The New York Mets are in a stretch where it feels as if anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Saturday’s loss to the San Francisco Giants was the latest example of that, as the team surrendered six unanswered runs in a 7-2 defeat in 10 innings. While the team did not finish the day with the result they had hoped for, the Mets should be pleased with what Luis Severino gave them on the mound.
For the second time this season, the right-handed starter flirted with a no-hitter. Severino was superb through the first four innings, allowing no hitters to reach base and striking out four. It took the Giants all the way until the sixth inning to get a base knock, with Brett Wisely lining a single to left field. He would eventually come around to score on a Patrick Bailey single, but that would be it against Severino.
The 30-year-old went back out there for the seventh inning, getting Wilmer Flores to fly out and Mike Yastrzemski to pop up. After a Heliot Ramos walk, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza went out to the mound for a conversation. Severino convinced him that he could end the inning himself, rewarding his manager by getting Curt Casali to pop out on the first pitch. That wasn’t the first time Mendoza trusted his starter late in the game, as he did something very similar with José Quintana in late April against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Luis Severino. Photo by Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Severino’s final line was, seven innings pitched, one run allowed on two hits, and six strikeouts on a season-high 103 pitches. He allowed only four hard hit balls and induced 10 swing-and-misses. His outing lowered his ERA from 3.48 to 3.22, only bettered by Sean Manaea (3.11) on the staff.
So far, Severino has been a major success for the Mets. “He was really, really good. His fastball had life, the sinker to righties, the sweeper. I mean, everything seemed like everything was working today. He was in complete control of the game today,” Carlos Mendoza said about Severino.
Many were unsure if Severino could bounce back after such a difficult season with the New York Yankees in 2023. He has answered a lot of those questions, providing the Mets with an effective arm at the top of their rotation.
Severino is in a good spot, but if he wants to take his pitching to the next level, limiting the walks is key. He has allowed at least three walks in each of his last four starts. If you want to take it a step further, he has allowed at three walks in six of his last eight starts. That is the biggest reason why he has pitched deeper into games more often. If he can improve on that, it not only bodes well for Severino, but the Mets as a whole.
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