Megill Rebounds After Ugly First Inning

Tylor Megill didn’t give up more than four earned runs in any of his first 11 starts. In his 12th start on Tuesday, he surrendered four in the first inning at Dodger Stadium.

The damage was done by a few of the usual suspects: Mookie Betts singled, Freddie Freeman doubled him home and Max Muncy hit a two-run homer.

“First inning, they were really aggressive,” Megill told reporters after the Mets lost 6-5 in 10 innings. “Made some good pitches. Freeman in the first, two-strike change-up bottom of the away, pulled it over. Probably say the pitch that coulda been better was to Betts, two strikes, it was in the strike zone too much.”

Megill was a new pitcher – or at least got much better results – after the first. He went six innings in all, giving up no runs and allowing just one hit over the last five innings of his outing. He finished with seven strikeouts.

“I don’t think a lot changed, just more so, just bringing out the slider,” he said. “Still stayed on the attack. Fastball, everything was good, I don’t think much changed besides opening up the slider and mixing in some off-speed early. I think just after that, just still stayed on the plan, stayed on the attack. Got some great defensive plays as well, defense behind me. (Juan) Soto making a play over in the bleachers.

“So overall, thought it was good. Obviously got my teeth kicked in there in the first. Just settled in. Just told myself, you know, a pitch at a time, no more after that. I knew the team would come through, get some runs going across the board, which happened. Just stayed on the attack and just, you know, a pitch at a time.”

After starting out the year strong – his ERA was 1.09 after five starts – Megill has been uneven for the past six weeks. Including Tuesday night, he’s given up exactly four earned runs in four of his last six starts, none of which lasted longer than six innings. His ERA in May was 5.96 (22.2 IP).

Hopefully, the stuff he showed after the rocky first inning is a sign of things to come.

“I think the slider, the curveball, the secondary pitches I think the way he mixed, you know he kinda speed them up, slow them down with the fastball, the secondaries,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of Megill’s approach after the first. “And I mean after that first inning … for him to go six innings, I thought he did a really good job there.”

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