Zach Thornton’s Scoreless Streak Concludes
The rookie’s impressive recent performances have kept several streaks alive, even though his scoreless run has come to an end.
Thornton made his fourth straight start, pitching at least six innings, and secured his second career win as the Mets triumphed over the Braves 14-3 at Citi Field. This marks the team’s first set of consecutive wins since early July.
In his fifth career start, Thornton (2-1, 2.43 ERA) had an outstanding run of 18 innings without conceding a score, the longest for a Mets rookie since Steven Matz in 2016. However, he allowed a run before the first inning closed. The 24-year-old left the mound to cheers from the crowd as rain fell.
During the game, Thornton pitched 6¹/₃ innings, giving up three runs on six hits and walking one, while striking out five on 81 pitches, of which 54 were strikes.
“He’s just that kind of player,” Mets interim manager Andy Green remarked. “He may be young, but he doesn’t let pressure get to him. Staying focused on the next pitch on a major league mound for the first time is tough.”
Before this game, batters had an average of just .175 against Thornton. Yet, the left-hander faced challenges early, allowing three hits before securing three outs, thus ending his shutout streak thanks to an infield hit by Ozzie Albies.
Though he did give up a game-tying home run in the fourth inning to Albies, he only allowed three hits during the next 5 1/3 innings.
“I had a few balls that didn’t go my way. I’m competitive and I thrive on challenges, but I know I need to stick to what I do best,” Thornton reflected. “I plan to face whoever is on that other side and give it my all.”
Green made the decision to give Carson Benge a day off, recognizing that balancing the health of rookies with the demands of a full major league season is trickier. He mentioned that both Benge and AJ Ewing would need careful management in the weeks ahead.
“It’s about finding a balance—pushing them to new limits without putting them at risk for injury. Regular off days at the right times will be key,” Green said prior to facing the Braves. “It’s likely we’ll see AJ take a day off soon to maintain that balance.”
In other news, infielder Mitch Voit, the Mets’ first-round pick in 2025, has received a promotion to Double-A Binghamton and is set to make his debut with the team on Tuesday. The 21-year-old had 76 games at High-A Brooklyn this season, with a batting line of .242/.349/.745, including 11 home runs, 47 RBIs, 12 doubles, and 36 stolen bases.
