Jake Doesn't Have It, Mets Left Punching Up in Oakland

Mid-game reports? What's going on at The Apple?

Entering Saturday’s matchup versus the Athletics, Jacob deGrom had amassed 86 strikeouts to four walks over his first nine starts. For those keeping track at home, he’d allowed more home runs (five) than bases-on-balls issued (four), which is just wild. Almost as befuddling as the Mets’ bats going historically impotent seemingly whenever deGrom takes the mound.

Naturally, the Mets put up a three-spot in the top of the first, banking Francisco Lindor’s 100th run batted in of the season (sac fly) and Pete Alonso’s 38th home run of the season (two more RBIs, putting him one behind Mike Piazza and David Wright on New York’s single-season leaderboard) to jump out to an early lead.

And thank goodness they did. On cue (said no one ever), Jake walked two, allowed three hits, and allowed four Oakland runs to cross in the bottom half. Per the SNY booth, that’s the first time in his career he’s allowed four earned runs in the first.

Stengel’s Law of Baseball: what can go wrong, will.

With a 2.5-game lead in the division heading into Saturday, one game in hand over Atlanta, and three more to play against their once-again sworn enemies, the Mets are buckled firmly into the driver’s seat. That’s a luxury. So what’s the formula gotta be over the last week-plus and further? Easy. Just win, baby.

That means even when your All-World ace gets uncharacteristically knocked around, laying to waste that oh-so-nice three-run lead against the second-worst team in the majors, and leaving everyone in attendance and *the millions watching at home* with jaws absolutely agape, you reset, refocus, and get that dub.

The ability to turn those tables is usually the mark of a championship ball club, but let’s hold our collective horses on that front. On Saturday, when they needed it the most, the Mets hit that reset button quicker than a 12-year-old losing at Madden. Gotta love that for this group. Would like to see more of it.

We’ve certainly seen the flip side of that coin too many times over the years. Mets squads laying down after the opposition puts up a crooked number in the first are literally what our nightmares are made of.

Mark Vientos tied the game at four in the top of the second with his first major league home run, Jacob deGrom came back out for his next frame looking like Jacob deGrom, and all was right in the world once again. Well, for a while.

Brown led off the third with a solo home run and for just the first time since 2019, deGrom had five earned runs tattooed onto his line. Four walks issued (most since April 14, 2019 at ATL) added to the litany of evidence that, clearly, something wasn’t working for the Mets’ top dog in his most recent outing.

Look, no athlete is a machine, even Jacob deGrom. And considering the level he’s been performing/producing at since returning in July, these things are bound to happen.

Is it wholly shocking when he’s not the untouchable freak of nature we’ve all become accustomed to? Of course, but these things simply can’t be taken for granted. To be repeated ad infinitum, it’s baseball.

The daze of seeing your ace punched in the mouth by a basement-dweller has to be shaken off. Because if you can’t do it now against the Oakland Athletics, it’s not gonna be any easier to pull off the feat in October against the Atlantas or Dodgers or Astros.

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