The Mets got both sparkling and disastrous performances from their pitchers in Friday night’s game against the Nationals.
On the positive end, Brooks Raley, Jórge Lopez, Junior Santos, and Phil Beckford gave up no run and just a combined two hits in the Mets’ 7-3 loss to the Nationals. Raley struck out six, Santos struck out one, and Phil Bickford fanned two to keep the Mets competitive.
Raley, especially, continued to look impressive this spring. In three games, he has five strikeouts and has given up no earned runs. López has also thrown well this spring. In six innings pitched he has given up just two earned runs on four hits and struck out three.
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
Santos and Bickford also had promising outings in Friday night’s game. In his second game this spring, Santos pitched two innings and struck out three. Meanwhile, Bickford came in to close the game for the Mets, recording one strikeout in a scoreless inning.
However, earlier in the game, Shintaro Fujinami and Adrian Houser struggled in the Mets’ Friday night loss to the Nationals.
Fujinami gave up three earned runs against the Nationals, allowing three hits, and three walks in a less-than-par outing. It wasn’t the first time Fujinami has struggled this spring. In four games played, he is 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA in 2.2 innings pitched with three strikeouts and a 2.63 WHIP.
Houser, who looked strong through the first four innings of his day on Friday, couldn’t escape the fifth inning. He allowed three earned runs, knocking him out of the game with the Mets down 4-2. Houser is expected to be a reliable piece in the Mets rotation in 2024, but has a 5.25 ERA in 12 innings this spring.
While Friday had mixed results in the box score, it’s important to take the positives. López, Bickford, and Raley shined on Friday, and could potentially fortify the Mets bullpen in the 2024 season. The Mets will look to get more positive results in Saturday’s game against the Astros.
