Joey Lucchesi, despite being overlooked for most of the 2023 season, proved his worth as a valuable addition to the Mets’ roster for 2024. In Friday night’s game against the Cardinals, Lucchesi demonstrated his prowess as a pitcher, delivering a strong performance that extended into the sixth inning and contributed to the Mets’ 7-1 victory at Busch Stadium.
The Mets’ recent success in the NL Central continued, as they secured their fifth win in six games. While they faced some setbacks against the Braves, their matchups against the Cubs, Pirates, and Cardinals resulted in a 6-2 record. It’s worth noting that Lucchesi’s commendable outing followed an excellent start by lefty Jose Quintana the previous night.
After a two-month hiatus from pitching for the Mets, Lucchesi returned to the mound, showcasing his talent by delivering 5 ²/₃ scoreless innings. He allowed only four hits, two walks, and struck out five. Lucchesi’s comeback was particularly notable as his previous two appearances were rehab assignments with Single-A Brooklyn due to left knee tendinitis.
Lucchesi’s journey with the Mets has seen its fair share of highlights. On April 21, he made a significant impact when he was called up and pitched seven shutout innings against the Giants. As the season progresses, David Peterson and Tylor Megill join Lucchesi in vying for rotation depth, hoping to leave a lasting impression on Mets officials.
Lucchesi’s role on the team was primarily to provide an extra starting pitcher, allowing Kodai Senga some much-needed rest. It remains uncertain whether Lucchesi will continue in this role or return to Triple-A Syracuse. Nonetheless, his contributions to the Mets’ victory against the Cardinals are undeniable.
Brandon Nimmo kicked off the game with a homer, marking his career-best 18th home run of the season. The experienced outfielder had previously recorded 17 homers for the Mets in 2018. Nimmo’s feat not only added to his impressive hitting streak, which now spans ten games, but also gave the Mets an early 1-0 lead.
In the third inning, the Mets extended their lead to 2-0 thanks to Jeff McNeil’s RBI single. Francisco Lindor and Francisco Alvarez set the stage with a single and a walk, respectively, before McNeil sealed the deal.
McNeil’s impact on the game came to fruition in the seventh inning when he blasted a three-run homer, breaking the game wide open for the Mets. Following an RBI fielder’s choice from Lindor and an RBI single from Alvarez that expanded the lead to 4-0, McNeil showcased his power with a shot over the right-field fence, marking his sixth home run of the season.
Despite loading the bases in the first inning with two walks and a single, Lucchesi managed to strike out Jordan Walker, preventing the Cardinals from taking an early lead. The Cardinals’ offense remained dormant until Masyn Winn, a highly regarded rookie shortstop called up from Triple-A, secured his first major league hit with an infield single in the fifth inning.
An interesting highlight of the game occurred when Winn’s first hit ball was thrown into the grandstand behind first base by Pete Alonso. Although Alonso faced some boos from the crowd, he eventually surrendered the ball to the fan who caught it.
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