Zach Thornton’s Scoreless Streak Ends, Mets Keep Winning

Zach Thornton’s time without allowing a run has come to a close. But his recent efforts have contributed significantly to the Mets’ winning momentum.

The rookie pitcher started four games, each lasting at least six innings, leading the Mets to a decisive 14-3 win over the Braves at Citi Field on Monday night. This victory marked his second consecutive win. The Mets enjoyed a strong second half offensively, racking up 19 hits, even after conceding nine runs in the final innings. This win against the league leaders was the first time the Mets have won back-to-back games since early July.

Thornton (2-1, 2.43 ERA) faced the mound for his fifth career start, managing 18 consecutive scoreless innings—this is the longest by a Mets rookie since 2016, when Steven Matz accomplished it. However, he allowed a run before finishing the first inning.

Nonetheless, the 24-year-old pitched seven innings and left to a standing ovation in the rain. He wrapped up his performance allowing three runs, six hits, and one walk over 6⅓ innings while striking out five, throwing 81 pitches (54 of which were strikes).

“I can’t say I was surprised by his performance,” Mets interim manager Andy Green mentioned before the game. “That scoreless streak is pretty incredible for anyone. He has shown remarkable skills out there. He pitched aggressively and mixed things up effectively. It worked out well for him. We expect him to thrive further in this role.”

Interestingly, before the game began, opposing players had been hitting just .175 against Thornton. However, he quickly yielded three hits before securing three outs, with the shutout streak ending at 18⅓ innings after Ozzie Albies reached on Francisco Lindor’s grounder and earned an infield hit. Thornton only allowed three more hits over the following 5 1/3 innings.

The Mets never fell behind after Lindor tripled in the first inning, sending AJ Ewing home. Once Thornton found his rhythm and retired seven batters in a row, Ewing collected another single, and then Lindor blasted a home run, narrowly clearing the left-field wall for a 3-1 Mets lead, marking his seventh homer of the season.

Though Albies tied the game with a two-run homer in the fourth, Marcus Semien (2-for-3, walk) answered back in the sixth inning with a two-run shot over left field, making it his 12th of the season and third in five games.

Eventually, Tyrone Taylor capped the game with a three-run homer, his second such performance in two days. Lindor then followed up with a three-run homer as well, making it the 23rd time in his career he has recorded multiple home runs in one game, contributing to an impressive eight runs scored.