Far too often throughout Jacob deGrom’s decorated nine-year tenure, the Mets struggled to give him run support.
It’s the main reason why deGrom totaled only 20 wins during his back-to-back Cy Young seasons in 2018-19.
But run support was no problem on Friday night for deGrom, now of the Texas Rangers, in his long-awaited return to Citi Field.
Texas tagged rookie starter Jonah Tong for six runs in the first inning, then let deGrom do the rest to deal the Mets an 8-3 loss.
The Mets (76-72) have now lost seven games in a row, tying a dubious season high, as they cling to the third and final National League wild card spot.
DeGrom allowed three runs over seven innings and recorded two strikeouts against the Mets, with whom he made his MLB debut in 2014.
Friday night’s game marked deGrom’s first time facing the Mets since he left for a five-year, $185 million contract with the Rangers before the 2023 season.
His return came with added intrigue, considering the Mets’ former ace was matching up against the 22-year-old Tong, one of their prospects, in the third start of his career.
But a multi-generational pitchers’ duel was not in the cards, as Tong issued three walks, surrendered four hits and recorded only two outs in the top of the first before being pulled.
The Rangers were ultra-patient against Tong, taking 18 of his first 19 pitches and ultimately swinging only nine times while he was in the game.
Four of those swings turned into run scoring hits, with Josh Jung and Alejandro Osuna delivering RBI singles, Cody Freeman adding a two-run single, and Michael Helman ending Tong’s night with a two-run double.
Tong threw only 20 of his 40 pitches for strikes.
Many within a crowd of 41,040 booed as the game unraveled.
Tong, who led the minor leagues in ERA (1.43) and strikeouts (179) before last month’s call-up, fell to 1-2 with an 8.49 ERA in three big-league starts.
A 6-0 lead at Citi Field was an unusual sight with deGrom on the mound, considering the flame-throwing right-hander received two runs of support or fewer in 66 of his 209 starts (31.6%) in his Mets career.
DeGrom needed only six pitches to get through the first inning and nine more to get through the second.
He gave up three runs in the third — Francisco Alvarez homered, while Juan Soto and Pete Alonso added back-to-back sacrifice flies — but retired the final 15 batters he faced.
Making one of those outs was Jeff McNeil, who was ejected in the fourth inning after he tossed his bat and shouted in response to a called third strike that appeared to just clip the bottom of the zone.
The final four innings were vintage deGrom, whose 2.52 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with the Mets remain the best marks in franchise history.
The Mets recognized deGrom with a pregame tribute video, and he tipped his cap to a cheering crowd as he warmed up on the field.
Tommy John surgery limited deGrom to only nine starts with the Rangers from 2023-24, but he’s returned to his elite form this year, improving Friday to 12-7 with a 2.82 ERA.
This is the third time this season that the Mets have lost seven games in a row. It’s the first time since 1980 that the Mets have endured three separate seven-game skids in a single year. The Mets finished 67-95 in 1980.
The Mets entered Friday with a 1.5-game lead over the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants for the final NL wild card spot. Neither the Reds nor the Giants had started their games Friday by the time the Mets’ loss ended.
A day after the Mets’ final 25 hitters got out to end Thursday’s 6-4 loss in Philadelphia, 21 of the Mets’ final 22 hitters got out to finish off Friday’s defeat.
The Mets will turn to another rookie starter in Brandon Sproat on Saturday afternoon as they attempt to end their losing streak. It will be the second-ever MLB start for Sproat, who allowed three runs over six innings in last weekend’s debut in Cincinnati.
The Rangers are set to counter with veteran left-hander Patrick Corbin (7-9, 4.36 ERA).
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