Jacob deGrom set an impossible standard during last season’s Cy Young campaign. Unless he — or anyone — matches it, the Mets may struggle to taste victory again.
Extending their losing streak to six, the Mets missed perhaps their best chance to end their current misery after deGrom put the struggling squad in an early hole — allowing three runs in the first three innings — and picked up the loss in Friday’s 6-2 setback to the Braves at Citi Field.
DeGrom (4-7) threw six innings in his sixth straight quality start, allowing three runs, six hits and two walks, with seven strikeouts.
“I think that teams like this, unless you are on top of your ‘A’ game, they’re gonna make it hard on you, and Jacob threw a great game. He had a quality start against a good lineup,” manager Mickey Callaway said. “He was 98, 99 [mph] early, great slider. That is a great lineup from top to bottom. They grind out every at-bat.”
DeGrom’s trouble began when he allowed a leadoff double to Nick Markakis in the second inning. Two batters later, Austin Riley broke a scoreless tie by crushing a two-run homer to left center.
The Braves got the leadoff runner aboard again in the third — on a Ronald Acuna Jr. single — and took a 3-0 lead on a Josh Donaldson sacrifice fly.
“I made a couple of mistakes and they capitalized on them,” deGrom said. “On the home run, I was trying to go up. It was right down the middle. … The two pitches I wish I could have had back, could’ve been a different ballgame.”
DeGrom, who allowed just one more hit in his final three frames, has now posted a 2.81 ERA in his past 12 starts — allowing no more than three runs in any of those outings — but the right-hander has earned the win in just one of his past eight appearances.
With the Mets needing a lengthy outing from their ace to minimize the damage the beleaguered bullpen could inflict, Atlanta’s deep lineup ran up deGrom’s pitch count, forcing him from the game after throwing 107 pitches (71 strikes), and sealing the win with three runs off Robert Gsellman in the eighth inning.
“There’s a lot of tough outs in that lineup,” deGrom said. “It’s definitely frustrating, like any loss, but you lose that many in a row, it’s definitely frustrating. Us pitchers have to do a better job of giving these guys a chance.”
