Robert Gsellman just the second pitcher in Mets history to be hit by a pitch in extras

When he was hit by a pitch in the top of the twelfth inning last night in Atlanta, Robert Gsellman joined a very niche part of Mets history. He is only the second Mets pitcher ever to be hit by a pitch in extra innings, and the first was Shaun Marcum back on June 8, 2013. Throw in the fact that Gsellman scored later in the twelfth, and he stand alone among Mets pitchers in franchise history.

Marcum was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the fourteenth in what was probably his best performance as a Met, even though he wound up with the loss. After the late Jose Fernandez and Matt Harvey went inning-for-inning and allowed one run each through six, both bullpens shut the other team’s lineups down for a long time. Marcum threw eight innings in relief in that game, struck out seven, allowed just five hits, didn’t walk anyone, and gave up just one run—in the twentieth inning.

As for that hit by pitch, Marcum was plunked by Kevin Slowey, who threw seven scoreless innings himself that day, with two outs in the fourteenth. David Wright, who had singled earlier in the inning, advanced to second base, but Justin Turner hit into an inning-ending 5-4 ground out.

Things ended in much better fashion for Gsellman and the Mets last night, of course, and with the go-ahead run he scored, he was happy to let the world know that he’s faster than Noah Syndergaard. Whether or not that’s actually true, Gsellman has become part a very small club in franchise history, one that Syndergaard and the rest of the Mets’ starters are far less likely to join.