Game Recaps

Steven Matz Pitches AND Hits in Winning Debut

His teammates made Steven Matz wait three and a half hours to throw his first major league pitch on Sunday — the Mets took 13 innings to win the game suspended on Saturday after six innings. When he finally took the mound, Matz was very impressive. Oh, and he looked pretty good at the plate, driving in most of the Mets runs as they swept the Reds.

steven matz
Steven Matz impressed on the mound and at the plate in his first major league game.

Matz got off to a rough start, understandably nervous. His first pitch, to Brandon Phillips, was high and outside, nearly out of the reach of Johnny Monell. Two more balls, then finally a strike. But then Phillips laced a home run to left. It needed to be reviewed, but the ball did indeed hit the railing of the Party City Deck. Matz got the next two outs but then he walked Jay Bruce. He struck out Marlon Byrd for his first strikeout and the final out of the inning, but the Reds had a 1-0 lead.

Matz retired the side in order in the second inning, including recording his second strikeout.

Steven Matz got the run back, and then some, on his own in his first big league at bat. With the rest of the offense struggling, Matz doubled with runners on first and third with two outs in the bottom of the second. Both runners scored to give the Mets a 2-1 lead.

It was another 1-2-3 inning in the third with two more strikeouts.

Todd Frazier led off the fourth with a home run into the seats in left to tie the game at two. Matz walked another batter but got an inning-ending double play to get out of the inning.

Matz allowed another hit in the fifth but retired the next three batters.

Eric Campbell led off the bottom of the fifth with a walk. Matz was asked to sacrifice, but after three straight balls, he failed to get the bunt down. On the 3-2 count, Matz singled on a hit and run. Campbell went to third. Curtis Granderson then doubled into the gap in right-center to score Campbell take a 3-2 lead. With runners on second and third, still with no outs, Ruben Tejada flied out to short right, not deep enough to send Matz. Lucas Duda was intentionally walked to load the bases. Wilmer Flores hit a fly ball to medium right. Again, Matz did not attempt to score. Darrell Ceciliani struck out to leave the bases loaded, as the Mets offense reverted to typical form.

Steven Matz threw a perfect sixth with another strikeout.

Matz came to bat with the bases loaded and no outs in the sixth. He singled over the second baseman to drive in two more runs and give the Mets a 5-2 lead. They made it 6-2 when Matz took out Phillips on a double play attempt, forcing a bad throw and bringing home a run.

Matz allowed back-to-back singles to start the seventh. He then got a double play grounder. With a runner on third and two outs, he got a strikeout on his 100th pitch of the day.

In a surprise to everyone, Terry Collins sent Matz back to the mound for the eighth. With two outs he walked Joey Votto, and that was finally all for Matz. Carlos Torres got the last out.

Steven Matz went 7.2 innings, throwing 110 pitches. He allowed two runs on five hits, striking out six batters and walking three. At the plate he was 3-3 with four RBIs — the most RBIs a pitcher has had in his debut in baseball history. Not a bad way to break in at all.

The red-hot Granderson singled in a run in the eighth to make it 7-2.

The Mets win their fourth in a row, 7-2. But the day belonged to Steven Matz, as he picks up the win in his major league debut.

One thought on “Steven Matz Pitches AND Hits in Winning Debut

  • Loved his takeout slide and fielding, too! Three terrific pitches: 95 FB; 77 CB; 83 CU!

    Without Granderson and Matz, the Mets “offense” showed nothing again. When is TDA coming back?!

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