PHILADELPHIA — Editor's note: The above video is from April 7.
Tylor Megill is doing his best Jacob deGrom impression.
Again pitching in place of the injured ace, Megill delivered his second straight scoreless start and led the New York Mets over the Philadelphia Phillies 2-0 on Tuesday night.
“Nobody expected him to pitch like Jake, and that’s exactly what he’s done," said Brandon Nimmo, who homered.
Francisco Lindor had an RBI single for the Mets, who recovered from blowing a four-run lead in the eighth inning against Philadelphia on Monday night to snap a two-game skid.
Megill (2-0) got his spot in the rotation only when deGrom, a two-time NL Cy Young Award winner, was sidelined by a shoulder problem in spring training.
Megill gave up just three hits, walked none and struck out five in 5 1/3 innings.
“He’s had big shoes to fill with Jake going down and he’s doing it unbelievably – even more than I think any of us could’ve hoped for,” Nimmo said. “Been amazing to watch.”
After throwing five shutout innings to win on opening day at Washington, Megill outpitched Zack Wheeler (0-1).
“It's a blast, just playing the game I love and going out and helping the team win,” Megill said.
The burly 26-year-old righty has allowed just six hits while striking out 11 without a walk in his two starts.
“Lots of confidence, for sure,” Megill said. “Obviously, all of my stuff is working really well right now. Just got to keep throwing pitch by pitch, filling up the strike zone and just keep getting ahead of hitters.”
Mets manager Buck Showalter lifted Megill in the sixth after Johan Camargo singled and went to second on Simon Muzziotti’s sacrifice bunt.
Reliever Chasen Shreve got Kyle Schwarber to ground out and fanned J.T. Realmuto to preserve a 1-0 lead.
Philadelphia threatened again in the seventh when Nick Castellanos doubled with one out, but Drew Smith struck out Rhys Hoskins and Didi Gregorius to the delight of the many Mets fans among the 26,045 in attendance at Citizens Bank Park.
“It’s a good win for us early in the season after last night,” Showalter said.
Shreve and Smith combined to give up one hit in 2 2/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts.
Edwin Díaz struck out three in the ninth for his first save in the combined five-hitter. He fanned Hoskins with runners on first and second to end it.
Díaz, who was seventh in the majors with 32 saves last season, rejoined the Mets on Tuesday after missing three days while on the bereavement list.