Stephen Nogosek/Photo by Ed Delany
The Mets sent right-hander Robert Stock to the mound in Cincinnati to face off against the Reds Tuesday night.
Stock gave up a leadoff home run to Jonathan India but followed it up with a groundout by Jesse Winker. Joey Votto got aboard with a walk, and Aristides Aquino singled him over to second. Tyler Naquin struck out, who’s been hot a the plate this year, and the inning ended with a Eugenio Suárez groundout.
Stock left the game with a trainer after throwing a few warmup pitches. He sustained a hamstring injury while he ran to first base on a groundout. RHP Stephen Nogosek came in to make his season debut, and first big league appearance since 2019. Tucker Barnhart grounded out to lead off the bottom of the second, which was followed up by a Kyle Farmer fly out, and a Wade Miley strikeout to end the inning.
After the game bench coach Dave Jauss, who has been the team’s manager while Luis Rojas serves a 2-game suspension, said that they had enough pitching based on their plan depending on how deep Stock went.
India and Winker started off the bottom of the third inning by each striking out. Votto and Aquino then hit home runs on back-to-back pitches to give the Reds a 3-1 lead. Naquin struck out to end the inning. While Nogosek gave up two home runs, he did strike out the side.
Suarez began the bottom of the fourth inning with a single. Followed by a Barnhart flyout. Farmer followed suit with a strikeout, Nogosek’s fifth of the game. Miley ended the inning with a groundout and Nogosek’s night was over after going: 3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, and 5 Ks.
Yennsy Díaz came in to begin the fifth and got India to ground out to start. After a Winker single, Votto grounded out for the second out. Aquino struck out to end the inning.
RHP Geoff Hartlieb relieved Díaz in the sixth and got Naquin to fly out to begin the inning. The struggling Suarez struck out for the second out of the inning. Barnhart got aboard with a two-out single, and Farmer repeated it in the next at-bat. Potential damage was put to rest after Miley went down swinging to end the inning.
Hartlieb returned for his second inning. He walked India to start things out. During the India at-bat, it looked like Hartlieb tweaked something on a pitching delivery, and Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner went out to check on him. He stayed in the game and got Winker to ground out. Aaron Loup came in to relieve Hartlieb with Votto due up. Votto singled. It failed to score India thanks to Brandon Nimmo‘s strong throw. Tyler Stephenson flew out which scored India, but Aquino got caught in a run down and was tagged for the double play to end the inning.
Drew Smith came in for the eighth inning. He gave up a leadoff double to Suarez, who was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple. Shogo Akiyama ended up fouling out to end the inning.
Postgame Dave Jauss said, “we are confident that everyone who has started a game and the openers we have had have given us a chance to win.”
With the lack of a suitable starting rotation for the foreseeable future, the Mets are going to need the bullpen to continue to step up. Nogosek had an impressive outing today, minus two bad pitches. It’s possible that the rotation could be getting Carlos Carrasco who hasn’t pitched all season due to injury and with the trade deadline soon possibly someone via trade.
