Jacob deGrom of the New York Mets keeps living through a personal Groundhog Day… and yet while his losses despite brilliant pitching aren't new, Saturday's 3-0 loss to the Miami Marlins (in which he gave up only one run) was extremely rare in one specific sense.
The brutality of being a Mets fan was underscored by this historical fact unearthed during Saturday's wasted gem by deGrom. You can't make this stuff up, but it keeps happening to the elite starting pitcher for the Amazins. (Amazin'ly frustrating, that is.)
Jacob deGrom: 14 Ks, 0 BB, 1 R and in line for the loss at the moment.
That stat line – including the loss – has only ever happened ONCE in MLB history.
James Shields (15 Ks, 0 BB, 1 R) lost to the O's on 10/2/12.
— Jason Catania (@JayCat11) April 10, 2021
It is mind-boggling: 14 or more strikeouts, no walks. It is the embodiment of elite pitching to get lots of hitters to swing and miss while not walking anyone. Pitching with control and power, with location and movement, is the height of the craft. Jacob deGrom is as great as any other starting pitcher in Major League Baseball today. He is a central reason why the Mets have a great chance to win every time he takes the ball and goes to the hill.
It makes the Mets a head-scratcher — their inability to give deGrom any little bread crumb of run support in a large percentage of his starts is hard to fully comprehend.
This is simply crazy, and it drives Mets fans bonkers:
#Mets Jacob deGrom has made 78 starts over his last four seasons:
Victories:
25 – 1.11 ERAGames he lost:
20 – 3.80 ERANo decisions:
33 – 1.76 ERANew York is 36-42 in those games.
— Ryan M. Spaeder (@theaceofspaeder) April 10, 2021
Think that's enough to wrap your mind around as a follower of the Mets? Try this fact as well:
This is the 59th (!!) time out of Jacob deGrom’s 185 starts that the #Mets have scored between 0-2 runs for him.
— Joe Pantorno (@JoePantorno) April 10, 2021
If you do the quick math, that's close to 30 percent of deGrom's 185 starts in which the Mets have given him practically zero run support. Keep in mind that on a few occasions, deGrom himself is the only man who drives in a run, so in reality, his teammates aren't always the ones who score for him. Sometimes deGrom is the ONLY one doing the work for the New York National League ballclub.
Maybe one day, the Mets can regularly support Jacob deGrom. Saturday — a shutout loss to the Marlins — was not that day.
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