PORT STREET LUCIE — Jose Quintana had plenty of opportunities to work with the runners on base Sunday.
Despite a lackluster start against the Marlins in the Grapefruit League, Quintana was able to take such a positive view.
“This is a special time to be working on something,” the left-handed pitcher said after the Mets’ 7-6 win at Clover Park. “It’s really good to get into some situations and catch ground balls and execute pitches.”
Overall, he allowed six runs (four earned) on eight hits and one walk in 4¹/₃ innings. Quintana retired after 71 pitches and was unable to make it through the fifth inning as he had hoped.
Coach Carlos Mendoza said, “We were hit late in the count, but I thought we got better as the game went on.” “It’s a good day to work.”
Mendoza said he will receive his final exhibition start either Friday or Saturday before taking the ball in the season opener against the Brewers on March 28 at Citi Field.
Quintana, the left-handed pitcher who will be the first Mets starter since John Neese in 2013, hopes to extend his pitch count to 85 to 90 pitches in his final spring training start.
“The ups and downs right now are the most important thing,” Quintana said of the number of innings pitched. “I was aiming for the last inning today, but I threw too many pitches in the last two innings and ended up in a pinch.”
Quintana wasn’t the only Mets starting pitcher to get into a scuffle on Sunday.
Tyler Megill started in the Mets’ split-team game against the Nationals in West Palm Beach, pitching 3/3 innings and allowing four earned runs on five hits and two walks.
It was the toughest battle of the exhibition season for Megill, who is strongly considering a rotation vacancy due to Kodai Senga’s shoulder strain.
The main possibilities for that opening are Megill and Jose Butt.
