Megill Strikes Out Seven, Shows Off Improved Curve

Tylor Megill took the mound for the Mets on Sunday afternoon against the Arizona Diamondbacks in his fourth start of the season. He was lights out and was credited with his third win in the Mets’ 6-2 win in Arizona.

Megill threw 6.2 innings and gave up just two earned runs on five hits, one home run, and one walk. He struck out seven throughout 92 pitches thrown (65 for strikes). He has a 2.35 ERA so far this season.

Megill started his outing off strong as he retired the Diamondbacks in order and struck out two in the bottom of the first. He followed suit in the second inning, striking out two and retiring the Diamondbacks again in order.

The third inning was the first inning where Megill got into trouble. After retiring eight in a row (including the first two batters in the third), he walked Jose Herrera with two outs (this was the only batter Megill walked in his outing). He then gave up a single to Daulton Varsho to put runners on first and second with two outs. Finally, with two-on and two-out, Megill got the out he needed, a strikeout of Sergio Alcantara to end the inning unscathed.

Megill retired the first batter he faced in the fourth before giving up his only mistake of the day. Christian Walker hit a solo home run to left-center field to tie the game.

However, Megill avoided any further damage in the inning, grounding out Seth Beer and flying out Jake McCarthy to end the frame.

Megill settled back in in the fifth inning. He recorded his sixth strikeout with an inning-opening strikeout of Geraldo Perdomo. Nick Ahmed then hit a one-out double, but Megill retired the next two he faced to end the inning.

Megill had another successful inning in the sixth, retiring the Diamondbacks in order and collecting his seventh strikeout.

Megill struggled in the seventh, his last inning of work. He opened the inning with two quick outs before giving up a two-out double to Perdomo. Ahmed followed Perdomo with a single to left field that scored Perdomo to bring the score to 4-2, decreasing the Mets’ lead to just two runs.

That was all for Megill as Buck Showalter went to his bullpen. Seth Lugo replaced Megill on the mound in the seventh and got the final out to end Megill’s pitching line with just two earned runs given up. MMO’s Alex Horowitz recently highlighted Lugo’s early-season struggles, but on this night, he came up with a huge out.

Those two runs were the only runs the Diamondbacks would score as the Mets bullpen went into lockdown mode and closed it out to solidify the Mets’ MLB-leading 12th win of the season.

J.D. Davis, who hit his first home run of the regular season, spoke on Megill’s outing and strong start this season. “A lot of people underestimated him,” said Davis.

“We’re all impressed. It’s pretty scary to watch him, especially when Jake comes back. To have our full rotation with him in there it’s gonna be scary. I’m happy for him and happy with what he’s done so far.”

Megill has, at times this season, had slow starts. But on Sunday, he retired the first eight batters in a row. When asked if he did anything different or felt different, Megill said he did what he always does.

“Things don’t change. Mentality doesn’t change. Just going out there and just fill up the zone, that’s about it.”

He did “fill up the zone” on Sunday. Of his 92 pitches thrown, 65 (70 percent) were in the strike zone.

Megill said everything was working well on Sunday, he was throwing strikes, and he was particularly impressed with his curve.

Coming into Sunday’s game, Megill had only thrown his curveball five times in his previous starts combined. On Sunday, he threw it five times in 6.2 innings.

“I’ve been working on it. Trying to obviously get it game ready, which is why I threw it today. I threw probably three or four good ones.”

“Being able to have a pitch that starts top of the zone to get them off my fastball up in the zone and secondary reads, allowed my fastball to play a little better,” said Megill.

In speaking about going deeper into Sunday’s game and gradually being able to work deeper into the game, “That is the goal, to be able to go the distance save the arms (in the bullpen). ”

He said he would have liked to get through the seventh but was happy with the length he could provide for the Mets on Sunday.