Sean Newcomb’s long-chastised location concerns arrived in the second inning of his first big-league start. The twist: The 6-foot-5 left-hander’s errant throw was directed 180 degrees away from home plate, a mental lapse on a potential double-play ball that missed Brandon Phillips’ glove and ended up in center field.
That throwing error, which led directly to New York’s lone run registered with the Atlanta Braves’ prized prospect on the mound, accounted for the totality of Newcomb’s control issues in his MLB debut. Everything thrown toward the plate, on the other hand, bordered on overpowering.
Newcomb ended his first afternoon at SunTrust Park in the seventh inning after 96 pitches, offsetting six baserunners (one intentional) with seven strikeouts to refuse the Mets a single earned run.