New York Mets prospect Zach Thornton made the most out of his major league debut against the Washington Nationals. The 24-year-old southpaw battled through two innings giving up four runs. He settled into the next two frames, where he retired nine of the final 10 batters he faced. He finished his first outing with only four hits, four earned runs and three strikeouts.
Rocky Start
To start the first inning, Zach Thornton gave up a single to Curtis Mead. He then walked Andres Chaparro. In the next at-bat, CJ Abrams took Thornton deep for a three run homer. Despite the frantic start, Thornton struck out Dylan Crews, before forcing the final out.
In the second, Thornton walked Nasim Nunez, who then swiped second. Keibert Ruiz hit an RBI single off Thornton to score the Nationals’ second run. But similar to the first inning, the Mets prospect forced the next out, moments before earning his second strikeout.
Settling In
Zach Thornton slowly settled into the next two stanzas. He started in the third, when he retired three consecutive batters. He did the same in the fourth, forcing three more outs, including another strikeout.
“I just know that I need to get in the zone,” Thornton said during a postgame interview. “I feel as though I belong here. My stuff’s going to play. So if I can get in the zone, I’ll be alright.”
In total, Thornton displayed five pitches, relying heavily on a cutter that averaged 86 mph but topped 90. He also used a four-seamer and a sinker that has the ability to sit comfortably in the low 90s, while a high-70s sweeper generated his other two strikeouts.
“I thought he competed,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “They had some good takes on some pitches that were strike-to-ball, but they ran his pitch count up. The one thing I liked, even after he got punched there in the first inning, he didn’t back down. He kept going after it. The pitch count went up, but he competed.”
Looking Ahead
If Zach Thornton can take control from the start of his outings this can lead to him putting together longer and higher quality outings. He can also receive a a larger role in the Mets’ rotation or serve as a replacement for Kodai Senga or Clay Holmes, who are both on the injured list. In the series finale, the Mets will rely on David Peterson against the Nationals.
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