Murphy Is A Reminder Of Better Times
Things really changed for the Mets when they showed ZERO interest in bringing back Daniel Murphy. He was a clutch player who was a good teammate, and he loved being a Met. His going to the Nationals swung the future fortunes of both franchises.
Murphy left the Nationals, and now they’re terrible. Maybe it’s coincidence, and maybe it’s not. Still, tonight, we saw his impact on a team.
Against his old friend Jacob deGrom, he was 1-for-3. When deGrom was removed from the game, he hit a long homer off Drew Gagnon. It was the second homer of the inning against Gagnon as he melted down and ensured deGrom would be saddled with the loss.
So anyways…
Daniel Murphy goes deep to add some more insurance! pic.twitter.com/0CtFlx59Z4
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) June 8, 2019
Gagnon followed the homer by plunking Ian Desmond. Seeing this Murphy was the first guy over the railing. Again, good teammate who helps his team win.
Maybe it never mattered he left. Maybe the Mets were just destined to do what they always do because the Wilpons are terrible and not committed to winning.
Thing is the Mets are missing something whether or not it’s Murphy.
They had their ace deGrom gut his way through six innings allowing just two earned. The offense couldn’t get out of their own way against Antonio Senzatela, a pitcher with a 5.33 ERA.
He didn’t have one strikeout all night, and he had just one 1-2-3 inning over his six innings pitched. Part of that is the Mets hitting into two double plays, going 0-for-3 with RISP, and failing to take advantage of opportunities.
The biggest example was the fourth. Dominic Smith had a one out walk, and for a moment, it looked like Wilson Ramos was going to hit into an inning ending double play. Instead Brendan Rodgers whiffed Trevor Story‘s flip setting up first and third with one out. Mets didn’t deliver a hit or even a sacrifice fly.
If not for a Michael Conforto sixth inning homer, the Mets don’t score a run. Overall, it was basically Conforto and Smith who showed up tonight accumulating four of the Mets six hits.
Well, maybe Brodie Van Wagenen will finally look to do something about it instead of ducking the media and leaving his manager twisting in the wind.
Game Recap: This was the first time Ramos caught deGrom instead of Tomas Nido since May 17th.
Murphy wasn’t particularly good until Kevin Long got a hold onto him. Anyway onto the game, Not much to do this one as other than Conforto and Smith none of the Mets ad good at bat and were getting dominated by a guy that strikes no one out ever and usually gives up hard contact. One of the biggest at bat of the game was Alonso swinging 3-0 and hitting into a double play, I had no issue with giving arguably the best hitter on the team a 3-0 hit sign as all managers do that I just think Pete should have waited for a better pitch.
I didn’t have an issue going to Gagnon in the 8th though I preferred going Font you just can’t go to Familia, Diaz, Gsellman and Lugo every day or you’ll kill their arms. I mean look how good Gsellman was after a few days off. I don’t understand why Mickey didn’t bring in Santiago to face Dahl when Santiago was warming up for Dahl and Mickey paid for not making a move twice as both lefty hitters homered vs Gagnon. I guess we’ve seen why Gagnon was a minor league lifer.
DeGrom was solid as his fastball was great but he got hurt a bit with his slider and the offense and bullpen didn’t support him. Hopefully Matz can pitch well and get better offense behind him.
I’m not going to criticize Alonso swinging 3-0. You want him to hit a blast there, and if he gets his pitch, swing away.
Maybe it is best that we get more role modeling on lift w RISP? Do not know the DP stats but excising Cano’s DPs with one out I wonder how many double plays with men on are left after Cano.
It might be wise to goal Alonso to hit .280 at some point?
They are really pathetic in putting together rallies approaching it with just getting on for the next guy and maybe Alonso focusing not on hitting it hard as foremost can be a good leadership quality also?
I do not watch enough ABATS but it seems to me that only Smith and McNeil will hit the balls to just drop in.
To rally I believe we need to have ten guys who know how and practice to turn that skill on to just get the single first, hit it hard second to win.
They need to with this bullpen, to extend leads for this bullpen, to get ten runs for this bullpen, to knock teams for this bull pen, to come back and to be a playoff caliber team.
Maybe their speed can be enough? Yeah right!
Well they did not look for a great athlete in #1 round of the draft but a pure hitter w power third baseman for 2025.
On Murph the guy bled Mets blue, played his heart out, played past some pretty significant injuries, played anywhere to get into the lineup, this guy went thru a journey to get to 2015, was always a student and if not K Long, he may have developed his bat as he did, yet he was a gamer all along, he always had the right approach to wait for his pitch, was clutch, was not afraid to fail in the 8th inning in the playoffs as Cespedes was, Murph was literally dumped though he could adapt to play outfield, third, first and first. The Wilpons would not spend the money. They wanted a 36 year old Zobrist and did not see Nyroh as depth for they were mortified of him playing with so much passion on the baes and second. The Wilpons were cheap and like ALWAYS never loyal.
The Wilpons are committed to win…. in a perverted way.
On his leaving the Nats and Mets was a removed core, I doubt that.
Cespedes got the Mets in the playoffs and Murph / de Grom got us past the Dodgers and Cubs, was it nine total games?
How many playoff games did the Nats win in three years, was Scherzer or any Nat a gamer in the playoffs, Rendon left, the big injuries to the top of their order, Murphy’s knee, their bullpen woes, the rental closers up to Doolittle?
Come on…. if he left the Dodgers, Cubs, Yankees or Red Sox and the team fell off? That is worth bringing up…
The Nats are cheap also…
Nationals are far from cheap. Look at their payroll. I’d also note judging postseason victories is not a good way to judge a team.
They low ball would be managers to the point of withdrawing offers completely. That is take it or leave it.
https://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/11/nationals-hire-dusty-baker-after-making-bud-black-an-insulting-offer
They low balled and insulted Cespedes with deferred money. You can find that one also.
Scherzer only got $200 m by agreeing to have a significant amount deferred.
They did extend Strasberg.
Hmm, which Free Agent contract have they taken on?
When they were close did they sign bullpen help?
They signed many players to big deals and gave big extensions. They’re not cheap.
Matt den Dekker retiring as a Met?
Jerry Blevins, a real lifer?
He signed with A’s for $100,000
Did the Braves buy him for $200,000?
The Wilpons might be envious…?
If you are going to make a comment of how the Nats are such high spenders please list them. Thanks
Max Scherzer
Stephen Strasburg
Patrick Corbin
Ryan Zimmerman
And that’s just the players currently on the roster, and before mentioning they have the sixth highest payroll in MLB.