WASHINGTON – The only flaw was easily forgivable.
The Mets’ bullpen finished off a well-placed 5-1 win over the Nationals on opening night as four assists worked an inning each and laid out the ideal blueprint for not overwhelming the rotation, which is happening without Jacob deGrom.
After starter Tyler Megill pitched five scoreless innings, Trevor May, Adam Ottavino, Seth Lugo and Edwin Diaz took the rubber one after the other. The only run allowed was on Juan Soto’s bomb into the second deck in right field before May in the sixth inning.
“We try to reach everyone [involved]said manager Buck Showalter. “I don’t know what the next few days will bring. Don’t overdo it, but we’ll try to dissuade everyone.”
Trevor May reacts after giving up a home run. Corey SIPKIN
In a way, it’s better to potentially allow Soto to rally if he offers arguably the best player in MLB a solo home run as he goes 4-0 up. The rally almost happened after Josh Bell and Keibert Ruiz stringed together back-to-back singles, but May escaped when Lane crashed into Thomas’ fielder pick.
Lugo led Soto by four spots in the eighth, which could be a preview of strategy for the Mets in the next three games and for Nationals opponents in general in the next 161 games.
May, Lugo and Diaz were all part of a Mets bullpen that achieved a 3.90 ERA last season, the ninth-best in MLB. Ottavino made a comfortable debut after his career has drifted sideways in the last two seasons. Ottavino, Lugo and Diaz held the Nationals without a hit after the sixth.
Seth Lugo pitched a scoreless 8th inning. Corey SIPKIN
Adam Ottavino, Corey Sipkin
“Great [job]’ Megil said. “We had a big lead and they did exactly what they had to do: go in, throw strikes and fill up.”
Ottavino, who signed a one-year, $4 million contract during the offseason, retired the team in seventh straight with two strikeouts. The 36-year-old right-hander posted a career-best 1.90 ERA with the Yankees in 2019, but lost his setup spot with a 5.89 ERA in 24 games in 2020. The Yankees had so little confidence in Ottavino that he was traded to the rival Red Sox, where he achieved a 4.21 ERA last season.
Diaz, coming into an unsafe situation, finished the game to start on a high note after posting a 3.45 ERA and 32 saves last season. After a leadoff walk, he retired with three straight hitters.