NEW YORK — The first no-hitter in Mets franchise history required remarkable patience, 51 seasons’ worth, long enough for some of their faithful to wonder whether it ever might occur. Johan Santana made the dream a reality on June 1, 2012, when he pushed his surgically repaired left arm to the brink in pursuit of glory.
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The second no-hitter in franchise history required a shorter wait and fewer individual heroics. Five pitchers combined to shoulder the load in a 3-0 victory over the Phillies on a blustery night at Citi Field. For five innings, Mets starter Tylor Megill kept the Phillies hitless. For the final four frames, a quartet of relievers — Drew Smith, Joely Rodríguez, Seth Lugo and Edwin Díaz — made Megill part of history.
The first no-hitter of the 2022 MLB season demonstrated both the evolution of modern pitching and the limitations still lingering from the offseason work stoppage. Megill was removed after 88 pitches; he had not thrown more than 92 in his previous four starts, so a complete game was never within reach. Mets manager Buck Showalter did not experience the anguish of Terry Collins, who agonized over Santana during those 137 unforgettable pitches. Showalter only had to press the necessary buttons for his bullpen to protect the lead, and protect the collective milestone.
“You never know, right?” Showalter said. “You never know what the game has in store for you.”
Of the five pitchers, only Díaz took the mound aware of the approaching milestone. The others learned about it inside the clubhouse, their work done, their arms cooling down. They operated without the anxiety of the achievement on their minds.
Smith secured four outs, all four of them via strikeout. Rodríguez stranded an inherited runner with an inning-ending double play in the seventh after fooling Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm with a changeup. Lugo picked up Rodríguez in the eighth by inducing a pair of pop-ups. Díaz carved up the heart of Philadelphia’s lineup for the save.
The pitchers gathered for a joint news conference afterward. Showalter gabbed as the group waited for Megill to arrive. The manager referenced his proximity to infamy, as a member of the Yankees coaching staff in 1990, when a series of errors left Andy Hawkins on the hook for a loss despite eight innings of no-hit baseball.
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“One time I was coaching third, in a no-hitter, and we lost,” Showalter said.
“A no-hitter, and lost?” Rodríguez said.
“That’s bad luck,” Díaz said.
Only good fortune shone upon the Mets (15-6) on Friday, another highlight to an ideal opening to the season. The club entered Friday atop the National League East, with the best record in the sport. The pitching staff has been a significant reason.
Megill has been a delight in April. With Jacob deGrom on the injured list, the team asked Megill to start Opening Day. He did not permit a run in his first two outings. His fifth offered more of the same.
“I’m ecstatic,” Megill said afterward.
“Can’t you tell how excited he is?” catcher James McCann cracked.
On Friday, Megill was effective, if not particularly efficient. He was aided by center fielder Brandon Nimmo, who ran down a pair of line drives in the first three innings. Megill issued three walks. Two of those came in the fifth. With two outs in the inning, Megill settled himself to put away Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera. He picked up two quick strikes, which brought the Citi Field crowd to its feet. Megill blew away Herrera with an elevated, 96 mph fastball to strand the runners and snuff out the threat.
“He’s got really good length on his heater,” Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper said. “It’s like you’re on it and then you’re not.”
Megill exited unaware of the lack of Phillies hits. By that point, McCann understood what was unfolding. The first man out of the bullpen was Smith. McCann decided against alerting him. “I sure as heck wasn’t going to say anything when these guys come in, to tell them something was going on,” McCann said.
Smith had not permitted a run in his first eight outings in 2022. He walked Harper with two outs in the sixth, but otherwise mowed down the four men he faced. A roar greeted him after he struck out catcher J.T. Realmuto with a slider for the first out of the seventh. Smith noted the ovation as he left the mound. “Man,” Smith said he thought to himself, “I must have done really well tonight.”
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Rodríguez issued a walk to his first batter, then got Bohm to bounce the Phillies out of the inning. After another walk in the eighth, the sixth of the night for the Mets staff, Rodríguez gave way to Lugo. He finished the inning in five pitches.
The 32,416 fans approached a fervor as Díaz warmed up. The closer knew the story. The other pitchers would soon catch on. Inside the clubhouse, Lugo looked at the television. He noticed the zero in Philadelphia’s hit column and hightailed it to the dugout. Smith was going through his postgame arm maintenance when he overheard SNY announcer Gary Cohen “say something about ‘history,’ and then I looked at the zero.” Díaz was two outs from ending the game when Rodríguez caught on. “I checked the TV, and I said ‘What?’” Rodríguez said.
Díaz jogged to the mound. McCann met him there. He offered a suggestion: Ditch the electronic PitchCom system, because the crowd noise might drown it out. They agreed to use hand signals to finish the night.
Díaz fanned the 2021 National League MVP, Harper, with a 92 mph slider. Nick Castellanos could not catch up to Díaz’s fastball and flailed at a slider for the second out. The last man met the same fate: Díaz pumped an 0-2 slider, and Realmuto had no chance.
The Mets converged on Díaz and McCann. McCann made sure to secure the baseball, which he handed over to the Mets to get authenticated. The players intended to spread the mementos among the five arms and the one mitt. It was a collective achievement, one to be celebrated together. McCann had caught a no-hitter before, in an empty stadium in 2020 with Lucas Giolito and the White Sox. The game Friday, played before an adoring crowd for a team building toward a special summer, offered a different sort of thrill.
“It’s a no-hitter,” McCann said. “It’s special. It’s something that’ll be in history forever.”
(Photo: Daniel Shirey / MLB Photos via Getty Images)
