Bishop Gorman’s Paul Sewald to get start for Mets against Cubs

“Jesus Christ is risen! Love has triumphed over hatred, life has conquered death, light has dispelled the darkness!”

Maybe that explains why Sewald will get the start for the New York Mets late this afternoon in the Big League Weekend opener vs. the Chicago Cubs at Cashman Field.

While it might be unwise to discount divine intervention in matters such as these (this also might explain why the hitters from the Dominican Republic make the sign of the cross before facing Clayton Kershaw), it’s more likely the reason Sewald gets the nod versus the Cubs is that he’s from Las Vegas — he played on three state championship teams at Bishop Gorman — and Jacob deGrom wanted to spend a little more time in Florida with family and friends.

DeGrom, the hard-throwing, mop-topped right-hander who won nine games for the Mets after being recalled from the 51s — and then 14 last season when he had an exemplary 2.54 ERA — was supposed to start today for Terry Collins’ National League champions against Chicago.

Instead, deGrom will remain behind at spring training camp in Port St. Lucie, Florida, to pitch against minor leaguers. (Good luck, minor leaguers.)

So Paul Sewald gets the start against the Cubs at Cashman.

What a thrill that has to be for the local kid.

When we chatted in Port St. Lucie earlier this month, he had no idea that Pope Francis and Terry Collins were buds; no idea the baseball gods and Peter Gammons would conspire to present him with this most excellent of opportunities.

He still was floating on humid Florida air that the Mets thought enough of his pitching acumen to invite him to big league camp for a few days, even if he had to wear jersey No. 79.

“Like you said, it’s been one step at a time, and now I’m one step away from the major leagues,” he said about a steady progression up New York’s minor league ladder, from Short Season Brooklyn, to Low-A Savannah, to High-A St. Lucie, to Double-A Binghamton.

One rung at a time, steady as she goes, change speeds, work in the slider, keep the ball low. If Sewald begins the season with the 51s as projected, he’ll be one rung closer to the goal and the big per diem.

“They have a timetable for me, and I’ll be ready when they ask me to be,” said the affable 25-year-old.

He’s a bit older than most prospects; he has two years on Noah Syndergaard and a year on Steven Matz, both former 51s and now members in good standing of the parent club’s flame-throwing starting rotation. But Sewald still had a gee-whiz attitude when asked what it was like to locker alongside of those guys for a few days.

“It was my first major league spring training; it was a blast, I had a fantastic time,” he said. “I wish I could have stayed a little bit longer.

”But Terry (Collins) and Dan (Warthen, Mets pitching coach) gave me some things to work on, and I already feel better than when I came into camp.”

A former 10th-round draft pick and considered something of a late bloomer, Sewald doesn’t throw nearly as hard as the big hosses in the starting five. He throws more like Bartolo Colon, only he’s a lot more svelte.

But a pedestrian fastball — his might reach 91 mph on a good day with a sympathetic radar gun — hasn’t prevented Sewald from posting impressive numbers as a relief pitcher: His ERA never has been above 2.00 at any rung of the minors and his strikeout-to-walk ratio has been just as impressive.

Sewald said he has two secret weapons: Bubblicious watermelon flavored chewing gum — “not only is it a superstitious thing, but it also helps me kinda get relaxed and puts me in my comfort zone” — and accurate scouting reports on opposing hitters.

He’s a big sabermetrics guy. He has a nice WHIP (Walks plus hits per innings pitched).

He said he also was looking forward to pitching in Las Vegas, in front of mom (Judi) and dad (Mark) and his girlfriend (Molly). He just didn’t think it would be today, against the Cubs.

But he thinks he’ll be better prepared than most rookie pitchers to face Chicago.

He was college teammates with Cubs slugger Kris Bryant at the University of San Diego, and pitched against him in practice nearly every day, and “I absolutely know how to get him out.”

Paul Sewald said the last part with the biggest of grins. But if he happens to get one up in the zone and the wind is blowing out, there’s always the chance that Pope Francis will remember the retweet.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ron Kantowski can be reached at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow him on Twitter: @ronkantowski