Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY
The New York Mets, fresh off an energized Subway Series victory against the New York Yankees, sent Rich Hill to the mound as they opened a three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Hill came into the game following two quality starts in September in which he held the Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins to eight hits, two walks and one run across 12 innings of work.
The Mets were in need of similar production out of the 41-year-old Hill as they were facing off against a rejuvenated 40-year-old Adam Wainwright, who entered the game 15-7 with a 2.98 ERA and 1.025 WHIP in 184 1/3 innings.
While Wainwright was able to put together another one of his stellar 2021 starts, Hill was not quite able to keep pace.
In the first inning Hill struck out leadoff batter Tommy Edman on four pitches to start things off. He proceeded to get Paul Goldschmidt to line out on his signature curveball, which registered at 72.8 MPH.
Hill then lost an 11-pitch battle to Tyler O’Neill, whom he walked. He ended the inning two pitches later by getting Nolan Arenado to fly out to left field.
Hill entered into immediate trouble in the second inning. Yadier Molina smacked a double to left field on the first pitch Hill threw. Dylan Carson followed suit as he hit a double to left field to give the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead.
Hill was able to settle down against the lower part of the order as he retired his next three batters faced on a couple of groundouts to third base and a popup to shortstop.
The third inning started similarly to the second for Hill. Edman sent the second pitch he saw into left field for a double, and came home a batter later as Goldschmidt singled into center on the first pitch he saw.
Hill rebounded by getting O’Neill to fly out and Arenado to strike out. He gave up his fifth hit of the night as Molina hit a ground ball single to right field, but then he closed the inning out by inducing a pop out to first base.
The fourth inning began with a three-pitch strikeout of Edmundo Sosa by Hill. Harrison Bader made him work a little harder as he drew a six-pitch walk. Hill got his second out of the inning through Wainwright’s successful sacrifice bunt. However, Bader did not come around to score as Edman hit a sharp lineout to Francisco Lindor at short.
In the fifth inning, Hill failed to retire the leadoff batter as Goldschimdt took his 68.6 MPH slider deep to left center for the first home run of the game. It was the sixth home run Hill allowed since he was traded to the Mets in late July.
Just like the second and third innings, Hill did not let the early inning struggles get out of hand. He bounced back by striking out O’Neill, getting Arenado to line out and getting Molina to pop out.
Hill’s night was done after his five innings. He struck out four Cardinals on 83 pitches during his five innings of three-run ball. He allowed two walks, two singles, three doubles and a home run.
Hill’s overall body of work was not bad, but his early struggles in the second, third and fifth innings gave the Cardinals more than enough runs to work with as Mets hitters were shutout by Wainwright and the St. Louis bullpen.
