The blister that knocked Jenrry Mejia out of his last start didn’t slow him down any more than St. Louis did on Monday night.
Sure, the Mets offense went into hiding again, fitting considering the new camouflage tops they donned. But Mejia was so good, it didn’t matter. He smothered the Cardinals in a 2-0 win before 20,382 fans at Citi Field.
After being forced to leave Tuesday’s win in Arizona after five shutout innings because of a torn blister on his finger, Mejia (3-0) tore through the Cardinals’ lineup for 6 ²/₃ scoreless innings, scattering four hits and walking three while striking out seven.
“He came to spring training bound and determined to be the fifth starter. Jenrry put his mind to it,’’ said manager Terry Collins. “I got a report from the Dominican Republic he was out throwing every day, running; he got himself in great shape and [Monday] he pitched it.
“Coming off that blister, to pitch the way he did was an outstanding job. We weren’t sure what he was going to give us, and he gave us more than we expected for sure.’’
Coming into the season with a career 2-6 record and 4.53 ERA after having barely beaten out Daisuke Matsuzaka for that last rotation spot, the 24-year-old Mejia has been a revelation. He has run his scoreless streak to 13 ²/₃ innings, and lowered his ERA to 1.99.
“When I was in the bullpen [pitching coach] Dan Warthen asked me about the blister,’’ said Mejia. “I said ‘Don’t worry about the blister. It’s good.’ ’’
And so was Mejia, his command the biggest key. Shaky in the past, he didn’t walk a batter until the fifth inning, the difference more mental than mechanical.
“I think about it. When I came here as a reliever I just throw like 98 [mph], I just throw over there,” Mejia said. “Now I’m thinking, I see the glove and keep my head there. That’s going to make me throw a lot of strikes. That’s more mental. The mechanics you can work on in the bullpen, but the mental you work every day.’’
Mejia needed to be every bit that good on Monday. As it usually does at home, the Mets’ offense sputtered, Curtis Granderson the most guilty. He went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts, now hitless in his last 19 at-bats with seven strikeouts.
The Mets had hoped after Sunday’s game-winning RBI sacrifice fly, he might start living up to his four-year, $60 million deal. But Granderson saw his average shrivel to .121. He continued to struggle, and the Flushing Faithful continued to voice its displeasure.
“[Mejia] was amazing,’’ said Granderson. “He pitched lights-out against a great St. Louis offense.’’
“He had great command of all his pitches,’’ said catcher Travis d’Arnaud. “He’s just being himself and having fun out there, pitching really well. I’d say he’s always had control, but his command was on point, every pitch. It was fun.’’
David Wright slapped a broken-bat RBI single in the third inning to score Eric Young Jr. and stretch his hitting streak to a dozen games.
Shortstop Ruben Tejada continued his woes at the plate, but had a pair of great diving stops. The first robbed Yadier Molina The second snared a Jon Jay grounder in the fifth. Tejada flipped the ball to Daniel Murphy from his belly. The second baseman barehanded it and relayed it to first for a double play.
D’Arnaud added an RBI single in the sixth for a 2-0 lead. And after Mejia left with two out in the seventh, reliever Scott Rice came in to get Shane Robinson to ground out to third.
Rice and Carlos Torres pitched a scoreless eighth before nominal closer Kyle Farnsworth pitched a scoreless ninth for his first save.