WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — When Joey Lucchesi was ejected and analyzed his first Grapefruit League appearance, the left-hander realized he had lost control of his tempo. And that doesn’t usually happen, he said.
He went wild, striking out batters in 1 1/3 innings during the Mets’ 4-1 loss to the Nationals on Tuesday at CACTI Park in Palm Beach.
Those were signs that something was wrong.
After going into the fifth inning, his body clock went awry and there was nothing connected to a particular pitch, which caused Lucchesi to give up four hits and four runs in his audition for a spot in the rotation.
“I knew what I was wrong about in that game and to some extent right,” Lucchesi said. “It’s okay. It’s okay. We need to make sure we don’t speed up on our next trip.”
He was scheduled to pitch on March 6 before the game was rained out, so manager Carlos Mendoza arrived at camp “a little late,” Lucchesi said, relying on backfield pitching.
Despite not playing in the Grapefruit League, he said Friday that his innings still has “solidity.”
But four days later, Lucchesi, who went 4-0 last season with a 2.89 ERA in nine games for the Mets, started by allowing an infield hit.
Despite a walk and a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded and Lucchesi inducing a double play, the Nationals managed to score one run.
Everything happened quickly in the sixth inning, when Washington put runners on first and third base. Nick Senzel singled to center field, Mendoza removed Lucchesi, and the two runners who took over scored.
Lucchesi was “a little disjointed” and “kept the batters at bay,” Mendoza said. However, the 30-year-old believes there is still plenty of time to prepare for the season, even if his debut is delayed.
“I’m fine,” Lucchesi said. “…I feel like it’s going to be solid.”
Before Mendoza took questions from reporters Tuesday afternoon, the Mets manager had another topic to talk about.
Team legend and former outfielder Darryl Strawberry announced Monday that he has suffered a heart attack and is recovering. In response, team owner Steve Cohen and his wife Alex released a joint statement, recalling Strawberry’s time as a guest instructor at Mets camp last month, and announcing his retirement ceremony on June 1st. He added that he was looking forward to his recovery.
Mendoza also expressed a similar opinion.
“First of all, I want to send my prayers to Darryl Strawberry,” Mendoza said. “I’m praying for him and wishing him a speedy recovery and hope to see him back in a Mets uniform soon. So I’m praying for him and his family.”
Strawberry, who turned 62 on Tuesday, spent the first eight years of his career with the Mets, where they won the 1986 World Series. He posted on Instagram on Monday that he was recuperating at SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital in Lake St. Louis. Mo. and “Everything is fine.”
Manager Mendoza again avoided naming a starting pitcher for the opening game, but said, “We’re getting close.”
