When Steven Matz made his major league debut for the Mets on June 28, everything went right. He dominated the Cincinnati Reds’ hitters, he went three for three at the plate with four R.B.I. and he reinvigorated a Mets season that had begun to flatten out from lack of hitting and too much shaky defense in the infield.
When Matz followed up that first performance with six innings of shutout pitching against the Los Angeles Dodgers last Sunday, allowing just two hits while striking out eight, the excitement surrounding him escalated.
A dominant Mets starting rotation was now even stronger thanks to a 24-year-old left-hander who had grown up on Long Island, and if the Mets could acquire a capable hitter for their lineup, a spot in the postseason seemed possible.