WASHINGTON — Jacob deGrom received a hero’s welcome from the large turnout of Mets fans at Nationals Park on Tuesday night.
He was applauded as he jogged to the bullpen for his warmups and heard similar cheers upon leaving the dugout to throw his first pitch in a regular-season game for the Mets in nearly 13 months. That pitch, to Victor Robles, registered 99 mph, signaling the two-time Cy Young award winner’s return.
Here’s what also turned it into old times for stud right-hander: The Mets’ bats weren’t there to support him.
The Mets’ seven-game winning streak concluded with a 5-1 loss to Washington only hours after the Nationals gutted their major league roster in a trade that sent Juan Soto and Josh Bell to San Diego.
DeGrom was removed after five innings and 59 pitches and took a no-decision. He allowed one earned run on three hits with six strikeouts, topping out at 101.6 mph. His previous appearance in the regular season for the Mets had come on July 7, 2021. This season, he was shut down during spring training with a stress reaction in his right scapula and didn’t resume throwing from a mound until June.
Mets ace Jacob deGrom delivers in the fourth inning against the Nationals.Getty Images
Jacob deGrom reacts in the dugout during the fifth inning of a game against the Nationals.AP Stephen Nogosek was torched in the sixth inning, allowing consecutive homers to Luis Garcia (a two-run shot) and Yadiel Hernandez that placed the Mets in a 4-1 hole.
In the seventh, Yoan Lopez’s first pitch to Joey Meneses disappeared over the fence in right-center for a homer, extending the Nationals’ lead to 5-1. With the loss, the Mets saw their NL East lead on the Braves reduced to 2 ½ games. The rivals will play a five-game series at Citi Field that begins Thursday, but first there is the matter of the Mets facing a Wednesday rubber game against the Nationals.
DeGrom left a high fastball over the plate in the fourth inning that Garcia smacked into the right-center gap for an RBI double that gave the Nationals a 1-0 lead. Robles singled leading off the inning and stole second. After Garcia’s double, deGrom retired the next three batters in order.
The Nationals didn’t offer much resistance in the first three innings. DeGrom struck out Robles and Garcia to begin his night, but Hernandez finally initiated contact and grounded out to end the inning.
After Nelson Cruz struck out on a slider to begin the second inning, the Nationals got their first hit on Keibert Ruiz’s single to right. Ruiz, attempting to stretch the hit into a double, was nailed at second base by Starling Marte’s strong throw.
Jeff McNeil reacts after striking out during the sixth inning.APFrancisco Lindor continued his sizzling play by launching a homer to lead off the sixth against Victor Arano that tied the score 1-1.
On Monday, Lindor’s three-run homer against Steve Chisek delivered the knockout in a Mets victory. Lindor entered play with a .998 OPS in his previous 20 games. He was hitting .337 over that stretch.
