Opening day has finally arrived!
I don’t think there’s a person on this earth creative enough to script this off-season.
I’m sure you don’t need a recap of the last few months, so let’s get into today’s action, shall we?
The Mets got a scare during Spring Training 2.0, when Jacob deGrom left a simulated start with back tightness. Met fans held their collective breath, but received some good news. It was just precautionary, and our ace was on the mound today to take on the Braves.
You’re not going to believe this, but deGrom didn’t allow a run. Are you sitting down? I have some more shocking news. The Mets didn’t score a run, and deGrom settled for a no-decision.
The Mets wanted to limit deGrom to 80 pitches, but he made the most of them. Over five innings of work, Jake was brilliant. He walked a batter, allowed a broken bat hit and stuck out 8. He extended his league leading consecutive scoreless streak (which goes back to last season) to 28!
The game stayed scoreless until the seventh inning. The Mets had no answer for Atlanta pitcher, Mike Soroka. JD Davis did have a home run robbed by Ender Inciarte, and Jeff McNeil hit the ball hard every time up, however.
The Braves went to Chris Martin out of the bullpen in the seventh, and Yoenis Céspedes greeted him rudely.
In his first regular season game since 2018, Céspedes went deep, giving the Mets a 1-0 lead. Wow! I gotta tell ya, that felt amazing!
How did we get to the seventh inning, though? Seth Lugo, that’s how! Lugo gave the Mets two innings of terrific relief, allowing just one man to reach base and striking out 3.
Does Lugo get enough credit? He was easily one of the best relief pitchers in baseball last year. Oh well. Mets fans know that he’s money.
Justin Wilson contributed a scoreless eighth inning, striking out Ronald Acuña Jr. to end the frame.
GAME NOTE: In the eighth inning, Andrés Giménez made his major league debut today, replacing Robinson Canó at second base. He made a fine play reacting nicely to a ball to his left.
At this point, all the cardboard cutout fans in attendence were looking towards the ninth inning. Although they remained stoic, they knew Edwin Díaz was coming.
Díaz made quick work of Ozzie Albies, inducing a ground ball to second to start the ninth.
Freddie Freeman drew a walk, after destroying a 3-0 pitch foul. Díaz sliced up Marcell Ozuna, catching him looking on three pitches.
Who was the last hope for the Braves?
Matt Adams. Of course. Why wouldn’t the guy who the Mets released last week come up in this spot?
Well, no worries! Díaz stuck out Adams, and that was the ballgame!
Céspedes and Diaz. Arguably the two biggest question marks on the roster delivered today.
Jacob deGrom. I mean, what else can you say at this point? The best pitcher in baseball plays in Queens.
The Mets have now won 39 of their last 51 Opening Day games. This was the tenth time they’ve shut out an opponent on Opening Day.
Baseball is back!
FUN FACT: Yoenis Céspedes is the first National League DH to hit a home run.
The Mets became the first team since at least 1901 to strike out at least 15 hitters and allow zero runs on Opening Day.
— New York Mets Stats (@NYMStats) July 24, 2020
Featured Image Photo Credit: Getty Images