COMPLETE REVERSAL
deGROM BOUNCES BACK, GOES DISTANCE
Jacob deGrom felt like he got his teeth kicked in over his last two starts. He responded by laying his own haymakers Monday night.
And even when it was clear the fight was over, the Mets’ right-hander refused to allow anyone else to complete the job.
“I walked in [the dugout after the eighth inning] and I said I want to finish the game,” deGrom said. “That’s when I knew I was going back out.”
DeGrom went the distance for the second time in his career — it was also the first complete game for a Mets pitcher this season — stymieing the defending worldchampion Cubs, 6-1, at Citi Field to extend the Mets’ winning streak to four games. He capped the 116pitch performance by striking out Willson Contreras with a 97-mph fastball.
“He mixed his pitches tonight, and that’s the guy we know that’s in there,” manager Terry Collins said. “I’m not saying it happened, but he sat and watched the last two nights, watched [Seth Lugo and Steven Matz] use their off-speed stuff, throw strikes, move the ball around. He might’ve said, ‘I could do that too’, and he did it.”
After giving up an alarming 15 earned runs over eight innings in his previous two starts, deGrom relied less on his fastball and more on his off-speed stuff, particularly his changeup. He credited the work he put in between starts with pitching coach Dan Warthen for the pitch’s improvement. He made a concerted effort to keep his left shoulder closed, so the pitch wouldn’t sail and instead have more biting action.
“I think Dan said I was throwing it 4 percent [this year]. Years past, it was 20 percent,” deGrom said. “Big difference for me.”
He kept the powerful Cubs off balance, limiting them to five hits, and 13 ground-ball outs. He struck out six and walked four, one of which was intentional. When he got in trouble, deGrom really went to work, inducing four double-play balls. As a result, he lowered his ERA nearly a half of a run, from 4.75 to 4.33.
“I was able to locate pretty much whenever I wanted,” he said.
DeGrom’s stellar outing continued a resurgent run by Mets starting pitchers. Over their last six games, every starter has allowed one run or less. And the Mets, not coincidentally, have won five of those games. Degrom took it a step further than the others, however, by recording the final three outs himself.
“I want to finish every game,” he said. “I’ve said that before, and I had a chance to.”