Steven Matz’s career in professional baseball got off to a rocky start at best.
Drafted by the New York Mets out of high school in 2009 the Stony Brook, N.Y., left-hander underwent Tommy John surgery causing him to miss the 2010 season. The following year was a wash, too, as he was sidelined by various ailments.
However, Matz started on the comeback trail last year, going 2-1 in Kingsport, Tenn., where he posted a 2-1 record with a 1.55 ERA while striking out 34 in 29 innings. He walked 17 and allowed 16 hits.
The 6-2, 192-pound left-hander showed Saturday night why he is so highly regarded as he made his second start in what he hopes is his first full season in the Mets’ system..
Although he did not figure in the decision despite leaving after five innings with a 5-1 lead Matz made a lasting impression Saturday night on the 3,095 in attendance at Historic Grayson Stadium with his command of his pitches and poise in Savannah’s 8-6 win.
The Braves’ first three runners reached base to start the game, but Matz squirmed his way out of the jam, giving up only one run as he struck out two of the next three batters.
From there the hard throwing southpaw breezed until the fifth before he gave up a pair of leadoff singles.
However, the Braves, locked in a 1-1 game, could not advance a runner to third as Matz got the next three, concluding his night’s work by striking out Josh Elander. He concluded his night with seven strikeouts and only one walk while allowing four hits. The lone run he allowed was unearned.
It appeared Matz might get his first win of the season when the Sand Gnats, held hitless through the first four innings by Braves starter Patrick Scoggin, broke loose for four runs in the bottom of the fifth, injuring Scoggin in the process.
Scoggin had a runner on third with two out when Yucary DeLaCruz laced a line drive up the middle that struck him on the elbow.
That allowed Cole Frenzel to score and drove Scoggin out of the game.
Reliever Brandon Rohde hit Brandon Nimmo, and Jayce Boyd, who entered the game hitting .433, then hit a home run that cleared the left field fence with ease. In the blink of an eye it was 5-1.
However, the Sand Gnats’ bullpen could not hold the lead as Tim Peterson and Julian Hilario allowed four runs —three charged to Peterson — on six hits in the seventh. Hilario came in with the bases loaded and gave up three straight singles before striking out the next three.
Peterson had given up a home run to Edison Sanchez leading off the sixth, the first by an opponent at Grayson this season.
On deck
The two-game series will conclude at 2:05 p.m. today in Grayson Stadium.
Rome ab r h bi Savannah ab r h b
Peraza ss 4 2 1 0 DeLaCruz 2b 3 2 1 1
Luna 2b 5 1 2 1 Nimmo cf 1 2 0 1
Elander lf 5 0 3 2 Boyd 1b 4 1 1 4 Sanchez 1b 5 1 3 3 Plawecki dh 4 0 1 1
Franco 3b 5 0 0 0 Sabol lf 4 0 0 0
Tewell c 5 0 0 0 Glenn c 3 1 1 0
Brown rf 4 0 0 0 Evans ss 4 0 0 0
Marte dh 4 1 2 0 Frenzel 3b 4 1 2 1
Mueller cf 4 1 2 0 Pina rf 3 1 0 0
Totals 41 6 13 6 Totals 30 8 6 8
Rome 100 001 400 — 6
Savannah 001 041 20x — 8
E—Sanchez, Franco 2, Pereza, Evans 2. LOB—Rome 9, Savannah 4. DP—Savannah. 2B—De La Cruz, Glenn, Frenzel, Plawecki. HR—Boyd (1), Sanchez (1). SF—Nimmo.
Rome IP H R ER BB SO
Scoggin 4 2/3 2 3 2 2 4
Rhode 1 1/3 3 3 30 2
Sims (L, 0-1) 2 1 2 1 1 2
Savannah IP H R ER BB SO
Matz 5 4 1 0 1 7
Peterson 1 4 4 4 0 1
Hilario (BS, 1) 2 3 1 1 0 3
Carnevale (S, 1) 1 2 0 0 0 0
WP—Sims. HPB—Nimmo (by Rohde), Nimmo (by Sims). T—2:38. A—3,095.