Despite a tough break in tonight’s 9-3 loss against the Yankees, Rick Porcello‘s starting pitching was relatively solid.
Over five innings, Porcello gave up three earned runs, six hits, and had three strikeouts.
The game started with Gleyber Torres hitting an RBI single off of Porcello’s 91 MPH four-seam fastball, which brought in Mike Tauchman in the top of the first.
Porcello then escaped any extra runs with only singles from Miguel Andujar and Tauchman in the second and third innings, respectively.
The right-hander then began the top of the fourth by giving up a double to Giancarlo Stanton, which was followed by a two-run home run from Clint Frazier, with Porcello only retiring Andujar in between.
Overall, with his max speed being in the low 90s – and with some assistance from Tomas Nido‘s defensive catching – Porcello’s first start with the Mets was one of the strongest aspects of tonight’s game.
Porcello’s performance is a crucial piece of whether the Mets are successful or not in the shortened 2020 season.
With Noah Syndergaard currently recovering from his recent Tommy John surgery, the team is confined to the other five starters. Due to this, there is little room for injury or underperformance, especially with the Mets bullpen still struggling to get into a groove.
The shortened season has an added risk of a possible rise in injuries and fatigue and the team needs every player at their best in order to make this season a good one, even with the extenuating circumstances that have been unraveling the past few months.
