The Mets didn’t take a big swing at a front-line starter at the trade deadline, choosing to fortify the rotation with veteran right-hander Paul Blackburn, but the 30-year-old gave New York exactly what they needed Friday night.
On the first night of the teams’ upcoming 10-game West Coast road trip, Blackburn pitched six innings of one-run ball to propel the Mets to a 5-1 win over the Angels.
Now, while Blackburn wasn’t dominant — often having to pitch out of trouble — he was efficient and gave the Mets a chance to win, and his manager and teammates appreciated that.
“The way he used all of his pitches, especially the changeup right on right was a plus pitch for him,” Carlos Mendoza said after the game. “Overall, he made pitches when he needed.
“He’s going to throw strikes. He’s going to move the ball around, keep hitters off balance and give you a chance. That’s what we saw today.”
“We got the win, that’s all I’m here for,” Blackburn said. “That’s all I care about.”
Blackburn was traded from the Oakland Athletics to the Mets on Tuesday and had no contact with his teammates until he arrived at Angels Stadium on Friday. Despite that, the right-hander said his debut could not have gone any better.
From his pre-meeting conversation with catcher Francisco Alvarez to speaking to the infielders during an in-game mound visit, Blackburn came away from his start impressed by his new teammates.
“I can just take a breath now. Coming in here It was awesome to see some familiar faces but just how welcoming everyone was,” he explained. “The mound visit and everyone had something positive to say. It goes a long ways, especially coming in here not knowing many people in a playoff race. Just trying to put together good innings.”
Blackburn only pitched for the Athletics since his debut in 2017 and playoff races were not common despite him pitching well.
The California native pitched to a 4.41 ERA this season but with a low 1.15 WHIP while with Oakland. Just two seasons ago, he made his first All-Star game, pitching to similar numbers. Although he was a potential trade chip, Blackburn admitted he thought it was a 50/50 chance he’d get traded this season, especially coming off a foot injury, but now that he’s with the Mets, he’s enjoying the chase.
“It’s a lot of fun. I haven’t really had a taste of a playoff race. It’s something I always looked forward to,” he said. “That’s why I play the game, to be the last team standing. I couldn’t be more happy to be here.
“I think it’s awesome, just given the situation of this team right now and how well they’re playing. Playoff race and everything. I’ll gladly change green for blue.”
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