The return of star pitcher Jacob deGrom to Citi Field was supposed to be the main storyline when the New York Mets faced the Texas Rangers last night, but deGrom’s solid seven-inning, three-run start became a subplot as the Mets continued their latest collapse with an 8-3 loss to the Rangers.
The loss was only part of the storyline. The game also featured the implosion of rookie hurler Jonah Tong, who gave up six runs on four hits and three walks in the first inning to officially lose his status as a rising potential star.
As for deGrom, his start was a different animal from the kinds of outings he used to have for the Mets. He pitched to contact and only had two strikeouts, but the shorter innings allowed him to go seven innings and exceed his normal pitch count of 75-80 pitches. He set a personal record by getting 14 outfield putouts, so in many ways this didn’t look like a typical deGrom game at all.
The crowd reaction was muted compared to what it might have been, mostly because the Citi Field fans were stunned to be down 6-0 before the Mets sent a hitter to the plate. The Mets played a tribute video and deGrom drew an ovation, but it felt very obligatory due to the shocking score.
New York did manage to cut deGrom’s lead in half in the third, as catcher Francisco Alvarez homered and outfielder Juan Soto and first baseman Pete Alonso added a pair of run-scoring sacrifice flies in the brief rally that followed.
The end result was a pair of teams going in distinctly opposite directions. The Mets' losing streak is now at seven, while the Rangers extended their current winning streak to four games. New York is now just four games over .500, which is astounding given the heights the Mets hit earlier in the season.
Tong’s meltdown was especially painful to watch. He threw 40 pitches in an inning that seemed to last forever, and the Texas hits weren’t bleeders, either. Rangers hitters scorched one line drive after another, with centerfielder Michael Helman, second baseman Cody Freeman and third baseman Josh Jung delivering the key blows.
Jacob deGrom’s next start will happen next Wednesday when the Rangers face the Houston Astros in yet another crucial series. The Mets, meanwhile, have to live with that sinking “where do we go from here?” for the rest of the series, and maybe even their entire season. They ended the night tied with the San Francisco Giants in the loss column, so it’s clear they still have a lot of work to do to get back on track.