The one where the NY Mets struck out 26 Braves players and still lost

Dominant starts, poor run-support, and a lack of W’s became the reputation for Jacob deGrom during his time with the New York Mets. In his two Cy Young seasons in 2018 and 2019, deGrom was invincible when he had the control. Unfortunately, baseball is two-sided. As good of a hitter as he was, he needed a little more help.

On August 23, 2019, deGrom had maybe one of the most deGrom-ian starts of his career. Against the Atlanta Braves at home, the two clubs exchanged a run each in the sixth inning. Freddie Freeman singled in a run. deGrom, of course, went yard to lead off the bottom half of the inning.

7 innings, 4 hits, a walk, and 13 strikeouts, deGrom was his usual brilliant self. Unfortunately, the Mets bats failed to show up in a game that would go 14 innings and tie a MLB record for most strikeouts by a pitching staff in a game with 26.

This Mets loss put a nasty bow on the season

The Mets were making a nice comeback in August after deciding to be light buyers at the trade deadline, adding Marcus Stroman and subtracting Jason Vargas. A Wild Card was their best chance to make it to the postseason. At 86-76 at the season’s conclusion, they weren’t one victory away. That version of the MLB playoffs only allowed 5 teams in. The third Wild Card had yet to be introduced to the world, for better or worse.

deGrom’s baker’s dozen strikeouts didn’t immediately show up. He had none in the first, one in the second, and only his second of the day in the third. Fanning the side in the fourth inning put him on track for such an impressive performance. He’d repeat that in the fifth inning. In the sixth, despite allowing a run to score, he struck out three more. He’d add one more in the seventh to finish off his day.

This was a team-effort by the Mets pitching staff on their way to striking out 13 more. Seth Lugo fanned 4 in his 2 innings. Edwin Diaz, while lowering his ERA to 5.21 in this game, had 2 more in his one frame. Luis Avilan, Brad Brach, Paul Sewald, and Justin Wilson added one each. In the 14th inning, Jeurys Familia predictably struck out 3 while also giving up a pair of walks and allowing a run to score thanks to a double and a single.

What could have been a celebration turned into an agonizing loss. Two games back of the Chicago Cubs for the second Wild Card spot after taking the L, it was a David Stearns-led Milwaukee Brewers club who’d get the hottest and take it with 89 regular season wins. Losses like this, as forgotten as they’ve become in the archives, helped destroy the 2019 Mets.

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