The New York Mets opted to trade for Paul Blackburn in order to fill a need in their rotation. Blake Snell and Tarik Skubal may have been available at the right price, but the team was unwilling to move their top prospects. The early returns on that decision look good. Blackburn performed really well in his first start with the Mets, helping them earn a 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels Friday night.
Nolan Schanuel led the game off with a single into shallow left field. Two batters later, Logan O’Hoppe walked to put runners on first and second with one out. That didn’t phase Blackburn, as he was able to induce a ground ball when he needed it. Willie Calhoun hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end the scoring threat. That wouldn’t be the last time Blackburn worked in and out of trouble.
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The Angels got on the board with an RBI single from Jo Adell in the bottom of the second, leveling the score at 1-1. A big inning could have materialized, but Blackburn got Luis Guillorme to strike out looking. A few minutes later, Pete Alonso gave the Mets a 3-1 lead with a two-run home run. That was all Blackburn needed to ultimately get the result he was looking for.
After setting down the Angels 1-2-3 in the third, a walk from Taylor Ward and a single from Mickey Moniak put Blackburn under a bit of pressure in the fourth. Once again, the right-hander was able to hit his zones when the Angels posed the slightest bit of a threat. A strikeout followed by a groundout ended the scoring chance, as the Mets held a 3-1 after four.
Blackburn gave the Mets another two strong innings, taking a ton of pressure off the bullpen. His line was six innings pitched, six hits, one run, one earned, two walks, and six strikeouts. The 30-year-old was extremely efficient, only needing 82 pitches to get through six.
“We got the win, that’s all I’m here for really. That’s all I care about. As far as how Alvy [Francisco Álvarez] and I worked, I mean it was unbelievable. It couldn’t have been better. Just the preparation on his end, the constant communication in between innings. It was fun to watch. I loved it,” Blackburn said after the game.
Replacing Kodai Senga was never going to be easy. Adding a starter of his quality, at the deadline, was going to be difficult. Blackburn may not be at the level of Senga, but he is an established starter who will provide strong performances every fifth day. That will be a must-have over the next two months. It is just one start, but the early returns suggest David Stearns made a good decision with the acquisition of Blackburn.
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