Blade Tidwell received an unexpected but exciting message on his pregame sheet: he was called up to the big leagues for a start against the St. Louis Cardinals. Tidwell, a promising pitching prospect, had been performing inconsistently in the International League, with a 5.00 ERA, but showed potential during spring training. His recent outings improved significantly, striking out 18 batters in 9 innings, which impressed the Mets’ coaching staff and secured his promotion, as noted by manager Carlos Mendoza.
