Jacob deGrom strikes out 14 as Mets beat Rockies in first game of doubleheader, 4-3
DENVER — The Mets’ favorite day of the week has often included an all-too-familiar nightmare. Instead, Saturday evening’s offensive rally finally gave their ace an unfamiliar win.
Jacob deGrom recorded 14 strikeouts, lowered his season ERA to 0.45, and the Mets offense rallied for a come-from-behind 4-3 win in Game 1 of their doubleheader against the Rockies. The two-time Cy Young award winner has pitched brilliantly across three starts to begin the 2021 season, and on Saturday he collected his first victory of the year to show for it.
Pete Alonso smashed a missile, his second home run of the year, to lead off the fifth inning and cut the deficit to 3-2. In the bottom of the frame, deGrom retired the side and reached 14 strikeouts for his second consecutive start. Three outs away from a loss, James McCann sparked the comeback with a single to left field. McCann was replaced by pinch-runner Albert Almora and clutch bench player Jonathan Villar drove him in on a game-tying RBI single to right. Francisco Lindor drove Villar in on a go-ahead RBI single to put the Mets on top.
Edwin Diaz secured his first save of the year by striking out the side in the seventh. DeGrom and Diaz combined to strike out 17 batters in the series opener against the Rockies.
Typically on days like Saturday, when deGrom dominates the opposing lineup and makes even the most successful of batters look silly at the plate, the Mets defense, offense or bullpen lets their ace down. Such was the case in the fifth inning, when second baseman Jeff McNeil committed a throwing error to allow the leadoff hitter, Josh Fuentes, to reach base. The mistake came back to haunt him when Dom Nunez tripled to drive in Fuentes and tied the game at 1-1. Yonathan Daza gave the Rockies a momentary lead with a sacrifice fly before deGrom gave up a solo shot to Raimel Tapia.
All three runs in the fifth inning were unearned and did not impact deGrom’s otherworldly ERA.
DeGrom, wearing a No. 41 patch on his right sleeve, came one strikeout away from tying The Franchise’s record. He struck out nine consecutive batters from the second inning to the fifth. One more whiff and deGrom would have tied Tom Seaver’s MLB record of 10 straight strikeouts in 1970.
The Mets ace, though, achieved a new career best with his ninth consecutive K. DeGrom became the ninth pitcher in MLB history to strike out at least nine batters in a row. The right-hander’s ability to self-correct was astonishing after a suboptimal start to the evening.
DeGrom was uncomfortable on the mound in the second inning. He gave up a double to Charlie Blackmon, a left-handed hitter who typically struggles against deGrom. Then he walked C.J. Cron and his body language on the hill became somewhat exasperated. After a pitch that Fuentes fouled off, deGrom landed awkwardly and hunched over. He quickly corrected himself, striking out Fuentes and Sam Hilliard on 99- and 100-mph fastballs to end the inning.
