ANAHEIM, California: Paul Blackburn left the team hotel mid-afternoon on Thursday to grab a bite to eat. Then, without seeing any of the players he would later refer to as teammates, he returned to his room.
For the 30-year-old right-hander, it was a strange week. On Friday, he made his final pitch in Anaheim. After that, he returned to the Bay Area and learned that he had been traded to the New York Mets, who coincidentally were embarking on a 10-game road trip in the same road ballpark where he had made his previous start.
He discussed a game strategy and his complicated pitch mix with catcher Francisco Alvarez during their first and essentially only pregame chat.
“It’s been crazy,” Blackburn said. “But I’m here to do a job. Once those lights come on and the game starts, I’m here to do a job. And I take pride in that.”
In a 5-1 New York triumph on Friday night, he pitched six innings of one-run ball, doing his job against the Los Angeles Angels. He was far better than he had been a week before on that mound, striking out six and walking two.
Shortly after the trade, according to Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, he called his new pitcher. Before the game, when they first met in person, he gave a brief introduction of himself. Blackburn will be essential to a Mets rotation that was without a trustworthy fifth arm. He gave an example of that on Friday night.
Solid #Mets debut for Pauly Punchouts 👏 pic.twitter.com/4EzLpCbfpd
— New York Mets (@Mets) August 3, 2024
“I came in, saw him, shook his hand, and said, ‘Go be yourself. I’ll talk to you after the game,’” Mendoza said. “He made pitches when he needed. A huge outing for him.”
In his last appearance, Blackburn went to his fastball more than any pitch. He entirely departed from that plan a week later, observing that the Angels teed up his fastball on a couple of occasions. Mendoza stated that he was generally happy with the wide pitch mix and that he particularly enjoyed Blackburn’s righty-righty changeup.
He was having trouble throwing strikes early in the night, so it looked like it would be a strenuous endeavor. However, the right-hander got to work immediately away. He could have pitched on at least six innings, but he was down to just 82 pitches. But he had already accomplished more than enough in just his second start from a foot ailment.
“Paulie’s an All-Star for a reason,” said Mets slugger Pete Alonso, who hit a two-run homer in the win. “Any time he takes the ball, he’s got a really good chance to win. He’s got a very polished arm, and very much appreciative of today. He threw the ball super well.”
In Blackburn’s comeback from a 10-week IL stint last week, he allowed four runs in five innings.
He was playing for a team he had been with for his whole eight-year Major League Baseball career that day in a clubhouse. Today, he was surrounded by teammates he had just recently met in a familiar setting.
The Mets are hoping Blackburn returns to his 2022 All-Star level. He was not the most spectacular addition made during the trade deadline. A starter with a 4.79 lifetime ERA and a 90 mph fastball is hardly going to entice fans.
However, Blackburn’s six-pitch combination has some usefulness. Against the Angels, he employed five of those options virtually interchangeably. The cutter he visited the most, twenty-two times. In addition, he combined 10 fastballs, 2 curveballs, 14 sliders, 13 sinkers, and 21 changeups. He completed his final four scoreless innings of work with just 51 pitches.
“He told me, ‘I like to move the ball around, I like to hit the corners,’ Alvarez said. “I think he came ready to pitch. The first thing he told me was, ‘I want to win.’”
José Butto pitched two shutout innings in relief for the Mets. Had New York not traded for Blackburn, it likely would have meant Butto would enter the rotation. That’s why Mendoza pitched him in a 15-2 blowout Monday. Simply to keep him stretched out for a potential start this weekend.
However, Blackburn’s presence maintains some stability in the lineup and places one of the finest relievers in New York in a position where he can succeed. The Mets strengthened their roster in a useful way even if they did not sign a major player at the deadline because to moves like these.
The first game for Blackburn will not compare to Yoenis Cespedes’ 2015 post-deadline debut. However, if this is any indication from his debut, the 30-year-old can be useful. He can pitch every five days, cover innings, and offer some starter depth.
This rotation has been good, if not dominant, and he fits right in. True aces do not exist. However, there is not any clear weak point anymore.
Early in the night, Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner conducted a mound visit with Blackburn. The infield came in. It was probable then that he talked to some of them for the first time.
Everyone at that particular moment, he stated, had words of encouragement for him. The game was really stressful. His goal was to leave a positive impression. The Mets are also a contender for the playoffs. That put him at ease, and now his tenure in New York is off and rolling.
“It goes a long ways, especially coming in and not knowing anybody, in a playoff race,” Blackburn said. “Just trying to put together good innings.”
(Photo: John McCoy / Getty Images)
