Rafael Montero did a lot of things right in his Major League debut. Unfortunately for the Mets starting pitcher, he could not control who the opposing pitcher was.
Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka shut down the Mets’ bats and spoiled the debut of Montero, who picked up his first loss in a 4-0 decision at Citi Field.
Montero gave up home runs to Yangervis Soloarte and Mark Teixeira, but overall pitched a pretty good game, especially for his initial big league start. Montero lasted six innings, giving up three runs on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
“I was very impressed,” manager Terry Collins said. “This kid is going to be good.”
The 23-year-old arrived in New York on Tuesday and was officially called up Wednesday before the game. He is the Mets’ second-best pitching prospect behind Noah Syndergaard.
Montero’s pitch count soared early thanks to the Yankees’ selective hitters and foul balls. He had close to 90 pitches entering the fifth inning, but managed to last through the sixth.
“I couldn’t have asked for anything better,” Collins said. “He came out and threw strikes right away, which tells me he was comfortable.”
The first run given up by Montero will go down as an earned run, but it was not really his fault. Eric Young Jr. made an ill-advised diving attempt at a Brian Roberts hit to left field. The ball bounced past Young Jr., allowing Solarte to score from first base on the triple.
Montero’s first big league strikeout came against Derek Jeter in the third inning, a moment he will surely remember.
“That was a good feeling,” Montero said through an interpreter. “I felt very happy.”
Montero gave up his first home run on a 3-1 pitch that Solarte drilled over the right-field fence at Citi. Teixeira then drilled his own solo shot off of Montero to lead off the sixth inning.
“It didn’t seem like anything really fazed him even when they got a couple of hits or hit a home run,” catcher Anthony Recker said. “He seemed to have really good composure out there. That was big.”
The start from Montero was a big moment for the Mets, who have been pointing toward their young pitchers when discussing the future. Montero is a big part of that. They signed him in 2011 out of the Dominican Republic. He rose through minors and was 4-1 with a 3.67 ERA this year at Triple-A Las Vegas before getting called up this week.
The Mets will send out another rookie making his debut Thursday night against the Yankees with Jacob deGrom getting the start after scheduled starter Dillon Gee was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday.