Scott Off To Great Start To Mets Career

 

Christian Scott striking out Ivan Herrera in the first inning. Photo by Jason Schott.

If the Mets make a run this season, one of the key components will be starter Christian Scott, who could be an anchor in the rotation with fellow phenom Nolan McLean.

Scott entered his start on Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals coming off the first two wins of his career, against Miami on May 31 and last Friday night in San Diego, in which he threw 5 2/3 shutout innings, and allowed just three hits and two walks, while striking out three.

Those two wins broke a stretch of 15 games without a win to start Scott's career, which began in 2024. It was the second-longest streak by a starter, with no relief appearances in the span, since Liam Hendriks' 17-game career-opening winless streak in 2010 and '11. (Scott sprained the UCL in his right elbow in '24, which cost him last season)

Despite not being able to earn a win, Scott became the first Met, and 13th in baseball history, to allow four or fewer runs in each of his first 17 career Major League starts. Five other Mets had allowed four runs or less in 16 of their first 17 starts, including Tom Seaver, Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Kodai Senga, and Nolan McLean.

On Thursday, that streak would be tested immediately, as the ball was flying out of Citi Field on the balmy afternoon.

After breezing through the first two Cardinals hitters, Scott allowed a solo home run  to Alec Burleson.

Then, in the bottom of the first, the Mets responded when Bo Bichette hit a two-run homer, followed by a Jared Young solo shot.

The home run derby continued in the top of the second when Lars Nootbaar crushed a solo shot to right-center field, followed by a two-run homer by Jimmy Crooks to suddenly give St. Louis a 4-3 edge.

After that, Scott worked around a Nathan Church double to get out of the second inning.

Then, in the third, he notched a pair of strikeouts, and navigated past a Nootbaar double. 

Scott then had his first 1-2-3 inning in the fourth, while striking out two.

In the fifth, JJ Wetherholt grounded out to second base before Ivan Herrera drew a walk. Alec Burleson flew out for the second out, and Jordan Walker singled, which ended the afternoon for Scott.

A.J. Minter came on to close out the fifth, and he got Nootbaar to fly out to left field to end the threat.

That also preserved Scott's four-run-or-less streak, which hit 18 games, and his final line was: 4 2/3 innings, 4 runs (all earned), 1 walk, 6 strikeouts.

In the bottom of the fifth, Cardinals starter Hunter Dobbins retired Bo Bichette for the first out, and, with Juan Soto coming up, he was lifted for a left-handed reliever, Justin Bruhl, even though he retired Soto twice already.

Right on cue, Soto laced a double to right field, and when Jared Young singled, came on in to score, with a pretty acrobatic slide at the plate, to tie the game at 4.

Juan Soto approaching the dugout after scoring in the fifth inning. Photo by Jason Schott.

Then, in the seventh, St. Louis made the same mistake again, as they turned to lefty JoJo Romero, and he faced Soto with two outs.

Soto, perhaps finding a fresh batch of warm air as the home run derby ended five innings before, crushed one into the bullpen in right field to make it 5-4 Mets.

That would be the final, as Luke Weaver pitched a perfect eighth, and Devin Williams closed it out with a 1-2-3 ninth.