WASHINGTON - Dillon Gee was so nervous at the beginning of his major-league debut Tuesday night that he feared his first pitch would sail to the backstop. When his start was over, he jokingly wondered if he had blacked out.
"I didn't know what happened out there," he said, football jersey
smiling. The answer is - for a change - something marvelous for the Mets.
Gee, a 24-year-old righthander from Cleburne, Tex., who was drafted in the 21st round in 2007, took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. He allowed two hits and one run over seven innings in the Mets' 4-1 victory over Washington in front of 13,835 at Nationals Park. Pitching in front of 13 relatives and friends, Gee struck out four and walked three, joining Randy Sterling and Brian Bannister as the only Mets who brought a no-hitter into the sixth in their debuts.
"He's a pitcher and anytime you catch a pitcher on his game, he can do those types of things," Jerry Manuel said. "You like to see a guy have that kind of presentation the first time. It didn't look like there was any anxiety."
Gee even singled in a run in his first major-league at-bat, although he wasn't the offensive star, too. Ike Davis helped Gee relax by slamming a three-run homer in the first inning, his 18th of the season, a shot off Nationals' rookie Yunesky Maya, whose debut wasn't as smooth as Gee's.
Gee retired the first seven batters he faced before walking Wilson Ramos and did not give up a hit until Met-killer Willie Harris, who usually shatters Met hearts with his glove, led off the sixth inning with a home run. Gee, who did not know of Harris' history of Indianapolis Colts jersey
ruining things for the Mets, said he left a sinker over the plate on the blast.
Gee admitted he was "running out of gas" when Manuel brought in Pedro Feliciano to start the eighth inning. Manuel toyed with the idea of seeing how far Gee, who had thrown only 86 pitches, could go.
"But I thought it was more important to get him out on a high note," Manuel said.
Manuel liked Gee enough in 2009 to bring him north with the Mets out of spring training to pitch in one of the exhibition games at Citi Field before the season and the manager figured Gee would return at some point last year during the regular season. But Gee suffered a labrum injury and made only nine starts in the minors all year.
His arm healed with rehab, and he was terrific for Triple-A Buffalo this season, leading all of Triple-A with 165 strikeouts and going 13-8 with a 4.96 ERA. Manuel even said there were conversations through much of the season about calling up Gee earlier.
Gee's workload - he has thrown 168 innings, including Dallas Cowboys jersey
Triple-A - might keep him from making another start, Manuel said. But, the manager added, "I'd love to see another start. He looks like he could be a piece for this franchise."
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