Rick

Porcello

Porcello made the official announcement that he’s retiring after a 12-year career on a local Boston radio station podcast this week. The 33-year-old right-hander, who spent time with the Tigers, Red Sox and Mets, hasn’t pitched since the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. He won the American League’s Cy Young Award back in 2016 and also took home a World Series title in 2018 with the Red Sox.

Porcello, of course, was drafted by the Tigers and spent the first six seasons of his career in Detroit. Beck does note that the two sides “remain apart on potential contract terms,” so there’s some work to be done before they cross the finish line on a deal. Porcello has posted back-to-back disappointing seasons, but he makes sense as an innings-eater for a Tigers club that has a lot of young arms.

After cruising through the first two innings, the Nationals erupted for five runs in the third inning -- starting with a solo blast off the bat of Trea Turner. Porcello wraps up his miserable 2020 season with a 1-7 record, 5.64 ERA and 1.51 WHIP across 59 innings. He’s set to hit free agency following this season and again will likely have to settle for an incentive-laden one-year contract to rebuild his value.

The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Saturday. Scheduled starters Rick Porcello and Max Scherzer will be pushed back a day.

The former Cy Young Award winner scattered just three hits and two walks on the afternoon. Unfortunately for him, the Mets weren’t able to provide any run support for him and Kyle Wright was brilliant on the other side. The only run that he did allow came on a solo blast by Ronald Acuna Jr. in the sixth inning. Porcello will carry a 5.46 ERA and 1.43 WHIP into his final start of the season on Friday against the Nationals in Washington.

Porcello gave up six hits, including a two-run homer to Didi Gregorius in the fifth inning. He fanned five and walked two en route to falling to 1-5 on the year. The Mets gave Porcello a one-year, $10 million contract last offseason in hopes of a rebound, but he’s now sporting a 6.06 ERA through 10 starts. GM Brodie Van Wagenen gambled and lost here.

The Mets offense bailed Porcello out in this one. It’s the 10th time since the beginning of the 2017 season that Porcello has allowed at least five runs and avoided taking a loss. Only Martin Perez, with 11, has had that happen more frequently. Porcello is 1-4 with a 6.07 ERA this year.

While the Mets lost the game, Porcello really needed an outing like this one. This was the first time since August 11 that he went at least six innings while giving up two runs or fewer. The Mets are going to need to get more starts like this one to have any chance of finding their way to the postseason. As of now, it’s looking rather questionable. Porcello now holds a 5.54 ERA through eight starts and will square off against the Orioles at home next week.

The veteran right-hander walked two and struck out two on the afternoon. The Yankees scratched out a run in the opening inning on a run-scoring ground out off the bat of Mike Tauchman, then they tacked on another in the fourth on an RBI double by Mike Ford. He left in line to earn his second victory of the season, but the Mets’ bullpen allowed five runs in the seventh to blow it for him. Porcello will look to further improve upon his disappointing 6.00 ERA and 1.58 WHIP when he does battle against the Phillies on Friday.

Porcello struck out four and didn’t issue a walk, but the Marlins poured on three singles and two doubles between the second and third innings to chase him from the game following a rain delay. Corey Oswalt took over in the fourth and allowed just one hit over four scoreless innings of relief. Porcello now has a 6.43 ERA through six starts this season and probably wouldn’t get another turn in the rotation if the Mets had better options.