Mets' Tylor Megill Endures Nightmarish Outing in Career-Worst Start

WASHINGTON -- It was a night to forget for starting pitcher Tylor Megill.

The Mets have been riding high as of late, entering Wednesday evening's matchup with the Nationals at 11 games over .500, their best mark since October of 2016.

And they initially kept the good times rolling in their latest contest, jumping out to a 3-0 lead over the Nationals in the top of the first inning via a run scoring error on Starling Marte's bunt hit, and two-run home run from the red-hot Pete Alonso.

However, it all came crashing down shortly thereafter when Megill, who has been a godsend in the Mets' rotation this season, endured the worst start of his big-league career.

Megill took the hill having allowed a combined nine runs runs across his first six starts this season. But on Wednesday night at Nationals Park, he nearly exceeded this mark as the Nationals' offense hit him hard.

The righty lacked command of his four-seam fastball, which saw Washington bang out eight runs on eight hits in 1 1/3 innings.

"An outing like this, as bad as it went, you just can't dwell over it," Megill said afterward. "Flush it. Obviously it was a bad outing. I'm capable of way more, I'm not going to let this one define me. Just get ready for the next one."

"Just can't dwell over it. Flush it. Obviously it was a bad outing. I'm not going to let this one define me. Just get ready for the next one"

- Tylor Megill pic.twitter.com/hW1rYYv92h
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 12, 2022

The Mets' three-run lead quickly evaporated in the form of eight unanswered runs by the Nationals.

Megill surrendered five runs on five hits in the bottom of the first. But manager Buck Showalter decided to stick with the righty to begin the second inning, which wound up back firing.

Power-hitter Nelson Cruz destroyed a changeup from Megill with runners on the corners, which sailed into the seats in left center to bust the game open at 8-3.

This ended Megill's career-worst night. His final line: 1 1/3 innings, 54 pitches (31 strikes), eight runs, two home runs, eight hits, one walk, one strikeout.

"There are things you can take from it. Getting ahead of hitters, I didn't do a good job of that" Megill said of his poor outing. "Too many fastballs. That's on me. At the end of the day, I just got to be better."

"Too many fastballs. That's on me. End of the day, just got to be better"

- Tylor Megill pic.twitter.com/Brhiab0tut
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 12, 2022

After going 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA in April, Megill has been charged with 11 earned runs in his last 6 2/3 innings, suffering back-to-back losses to begin the month of May. Megill's ERA on the season has shot all the way up to 4.41 as a result of his last two outings.

The Mets' offense could not score beyond the first inning, nor complete another epic comeback, falling 8-3.

The Mets are now 21-11 on the season and will go for the series victory over the Nationals on Thursday afternoon with Taijuan Walker on the bump.

Silver Lining

Trevor Williams and Stephen Nogosek combined for 6 2/3 shutout innings in long relief. Nogosek hurled three hitless innings in his season-debut.

This duo helped preserve the Mets' bullpen ahead of an important rubber-game on Thursday.

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Silver Lining

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