Dillon Gee delivered his best effort of the season on Sunday, tossing eight shutout innings against the Miami Marlins to help the Mets take the series two games to one.
Gee, who celebrates his 28th birthday today, struck out five and confounded the Marlins with his signature changeup and a slider that’s become a great out pitch for him.
“It was one of those good days,” Gee said. “I just try to go out there each time it’s my turn and do the best I can and get as deep as I can, and give us a chance to win. As long as we win at the end of the day, I’m a happy guy.”
Despite having thrown 110 pitches, Gee wanted to pitch the ninth, but was told no by manager Terry Collins.
Opponents are now hitting .193 against Gee this season. He has an 0.86 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in his last three starts, in which he’s allowed only two extra-base hits.
“He got us to where we wanted to get to,” Collins said, “That was pretty much the end.”
Gee’s remarkable stretch that began last season when he struck out 12 Yankees on May 30, has him among the game’s elite. The Mets righty has a 2.75 ERA over his last 28 starts, topped only by Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Yu Darvish, Julio Teheran, Max Scherzer and Adam Wainwright. among pitchers with 20 or more starts in that span.
For the season, Gee’s ERA stands at a pristine 2.88 with a 1.043 WHIP. Better yet, over his last three starts he’s 2-1 with a 0.86 ERA.
It might be time to start talking about an extension with Gee, who has become the most reliable starter in the Mets rotation and one of the top arms in the NL.
