Tylor Megill's Return, Long-Awaited Win Fuel Mets' Opener

New York Mets right-hander Tylor Megill recovered from a scary start to earn his first win in over two months.

Aug 30, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Tylor Megill (38) pitches during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports / Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

At least for now, the third time is the charm for Tylor Megill and the New York Mets.

Megill commenced his third major league assignment of the year on Friday and came through for Queens after a shaky start: the right-hander afforded the Chicago White Sox an early lead at Guaranteed Rate Field but he recovered well enough to throw five innings of shutout ball after that, giving him just enough to qualify for the win in an eventual 5-1 triumph.

It comes with a Chicago-sized asterisk, but Megill (3-5) earned his first major league victory since June 16.

The final line for Tylor Megill tonight in Chicago pic.twitter.com/S0nrVpkFu0

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 31, 2024

“It felt good,” Megill said, per Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. “The first [two] innings were a little bit of hard work, a little bit getting behind early. But then after that, I locked it in and it seemed like I was cruising a little bit easier.”

Megill is back in New York thanks to Paul Blackburn's injury, and pitched well enough to keep the Mets (71-64) within three games of Atlanta for the third and final National League Wild Card spot. As he mentioned, things started shaky against the lowly White Sox.

Megill walked leadoff man Nicky Lopez on seven pitches before Andrew Benintendi hit a run-scoring double with one out. After the Mets tied the game on Harrison Bader's fielder's choice, Megill allowed another leadoff single and hit Dominic Fletcher to open the second. The bases were eventually loaded with two outs on Lopez's infield single.

But after working out of that jam, and letting one more leadoff man on base in the next inning, Megill retired the next 10 batters; New York's lineup staked him with a 4-1 lead on Jesse Winker's RBI double and J.D. Martinez's two-run home run in the third inning. Megill's final full inning saw him strike out the top of the Chicago order in the fifth, needing just 14 pitches to pull it off.

Tylor Megill strikes out the side in the 5th inning! pic.twitter.com/xaoyLoX5BS

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 31, 2024

“I thought he settled in nicely,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “After the first couple of innings, he settled down, made pitches, and gave us a good outing.”

Megill got the first out of the sixth inning before giving way to Adam Ottavino after a Gavin Sheets single. He allowed only five hits in 5 1/3 frames, allowing no more than five knocks in each of his last six major league starts.

With Blackburn out, Megill is currently on pace to start the series finale of another interleague set, Wednesday's tilt against Boston. Megill will have to set a precedent, as he has not gone at least five innings on consecutive starts on five days' rest since late spring. He feels like Friday's tune-up against the woebegone White Sox was, at the very least, a good start and a solid pace-setter if he's going to be relied upon in the Mets' playoff push.

"I’m going to go out and help this team in any way possible to win. Obviously we’re in a playoff hunt, and I’m going to do everything in my power to keep us in there when I go out and pitch," Megill said, per Stebbins. "Coming in and helping the team and putting together an outing where we put the best situation to help the team out throughout the game, I felt like I did that tonight. (Now I) just carry it forward [to the] next outing."