ANAHEIM — Exactly one week ago, Paul Blackburn faced the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium, wearing green and gold, and led the Oakland A’s to victory.
On Friday night at the Big A, Blackburn faced nearly the same lineup, this time wearing blue and orange and throwing to a catcher he met three hours before the game.
A major trade deadline acquisition for the Mets, Blackburn made a smooth transition in a 5-1 win over the Halos in the opener of a 10-game road trip. It was an impressive debut.
“I’m glad I can catch my breath now,” Blackburn said. “Coming here was great.”
With the A’s on the West Coast at the trade deadline and the Mets scheduled to travel to Anaheim from New York the next day, the team flew Blackburn to Orange County instead of flying him across the country for less than 24 hours. Since he was already on the roster to pitch for Oakland, the Mets used him in place of Tylor Megill, who was optioned Friday afternoon.
But that meant waiting three days to meet his new team and the new catcher he was scheduled to pitch to. Manager Carlos Mendoza called him after his trade, but he didn’t meet with catcher Francisco Alvarez, pitching coach Jeremy Hefner or catching coach Glenn Sherlock until he got to the ballpark Friday.
And with Blackburn expected to start, his new teammates had to make him feel as comfortable as possible while giving him time to prepare. Pete Alonso left him mostly alone, as did his former A’s teammate Sean Manaea. Others came over to shake his hand, but kept it brief.
“I came in, saw him, shook his hand and said, ‘Be yourself, big guy. I’ll talk to you after the game,’” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “That’s it.”
The right-hander held the Angels to just one run on six hits in six innings, allowing two walks and striking out six. Blackburn wasn’t spectacular and didn’t wow anyone, but he showed new fans and new teammates that he can give them a good start in strange circumstances.
The Mets are facing a lot of strange circumstances, so he’s already checked an important box.
“It was crazy,” Blackburn said. “It was really crazy. But you know, I’m there to do my job once the lights come on and the game starts. I’m proud of that.”
The day started for him when he met Alvarez and the two chatted in front of their lockers. Alvarez got a sense of what he likes to do and how he likes to work. The catcher was impressed with Blackburn’s assessment of his equipment, and the pitcher was impressed with Alvarez’s assessment of Halo’s hitters and his sense of sequencing.
Both men decided to throw more changeups at the Angels than in his last outing.
“I really appreciated Alvy giving me a different perspective,” Blackburn said. “I told him, ‘Whatever you see, trust it and I’ll trust you.’ And I feel like that goes a long way in the relationship between a country and a pitcher.”
The Mets gave them a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Jose Iglesias scored on a single by Alvarez. The Angels came right back to tie the score in the bottom of the inning.
But Alonso hit his 23rd home run of the season off left-hander Tyler Anderson in the third inning. The two-run homer gave the Mets the lead for good. They then scored two more insurance runs and chased Anderson (8-10) out of the game after five innings.
Every member of this surprising team had a hit. There were chances to break the game and beat the Angels, but the Mets went 3 for 18 with runners in scoring position and left 12 men on base.
“We created traffic but we didn’t hit it hard at times,” Mendoza said. “But after the two-run home run, we kept putting the pressure on. [on Anderson]and we continued to create situations. We were able to add points. Overall, a good night for our offense.
The defense behind Blackburn also made it easy for him. Francisco Lindor and Jose Iglesias combined for two dynamic double plays. In the second inning, Alvarez attacked Lindor as Adel was running for second base. The throw was off the line, but Lindor caught it as he fell forward to retrieve his leg before he could slide to safety.
It probably saved a race.
“It was fun to watch,” Blackburn said.
Right-hander Jose Butto had another outstanding relief outing, pitching two perfect innings and striking out three, and Phil Maton finished things off in the ninth.
It was a difficult weekend for Blackburn but they remained calm throughout the game.
“He’s a great pitcher,” Alvarez said. “He’s different. He’s got some really good skills. And I think he can pitch like that in any lineup.”
