METS PIECE ONE TOGETHER
Pitching fill-ins get job done against Braves
A duo of Triple-A pitchers, one rookie and one familiar longman reliever, were the latest to step up and help carry the Mets to a series split against Atlanta. The Mets offense, a unit that finally broke out for seven runs and 13 hits, did the rest of the heavy lifting.
Tylor Megill – in his major-league debut – pitched 4.1 innings in the Mets’ 7-3 victory over the Braves on Wednesday night at Citi Field. Megill, the Mets’ 21st-ranked prospect, brought a shutout into the fifth inning before Ender Inciarte tagged him for a two-run home run. But the righthander showed grit and moxie, particularly after he collected strikeouts against Dansby Swanson and Ozzie Albies, in an encouraging outing during a time when the Mets rotation is looking to catch lightning from any pitcher willing to step up.
“It’s definitely a trip right now thinking about where I came from to being where I’m at right now,” said Megill, who was drafted by the Mets in 2018. “Unfortunate as it is, with some of the people going down and people having to step up, I got the opportunity. I wanted to go full force, make a statement and help the team win.”
Corey Oswalt, called up on Wednesday to sustain a depleted bullpen, was the other successful innings eater. Oswalt has shuffled from the minors to the majors since 2018 with mixed results for the Mets. On Wednesday in his season debut, he hurled 2.1 innings and recorded seven big outs, surrendering just one run across a solid relief appearance.
To understand the state of the Amazin’s relief corps, look no further than Oswalt relieving Miguel Castro in the sixth inning with a three-run lead. Jeurys Familia and Robert Gsellman are on the injured list and Trevor May, Aaron Loup and Drew Smith all pitched in Tuesday’s loss. Seth Lugo, though, was nowhere to be found.
Mets manager Luis Rojas said both Lugo and Smith were being saved for emergency situations.
“Guys are leaving their arms out there to get wins and tonight was a perfect example of that,” Rojas said.
Which is why after Oswalt came, surprisingly, Edwin Diaz for a five-out relief appearance. Diaz easily recorded the first two outs in the eighth inning, striking out Pablo Sandoval using a filthy 100-mph fastball. The Mets tacked on another run in the bottom of the frame for a four-run lead and there was Diaz again in the ninth inning to slam the door on the Braves.
Diaz retired the side to complete his five-out save assignment and lower his ERA to 2.73 on the season. Two years after the Mets picked Diaz up in an infamous trade with the Mariners, he has successfully converted 16 of his 17 save opportunities this season.
“I was ready to come in the eighth today because our bullpen was short and a lot of guys were down today,” Diaz said.
The Mets (38-31) can enjoy a necessary off-day – their final before the All-Star break – to rest their taxed arms. On Friday begins a stretch of 18 games in 17 days. The offense, on the other hand, could go without the respite because the lineup has just started to look like itself again.
Michael Conforto returned from the IL and ripped a first-inning double to right field in his first at-bat since May 16. Francisco Lindor launched a two-run home run, his ninth of the year, and Jeff McNeil went 3-for-5 with an RBI. After getting shut out in four of their last eight games and not scoring a run in 17 consecutive innings, the Mets offensive outbreak was a welcome display.
“They’re really good hitters and they’re going to help us a lot,” Lindor said. “I’m glad to have them back. Having Conforto and McNeil is going to be huge for us.”