No Joke: Vargas Complete Game Win And Hechavarria Homer Happened In Same Game
One thing Jason Vargas has done well this year is pitch well against bad offensive teams. When he’s faced those teams, he’s actually lasted five innings. The Giants are a bottom three offensive team.
Whereas last night, there was handwringing over Noah Syndergaard, there were no such issues with Vargas tonight as the Mets offense annihilated Tyler Beede and the Giants pitching staff.
The Mets got all the runs they needed when Robinson Cano, fresh off the IL and back in the lineup without a rehab assignment, hit an RBI ground out scoring Jeff McNeil, who had led off the game with a double.
The Mets had a chance to expand the lead in the third, but Canó hit into an inning ending double play. On the play, he pulled up lame likely sending him back to the IL tomorrow. Back in his stead was Adeiny Hechavarria, who would homer in the seventh. With that homer, Hechavarria surpassed Cabo’s home run total with far fewer at-bats.
The Mets also got homers from Michael Conforto
.@mconforto8 with a swing of beauty. ? pic.twitter.com/dXO7r5aosJ
— New York Mets (@Mets) June 6, 2019
and Amed Rosario
When you know, you know. ?♂️ @Amed_Rosario pic.twitter.com/NafawHO7sl
— New York Mets (@Mets) June 6, 2019
It was an offensive onslaught with the Mets scoring seven runs on eight hits. McNeil had three hits. Conforto had two RBI, and Rosario has three.
More than anything, Vargas pitched a complete game shut out with a season high eight strikeouts, and Hechavarria homered. If you told someone these things would happen in the same game, they would’ve assumed you meant Syracuse, and even then, they’d seem skeptical.
But it did happen. Vargas, Hechavarria, and the Mets dominated a bad team like they should. They deserve credit for doing it. If we see more of this, the Mets will be fine. Speaking of things being fine, it was readily apparent this team has not quit on Mickey Callaway.
Game Notes: Vargas pitched seven innings in consecutive starts for the first time since June 2017.
That was unexpected. I thought he was gonna be clobbered after giving up a double to Panik but he did a great job getting out of that jam, and in three of the four innings the leadoff man got on, and he escaped. Vargas just kept getting stronger as his change up and knuckle curve was devastating. That was probably the third best start of the season behind deGrom’s start vs the Marlins in Miami and Thor’s complete game shutout vs the Reds in which he homered. Vargas got some good defense from McNeil and Alonso, with Alonso making some fantastic scoops. Vargas was wonderful vs the Dodgers and followed it up beautifully.
The offense supported him nicely after I got a little worried that they wouldn’t after Cano’s double play ended the third, but Conforto and Rosario made sure that wouldn’t happen thankfully.
Sorry to see Cano hurt again its amazing that he was so durable for over a decade then comes here and boom is hurt twice. The question is do they go with McNeil at second and Dom in LF or Hech at second and keep McNeil in LF? Oh and please no more Gomez.
All in a fun agita free night hopefully tomorrow afternoon is more of the same.
It was fun to finally watch a worry free game. We need more of those.
Tale of divergence:
Cano first pitch, guessing “changeup”, gets it and looks like a AAAAer.
Vs.
Conforto, first pitch, finally looks for a fastball (and with other pitchers hopefully a curve) gets it and swings = solid hit, a HR.
I hope that Chili Davis has more players on a simple plan to focus on the same approach.
On Vargas, everything makes sense, yet the sample size, the competition, home/away, falling behind vs playing w lead, I am hoping that the arm strength spoken above etc will show that today is just an continuation of a very good year (and vindication for whomever brought Vargas here last year)