Miguel Andujar jumped on a Griffin Canning changeup and smashed a line drive that barely cleared the left-field fence at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, Calif., on April 11.
The homer by the A’s infielder in the sixth inning that night is notable because it was the last one surrendered by a Mets starting pitcher. The homerless streak by the rotation has lasted 12 games, of which the Mets have won nine.
The Mets’ 18-7 start this season has brought many surprises, perhaps none larger than the performance by a starting rotation that was a question mark as spring training began. By the end of camp, those uncertainties seemed even more pronounced with injuries to Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea that will prevent either from pitching for the team before early June.
But in Canning, Clay Holmes, Tylor Megill, Kodai Senga and David Peterson, the Mets have found a workable mix. It starts with keeping the ball in the park, a significant reason the Mets rank first in MLB with a 2.33 ERA by their starting rotation. The Tigers were a distant second as Thursday’s play began at 3.09.
