NEW YORK -- Jacob deGrom required 31 pitches to complete the first inning. He already had thrown 69 pitches through three frames. So the All-Star right-hander ultimately ended up “pleased” with how he battled through six innings.

DeGrom allowed a two-run single in the first to Ian Desmond but no other damage during his outing. The New York Mets rallied from the early two-run deficit for a 3-2 win against the Washington Nationals on Saturday night at Citi Field.

“I didn’t have my best stuff tonight,” deGrom said. “And they battled me pretty well -- fouled off a bunch of pitches.”

DeGrom was charged with two runs on six hits and a walk in six innings in a no-decision. He departed trailing 2-1. He threw 117 pitches.

DeGrom will get an extra day of rest before his next start, which comes Friday against the Rays in St. Petersburg, Florida.

“With the way Jake’s been pitching, you certainly didn’t expect to be down 2-0 in the first inning. That’s something we haven’t seen,” manager Terry Collins said. “He had to work hard. That’s what I told him when I took him out. I said, ‘You had to work hard to get through this.’ The only reason we left him in that long, to be honest, is because we’ve got an extra day [of rest]. He’s going to have the day off before he has to pitch again. And our bullpen was a little short tonight.”