CINCINNATI – On the eve of Max Scherzer’s triumphant return to the Mets rotation, Taijuan Walker provided a reminder that he was quietly the Mets starter who stepped up within the ace’s seven-week absence.
Walker has posted a 2.59 ERA within the 9 begins and 55.2 innings since Scherzer went on the injured record, together with six high quality begins in that span. His dominant 97-pitch outing on Monday helped lead the Mets to a 7-4 win over the Reds within the sequence opener at Great American Ballpark.
Scherzer has a 2.54 ERA in eight begins for the Mets this season. When he sustained an indirect pressure, the acquainted doom-and-gloom angle briefly returned to the Flushing trustworthy. But Walker made certain these somber emotions didn’t final.
As a lot as Walker’s outcomes have been paramount – like his 9 strikeouts in opposition to the Reds on Monday – his well being was simply as necessary. He persistently took the mound each fifth day in that troublesome stretch the place the Mets rotation was pressured to climate the storm with out their co-aces in Scherzer and Jacob deGrom.
Walker has thus far recorded a primary half (7-2, 2.86 ERA) that’s practically an identical to the All-Star first half that he loved final season (7-3, 2.66 ERA). The right-hander is making a convincing case for a second profession All-Star nod. His ERA is prime eight within the National League.
The solely blemish in his 14th begin Monday was a three-run dwelling run to former Met Brandon Drury, who has an .864 OPS, 17 homers and has been on hearth for the Reds. After Drury’s third-inning dwelling run that tied the sport at 3-3, Walker bounced again and retired 10 of his ultimate 12 batters. He earned his seventh win of the season, thanks partly to run assist from his offense.
Hunter Greene is the toughest throwing starter in MLB proper now. (Greene most likely has just below a month left to carry that title earlier than Jacob deGrom comes off the injured record and inevitably dethrones him.) Greene didn’t actually let it rip till the fifth inning, although, when he turned up the dial on his fastball velocity in opposition to the highest of the Mets order.
Francisco Lindor fouled off a few Greene’s excessive heaters earlier than connecting on a 100-mph fastball and sending it to the right-field seats in a rush. Lindor’s solo shot down the first-base line was his thirteenth dwelling run of the yr. The decisive blow broke the 3-3 tied recreation and gave the Mets the lead.
Dominic Smith, hitting eighth because the designated hitter, added on within the sixth inning. Though Smith remains to be ready for his first dwelling run of the season (his final was truly at Cincinnati on July 21), he made an impression with additional bases as an alternative. Smith is 4-for-9 since he was referred to as up from Triple-A Syracuse late final month, with three of these 4 hits falling as doubles.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com