Baseball, Mets Lose Scherzer To Injury But Beat Cardinals 11-4

Max Scherzer Departs In Sixth With Injury By Matt Blittner, The New York Extra/TheNYExtra.com

The first five – almost six – weeks of the Mets’ 2022 season are complete and oh man has it gone by fast. It feels like just yesterday the Mets began their season in D.C. with a 5-1 victory over the Nationals that keyed a hot start out of the gate. Now, here we are, almost six weeks later and the Mets are in First Place in the NL East and that’s in spite of multiple key injuries to their pitching staff. Overall, it’s been an all-around team effort to get to this point and there’s plenty of work left to be done.

Wednesday night, at Citi Field, the Mets hosted the Cardinals for the third game of their four game set and the home team came away with a 11-4 victory that ensured them a season-series win over St. Louis. The key to the team’s victory was its four-run fifth inning against two Cardinals relievers, (Jake Walsh and Nick Wittgren), who combined to give up all four runs on three hits, one walk, one hit-by-pitch and a pair of sacrifices (one fly, one drag bunt). 

New York sent Max Scherzer to the mound hoping for a lengthy start after needing nine-innings from its bullpen during Tuesday’s doubleheader. Unfortunately, Scherzer lasted just 5⅔ innings before pulling himself from the game with an apparent injury. During the bottom of the eighth it was announced that Scherzer was experiencing discomfort in his left side and will undergo imaging tomorrow (Thursday) to determine the exact cause of the problem. 

Scherzer came into the game touting a 4-1 record in seven starts and supported that ledger with 55 strikeouts in 44 innings and a 2.66 ERA. His previous start – against Seattle – saw the righty twirl seven innings of one-run ball for a no-decision in a game the Mets wound up losing 2-1. Against St. Louis Scherzer gutted his way through 5⅔ innings of seven-hit, two-run (one-earned) and four strikeout ball to ensure his team of at least a split of the four-game series. 

Opposing Scherzer was flamethrowing righty Jordan Hicks, who earned his reputation as a hard thrower by throwing multiple 105 mph fastballs during his rookie season in 2018. However, Hicks has struggled this season – his first being used as a starter; as well as a reliever. Coming into Wednesday’s tilt, Hicks was 1-3 in seven games (five starts) and has struggled all season with his command and the longball. On Wednesday, Hicks lasted just four innings and surrendered two runs (both earned) on three hits, three walks, two hit batters and one wild pitch. He also struck out five. 

The lefty-hitting Mets in New York’s lineup especially had it difficult against Hicks’ 100+ mph sinkers that were running away from them. New York’s lefties went 2-14 against Hicks with three walks, five strikeouts and one run scored. On a night in which Hicks struggled with his rhythm and his ability to throw strikes, his sinkers kept him from getting burned too much.

During the bottom of the third inning there were some fireworks when Hicks drilled Mark Canha in the ribs. Hicks hit Pete Alonso up high in the first inning and after the bad blood that was displayed between these two teams last month, the drilling of Canha raised the temperature of the game quite a bit. After Canha took his time getting to first base, during which he was visibly jawing at Hicks, both teams were issued warnings by the Umpires. 

Tempers flared again during the bottom of the fifth when Jake Walsh, who started the inning in place of Hicks, hit Francisco Lindor with a pitch. Despite the previous warnings, Walsh was not thrown out of the game. So, the Mets got even – the right way. They knocked Walsh out of the game after he faced just four batters, none of whom he managed to retire. And all four batters eventually ended up scoring. 

Canha walked to lead off the fifth against Walsh. Then came Lindor getting hit by a pitch. Pete Alonso followed with an RBI single to give the Mets a 3-2 lead. Jeff McNeil then singled to load the bases and end Walsh’s evening. Nick Wittgren came in and promptly allowed a sacrifice fly to Eduardo Escobar to make it 4-2 Mets. Dominic Smith singled to make it 5-2 and then Luis Guillorme laid down a drag bunt that brought in McNeil with the Mets’ fourth and final run of the inning.

That’s the good news. The bad news was what happened next.

With two outs and two on in the top of the sixth inning, while facing Albert Pujols, Max Scherzer called over to the dugout, said, “I’m done,” and pulled himself from the game with what was later revealed to be discomfort in his left side. Scherzer appeared to be wincing after following through with his final pitch; a slider in the dirt.

Adam Ottavino came on to replace Scherzer and pitched 1⅓ innings of scoreless ball before turning things over to Seth Lugo in the top of the eighth. That’s when things got hairy for the Mets. A single by Paul Goldschmidt got the Cardinals started off well. Then, Nolan Arenado followed with a loud home-run to left to bring St. Louis within 6-4. Lugo retired Juan Yepez and Corey Dickerson to ease Mets’ fans’ concerns but then gave up a single to Dylan Carlson to bring Pujols up as the potential tying run. 

The Cardinals legend got good wood on the ball as he smashed a grounder down the third base line, but Eduardo Escobar had him played perfectly. Escobar backhanded the hot shot, threw across the diamond to retire Pujols and ended the threat.

In years past the Mets might have allowed the Cardinals to come all the way back to tie the game, or even take the lead. Not this year’s Mets. In the bottom of the eighth Luis Giullorme singled before being lifted for pinch-runner Travis Jankowski. Patrick Mazeika sacrificed Jankowski to second before Brandon Nimmo tripled him in to give the Mets a little breathing room; 7-4. Canha then singled in Nimmo to make it 8-4. Lindor followed with a walk and then Alonso slammed a three-run home-run to blow the game open, 11-4 Mets.

Colin Holderman – as an aside, that’s a great name for a relief pitcher – came on to pitch the top of the ninth and pitched around a two-out walk to nail down the final three outs of the Mets’ 11-4 victory.