The Mets defeated the Astros 1-0 on Thursday night in West Palm Beach, Fla. highlighted by an incredible Jacob deGrom outing.
Here are some key takeaways from Thursday’s game …
– In case anyone was wondering how season-ready deGrom is, the ace’s very first pitch of the night came in at 100 mph. Later in the first deGrom was clocked at 101 mph on the radar gun. He struck out two hitters in a 1-2-3 first inning.
DeGrom then struck out the side in the second inning, again consistently clocked around 100 mph with his fastball, giving him five consecutive strikeouts through his first two innings of work. His third inning was more of the same, as he struck out two more Astros.
Overall, the two-time Cy Young winner pitched three perfect innings, striking out seven Astros and looking utterly dominant. Safe to say he’s ready to start the regular season.
– Dominic Smith has struggled at the plate this spring, but he got a needed hit by lining a single up the middle off of Zack Greinke in the second inning. Smith went 1-for-4 on the night.
– Albert Almora Jr. made a tremendous over-the-shoulder catch in right-center field, snow-coning the ball but still holding on to it even after hitting the outfield wall. With no DH in the NL as of now, Almora is fighting for a backup outfield spot, but his defense could be the difference in him making the 26-man roster.
– Pete Alonso launched a rocket of a home run to left-center field, as he continues to look comfortable at the plate this spring. Alonso’s blast gave the Mets a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth inning. Alonso is now hitting .313 this spring with a .450 OBP.
– Following deGrom’s strong start, the Mets also pitched Mike Montgomery, Jacob Barnes, Stephen Tarpley, and Daniel Zamora. In total, Mets pitchers struck out 17 Astros while allowing just one hit, a Taylor Jones single to leadoff the fifth inning.
What’s next
The Mets are back in action on Friday afternoon at 1:05 p.m on SNY., as Marcus Stroman takes the mound.