With two outs in the ninth, Mets’ closer Edwin Diaz came to a set. The crowd was going wild. He induced a swing and a miss strikeout to end the game – clinching the Mets their second no-hitter in franchise history.
Tyler Megill started the Friday night, April 29 affair, fanning five over five strong before turning it over to relievers Drew Smith, Joely Rodriguez Seth Lugo, who combined for three more innings of zeroes before Diaz completed the combined “no-no.” He did so in elite fashion, striking out the side.
The last, and only other Mets no-hitter, occurred 10 years ago when Johan Santana went the distance against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 134-pitch outing that ultimately derailed his career. Santana’s career would never recover from the shoulder injury he suffered at the time.
Therefore, this “new age” no-hitter should live much sweeter in the collective memory of Mets’ fans. After all, it comes on the tailend of some tough battles the first-place “Amazin’s” have had to endure thus far in 2022.
During opening weekend, benches cleared between the Mets and their divisional rivals, the Washington Nationals, after shortstop Francisco Lindor was drilled in the head.
The next such incident happened last week at St. Louis, when slugger Pete Alonso too was plunked in the head. Feeling as if the Mets were firing back, Cardinals third-baseman Nolan Arenado overreacted to an up and in pitch that brought intensified physical altercations between the Mets and yet another team that’s “made their list.”
Compiling an impressive first season as Mets manager thus far, veteran Buck Showalter and the fan base alike were shocked Cardinals manager Stubby Clapp was not suspended after the incident, considering it culminated in Clapp himself tackling Alonso to the ground.
What’s worse: Showalter was suspended after Yoan Lopez threw inside twice to Philadelphia Phillies star Kyle Schwarber on Sunday Night Baseball.
“Trying to create an environment, and have to walk in the locker room at 6:25 and say ‘go get ’em.’ And then go down and tell the coaches they have to change everything,” Showalter told SNY, with regards to the lunacy of the league issuing a non-appealable suspension minutes before gametime. “I don’t know competitively speaking if the timing was fair to the New York Mets.”
According to ESPN, Schwarber has hit 16 home runs against the Mets in 36 games – having hit two against the Mets on a night where the home plate umpire felt it necessary to issue both teams a warning when the ball nearly found Schwarber in the top of the ninth inning.
The next batter, Alec Bohm, was actually hit by a pitch from Lopez, who was correctly not ejected since he clearly did not have control of his pitches. Nevertheless, the Mets are making headlines for so many reasons of late, that this situation became buried by the Monday morning rollout.
With the announcement they would be designated veteran infielder Robinson Cano for assignment after he failed to follow up a PED suspension-missed year with any form of production, the Mets, behind the richest owner in baseball, made their biggest statement yet during the Steve Cohen era: if you don’t perform, you’re gone.
The brightest light for the Mets amidst ace Jacob deGrom’s absence has been team newcomer and generational ace in his own right, Max Scherzer. The former Cy Young Award winner is 4-0 with a 2.61 ERA and 42 strikeouts over 31 innings. His arm may have tapped out in the playoffs last year, but it is back with a vengeance now.
As are the Mets, likely considering themselves mightily fortunate they dodged the bullet that is controversial pitcher Trevor Bauer; not for a lack of trying, either, to sign the current Los Angeles Dodger who was just suspended 324 games – two seasons total – for violating the league’s domestic violence and sexual assault policy.
Instead of a headache, the Mets should have a fun summer to look forward to; with not just one teamfirst, decency-always winner (Scherzer) welcomed into their ranks, but countless carryovers well on their way to becoming winners themselves.
