Matz thrown off by own
ST. LOUIS — Steven Matz’s shortest outing of the season is raising questions. The lefthander could not get out of the fourth inning Wednesday and according to Mets manager Mickey Callaway, he essentially let his throwing error unravel into another bad outing. “I think you just see two different pitchers. I thought the first two innings was the best I have ever seen him throw in person,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. “Give up one little throw to first unraveled things and he couldn’t get it back. We’ll continue to work and put him in positions to try and combat that.”
Callaway would not clarify if that position was as a starter. “Everybody makes their start until we tell them they are not,” Callaway said when pressed on Matz’s situation.
It seems likely Matz will get his next start, but after Callaway warned Wednesday that “we’re not handing out starts,” he will need to figure this out quickly.
The Long Island lefty allowed seven runs, three earned on five hits over 3.1 innings pitched Wednesday. He walked two and struck out three. In five starts, he has a 4.98 ERA and has managed to get through just 21.2 innings pitched.
Matz got through the first two innings without allowing a base runner. In the third, a one-out single by Kolten Wong and then Matz’s wide throw on what should have been a sacrifice bunt appeared to be the turning point, according to Callaway.
“I think it’s a mentality of letting go what just happened, continuing to know you are in a good spot in the game, because you pitched two really good innings,” Callaway said. “Just because you threw the ball away to first doesn’t mean that things are going bad. If you let it, it will.”