The New York Mets decided to start Max Scherzer instead of Jacob deGrom in Game 1 of their Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres.
That didn’t work out, and now they need deGrom to save the season in Game 2.
Scherzer gave up four home runs and allowed seven runs, lasting just 4.2 innings in a 7-1 loss Friday.
DeGrom was announced as the Game 2 starter following that loss and will try to keep the Mets from being swept out of the best-of-3 series at home. New York opened as a -188 favorite on FanDuel.
“You leave it all out on the field,” deGrom said Friday night. “You go out there and compete, you try to execute to the best of your ability and try to keep your team in a position to win.”
Though the Mets never confirmed it, it was thought that if they had won, Chris Bassitt would have started Game 2 with deGrom in reserve for Game 3 or Game 1 of the NLDS.
After pitching to a 1.66 ERA in his first seven starts after starting his season in August following an injury, deGrom allowed at least three runs in his last four starts of the regular season (6.00 ERA). In his last start, he allowed three solo home runs to the Atlanta Braves in a 5-2 loss that helped prevent the Mets from holding on to the NL East lead.
San Diego will start Blake Snell. The left-hander took a 1-5 record and 5.22 ERA into the All-Star Break but had a 2.06 ERA in six September-October starts.
Also, the Mets hit .246 with an OPS of .717 against lefties this season, compared to .265 and .756 against righties.
