Mets Christian Scott puts together really solid start in return from IL

The Mets are 13 games under .500 and have less than six weeks to convince their front office they should not sell at the trade deadline.The season is on life support, to put it generously, but outings from Christian Scott matter even if this year ultimately will not.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.

In his first start off the injured list, Scott showed some of the same excellent stuff that has made him a bright spot in a dark season.The 27-year-old threw one regrettable pitch — a 3-2 fastball to Bryce Harper, Scott bemoaning turning to the four-seamer a fifth time in the at-bat — that crept over the wall in left-center in the third inning for a two-run home run and otherwise was in control.“Really solid,” interim manager Andy Green said after the 6-2 win over the Phillies at Citi Field on Saturday.“Only had so many bullets to fire today, and he was good outside of one swing from Bryce Harper.”Scott, who had not pitched in a little over two weeks because of a hip contusion, lasted 82 pitches in 4 ¹/₃ innings in which he let up just those two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out six.The righty, who had missed all of last season because of Tommy John surgery, induced 17 swings-and-misses while leaning particularly on his sweeper and four-seamer.“I feel great,” said Scott, who owns a 3.20 ERA and looks like a fixture in this rotation for years to come.

“Felt like I attacked the zone pretty well for the most part.Just established my offspeed stuff early in the game and then kind of just rode the wave off of that.”Zach Thornton’s reward for an excellent start — the kind the Mets are in desperate need of — was an immediate trip back to Triple-A Syracuse.The Mets optioned the young starting pitcher, who had held the Phillies to one run while striking out seven in six innings Friday, to create roster space for Scott.Including ...