Megill Struggles As Mets Shut Out 5-0 Against Astros
Sunday afternoon in Port St. Lucie provided perfect baseball weather, but that was the only bright spot for the New York Mets, as they fell to the Houston Astros 5-0 in their spring matchup.
Tylor Megill got the start for New York but struggled, lasting five innings while surrendering four runs on six hits, including a home run. This marked Megill’s first tough outing of the spring, bringing his ERA to 3.86. Tyler Zuber entered in relief but exited after just 1/3 of an inning when a comebacker struck him following a hit.
Connor Overton took over and surrendered a hit before closing out the frame. Grant Hartwig didn’t fare much better, allowing two hits, one of which was a home run to former Met Zack Short. Austin Warren provided the lone bright spot on the mound, tossing a scoreless inning to finish the afternoon. The Mets’ staff gave up a total of ten hits but stranded six Astros on-base.
Hayden Senger put together a solid game, ripping a double in the sixth and making an impressive back-pick to erase a runner leading off first in the fourth. Senger is battling for the Mets’ backup catcher role alongside Jakson Reetz, who entered late in the game to replace him.
Beyond Senger’s hit and a single from Jose Azocar, the Mets’ bats remained silent. Regulars Francisco Lindor, Jose Siri, Pete Alonso, Starling Marte, Brett Baty, and Mark Vientos all went hitless.
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
Player of the Game: Hayden Senger
Garnering one of two Mets hits on the afternoon, Senger’s double in the sixth inning along with a strong play to throw a runner out to get Megill out of a jam in the fourth inning. In the absence of Francisco Alvarez, Senger is looking to lock up the backup catcher roster spot behind Luis Torrens
On Deck
The Mets will be in split-squad action tomorrow, with two games on the schedule. The first matchup takes place at Clover Park, where New York will face the Tampa Bay Rays. Griffin Canning is projected to get the start for the Mets, while former Mets prospect Mike Vasil should take the mound for Tampa Bay. Fans can catch this game locally on WPIX.
Meanwhile, the second contest will see the Mets travel to Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida, to take on the Miami Marlins. Paul Blackburn is projected to try to continue his strong spring with another solid outing, going up against Miami’s Ryan Weathers. Unfortunately, this game will not be available to watch in-market.
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