NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 24: Yoenis Cespedes #52 of the New York Mets rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning during Opening Day at Citi Field on July 24, 2020 in New York City. The 2020 season had been postponed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

The New York Mets, behind Jacob deGrom and Yoenis Cespedes, continue to show why they’re the kings of Opening Day with a 1-0 victory.

Every year the media reminds MLB fans that the New York Mets have the best Opening Day winning percentage in baseball. A stat that fans call meaningless. Yet, every year the Mets continue to show why they are the kings of Opening Day. Despite all the challenges that come with baseball in 2020, some things don’t change.

This was a pitchers duel from the get-go. Jacob deGrom came out firing in the first inning hitting 100 mph with his fastball. He blew players away left and right all game. He only allowed two base runners in five innings of work. The first, a two-out walk to Freddie Freeman in the first inning. The second, a broken-bat single from Ronald Acuna. When all was said and done, deGrom threw 72 pitches in five innings of work with zero earned runs, zero runs, one hit, one walks, and eight strikeouts.

Atlanta Braves pitcher Mike Soroka matched deGrom pitch for pitch. He threw six shutout innings of his own. The Mets scattered four hits against Soroka, two of which were wiped out by double plays. Soroka only managed to strike out three batters but didn’t walk anyone.

Seth Lugo backed up deGrom with two shutout innings of his own. After an uneventful sixth inning, Lugo got in a tight situation in the seventh. A one-out double from Marcell Ozuna followed by a passed ball from Wilson Ramos was the first real threat the Mets faced.

Lugo, as he did many times in 2019, buckled down and escaped the jam. He got Matt Adams to groundout with the infield in, then got Austin Riley to strikeout. It was 0-0 headed to the bottom of the seventh.

With one out, Yoenis Cespedes stepped up to the plate to face Braves’ reliever Chris Martin, this happened:

La Potencia put the Mets in front with a huge home run. After more than two years away from baseball due to injuries Cespedes picked up where he left off.

That’s all the offense the Mets would need. Justin Wilson got through the eighth inning allowing just one hit. It was Edwin Diaz who came in to close things out, he walked Freddie Freeman but struck Ozuna and Adams to deliver the Mets’ first victory of 2020.

Seth Lugo got the win, Chris Martin took the loss, and Edwin Diaz got the save. Mets pitchers combined to throw nine innings, allowed three hits, two walks, and struck out 15 batters.

The Mets and Braves will be back at it Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. Steven Matz will take the hill for the Mets against Max Freid and the Braves.

A contributor here at elitesportsny.com. I'm a former graduate student at Loyola University Chicago here I earned my MA in History. I'm an avid Mets, Jets, Knicks, and Rangers fan. I am also a prodigious prospect nerd and do in-depth statistical analysis.