Analysis before the trade deadline: We got Paul Blackburn [1]? Who the bleep is…oh wait, the name is slightly familiar. Right, Paul Blackburn was an All-Star a couple of years ago. I remember that because when I saw he was representing the A’s in 2022, I thought, “who the bleep is…?”
As Friday night’s game got going: This 2022 All-Star Paul Blackburn seems to be courting trouble. The Angels have a run, and they have baserunners, and how is having Paul Blackburn helpful to the Mets’ pursuit of a playoff spot? Why didn’t we just go out and get John Thomson — my default trade deadline hurt-more-than-he-helped deadline acquisition example — again?
As Friday night’s game went on: He needs a little help from his defense, and maybe the Angels aren’t much, but Blackburn’s still out there, still getting out of innings, not giving up any more runs. Given the options (Tylor Megill, mostly), we certainly could have done worse.
Conclusion regarding the newest Mets starting pitcher: Six innings! Eighty-two efficient pitches! Gave up only the one run! Was given a lead in the third, saw it expanded in the sixth, and never gave up any of it! The Mets go on to win [2], 5-1, therefore Paul Blackburn knows how to win!
Make them all this easy, and this trip will be a breeze.