As far as debuts go, New York Mets pitcher Chris Young couldn't have drawn this one up much better. Sure he could have lasted a bit longer than 5.1 innings, but otherwise there wasn't much to dislike as he led the Mets past the Philadelphia Phillies 7-1 Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park.
Young not only got the win by allowing just one run in those 5.1 innings, but he also entered the Mets history books for his work with the wood.
The veteran righty led off the third inning with a single that ignited a six run outburst against Phillies starter Cole Hamels. Young ended up driving in the sixth run of the inning and knocking out Hamels when he became the first Mets pitcher to ever have two hits in one inning.
Mets manager Terry Collins let Young go out for the sixth inning, but pulled him after he sandwiched a deep fly to the wall in left field with a single and a walk.
D.J. Carrasco, took the ball from young and got Wilson Valdez to ground into an inning ending double play. He stayed in for a scoreless 7th whiel Tim Byrdak and Bobby Parnell each contributed a scoreless frame to put this one in the books.
Hamels lasted just 2.2 innings and all six of his runs were earned in what was his second-worst start of his impressive young career. The Phillies bullpen got the job done the rest of the way, limiting New York to one run on six hits over the final 6.1 innings.
The Mets will be back at it against the Phillies on Wednesday night looking to take back-to-back road series to open the season. Mike Pelfrey (0-1, 10.38 ERA) take the mound as New York opens the season with a four-man rotation while Philadelphia counters with Joe Blanton making his season debut in the role of the fifth Beatle.