In explaining the unorthodox decision to use Steven Matz out of the bullpen, Mets manager Mickey Callaway said he might help his team win a few games this week.
Not in his first outing.
Matz was used sparingly in his major league relief debut, facing one hitter and throwing just four pitches in a 5-1 loss to the Yankees in the Subway Series at Citi Field on Wednesday night.
“Normally, you’re pretty exhausted at the end of the game,” he said. “So it definitely was strange to just throw those four pitches.”
Matz, pitching three days after he was limited to two innings by a rain delay, retired Didi Gregorius with runners on the corners and two outs in the seventh inning on a groundout to second base.