Before Saturday, Steven Matz had only thrown a pitch in the eighth inning this season because of his bullpen cameo before the All-Star break.
The Mets did not need a fifth starter at the time, and Matz had been struggling, so he was the choice to briefly drop out of the rotation.
But the lefty saw the eighth inning again on Saturday, this time getting there on his own. And for the first time as a pro, he even pitched the ninth.
Matz cruised to his first career complete game and shutout, turning in an absolute gem to carry the Mets to a 3-0 win over the Pirates at Citi Field.