May 31, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) hits an RBI single in the fourth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
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The Arizona Diamondbacks intentionally walked Mason Williams to get to Jacob deGrom on Monday. He made them instantly regret it.
New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom has proven on a yearly basis that he is one of the most dominant starting pitcher in the game today. What may be forgotten by some who are not Mets fans is that he is also one of the best hitting pitchers in the game this season. That was evident on Monday night when he faced the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Mets had two outs on the board with Jose Peraza on second following a double. Outfielder Mason Williams stepped up to the plate, but the Diamondbacks opted to intentionally walk him in favor of Merrill Kelly pitching to deGrom. That decision proved to be costly, as deGrom laced a single to right field, allowing Peraza to run home to extend New York’s lead to 3-0.
Mets: Jacob deGrom makes Diamondbacks pay for intentionally walking Mason Williams
That was not the greatest decision by the Diamondbacks, in hindsight. As it turns out, that was not the only error that Arizona made in that inning. Remember when we mentioned Peraza got on second with a double? Well, that was due to a massive communication blunder between outfielders Ketel Marte and David Peralta, which allowed the baseball to drop between the two.
As a result of this RBI single, deGrom’s batting average has now increased to .474 on the season. In addition, deGrom now has nine hits and three RBI to his credit.
To all teams who happen to face deGrom in the near future, do not intentionally walk the eighth batter in New York’s lineup to get to him. It will not end well for you.