Amazin’ deGrom gets more of same
Mickey Callaway went to the mound after Jacob deGrom gave up a ground-rule double to Wil Myers to extend the top of the eighth on Monday night at Citi Field.
The manager allowed his ace to face one more batter, Eric Hosmer, with the Mets trailing the Padres by a run.
DeGrom responded by fanning Hosmer and left to a loud ovation from the small crowd, the fans in attendance knowing there’s a chance it might be the last time they see the right-hander in a Mets uniform.
But like so many other starts for deGrom, his excellence wasn’t enough to get the Mets a victory, as they lost to the NLworst Padres, 3-2.
All that remains now is to see whether the Mets get an attractive enough offer to part with deGrom, by far the best starting pitcher that could be moved by next Tuesday’s non-waiver trade deadline.
“I’ve been a New York Met my whole career and I have a good relationship with them,’’ deGrom said of a potential trade. “That’s not my decision. I enjoy my time here.’’
Assistant GM John Ricco said the team has had “dialogue with a number of teams’’ as the deadline approaches.
“We still have a week left and as I mentioned a couple weeks ago, the trade deadline is a certain leverage point and we’re gonna try to make the most of that,’’ Ricco said before the game. “If you’re gonna do an in-season deal and you’re gonna give another team [deGrom for] three pennant races — put it that way — you’re looking for the value back for that to forego taking a guy past that deadline.”
And he added they’re not looking to ship deGrom out.
“We love him,’’ Ricco said. “We know what we have. He’s one of the top pitchers in the game and in order to move him in a trade, it would take an awful lot.”
Despite deGrom’s excellence, the Mets have a hard time winning when he’s on the mound — as was the case again Monday.
He tossed eight innings for a third straight start and allowed three runs — two earned — while striking out 10. Still, deGrom has earned a victory just once in his past 11 starts.
“You want to win baseball games, but the goal is for the team to win,’’ deGrom said. “I would like the team to have more wins. That’s not the case.’’
The Mets gave deGrom a lead in the third, sparked by a bunt single by Amed Rosario — who hit leadoff for just the fourth time this season.
Asdrubal Cabrera followed by popping out, but Rosario swiped second and scored on a Wilmer Flores hit to center to make it 1-0 against southpaw Joey Lucchesi. The lead vanished in the fifth. Jose Bautista misplayed Christian Villanueva’s fly ball to right for a one-out error. Villanueva stole second before a Freddy Galvis single up the middle drove him in to tie the game.
Manuel Margot followed with a booming triple to center to put San Diego ahead, 2-1 in a 29-pitch inning.
The Padres added a run in the sixth in part thanks to an error, as Myers scored from second when Rosario whiffed on Hosmer’s chopper.
A Jose Reyes swinging bunt with the bases loaded that scored Bautista got the Mets to within a run in the bottom of the inning. Since deGrom had thrown just 80 pitches, Callaway opted to let him hit and he grounded out to end the threat.
Reyes started the bottom of the ninth by reaching on an error, but pinch-hitter Ty Kelly popped up a bunt attempt and Rosario and Cabrera each struck out to end the game.