PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer teamed up to give the New York Mets a complete performance Sunday.
After deGrom started and pitched three innings, Scherzer relieved and threw the final six innings in a 7-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
DeGrom had only had one regret: He couldn’t stick around to see his new teammate work. Instead, deGrom had to go through his post-start routine.
“It’s definitely cool,” deGrom said of pitching back-to-back with Scherzer. “But I’d rather be able to watch him pitch. I got done and did all my stuff and didn’t really get to see him pitch. He was doing the same thing – getting ready – while I was throwing.”
“I think it’s more cool to sit there and actually watch how he attacks hitters,” deGrom said.
In his second spring start, deGrom surrendered four hits, allowing an RBI single to Harrison Bader. He struck out five and didn’t issue a walk.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner has given up one run and struck out 10 in five innings in exhibition play.
Also making his second spring appearance, Scherzer gave up two runs and three hits, including a solo homer by Anderson Tejeda. He struck out seven and walked one over 89 pitches.
In his most recent relief stint – one inning for the Los Angeles Dodgers last October — the right-hander earned a save by closing out the San Francisco Giants in Game 5 of the NL Division Series.
A three-time Cy Young winner, the 37-year-old signed with the Mets in the offseason.
After the eighth inning, the fiery hurler had an animated conversation with pitching coach Jeremy Hefner in the dugout.
“I don’t know, that’s normal,” Scherzer said. “Honestly, I can’t remember.”
Francisco Lindor homered from both sides of the plate and Tomas Nido also connected for the Mets.
“It’s a good offense,” Lindor said. “We’re going do some damage if we stay healthy and we stay within ourselves.”
Limited in camp due to a left oblique strain, newcomer Starling Marte made his spring debut in right field and went 1 for 2. He doubled and sprinted home on Mark Canha‘s single. He also made an aggressive, running catch on a looper.
“Thankfully, I felt really good,” Marte said through an interpreter. “Nothing really bothered me at the plate, and I felt really good in the field.”
First-year Mets manager Buck Showalter said he wanted the 2016 All-Star to get “in an environment” and play a few innings in the field.
He said the two-time Gold Glove winner would be in a more extended situation Tuesday night when the team travels to Jupiter to play the Miami Marlins.
Marte has never played right field in his career, but Showalter said it’s a possibility.
“Right now (right field) – we’ll see where we end up – but it’s got potential to be a good fit for his skill set and, if you look around, the skill sets of everybody else,” the manager said.
NOTES: On his 29th birthday, OF Brandon Nimmo was held out of the lineup with a very minor thumb injury. “He could’ve played during the season. He’s not really happy with me today, especially with it being his birthday,” Showalter quipped. . The skipper said former pitcher Al Leiter was in camp Sunday, and ex-captain David Wright will also be a guest instructor next week. Owner Steve Cohen was in attendance.
