Jacob deGrom furthered his NL Cy Young case while young jeff McNeil dazzled in the New York Mets 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
The late-season version of the no good horrible 2018 New York Mets have turned out much more entertaining than anybody could have imagined and on Saturday, their best player and most exciting youngster stepped up in a major way.
In a 3-1 Metsies win, Jacob deGrom picked up his eighth win of the season thanks to a complete-game one-run performance that saw him only relent seven hits while striking out nine batters.
It was his first complete game of the season while dropping his NL-leading ERA to 1.71. Oh yeah, he also collected strikeout No. 200 on the season.
That's 2⃣0⃣0⃣ strikeouts for @JdeGrom19 this season! pic.twitter.com/G81U4Pioas
— New York Mets (@Mets) August 18, 2018
Amazingly, deGrom’s fabulous outing came on the heels of a 41-minute rain delay. Mets pitching coach Dave Eiland put a 45-minute cap on the delay in which deGron would be scratched.
“I didn’t want to get close to that 45 minutes,” the Mets ace said, via AP.
“I definitely wanted it badly,” deGrom said. “I said, `I’m going out there.’ And he was fine with it.”
Young Jeff McNeil helped his ace pick up that eighth win of the season by not only finishing 2-for-4 from the plate, but coming up with a beauty of a defensive gem in the bottom of the fifth.
The type of play that makes you go "wow."@JeffMcNeil805 makes it look easy again! pic.twitter.com/rOwt3wHn99
— New York Mets (@Mets) August 18, 2018
The top of the seventh showcased McNeil’s RBI triple to put the Mets up 2-0 and then Devin Mesoraco’s 10th home run of the season, stretching the lead to three.
If it's fair it's gone, and we don't see the foul pole. pic.twitter.com/o3FRlRQpME
— New York Mets (@Mets) August 18, 2018
Elsewhere in the lineup, Todd Frazier collected two hits.
This unique five-game set in Philly is now tied at two games apiece. The rubber game comes your way on Sunday night with first pitch slated for 7 p.m. ET as ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball game of the week.
“I want to put up zeroes.” –@JdeGrom19.
Mission accomplished. #MetsWin pic.twitter.com/QoTO0WU3Wr
— New York Mets (@Mets) August 18, 2018
