Mets Morning News: McNeil and Escobar avoid the injured list, Díaz notches 200th career save

Meet the Mets

The Mets evened their series against the Phillies in another close contest between the two clubs. This time, the Mets edged out their NL East rivals 1-0, as Jacob deGrom pitched six shutout innings and struck out ten batters while walking none. Aaron Nola was brilliant as well, scattering four hits over eight innings of work. The lone run of the game came on a first-inning RBI single from Pete Alonso that drove in Starling Marte. Seth Lugo and Trevor May each pitched a scoreless inning in relief and Edwin Díaz allowed the tying and go-ahead runs to get into scoring position in the ninth, but he struck out Nick Castellanos to seal the victory and earn the 200th save of his career.

Choose your recap: Amazin’ Avenue, MLB.com, NY Post, Daily News, Newsday, North Jersey, ESPN

Last night’s attendance at Citi Field was 43,857. It was a sold out game and the largest announced crowd at Citi Field this season, just edging out the home opener.

A fun fact displayed on the scoreboard at Citi Field last night and tweeted out by Steve Gelbs: Jacob deGrom has now allowed two earned runs or fewer in each of his last 22 starts at home, which is the longest such streak in major league history.

Jeff McNeil did not end up needing an IL stint for his lacerated finger and was in the lineup yesterday.

The Mets are hopeful that Eduardo Escobar, whose MRI came back “good,” will avoid the injured list as well, according to Buck Showalter. Mark Canha took grounders at third base yesterday and will play there again if he is needed. Gosuke Katoh is in New York, but not on the active roster.

In other Mets injury updates, Tylor Megill is scheduled to throw his first bullpen since getting hurt today and Drew Smith will begin throwing today. Tommy Hunter began a rehab assignment with Double-A Binghamton yesterday.

With his scoreless inning on Friday night, Adam Ottavino earned a bonus for reaching 45 innings pitched for the season.

The Mets brought back Travis Jankowski on a minor league deal.

Brandon Nimmo watched the 2015 Mets go on a deep playoff run just prior to his promotion to the big leagues and hoped that he would soon be part of a team that was playoff-bound again. “It didn’t work out that way and I think it reminds you that each time you get into a playoff situation you need to try to get the most out of it and give it everything you have got because you don’t know when the next time you will be back,” he said to Mike Puma of the New York Post. But for now, he’s focused on these crucial games against NL East rivals in August and September.

Former Mets pitching coach Phil Regan was inducted to the Syracuse Baseball Wall of Fame yesterday.

Around the National League East

The Braves swept a doubleheader from the Marlins, winning the first game 5-2 and the second game 6-2. Ronald Acuña Jr. exited the second game early with right knee soreness, but manager Brian Snitker says that he will not need an IL stint and his removal from the game was a precaution.

The Marlins selected the contract of right-hander A.J. Ladwig from Double-A to serve as the 27th man in their doubleheader yesterday. He spent his entire pro career since being drafted in 2014 in the Tigers organization and the Tigers released him in May. He made his major league debut at age 29.

The Nationals beat the Padres 4-3. By going 2-for-3 in the victory, Nelson Cruz reached the milestone of 2,000 career hits in the big leagues. He is the first player to accomplish that feat as a Washington National.

Around Major League Baseball

When asked where Aaron Judge’s 2022 season ranks in historical context, several scouts told Jon Heyman of the New York Post that it is among the best in the history of the game.

Heyman also called Fernando Tatis Jr.’s statement that he inadvertently took the performance enhancing drug Clostebol to treat ringworm a “ridiculous lie.”

A year after beginning a full blown rebuild, Jesse Rodgers of ESPN evaluates where the Cubs are now.

“I’m very happy with what they’ve done. It’s things that Penny Marshall couldn’t say in 1992,” Maybelle Blair—one of the few surviving members of the AAGPBL—said of the new A League of Their Own television series on Amazon Prime. “People weren’t ready for any of this, but it needed to be told because it is the truth. These are the things that I really appreciated.” Maybelle even makes a cameo in the first episode, but if you blink you might miss it.

The Red Sox selected Jeurys Familia, who they picked up after the Phillies released him, to their active roster yesterday, optioning Kaleb Ort to make room on the roster.

Former Met Robert Gsellman has signed with the Yokohama BayStars in Japan.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Lukas Vlahos brought us the Daily Prospect Report.

This Date in Mets History

On this date in 2005, Pedro Martinez carried a no-hit bid into the eighth inning of a game at Dodger Stadium.