ST. LOUIS — Enter Paul Sewald as the latest multi-inning threat helping take the Mets bullpen to another level.
Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo have excelled in the role since the season started, and lately the 27-year-old Sewald has matched, if not exceeded, them.
“I think he has definitely earned the right to go out there and pitch in big situations and pitch more often than he did early in the season,” manager Mickey Callaway said before the Mets faced the Cardinals on Wednesday.
Sewald entered play with a 1.74 ERA in five appearances, with 13 strikeouts in 10 ¹/₃ innings. His most recent brilliance occurred Tuesday, when he pitched two innings of shutout relief against the Cardinals, as the Mets rallied for a 6-5 victory in 10 innings. It was Sewald’s first appearance in six days, after going nine days between outings earlier in the season.
“Obviously I feel real good about how I have thrown,” Sewald said. “I have been throwing strikes, most importantly, and a lot of times multi-innings, so having to go out there and eat a couple of innings for us, obviously I have been throwing the ball well. But it’s early, it’s just a small sample size, it’s [five] outings so mostly just trying to stay there and keep throwing strikes the way I have.”
Maybe the most impressive number relates to Sewald’s effectiveness against lefties: The right-hander has retired all 13 left-handed batters he has faced this season. Righties were only 5-for-20 (.250) against him.
Such versatility has made it easier for Callaway to keep Sewald in the game beyond one inning.
“I think any time we have a reliever that can get out left, right, left, that really helps, because then you don’t have to worry about one big swing and the matchup game from [Matt] Carpenter or something really hurting,” Callaway said. “It saves guys behind him, so that really helps a lot.
“He goes out there and he throws strikes. He mixes his pitches well and he’s got a lot of deception. His 90 [mph] plays like it’s 94, it seems like he blows it right by guys, but he throws a little across his body and has a lower slot, a funky delivery and it kinda sneaks up on guys
In 57 appearances for the Mets last season, Sewald was 0-6 with a 4.55 ERA, as lefties batted .290 against him. Sewald credits the further development of his changeup as a reason he has excelled early.
“It’s been huge,” Sewald said. “At times I struggled with lefties last year, so it was important to make sure I had a third pitch. I feel real confident with that.
“It’s had a lot of success starting in spring training, so ultimately having a lot of success has given me confidence with it so I feel I can throw it when I want to in bigger situations and it’s kept guys on their heels.”
In a bullpen defined largely by power pitchers such as Jeurys Familia, AJ Ramos and Gsellman, it’s Sewald getting the outs with his craftiness.
“Deception is the reason I got here,” he said. “And deception will be the reason I stay.”
