Jacob deGrom allowed two runs (one earned) through six innings, after which Jerry Blevins, Robert Gsellman, Hansel Robles, and Seth Lugo combined to pitch three scoreless innings and strike out six, in Thursday's win against the Nationals.
Robles pitched well Wednesday against the Phillies, which was his first appearance of the season after being promoted from Triple-A to replace the injured Anthony Swarzak. Nevertheless, I panicked when he entered Thursday to start the eighth inning, even with the Mets leading, 8-2.
Forgive me, but it's been a difficult last 18 months with Hansel, so much so that I have very little faith that he can get his career back on track. He looked terrible in spring training, necessitating being left off the Opening Day roster. However, here he is. In a medium-leverage spot Wednesday, he pitched well enough to inspire manager Mickey Callaway to see what Robles could do in a low-leverage spot while going back-to-back days. And though he did let up a double, he struck out three of the four batters he faced and kept the majority of his pitches in the strike zone. So, color me impressed and intrigued...
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