2015 World Series
The Mets are on the brink on losing the World Series. They’re down 3-1. You’ll hear a lot of stats and reasons why this is impossible. Today, I offer you one reason why they’re going to win tonight: Matt Harvey.
Put all the Dark Knight stuff aside. He’s not the Dark Knight tonight. That was a persona bestowed upon him as part of his rise and return from Tommy John surgery. No. Tonight is about the ace. The leader of the staff. The man who promised Terry Collins the Mets will be here. The man who delivered on that promise.
Gone is all the Harvey Dent nonsense. Harvey always has wanted this. The man did everything he could do to get himself to this point. He pushed himself past what his agent, his doctors, and his organization wanted. He will be there for his teammates, his fans, and his city tonight.
When Harvey went down two Augusts ago, Mets fans were depressed because we knew there was no chance of winning in 2014. When he came back in 2015, he rejuvenated the fan base. He rejuvenated the Mets. We all knew there was hope in 2015. Hope became promise. Promise became reality.
The reality now is Harvey takes the mound 27 outs away from extending the series. Twenty-seven outs away from fulfilling not only the promise he’s made with his words to Terry Collins, but also the promise he has with that terrific right arm. He’s going to deliver tonight. As you can tell from this post, I’m not focusing on fantasy in this belief . . . I’m relying on cold hard facts.
First, Harvey is terrific at home. This year he was 8-3 with a 2.23 ERA, 1.087 WHIP, and a 8.8 K/9. Second, he’s feeling more comfortable with his normal rest. Last time that happened in the postseason, he dominated the Cubs over 7.2 innings allowing only four hits, two earned, two walks, and nine strikeouts. He was a Juan Lagares misplay away from a much bigger night too. Third, the Royals haven’t seen him yet . . . at least the real Harvey.
In Games 1 & 2, the Mets were not doing what they do best. With one pitch and one game from Noah Syndergaard, the Mets starters are back. Harvey is now going to come in and get that 95+ MPH fastball going. Once that’s firmly established, he’s going to keep the Royals off balance with the offspeed and breaking stuff.
The Mets have their backs against the wall. Harvey is angry and raring to go. The comeback starts tonight.
We’ve all heard of the five stages of grief: (1) Denial; (2) Anger; (3) Bargaining; (4) Depression; and (5) Acceptance. Last night, after Daniel Murphy‘s error, I was in denial. I thought they would come back and win the game. Judging from my posts today, I’m at anger. Justifiable anger, but anger nevertheless.
Guess what? I’ve moved on from anger. I’ve processed everything. I looked at how it’s all happened. There are some things I’ve come to realize:
- This is a resilient baseball team that has answered every call when their backs were against the wall;
- The Mets have had a lead in every game; and
- The Mets still have the three best starting pitchers in this series.
It gives me hope. I’m not in the five stages of grief. There’s nothing to grieve. The Mets can still win this World Series starting with Matt Harvey tonight.
Think about it. When has it ever been easy for the Mets? Even in their easiest title run, 1969, they had to deal with Tom Seaver losing Game 1. The Mets got a brilliantly pitched game from Jerry Koosman in Game 2, but they had to deal with a blown 1-0 lead and were facing going down 2-0 to the heavily favored Orioles. The Mets pulled it out and the series.
In 1986, the Mets clearly had their best best ever. They won 108 games. Seriously, they do not get discussed enough as one of the best teams ever. Despite being a historically great team, they were on the verge of losing the World Series until an impossible rally. They trailed 3-0 in Game 7 until a sixth inning rally.
Now, they are down 3-1 in the series. They can still win, but it won’t be easy. However, there is still hope, and where there is hope, there’s a chance. I have hope they can do it. I mean c’mon we’re a Mets fans. We have no choice.
Ya Gotta Believe!
Yes, games are decided by the players on the field. However, the players that are on the field depends on the manager. I’ve already bemoaned Collins Game 1 performance. He’s also damaged the Mets chances of winning the World Series in every game since.
Game 2
Going into the fifth inning, the Mets had a 1-0 lead. Jacob deGrom pitched well for the first four innings, but he was losing it fast. To his credit, Terry Collins got Jon Niese up in the bullpen. Niese wouldn’t get in during that inning. The 1-0 lead would become a 4-1 deficit.
The game would still be in reach, at least on paper. Instead, Collins decided to get Niese back up again after pitching two innings the prior day. He then tried to push Niese go two innings two days in a row. The end result was the Royals putting the game out of reach in a 7-1 loss.
Game 3
No, Collins didn’t harm the Mets chances to win in a 9-3 win. However, he harmed the Mets chances of winning the World Series here. He used Addison Reed–Tyler Clippard–Jeurys Familia to close out a game with a six run lead. There was no reason for it. Worse yet, Collins admitted Familia pitching in Game 3 was a factor in him not using Familia for the four out save. He compromised his Game 4 bullpen for no reason.
Game 4
I went on at length about this last night. I won’t belabor the points here, but it is important to re-examine his eighth inning:
- He immediately starts warming up Familia as the inning starts;
- He was waiting to use Familia once the go-ahead run got in base rather than nip a rally in the bud before it started; and
- He admitted to wanting to save Familia for Game 5.
Excuse me? You’re down 2-1 in the series. You win the game that’s in front of you. You have Matt Harvey tomorrow. He can give you length. Even if you lose Game 5, there is a tomorrow.
Another thing that drove me nuts was pinch hitting Kelly Johnson for Juan Lagares. Johnson hadn’t hit all postseason in limited action. Lagares has had a terrific postseason with terrific at bats. The move made no sense. Predictably, Johnson didn’t reach base. No rally was started in the eighth.
I still think the Mets can win the World Series, but if they don’t Terry Collins will be the biggest reason why. That’s something that should never happen.
Looking over Hansel Robles‘ second half, he was terrific. He was 2-1 with a 3.16 ERA, 0.894 WHIP, and a 12.1 K/9. He’s only allowed batters to hit .171/.246/.450 against him. He gets both lefties and righties out effectively.
I also loved the quick pitch. He’s chose his spots well. It’s kept batters off balance and I’ll at ease. It’s something that’s crucial in the postseason, especially against a Royals team that other than one at bat has been very comfortable in the World Series.
Terry Collins has sat him in place of Jon Niese and Bartolo Colon. It’s hard to argue there because they have mostly got the job done. You know who hadn’t? Tyler Clippard. Coming into the playoffs, there was no reason to believe he would.
In September, he was dealing with a back injury. Coincidentally, he had a horrendous month. In his September and October regular season appearances, he made 14 appearances with a 6.14 ERA and a 1.295 WHIP. Batters hit .268/.323/.536 against him. Despite all evidence that he couldn’t get the job done, Collins left him as the eighth inning guy and left Robles behind.
This postseason he has a 6.75 ERA with a 1.499 WHIP. He walked two batters in the eighth inning last night sparking the Royals rally and putting the Mets one game away from losing the World Series. Clippard’s performance should be a surprise to no one, and yet he keeps going out there in the highest leverage situations harming the Mets chances.
And yet, the more effective Robles sits and watches.
Honestly, I hate wasting my breath. I mostly write this blog late, late at night when everyone is in bed and I’m still up pondering what the heck did Terry Collins just do. However, this World Series has bothered me so much I’m not going to sleep anytime soon. One of the main reasons is Yoenis Cespedes.
Be honest. After seeing his play over the last four games, do you have more faith in him than Michael Conforto? Do you have more faith in him than Juan Lagares? You shouldn’t. Conforto and Lagares are playing better offensively and defensively. It’s mostly because they hustle. Cespedes hasn’t. In fact, Cespedes has been lazy out there at best, a quitter at worst.
As a fan, I have found his play in the World Series to be offensive. As you can tell from his .176/.167/.176 triple slash line, I don’t mean offensive to be his at bats. No, I mean his lack of hustle and his poor judgment on the field. He deserves to ride the bench. He won’t because Terry Collins doesn’t have the nerve to do it. I’m not even sure he’s upset with Cespedes’ play. That bothers me more.
I know he has a shoulder problem. The only thing that should effect is his at bats, which the stats suggests it might. It shouldn’t affect his legs, head, and or desire to win. Does his bum shoulder explain this play:
I know it’s painful, but look at that play again. He claimed he didn’t call for it, but he certainly looked like he was taking command of the play by his route. He said he lost the ball looking for Michael Conforto. Look it happens, but what happens next shouldn’t happen. The ball hits him on the leg, and he just stops. Stops! The only guy with an arm strong enough to maybe keep Escobar from scoring just gives up right then and there.
Another “favorite” play of mine was the Salvador Perez double last night. At the time, it was 2-0 in the fifth. Steven Matz was cruising. Rewatch what happened next:
That ball SHOULD’VE been caught. Admittedly, I thought differently last night, but I just re-watched the play. Cespedes’ top gear is a sight to behold. That was nowhere near it. As a result, he didn’t get there, and he kicked the ball again. To make matters worse, HE DIDN’T run after it. Where’s the hustle? The sense of urgency?
That brings me to his at bats. He’s struck out six times in the World Series. It’s going to happen. I’m not even upset that he keeps chasing and getting himself out with the pitches in the dirt. I’m upset because when he strikes out, he doesn’t bother to run to first. If it happens on July 20th in the third inning, I get it. It’s a long season you got to conserve energy to get through a 162 game season.
This is the World Series! You’ve got to give it your all. Cespedes clearly isn’t. The Royals are. The Royals are everything Cespedes isn’t. Am I blaming Cespedes? No. There are other problems. However, his lacksadasical play led to two outs becoming runs.
If he’s not going to give it his all, why is he out there? If Conforto and Lagares are playing better on both sides of the ball, why is he out there? The Mets are on the brink of losing the World Series. It’s a time for urgency. A time to run out the players who want it most. A time to run out the players who give you the best chance to win. That’s not Cespedes. At least not when he’s doing this on the base paths:
He needs to sit.
The Mets were humming along through five innings. Steven Matz was good through five innings. At that point, he allowed five hits, one earned, no walks and five strikeouts. Watching the game, he was out of gas. It was a tremendous effort.
In the bottom of the fifth, Michael Conforto would hit the second of his two homeruns. This one coming off a lefty. The Mets had a 3-1 lead. The Royals only run to that point was the result of Yoenis Cespedes not hustling for a ball hit by Salvador Perez. I’m not saying it should’ve been caught. I’m saying it could’ve been caught. To make matters worse, he kicks it making a possible out a double.
Things were humming along, and then Terry Collins let the gassed Matz hit for himself. No one in the ballpark, not even Matz’s grandfather knew what he was thinking.
In a surprise to no one, a double and a single to start the sixth and the Royals narrowed the gap to 3-2. Collins had to burn through Jon Niese and Bartolo Colon. Actually, he didn’t need to use Colon there, but Colon got the big strikeout to end the inning with the tying run at third. Seeing how Colon pitched, did he come on for the seventh? No, of course not. It’s the postseason, so you manage like its paint by numbers.
He used Addison Reed for the seventh. He got the Royals out 1-2-3 in quick fashion. Then Collins brings in Tyler Clippard. A man he had so much faith in in this pivotal inning that he started warming up Jeurys Familia immediately. By the way, you can’t have faith in Clippard. He’s been terrible lately. All postseason Collins has skipped him or quickly go to Familia.
Look if you have faith in Clippard, you don’t warm up Familia before he throws a pitch. You may ask why not Familia for six outs if you have him warming up so soon. The reason was Collins felt it important to have him close out a game with a six run lead last night. It compromised his ability to go six outs. It cost the Mets.
Clippard recorded the first out, but then he lost control. He then walked the next two batters. Familia came on and got a ground ball that Daniel Murphy booted. Tie game. A rejuvenated Royals team then starts hitting Familia. Two hits later and it’s a 5-3 game.
Now because Ned Yost didn’t waste his closer for useless innings last night, he could use Wade Davis for two innings. The Mets still had a chance. Murphy singled and then Cespedes singled. They’re in business. Tying runs on with Lucas Duda coming up. This is where Cespedes would put the capper on a lazy, baffling game.
Duda got one in his kitchen. He swung and hit a low bloop to Mike Moustakas. Everyone saw it was going to hold up for him, even the notoriously bad Baserunners Murphy. Not Cespedes. He’s almost on second when the ball is caught. Easy double play. Game over.
Another quick note on Cespedes that sums up his World Series perfectly: he constantly strikes out on balls in the dirt. Once he strikes out, he goes to the dugout. He doesn’t bother to look to run to first. He doesn’t adapt to how he’s being pitched. He won’t hustle after a strikeout.
Series isn’t over yet. The Mets still have their three best pitchers lined up. The three best starters in the series. Hopefully, Cespedes will actually hustle tomorrow. Hopefully, Collins will figure out how to become a good in game manager. Hopefully, the Mets can pull this off.
Last night I was lucky enough to go to Game 3, but I wasn’t able to take my son. However, because he is a huge Mets fan, and he has an awesome Mommy, he watched the game.
Here is the Curtis Granderson homerun as shown as TV:
Here’s Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock’s reaction:
Here’s my son’s:
I couldn’t be more proud.
LETS GO METS!
Well, I won and lost in the selection of the Halloween costume. I wanted to dress my son up in a Mets jersey with the hammer. My wife said no one would get it. I didn’t care. I thought Thor would’ve been an awesome costume. She works with too many Yankee fans because none of them got it, and I lost.
Instead, he was Yoda. Well, he was Yoda until he got tired of the hat. He then became either Luke Skywalker or a generic Jedi depending on your point of view. He was adorable, and he loved Trick or Treating. We went to five different spots. At each spot, I was stopped several times.
I can’t tell you how many people thanked me for the wisdom, insight, and at times, humor on the site. No I’m kidding. People saw the Mets hat and would say things like “Lets Go Mets,” “We’re Mets fans too,” or”How do you think we’ll do tonight?” There were some high fives and head nods.
There was one idiot in a Yankee cap who said there’s another bandwagon Mets fan referencing in my new World Series fleece. Apparently, he didn’t think I could hear him. He had no answer when I asked him who Gene Michael is. He chuckled and said, “See, there’s no one named Gene Michael on the Mets.” Yup.
Anyway, today was awesome. The candy haul was great. There was so much my son was dragging his pail on the ground. There’s more than he could eat. Guess I’ll just have to help him out. ; )
It was also great to see so many people interested in the Mets. The perfect way to cap off today is a win.
Tonight is Halloween, and we’re saying goodbye to the incredible month of Murphtober. If this game goes into the late evening hours, it will be the second time the World Series will go into November (it will anyway).
After Daniel Murphy dominated October, it’s time for a Met to take up the mantle for November. Here are some suggestions:
Curtis Granderson – Grandvember
David Wright – Davember
Daniel Murphy – Murphvember
Yoenis Cespedes – Yovember
Travis d’Arnaud – Travember
Wilmer Flores – Wilvember or Flovember
Juan Lagares & Juan Uribe – Juanvember
Matt Harvey – Harvember
As usual, I’m open to any suggestions you may have.
Lets Go Mets
I’m not the Elias Sports Bureau, but I’m guessing there have not been two starters back to back who have made fewer starts than Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz. Between the two of them, they have 30 combined starts, or about half an Old Hoss Radbourn season.
Last night, Thor started the game like Old Hoss, or at least like his Twitter profile. In essence, he came out like a veteran. He effectively mixed his pitches limiting the Royals offense. Unlike the first two games, the Mets let their starter be who he was, and he pitched well. He pitched the Mets back into the series.
Where Thor had to pitch the Mets back into the series, Matz has to keep them in the series. Thor showed him the blueprint. It wasn’t just the high and hard pitch to open the game. It wasn’t the 98 MPH fastball. It was Thor going out there and doing what he does well. That’s what Matz had to do tonight to give the Mets a chance to win.
For Matz, that means establishing his fastball and keeping batters off balance with his curveball. He’s facing a team hitting .226 against lefties in the postseason (as opposed to .272 in the regular season). Arguably, the Royals best hitter, Kendrys Morales, will be on the bench. Matz is being put in a good position to have a strong game tonight.
Both he and Thor are in there with the season on the line. A team driven by young starting pitching is now relying on the two youngest and most inexperienced pitchers. It worked in Game 3. They now turn to the local boy in Game 4.
This is the moment every little boy dreams of, to play for your favorite team in the World Series. He’s getting that chance tonight. Hopefully, youth will be served.