PITTSBURGH — Chris Bassitt consistently gives the Mets the extra length they need when they need it.
The Mets were in need of reliable pitching, especially with a doubleheader on Wednesday in Pittsburgh after a week that saw Max Scherzer go on the injured list.
Taijuan Walker struggle with a blister issue, and Carlos Carrasco produce a dismal start in his return from injury.
They weren’t overly shocked when Bassitt delivered it in Game 1’s 5-1 triumph, pitching seven innings of one-run ball while striking out 10 batters.
The Mets were able to save everyone else for Game 2 and beyond thanks to Bassitt and Seth Lugo’s combined work on all nine innings of the victory.
He’s actually been steady the entire year, said to manager Buck Showalter. He has been waiting for us at every turn, and today is a huge expedition.
The only negative aspects of Bassitt’s start for the Mets were his second-highest season strikeout total and just five hits. It wasn’t until the sixth inning, when Greg Allen doubled and Tyler Heineman singled him home to start a six-batter rally, that the Pirates mounted a genuine threat to Bassitt.
But Bassitt managed to get out of that inning unscathed, which allowed him to throw into the seventh.
Derek Shelton, the Pirates’ manager, remarked, “He executed.” “I believe the cutter-curveball combination kept us off balance in some ways.”
Bassitt threw 101 pitches in total. His 11 games with 100 or more pitches are tied for tenth most in the Majors, while his average of 98.4 pitches per outing places him sixth.
The Mets have recently been able to handle the absences of pitchers like Scherzer thanks to their consistency, which gives them confidence that they can do it again.
If Max is completely healthy, Bassitt continued, “I still want to do what I did today.” “I still want to play for nine innings each time.”