STARTER TO FINISHER
CALLAWAY BACKS deGROM FOR ASG STARTER AFTER NIMMO’S WALK-OFF BLAST
Scherzer, Schmerzer. The All-Star game site, Washington, and the sentimental attachment to Nationals ace Max Scherzer be damned, Mickey Callaway wants his guy on the mound Tuesday night to start the Midsummer Classic for the National League.
Callaway’s guy is named Jacob deGrom, who has been baseball’s best pitcher this season — a fact the right-hander reinforced Wednesday over eight brilliant innings, before Brandon Nimmo delivered walk-off magic in the 10th, with a three-run homer that gave the Mets a 3-0 victory over the Phillies at Citi Field.
“[DeGrom] should be starting the All-Star Game, that is how I feel about it,” the Mets manager said after watching his ace pitch eight shutout innings in which he allowed five hits and one walk, lowering his major league-leading ERA to 1.68. “There is no doubt in my mind. If he’s not [starting], that is the wrong decision.”
It’s expected NL manager Dave Roberts will give the nod to Scherzer, who is scheduled to face the Mets on Thursday when the Nationals open a four-game series in the Citi heading into the All- Star break. Scherzer is no slouch at 11-5 with a 2.33 ERA, but he hasn’t been deGrom this season.
“Of course I would like to start it, but we’ll just see what happens,” said deGrom, whose 1.678 ERA is the second-lowest in team history at the All-Star break, behind only Dwight Gooden’s 1.677 in 1985.
On his 113th and final pitch of the night, deGrom reached back for a 97 mph fastball to strike out Odubel Herrera, bringing a standing ovation from the fans seated behind the first-base dugout as the pitcher walked off the mound.
The eight scoreless innings were a season’s best for deGrom, who had previously shut out the Padres over 7 ¹/3 innings on April 27. He has allowed one earned run or fewer in 12 of his last 14 starts.
“When I am out there throwing I try to think it’s 0-0 the whole time — which it was tonight,” deGrom said.
Though Mets officials have indicated they are open to dealing the 30-year-old deGrom, team sources have said the right-hander is extremely unlikely to depart, as the club would have to be blown away by an offer to even entertain a trade proposal. DeGrom is under club control through the 2020 season and would potentially give a
contender three postseasons of service.
Wednesday it stayed scoreless until the 10th, when Mark Leiter Jr. allowed a two-out double to Amed Rosario and walked Jose Reyes. Enter the pinch-hitter Nimmo, who smashed the first pitch he saw over the right-center fence for his first career walkoff blast.
“Sorry, Jake, that we couldn’t get you the win tonight, but at least we won,” Nimmo said.
Jeurys Familia followed deGrom’s brilliance with a scoreless ninth, before Robert Gsellman took over in the 10th inning.
Vince Velasquez muzzled the Mets by allowing only two hits over six shutout innings in which he walked only one. The right-hander, just off the disabled list, did not allow a runner to reach second base.
DeGrom received help in the seventh on Matt den Dekker’s shoestring catch in center field on pinch-hitter Jesmuel Valentin’s bloop — a play that was upheld on replay after the Phillies challenged. Maikel Franco had already singled in the inning, but remained at first base.
DeGrom avoided pressure on the bases in the middle innings, twice escaping to leave a runner stranded at second. In the fourth, Herrera singled leading off and stole second before deGrom retired three straight batters, In the fifth Andrew Knapp stroked a two-out double, but was left stranded.
“The most impressive part is [deGrom’s] ability not to worry about lack of offense behind him,” Callaway said. “Most people can’t just sit there and weather the storm like that.”