WHEELIN’ & DEALIN’
Zack wins seventh in last 8 starts, Rosario homers as Mets topple Nats
If the Mets are still harboring any hopes, however misguided or not, about making a playoff run next season with this same framework of a team, they at least got a glimpse of what happens when that plan works on Saturday afternoon.
Zack Wheeler, who is making Mets brass appear brilliant for holding onto him at the trade deadline, went seven scoreless innings, and a young hitter in Amed Rosario, whom the Mets believe can be a cornerstone of their future at shortstop, went deep in a 3-0 victory over the Nationals.
They shut out their onetime NL East rivals for the second straight day.
Wheeler’s rejuvenation has been one of the few silver linings to come out of yet another dismal season, and a welcome sight for a club whose success goes handin-hand with the success of its young arms. The righty is now 7-0 in his last eight starts, allowing more than two runs only one time in that torrid stretch.
What’s most promising, though, is that Wheeler is finally becoming a pitcher the Mets can rely on to keep them in the game every time he takes the mound, giving them three frontline starters to build around. This is, of course, the company line the Mets have been spouting for years since a 2015 run to the World Series, but manager Mickey Callaway maintains that this time it’s for real.
“I hope this is who he is. I think he can be this,” Callaway said. “We feel like when (Jacob) deGrom’s on the mound, (Noah) Syndergaard’s on the mound, he’s in that category where you wake up in the morning and go, ‘Yea, we got Wheeler today. It’s gonna be a good game.’”
Against a Nationals lineup that has pop but has played well below expectations this season, Wheeler allowed six hits over seven scoreless and struck out four. He continued his dominance over Washington’s most dangerous hitter, Bryce Harper, who went 0for-3 and grounded into a double play with one out and runners on first and second in the fifth inning with the game still tied at zero.
In the seventh inning, Wheeler faced runners on first and second again with Trea Turner at the plate. Pitching coach Dave Eiland went to the phone in the dugout and Wheeler, knowing it was his last batter of the night, bore down to get Turner to chase on a pitch out of the zone for strike two and then the Nationals shortstop grounded out weakly to second base to end another threat.
Wheeler, for his part, isn’t satisfied yet. He acknowledged the newfound consistency, but said he thinks he can reach another level.
“I feel like I’m to the point where it’s every start, but I need to keep going, keep working and keep pushing myself because I know there’s room to get better,” Wheeler said. “I know there’s another step ahead to go out there and just dominate rather than just go out there and do well, you could say.”
Rosario homered in the bottom of the sixth to give the Mets the only run they needed, as the bullpen combined for two scoreless innings. In his last 15 games, Rosario was hitting .292 with 12 RBI and three home runs, and if his offense can gain some consistency it’s possible the shortstop could turn into the player the Mets believed he could be as a prospect coming up in their farm system.
“We’re now giving him one to two games of a week, and I think that’s helped,” Callaway said of Rosario’s renewed focus at the plate and energy level. “He comes to play hard every day. I love his enthusiasm.”
Another young player in Jeff McNeil continued to impress at the plate as well with his ability to fight off pitches and put up good atbats. He went 2-for-4 to bring his batting average to .337 since being called up.
Todd Frazier also homered in the seventh, his 15th of the season to give the Mets some insurance.