Mesoraco, Lagares Come Up Huge

Heading into the game, there was much said about how Dave Eiland challenged or disrespected Noah Syndergaard in his saying Thor hasn’t accomplished much at the Major League level.  During the broadcast, it was discussed, and Ron Darling said as a player, he would have taken it the wrong way.

Whatever the case, Syndergaard seemed motivated by it in the first inning as he struck out the side while needing just 15 pitches.  You got all the more excited seeing Syndergaard knocking home Devin Mesoraco from first after he had drawn a leadoff walk against Jaime Garcia giving the Mets a 1-0 lead.  For a moment, it seemed as if things would go rolling on from there, and we would see the Syndergaard we saw prior to the lat injury.

Instead, we saw the Syndergaard we have seen all this season.

In the third, he allowed a one out single to old friend Curtis Granderson, who was playing his first game against the Mets since being traded to the Dodgers for Jacob Rhame last year.  After Josh Donaldson popped out, that should have been the end of any prospect of danger.

Instead, we got to see some of Granderson’s knowledge from his playing time with the Mets.  He would put himself in scoring position stealing a base, and he would hold at third on a Justin Smoak single.  It wound up being a terrible throw from Juan Lagares, but he charged the ball hard, and Granderson, being perhaps well aware of Lagares’ arm, held on third.  It didn’t matter because after Syndergaard plunked Teoscar Hernandez with a pitch, Yangervis Solarte hit a two RBI single.

On the single, it is quite arguable any other second baseman but Asdrubal Cabrera gets to that ball, but he didn’t leading the the Blue Jays taking the 2-1 lead.

Seeing how the Mets have played of late, this was a real danger sign.  Fortunately, the Mets offense would finally break out.

Beginning with a Jay Bruce double, the Mets would quickly load the bases for Syndergaard, who tied the score with a sacrifice fly.  Amed Rosario then nearly hit one out with the ball hitting the top of the fence and bouncing in instead of out.  In any event, it was a two RBI double giving the Mets a 4-2 lead.

It should be noted Jose Reyes, who started because with the left-handed pitcher on the mound, Wilmer Flores started at first and Adrian Gonzalez sat, somehow did not score from first.  Really, he did not score from first on a ball which was nearly a homer to one of the deeper parts of the park.  At best, this was shades of Timo Perez.  At worst, this is a player who no longer belongs in the majors.

Lagares would make sure both Reyes and Rosario both scored as he slashed a two RBI single to center, and even with Donaldson cutting it off, he would get to second ahead of the throw.

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A Cabrera double after that, and the Mets not only had a five run inning, but they would also have a 6-2 lead. In the fifth, the Mets would add the runs needed to make this the laugher the Mets desperately needed.

Gonzalez, Rosario, and Brandon Nimmo would hit consecutive singles first scoring Mesoraco and later scoring Gonzalez.  After that Lagares hit an infield single to third allowing Rosario to score.

When Gonzalez pinch hit for Syndergaard that inning, it was the end of Syndergaard’s night, but really, he was going to be pulled after the fifth anyway.

As noted earlier, Syndergaard labored through the third, and he would do the same in the fifth needing a Hernandez double play to get out of the inning.  Overall, Syndergaard needed 103 pitches to get through five.  He walked an uncharacteristically high two batters.  While he’s been effective, he has not yet been Syndergaard this year.

Perhaps in an effort to save the bullpen a bit, Mickey Callaway had Seth Lugo pitch three innings before having Rhame close it out.  Lugo was dominant allowing just one hit while striking out four.

Finally, in the eighth, the Mets would put a capper on this game.  Lagares hit a leadoff triple, and he scored on a Luis Guillorme RBI single, his first RBI.  After a force out, Mesoarco hit his second homer as a member of the Mets expanding the Mets lead to 12-2.

All-in-all, a pretty good night for the Mets.  Mesoraco could not make an out going 2-2 with three walks, four runs, a homer, and two RBI.  Lagares was just as good going 4-5 with two runs, a triple, and three RBI.  Really, in a game like this, you are going to see everyone contribute somehow, and that’s what the Mets did.  The only hope now is the team left some hits in those bats.

Game Notes: The Blue Jays have never beaten the Mets in Flushing going 0-12.