Marcus Stroman helped flush away a bitter Opening Day for the Mets with a strong season debut.
The Mets picked up their first win of 2021, an 8-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, at Citizens Bank Park.
Stroman allowed one run and three hits over six strong innings when manager Luis Rojas turned it over to his bullpen. The only run that Stroman allowed came on a Didi Gregorius solo homer in the fourth.
The day before, it was the bullpen which fumbled away a brilliant performance from Jacob deGrom. This time, however, despite another roller coaster performance from the pen, the Mets were able to close the door and secure the win.
Stroman, slotted in as the No. 2 starter in the rotation, went with what brought him to the dance — his ability to induce ground ball outs.
He got 15 of his 18 outs on grounders.
“Whenever I’ve been good, that’s my forte,” Stroman said. “I’ve never been someone who prides myself on strikeouts.”
It was Stroman’s first start since 2019.
The Mets are expecting a strong season from Stroman after he opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns.
Dominic Smith and Pete Alonso each hit two-run homers to help secure the win.
Alonso became the fastest player to reach 70 career homers, surpassing Aaron Judge. Alonso did it in his 220th game, 11 fewer than Judge.
What’s on deck?
The Mets wrap up their three-game series in Philadelphia with a day game. David Peterson will take the mound for the Mets and matchup against Aaron Nola for the Phillies.
