Jacob DeGrom Brings The Heat In Opening Day Loss

Jacob deGrom took the mound on Monday as the New York Mets opened their season against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner brought the heat from the very start of the game to the very end. He started his night off with a strikeout of Andrew McCutchen on a 99.5 mph fastball and ended his night with a strikeout of Bryce Harper on a 100.1 mph fastball.

After starting the game off with a strikeout, deGrom followed by giving up a double to Rhys Hoskins, which was immediately erased as Hoskins was tagged out trying to stretch a double into a triple. After a five-pitch walk to Harper, deGrom got out of the inning with a strikeout of J.T. Realmuto.

In the second inning, deGrom picked up his third strikeout of the game as he got Alec Bohm swinging. He stuck with his fastball against Didi Gregorius, who was able to connect on a 102 mph four-seamer for a single. Gregorius was quickly erased as deGrom got Jean Segura to ground into a 6-4-3 double play.

DeGrom continued to roll in the third inning. He got Adam Haseley to fly out to left field for his first out. He followed that up with a four-pitch strikeout of Matt Moore. To start his second time through the order, deGrom gave up a sharp line drive single to McCutchen. However, that did not become a threat as he got Hoskins to ground out four pitches later.

Harper was able to draw another walk off deGrom to start the fourth, but that’s all deGrom went on to allow in the inning. He was able to retire the next three batters on five fastballs by getting them to line out, fly out and pop out.

DeGrom began the fifth inning sitting at 56 pitches. He continued his efficiency in the fifth as he needed only nine pitches to retire the side in order. He also picked up his fifth strikeout during the inning.

In typical fashion, deGrom got even better as the game progressed. After his first perfect inning in the fifth, he pieced together another 1-2-3 inning in the sixth.

He started the sixth off with one of his slowest fastballs of the night (97.3 mph) and decided to go to his slider for seven of his next nine pitches. His slider did not fail him as he got McCutchen to ground out and Hoskins to strike out (both with his slider), before ending his night with the aforementioned strikeout of Harper with his fastball.

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DeGrom pitched six shutout innings and was taken out after only 77 pitches. He limited the Phillies to only three hits and two walks, while striking out seven.

Not only was deGrom sharp on the mound, but he was also sharp with the bat. He went 2-for-3 and helped his own cause by driving in the Mets’ second run of the 5-3 loss.

Mets fans have become conditioned to dominant deGrom starts that are squandered and Monday loss to the Phillies was no different.

The post Jacob DeGrom Brings The Heat In Opening Day Loss first appeared on Metsmerized Online.