ANAHEIM, Calif. — Paul Blackburn’s acquisition from Oakland likely brought a collective “Who?” from a large segment of the Mets’ fan base earlier this week, but Friday it was time for proper introductions.
And Blackburn’s first impression was an excellent one.
The right-hander cruised with an efficiency that Mets starting pitchers have often lacked this season, helping his new team roll to a 5-1 victory over the Angels to start a 10-game road trip that includes four cities.
Blackburn, whose first real exposure to his new teammates came before the game — he remained on the West Coast to meet up with the Mets following Tuesday’s trade — allowed one earned run on six hits with six strikeouts and two walks over six innings, departing after 82 pitches.
“It’s been crazy — definitely been crazy,” Blackburn said, referring to his week. “But I am here to do a job.”
Catcher Francisco Alvarez spoke with Blackburn for about 20 minutes before the game to start learning about his preferences.
But once the game started, the two appeared as if they had been working together for an extended period, according to manager Carlos Mendoza.
Mendoza said he spoke with Blackburn on the phone following the trade, but kept it basic in their first in-person meeting Friday.
“I came in and saw him and shook his hand, and said, ‘Go be yourself big boy, I will talk to you after the game,’” Mendoza said.
The Angels managed just two hard-hit balls in those six innings, as Blackburn kept opposing batters off balance largely with a mixture of cutters, changeups and sliders.
His fastest pitch of the night was 92.5 mph.
The Mets are counting on the 30-year-old Blackburn to help stabilize a rotation that lost Kodai Senga to a calf strain during his first start off the injured list.
Another starter, Christian Scott, has been sidelined with a sprained right ulnar collateral ligament.
Tylor Megill, considered valuable rotation depth as the season began, has struggled and was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse following Wednesday’s game.
It has left Blackburn in a rotation with Luis Severino, Jose Quintana, Sean Manaea and David Peterson as the Mets (58-51) continue to compete for a National League wild-card berth.
“I have never really gotten a taste of a playoff race, and it’s something I have always looked forward to,” Blackburn said.
The right-hander said he thought it was “50-50” he would get traded at the deadline after he returned a week earlier from a stress reaction in his right foot that landed him on the 60-day injured list.
In his only start back before the trade, Blackburn faced the Angels and allowed four earned runs over five innings.
“Just given the situation and this team and how well they are playing I am glad to change green for blue,” Blackburn said.
Jose Butto followed Blackburn’s strong outing with two shutout innings before Phil Maton worked a scoreless ninth.
Alvarez’s RBI single in the second brought in the game’s first run.
Jose Iglesias delivered a leadoff double and was waved home on Alvarez’s single to left.
It was a welcomed contribution offensively from Alvarez, who had a .577 OPS in July with only six RBIs.
It followed a strong June for Alvarez, after returning from surgery to repair a torn thumb ligament.
Jo Adell’s grounder off Mark Vientos’ glove in the second went for an RBI single that tied it 1-1.
Mickey Moniak singled and Zach Neto walked ahead of Adell’s run-scoring hit. Adell was thrown out by Alvarez attempting to steal second, helping to minimize the damage in the inning.
Pete Alonso’s two-run homer in the third gave the Mets a 3-1 lead.
Brandon Nimmo singled leading off the inning before Alonso crushed a cutter from Tyler Anderson into the left-field seats.
The blast was Alonso’s 23rd of the season and third in five games. Luis Guillorme’s fielding error later in the inning allowed Iglesias to reach base, but Anderson retired Tyrone Taylor for the third out.
The former Met Guillorme rebounded in the fifth — diving with his back to the infield for a lunging grab on Alvarez’s pop-up that left Alonso stranded at third after drawing a leadoff walk in the inning.
J.D. Martinez chopped a single past first base in the sixth that brought in Harrison Bader with the Mets’ fourth run.
Reliever Mike Baumann should have escaped the inning without any further damage, but Neto booted Vientos’ grounder, allowing the Mets to widen the Angels’ deficit to 5-1.
Bader’s leadoff single and Francisco Lindor’s bunt for a hit started the inning.