Carlos Carrasco struggles, but Mets beat Pirates with big relief
Carlos Carrasco #59 of the Mets looks at the ball during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field on Monday, Aug. 14, 2023. Credit: Jim McIsaac
At the end of the season, the Mets will have a decision to make on Carlos Carrasco. He’s making it an easy one.
Carrasco, 36, is a free agent and the Mets will need starting pitching in 2024. But after going just three innings (88 pitches) and allowing two runs against the light-hitting Pirates on Monday night, Carrasco has a 6.40 ERA.
Carrasco needed 31 pitches to get through the first inning. “It’s one of those years — a bad year,” he said. “But I’ve been fighting, man.”
The Mets overcame Carrasco’s short outing with six scoreless innings of relief pitching and went on to beat the Pirates, 7-2, before 23,151 at Citi Field.
The Mets scored in each of the first six innings, with Jonathan Arauz hitting a two-run homer, Daniel Vogelbach and Brandon Nimmo adding solo shots and Jeff McNeil driving in a pair of runs.
Carrasco, who gave up four hits, walked three and struck out five, is making $14 million in the last year of the contract.
The only sure rotation pieces the Mets have under contract for next season are Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana.
Carrasco was replaced by new Met Tyson Miller to start the fourth. Miller (1-0), whom the Mets claimed off waivers from the Dodgers on Aug. 4, threw two scoreless innings and picked up the victory.
Righthander Sam Coonrod was activated from the 60-day IL and also made his Mets debut with a scoreless sixth inning.
Coonrod, 30, had been out since spring training with a lat strain. He replaced Josh Walker, who was placed on the 15-day IL, retroactive to Sunday, with a right oblique strain.
Phil Bickford, Trevor Gott and Adam Ottavino each threw a scoreless inning.
Mound moves
The Mets placed lefthander Josh Walker on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Sunday, with a right oblique strain. Righthander Sam Coonrod was activated from the 60-day IL. Coonrod, 30, had been out since spring training with a lat strain.
John Curtiss was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse and placed on the 60-day IL with what the Mets called “a loose body in his right elbow.”
Jimmy Yacabonis, who was designated for assignment, cleared waivers and was outrighted to Syracuse.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
