Remembering Mets History: (2015) Steve Matz's Incredible Big League Debut

Sunday, June 28th 2015: At this point in the Mets 2015 N.L. Championship season, the Mets were at a low. They had just five wins in their last sixteen games & were 4 1/2 games behind the Washington Nationals. 

It was the most games behind the Nats, the Mets were all season. But today would be the turnaround for the Mets, from this point on they may have had difficulties but they never fell that far behind Washington again.


Today was the highly anticipated debut of yet another Mets young star pitcher. Local Long Island kid; Steven Matz was finally brought up to the big leagues after going 7-4 with 94 strike outs in 90 innings at AAA Las Vegas. 

Matz was looked at as one of the top pitching prospects & his addition to an already talented staff brought more belief in this team.

Starting Lineups

	Cincinnati Reds				New York Mets
1	Brandon Phillips	2B		1	Curtis Granderson	RF
2	Joey Votto	1B		2	Ruben Tejada	SS
3	Todd Frazier	3B		3	Lucas Duda	1B
4	Jay Bruce	RF		4	Wilmer Flores	2B
5	Marlon Byrd	LF		5	Darrell Ceciliani	CF
6	Brayan Pena	C		6	John Mayberry	LF
7	Eugenio Suarez	SS		7	Johnny Monell	C
8	Josh Smith	P		8	Eric Campbell	3B
9	Billy Hamilton	CF		9	Steven Matz	P

Steven Matz took the mound with his parents, grandparents, other family & friends all in attendance.

Matz was greeted with a lead off HR to Brandon Phillips but he took a deep breathe & settled in. He retired the side in the next two innings then had his first major league at bat.

In the 3rd inning with Darrell

Ceciliani & Eric Campbell on base, Matz surprised everyone with a double off Josh Smith, putting the Mets up 2-1. The Matz family & Citi Field crowd gave him a huge ovation.


In the 4th inning, Matz gave up a HR to Todd Frazier tying the game. In the bottom of the 5th, Matz singled going 2-2 on the day. He then scored a run when Curtis Granderson doubled, putting the Mets ahead again. 

In the 6th inning clinging to a 3-2 lead, Matz came up with the bases loaded. In heroic fashion he singled once again for his third hit in his MLB debut, two more runs scored making it 5-2. 

He was 3-3 with four RBIs on the day, becoming the first player since 1980 to do that in his MLB debut.

And on the mound he would pitch into the 8th inning, after giving up a two out walk & reaching a pitch limit.

Matz gave up two runs on five hits, striking out six walking three in a marvelous debut earning the victory. The Mets went on to win the game, Matz was one of the winning pieces to the Mets 2015 puzzle.

Soon Michael Conforto would get promoted & a month from now Yoenis Cespedes would arrive as well as supporting characters Tyler Clippard, Juan Uribe & Kelly Johnson.