NEW YORK — In the raw, emotional moments following Jonah Tong’s last start, veteran teammate Sean Manaea approached the rookie to offer what encouragement he could. As the two stood in the dugout, Manaea pointed to two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom, who had taken the mound for the Rangers.
“He’s gone through that, too,” Manaea told Tong. “Every guy out there has had one of these.”
What mattered was what Tong did next. By the next morning, the rookie said, he had swept aside the six runs he allowed in less than an inning. He watched film of that start and, along with Mets coaches, formed a plan to fix things.
The results were plain to see on Thursday in a 6-1 win over the Padres. Relying more than ever on his signature fastball, Tong struck out eight batters over five innings at Citi Field. He allowed just four hits — all singles — and one unearned run. He kept the Mets on firm ground in the National League Wild Card race and reinserted his own name into contention for a potentially crucial postseason role.
“Obviously, today we were watching,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “And I’m glad that he stepped up and gave us a chance to win a baseball game.”
The victory expanded New York’s lead over the Diamondbacks, who were idle on Thursday, to two games. After Thursday night’s games, it was also two games over the Reds and three over the Giants, with nine to play.
“We don’t have too many left,” Mendoza said. “Every game matters.”
Since losing eight in a row earlier this month, the Mets have steadied themselves by winning three of four. Thursday’s victory came courtesy not just of Tong, but of Brandon Nimmo, who hit a three-run homer in the third inning to give the rookie some margin for error, and of Pete Alonso, who went deep for the fourth consecutive game.
Tong took all that and ran with it. Although he found some trouble early, Tong received a rally-killing gift when Manny Machado unsuccessfully tried to stretch a first-inning single into a double. After the Padres finally did score a run on a fluky third-inning sequence, Tong retired the final eight batters he faced.
“Coming back from that last outing that didn’t go the way that he would have hoped, I think it shows a lot of maturity from him at such a young age to be able to bounce back and double down on what he does well and go and execute it,” Nimmo said. “He did a great job today against a really tough lineup. I think it proves that he has a really bright future ahead of him.”
Bouncing back is not a new concept for Tong. Last year, shortly after bursting onto the scene at Single-A St. Lucie, Tong earned a promotion to High-A Brooklyn. There, he enjoyed a bit of success before blowing up for five runs in a June 1 game against Jersey Shore. He recorded merely one out that day.
Between starts, just as he did this week, Tong worked to fix things. His next outing was better. The one after that was better still. Then Tong reeled off a 3.38 ERA over his next dozen starts, firmly establishing himself as a prospect of note.
“That’s what you’re looking for in young guys,” Mets senior vice president of player development Andy Green said. “Like, show me that you can handle the tough moments, because it’s guaranteed they’re going to show up at some point in time. So you’ve got a young kid who has shown those moments of resilience, and he can rely on those moments in moments like this and know he can get back on the mound and fill up the strike zone and let this stuff play.”
It helps that Tong has allies on this journey. He met Manaea during the latter’s rehab from an oblique injury earlier this year. When Manaea asked Tong what he does for fun, the prospect sheepishly told him he likes playing Super Smash Bros. Manaea’s eyes lit up. A friendship formed.
By the time Manaea caught Tong’s ear in the dugout following his last start, he had established himself as more than just a veteran presence for the rookie. Manaea was an ally to be trusted.
“I’m really grateful for the support I’ve had in the clubhouse,” Tong said.
If he can build off this win, the 22-year-old’s future could include a playoff start next month, or a huge game down the stretch, or any number of other challenges. At some point, it will surely include more adversity.
The Mets are confident now that Tong will know how to handle it.
“Especially up here in the big leagues, it’s all about adjustments,” Nimmo said. “And he made great adjustments today.”
