Robert Gsellman didn’t have his best stuff but still turned in his third straight strong start. Manager Terry Collins said no matter what happens when Steven Matz and Seth Lugo return, Gsellman is going to be a huge part of this Mets pitching staff.
Gsellman — who Collins said will get another start next Saturday in Atlanta — pitched the Mets to a 4-2 win over the Pirates in front of 34,035 at Citi Field.
“I didn’t have my best command. … I had to go out there and compete. I thought I did a good job of making pitches when I needed to,” said Gsellman (4-3), who allowed seven hits and two runs in 5 ¹/₃ innings.
He battled despite not having his best slider, keeping the Pirates at bay.
“[My curveball] was all right. It could’ve been a little better,” Gsellman said. “But it’s coming along well, and I like what I’m seeing. … My slider wasn’t there, it wasn’t consistent, but I thought my other three pitches weren’t too bad. I threw 5 ¹/₃, so I’ll take that.”
Gsellman, 23, made pitches, all right. And more pitches and more pitches. After a 10-pitch first inning, he needed 27 in each of the next two, finishing with a career-high 109. But even bereft of the dominant sinker from his prior start, he’s still 2-0 with a 2.95 ERA and 14 strikeouts in his last three starts.
“His last start was outstanding; he had tons of ground balls,” Collins said. “He didn’t have his best stuff [Saturday], but he made pitches. He got in on guys, pitched inside a bit better, which I thought was very important for him. When you’ve got that sinker, everybody’s looking down in the zone. … He got some balls in belt-high and got in on some guys’ fists, which helped him out.
“He knows what he’s doing. As the confidence grows, we’re going to see the guy that we saw last September as we get into this. We’re going to need him. If I think for one second we’ve got five guys that are going to make it through the rest of the summer, I’m kidding myself. That hasn’t happened since I’ve been here. Robert Gsellman is going to end up being a big part of this.”
With Lugo and Matz having pitched rehab starts Saturday, both are expected back with the Mets next weekend. Gsellman gets another start before likely heading to the bullpen, where he could be a long man or even pitch the seventh or eighth innings.
“He’s a strike thrower, and I like that,’’ Collins said.
“We just have to wait and see what they want to do,” Gsellman said. “I’m up for whatever. I just want to pitch. I just want to win. That’s all I really want to do.”
