The nature of last night’s game changed about three hours before first pitch, when the team announced that Jacob deGrom would be scratched from his scheduled start because of neck stiffness. Walker Lockett was chosen to start in place of deGrom, and what was a game the Mets hoped to cruise through suddenly became a game the Mets were going to have to get through.
For the most part, Lockett got through his outing, managing to pitch his way through six innings to eat some innings and keeping the game from getting out of hand.