

With 25 thousand fans back at Citi Field as the city and the country continues to reopen, both Stroman and the Mets produced another statement win over strong opposition and it was yet another reminder that these are indeed different times in Flushing.

Stroman allowed six hits and one walk while racking up eight strikeouts in just over six innings of one-run ball, improving to 6-4 with a 2.32 ERA in 14 starts this season.

Those are All-Star numbers and the 30-year-old certainly pitched like one on the mound on Saturday, with a home run to Fernando Tatis Jr. the only real blot on his copybook.

Other than that, Stroman, who was also impressive in his last outing against the Padres last Sunday, started off strong at Citi Field and he never looked back, allowing only one runner to reach second base over his first six innings.

Tommy Pham did hit a leadoff single but Stroman responded in kind by producing a double play against Trent Grisham and then retiring Manny Machado to escape the first inning without any further damage.

After the red-hot Francisco Lindor hit a two-run homer, Stroman struck out two in the second, three in the third and fourth and he forced another double play to end the fourth inning in style.

Two more batters were struck out by Stroman in the fifth and he managed to escape the sixth unscathed, despite the fact that Pham singled with one out before stealing second.

Lindor then scored again to give the Mets a 3-0 lead and it was just as well considering that Tatis Jr. homered off Stroman at the top of the seventh, who was then replaced by Aaron Loup and the bullpen was able to get the job done thanks to dominance from Seth Lugo in the eighth and Edwin Diaz in the ninth.

It was yet more brilliance from Stroman on the mound and he was keen to focus on the overall team effort in the wake of the game, complete with a WWE Championship belt over his shoulder.

“Did y’all expect that?” Stroman said. “We knew what we were capable of, to be honest, from the very start.

“Between staff, between players we have a great combination of guys. There’s so much flow of information happening. We’re sharing ideas, we’re sharing how each other pitches and prepares, so there’s so much information being shared between one another, I just feel like it creates a winning atmosphere.”

One player who did want to focus on Stroman’s stellar outing, however, was Lindor, who had his own productive evening with a two-run homer, and he lavished praise on his teammate.

“Man, Stro is an unbelievable pitcher,” Lindor said.

“He keeps us (infielders) on our toes. To do that twice to them (the Padres) this year, especially in a short period of time, it says a lot about him, so hats off to him.”

The New York Mets will now look to clinch a series sweep against the Padres later today (1.10 p.m. ET), while Stroman will get ready for his next start as he looks to continue his quest to become a bona fide All-Star this season.