Jacob deGrom was rolling, got into a little bit of trouble, and then his hip cramped up.
He was kneeling as Adeiny Hechavarria made a throwing error which allowed the Diamondbacks to get their first run, and his hip cramped up. He was allowed to remain in the game after one mound visit, but after giving up a ground-rule double. Mickey Callaway and the team trainer decided to take him out. DeGrom was at 89 pitches when he was taken out with two outs in the seventh, and the Mets' bullpen proceeded to blow a four-run lead before they lost 6-5 in 11 innings.
"I was frustrated," deGrom said. "It just cramped up for a second. I just wanted to throw a couple of pitches to make sure it was fine and it was. It's a tough loss for us tonight and I wish I could've stayed out there."
"I tried to tell them, 'Look, I'm fine,'" deGrom added. "I felt like I made good pitches to Nick (Ahmed) there. He happened to get on top of one and hit it. Once they came out the first time I thought I was gonna be able to stay in the game and try to get us out of that inning."
DeGrom then gave up a ground-rule double with an 0-2 count, after which Callaway and the trainer reemerged from the dugout. After a discussion, deGrom was removed from the game.
"He said it felt OK, so we let him face one more hitter, and then he kind of looked like it was still bothering him a little bit," Callaway said. "And then, we just can't leave him out there with anything bothering him because he's too important to this franchise. He's here for a long time and we can't get him hurt just trying to get another out or another inning out of him."
Jeurys Familia stranded two inherited runners to end the seventh, but he was charged with three runs in the eighth. He left with the Mets lead down to 5-3 with one out in the eighth when Callaway turned to Robert Gsellman for the fourth time in five days instead of going to Edwin Diaz. Gsellman immediately gave up a game-tying, two-run homer to Adam Jones.
"We thought about it, but we've got to take care of Diaz too," Callaway said. "Somebody's got to get outs in the 8th, and we're just not getting it done."
Of course, Callaway didn't necessarily have to turn to Diaz for a five-out save. He could've had him get the final two outs in the eighth before bringing in someone else for the ninth, but the Mets don't seem inclined to use Diaz outside of the traditional closer role.
The bullpen wasted what early on was a gem by deGrom, who had 47 pitches through five innings. DeGrom said it was the best he felt all year as he was able to locate all four of his pitches.
"It's frustrating for all of us," deGrom said. "We let one get away."