Watching the New York Mets battle the Nationals on Saturday, you might have blinked and missed history. Their lineup saw a mind-blowing 51 pitches in the first inning, a statistical anomaly not witnessed in a Mets game since June 1989. That June 16, 1989 game in Philadelphia saw them score eight runs on 52 pitches against Phillies starter Bruce Ruffin, blow a 10-9 lead three innings later, but still come back to win 15-11. One day shy of 38 years earlier, on August 16, 1988, they had another 51-pitch first inning, scoring nine runs in San Francisco. This past Saturday, it was Lindor who capped off the madness with his seventh walk-off plate appearance as a Met, tying him for fifth-most in franchise history. Talk about a wild ride!
The Young Arms That Are Shocking The League
This past week wasn’t just about crazy pitch counts, it was about some incredible pitching performances that have everyone talking. Nolan McLean has started his outings with four no-hit innings for the third time this season. He previously pulled off that feat on April 3 in San Francisco and again on April 21 against the Twins. Then there’s Zac Thornton, who became the first Mets pitcher since Jacob deGrom to record at least five quality starts in his first eight career games. Dillon Gee and Matt Harvey are the only other Mets debuting since 2000 to hit that mark. Thornton’s 2.78 ERA through eight career games, with a minimum of five innings per outing, is the 10th-best among Mets pitchers. And guess who’s right up there at the top of that list? Nolan McLean again, with a ridiculous 2.06 ERA. These guys are seriously making a name for themselves early in the season!
When The Bats Go Wild, And History Repeats Itself
The offense had its moments, too. On Monday, the Mets scored five runs in an inning for the tenth time this season. Three of those instances have come against the Braves. It was also the first time they scored five runs in the first inning of a game since Opening Day against Paul Skenes and the Pirates. Brett Baty hammered his first career grand slam that day, which was also his first home run in Atlanta since he blasted one in his very first big-league at-bat on August 17, 2022. They also dominated the Nationals in the series opener at Citi Field on Friday, extending their streak to seven straight series-opener wins against the Nats at home, and ten of their last eleven. When this offense clicks, it really clicks!
The Ugly Stats They Need To Clean Up
But it wasn’t all sunshine and historic moments. Tuesday brought their thirteenth shutout loss of the season, tying them with the Pirates for the most of any team in the majors. That’s a statistic no one wants to see. They also recorded seven outs on batted balls of 100+ mph, which tied for their second-most in a game this season. The only game they hit more was a loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field on April 19, where they had eight. This past week for the Mets was a rollercoaster, from historic pitching to mind-bending offensive outbursts and frustrating zeroes. With young guns like McLean and Thornton flashing serious potential and the offense capable of anything, this squad is clearly one to watch. What does this early season form mean for the Mets moving forward? If this week is any indication, it’s going to be wild, and we can’t wait to see what happens next.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Amazin’ Avenue.
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