WASHINGTON — Jose Butto was largely an afterthought when the Mets looked to fill rotation openings this season, but Wednesday night, he provided a glimpse of what the organization believes he is capable.
The right-hander pitched strong into the seventh inning, receiving a no-decision in the Mets’ 3-2 loss to the Nationals.
Butto, who was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on Friday when rosters expanded, allowed two earned runs on six hits and one walk with six strikeouts over 6 ¹/₃ innings.
Butto took a shutout into the seventh, but was removed after allowing two hits (both runners later scored).
Jacob Young’s walk-off RBI single in the ninth inning against Phil Bickford gave the Nationals a split in the two-game series.
The Mets are 1 ½ games ahead of Washington in their bid to avoid last place in the NL East.
Butto’s performance was easily the best of his six career major league appearances, three of which have come as a starter.
With Syracuse this season, the 25-year-old started 19 times and pitched to a 5.93 ERA.
That underwhelming work explains why David Peterson and Tylor Megill, despite their own struggles this season, received chances in the Mets’ rotation throughout the season while Butto remained at Triple-A.
After he started two games for the Mets in April, Butto had one relief appearance for the team in May and another in August.
The Mets needed a starter for Wednesday after Carlos Carrasco was removed from the rotation last week and then broke his right pinkie Sunday when a 50-pound dumbbell fell on the finger during a workout.
Francisco Lindor delivered an RBI single in the first inning to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.
Brandon Nimmo opened the game with a double before Lindor brought him home, then stole second. The stolen base was Lindor’s 26th this season, equaling his home-run total and giving the Mets shortstop an opportunity to join the 30/30 club in homers and steals.
Mark Vientos’ RBI single in the fifth extended the Mets’ lead to 2-0. Lindor doubled leading off the inning, and after Pete Alonso was intentionally walked for the second time in the game, Vientos delivered the two-out hit.
Butto allowed a leadoff single to Dominic Smith in the second, but got Carter Kieboom to hit into a double play before escaping the inning.
Smith singled with two outs in the fourth, but Butto rebounded to strike out Kieboom. Butto allowed a two-out double to Young in the fifth before retiring CJ Abrams.
Butto was allowed to continue into the seventh at 73 pitches, but was removed after he allowed his second single of the inning, to Jake Alu, which put runners on the corners with one out.
Ildemaro Vargas brought in a run with a single against Trevor Gott. The Nationals tied it 2-2 on Abrams’ single under the glove of a sliding Ronny Mauricio.
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