A stiff back briefly interrupted Jacob deGrom’s build-up during spring 2.0 training.
Only a limited pitch count due to that injury scare could do the same on opening day.
The two-time current Cy Young winner shot out, looking ready to win a third when he pitched five soft innings Friday in the Mets’ 1-0 win over the Braves at Citi Field.
Although he came out early after 72 pitches, deGrom made his mark in the Braves’ lineup. The right-handed pitcher struck out eight, hitting 100 mph multiple times and allowing just one hit: a broken batting dribbler in the third inning by Ronald Acuna Jr. that squeezed the center.
“I was letting it fly and letting the chips fall where they could,” deGrom said. “I would have liked a bit of previous contact, but I didn’t want to make any mistakes. He wanted to try to go out and put zeros and give us a chance to win, which we were lucky to win today. That was my main objective. “
In a start that is very reminiscent of his last two Cy Young Awards, deGrom left the game in a 0-0 draw and returned to the clubhouse when Yoenis Céspedes delivered the only offense of the day with a solo home run in the seventh inning.
Looking like a pitcher with a lot of energy built up from the delay to the season, deGrom fired the radar gun from the start and also showed a sharp slider and shift throughout the game. His first strikeout was on a 99 mph fastball to Acuña. For the fifth inning, he was still pulling 98 mph sliders to strike out Austin Riley and Dansby Swanson in a row.
“I felt really good in the spring,” deGrom said. “I felt that the ball went very well and then, with this free time, I continued, I’m always working on my delivery and things, trying to make it as smooth as possible and repeat it. With this free time, I took the same approach, trying to stay as smooth and repeat my delivery, moving my arm as I wanted. I felt like I was very much under control. “
In its final set-up before Friday, deGrom had thrown 60 pitches in a simulated game. After hitting 72 on Friday, he’s in line to take another step on Wednesday against the Red Sox.
“Jake was Jake today,” said manager Luis Rojas. “It’s great to see him do what he does.”
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