2015 World Series
For the first time ever, Citi Field is going to host a World Series game. All previous World Series games were played in Shea Stadium. Can you name the Mets who played at the very first game in Shea Stadium:
All I’ve heard everywhere today is the Mets need to get Juan Uribe in the lineup. People are starting to question at what point you sit David Wright. Do you rearrange the lineup? Stop.
Let’s start with Uribe. He’s not a good postseason player. You’re looking to substitute Wright’s .171/.320/.220 triple slash this offseason with Uribe’s career postseason stats of .204/.241/.338. It’s not exactly a massive upgrade especially when you consider Uribe hasn’t played in a month and the fact that he still may not be ready:
Terry Collins says his hesitancy to use Juan Uribe stemmed from chest injury. But #Mets expect Uribe to play a bigger role back at Citi.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) October 28, 2015
Another consideration is defense. Wright is a much better defensive player. Yes, he made one error in Game 1, but he’s been very good in every game.
With respect to the lineup, what are you changing? Yes, I know Wright’s not hitting. However, go over the stats. The only Mets hitting this postseason are Curtis Granderson, Daniel Murphy, and only recently, Lucas Duda. You still want to go L-R-L in the lineup, so who’s the right that’s hitting? If anyone was tearing it up, if consider it, but they’re not.
David Wright is the captain. He waited a long time for this. He worked hard to get back here. What effect would have on the team if he’s benched or put lower in the lineup. It’s a real consideration.
I’m probably harder on Wright than anyone, but I respect him and his game. That probably goes a million times over for his teammates and the organization. I still hope he comes through in a game. He needs to be in there.
Lets Go Mets!
Before the series, I detailed how the Mets would win this series because they essentially had three Madison Bumgarners. I have to admit after two games, I have to admit my comparison doesn’t look good. I obsess over everything, and I have to know why. Note to my son, good luck dealing with me buddy.
When I first looked at everything, I saw that Bumgarner established his fastball and then mixed in his breaking pitches. It’s how the Mets three stud muffins pitched all year long. My eyes told me in Game 1 and 2 that Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom abandoned who they were.
They didn’t establish the fastball. Instead, they started mixing in the offspeed changes immediately. When they needed to get the big outs in the fifth for deGrom and sixth for Harvey, the Royals had seen everything, and they weren’t surprised by anything. However, I’m a fan. I see a lot of things, and usually what I see is pro-Mets.
Here is deGrom’s breakdown from the regular season:
- 96.23 MPH fastball 37.89%
- 96.44 MPH sinker 18.01%
- 86.54 MPH change 15.84%
- 90.03 MPH slider 12.01%
- 81.63 MPH curve 16.15 %
Here’s deGrom last night:
- 95.48 MPH fastball 28.72%
- 95.48 MPH sinker 27.66%
- 86.53 MPH change 10.64%
- 87.96 MPH slider 13.83%
- 81.02 MPH curve 19.15 %
Here’s what I see. He had a slight dip in velocity. He was throwing more lower in the zone and not moving the ball horizontally in the zone. He threw more breaking pitches than changing speeds. In more ways than one, he was a different pitcher.
Harvey was more successful, but he couldn’t hold a lead. I’m curious what, if anything, he did different than deGrom and/or during the regular season. Here’s Harvey’s regular season:
- 95.86 MPH fastball 59.56%
- 88.08 MPH change 11.48%
- 90.29 MPH slider 14.75%
- 84.01 MPH curve 14.21%
Here’s his Game 1 start:
- 94.72 MPH fastball 37.50%
- 87.56 MPH change 25.00%
- 89.57 MPH slider 21.25%
- 83.09 MPH curve 16.25%
Like deGrom, he had a slight velocity dip. He was more drastic in how he pitched. Harvey pretty much threw any pitch at anytime. I’m not sure if that indicates he kept the Royals more off balance and that’s why he went deeper in the game giving up more runs. I’m not sure if Harvey’s secondary pitches are just that much better.
What I do see is that Harvey and deGrom changed how they pitched. Personally, I think it’s from an over reliance on scouting reports. I’m not a dinosaur. I think you have to scout your opponent to find out how to best beat your opponent.
However, you also have to scout yourself. You need to find out the things you do well. The Mets didn’t do enough of that in Kansas City, and they suffered. It’s a lesson for Noah Syndergaard. You have to be yourself on the mound. Establish the fastball and mix in your secondary pitches.
It worked against the Royals last year. It’s worked for Thor this year. It’s how the Mets will turn this series around.
Remember when #PanicCity was a thing? I do too. It was justified then. When Sandy Alderson bestowed the moniker on Mets fans, here was the previous night’s starting lineup:
- Curtis Granderson
- Ruben Tejada
- Lucas Duda
- Michael Cuddyer
- Wilmer Flores
- Darrell Ceciliani
- Kevin Plawecki
- Jacob deGrom
- Dilson Herrera
Look at that lineup. The number two and five hitters rotate in the eighth spot, at least until Tejada went down. The number three hitter bats fifth. The cleanup hitter is on the bench. The seventh hitter is a backup. The sixth and ninth hitters are not on the playoff roster.
This is a different team than that one. This team was one out away from winning Game One. They had a bad game against an erratic pitcher, who has pitched well against the Mets in the past. Why must it be more than that?
We just watched our young pitchers now down an incredible Cubs offense. We know good pitching beats good hitting. It’s the reason the Mets are in the World Series. This isn’t the same old Mets offense. They can actually hit now.
The Mets are getting a needed day off to collect themselves. They’re going to set things straight. They’re going out tomorrow, and they’re going to play their best game of the year. Then they’ll go out in Game 4 and do the same thing, and so on and so on.
Ya Gotta Believe!
The Mets threw their two best pitchers to start the World Series, and things didn’t go as planned. There were some suggestions that Jacob deGrom was tipping his pitches. For what it’s worth, Dan Warthen disagrees.
Now, there is a way that the Royals knew what was coming without deGrom tipping his pitches. It’s the art of sign stealing. There’s no definitive proof right now, but we know it’s something everybody tries to do. I think there might be something to it because some the Royals seemed paranoid about it in the ALCS. To be fair, the Blue Jays do have a history.
Right now, there’s nothing definitive to prove this is happening. The only thing we can really look at is the team’s home and away splits. At home, the Royals hit .279/.334/.426 averaging 4.6 runs per game. On the road, they hit .259/.310/.399 averaging 4.3 runs per game. There’s a definitive contrast there.
Now, there are many logical explanations other than sign stealing. Teams are built for their ballpark. Players are more comfortable at home. However, the Royals are noted as comparatively free swingers. Kauffman Stadium is a pitcher’s park. Despite that, the Royals have a better OBP and slugging percentage at home.
There’s smoke, but you can’t definitely prove there’s fire. I don’t have a problem with the Royals doing it. It just means the Mets have to be smarter. They have to change up their signs. Travis d’Arnaud has to hide the signs better.
Whatever it is the Royals are doing is having an effect. However, the Mets are coming back to Citi Field. Things should be different the next three games. The Royals won’t be stealing anything here.
I’ve been watching Mets baseball for over 30 years. It doesn’t matter if it’s the 1986 or the 2015 team, it’s never easy. After last night’s admittedly disheartening loss, I saw way too many Mets fans giving up and/or trying to come to terms with losing the World Series. It reminded me of this:
We saw a historically inept offense transform with two trades, some health, and yes, some luck. The team had a debilitating loss to the Padres. They rebounded, swept the Nationals, and claimed first place. They would’ve give it back.
The Mets then lost a potential clincher at home in the NLDS forcing them to have to travel cross-country to face presumptive Cy Young winner Zack Greinke. The Mets would win the do or did game on the road to advance to the NLCS to face the favored Cubs. The Mets swept the Cubs and won the pennant.
Yes, the last two games were hard, but you know what? We’ve all forgotten how hard the regular season was. It was brutal. That coupled with putting themselves on the brink of losing the NLDS, the entire season has been one tense moment after another. What have anyone the idea that: (1) this was going to be easy; and/or (2) the Mets don’t have what it takes to win this series now.
The Mets are going home, and they have Noah Syndergaard pitching in Game 3. We all know he’s dominant at home. It just takes that first win to get things going. You have to like Thor’s chances. It then becomes a series, and that’s where things will get interesting.
Overall, nothing is over. Look how far the Mets are. Look at his they got here. If you don’t think the Mets can pull this off, I don’t know what to tell you other than:
LETS GO METS!
Honestly, I thought the one run was going to hold up. Lucas Duda had an RBI single in the fourth. Johnny Cueto was starting to get wild. Jacob deGrom was dealing. Then the fifth inning happened.
When the game started, I lived deGrom’s approach. He established the fastball and used his breaking pitches well. The Royals were making contact, but it wasn’t solid contact. I’m not sure what happened next, but there are some theories:
Ex-Met watching the game on TV texted me that he couldn't figure out what, but Royals clearly had something on deGrom tipping in stretch.
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinMedia) October 29, 2015
Another ex-Met told me deGrom may speed up on fastball and slow on secondary pitches. Or, seriously, facial expression may change by pitch.
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinMedia) October 29, 2015
Whatever it was, it was a slow death for deGrom. The Royals batted around. They had four runs on one leadoff walk and five hits. To put it in perspective, deGrom let up five hits in Game 1 of the NLDS, six hits in Game 5 of the NLDS, and four hits in Game 3 of the NLCS. He practically let up as many hits in that inning as any game this postseason. It certainly leads credence to Adam Rubin’s information when you consider:
Numbers worth repeating: deGrom threw 94 pitches, and of those, the Royals fouled off 23, and had only three missed swings. 3.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) October 29, 2015
Regardless, deGrom didn’t have it in the fifth. Maybe it was Game 5 of the NLDS. Maybe Collins just wanted to outdo yesterday’s ineptitude. In any event, he let the game slip away with Jon Niese ready I the pen.
Don’t worry, Niese warmed up again after an effective Hansel Robles appearance in the sixth. Collins would go an inning too long with Niese because why not? The game was within reach at 4-1 going into the bottom of the eighth. It would be out of reach at 7-1 after that. On top of that the Mets probably lost Niese for at least Game 3. I really don’t know what Collins was thinking.
To make matters worse, the Royals outpitched the Mets in this game. deGrom went five. Cueto pitched a two hit complete game.
Tonight, the only good news was Duda. He was 2-3 with an RBI. He got the only two hits on the night. I guess the other good news is that the Mets are getting out of town.
Last night was a mixed bag for David Wright. He made some good plays during the game, but ultimately he wasn’t there when the team needed him most.
He 2-7 at the plate last night. In the 9th, he came up and got a basehit off of Luke Hochevar. He seemed to be getting a rally started to get an insurance run in a 4-3 game. However with Daniel Murphy at the plate, he was caught stealing. It was close, but he was out. The Mets didn’t get the insurance run, which would haunt them.
Wright then came up in the 11th with runners on first and second with two outs. He was facing Ryan Madson, who he has had success against. Coming into the night, Wright was hitting .308 with 3 homers and five RBIs. He struck out to end the rally. It was the last time the Mets threatened.
In the field it was a similar story to what happened at the plate. He had one web gem:
We'll leap at the chance to even things up tonight. #WorldSeries #Mets #LGM pic.twitter.com/vR9EsNaGI9
— New York Mets (@Mets) October 28, 2015
However, as we know, he made a throwing error in the 14th. It allowed the go-ahead run on base, which scored.
If Wright comes through last night in any of three spots, the Mets win the game. He didn’t, and the Mets lost. However, I’m not killing him. The loss was a team effort.
He didn’t allow the Alex Gordon homer. He didn’t blow a two run lead. He didn’t allow the base hits after the error. He wasn’t the only one who failed.
There was some good things that Wright did in last night’s game. If he continues to play good defense, as he has all postseason, and he has a .286 series average, good things will happen.
Pursuant to Rule 3.01, no player may put any substance on the ball. That includes pine tar. That includes catchers.
Was it pine tar on Salvador Perez‘s shinguard? With it being a wet night with the rain, it probably was. It wouldn’t surprise me. Elston Howard used to cut the balls off his shin guard for Whitey Ford. It’s what catchers do for their pitchers. I’m sure he was using it not only to help his pitchers, but also to help his throwing against would be base stealers.
It is widely assumed that it’s something everyone does. However, as we saw last year with Michael Pineda, you can’t make it obvious. While it wasn’t a giant glob on the neck, it was on the outside of Perez’s equipment. Now that the cameras caught it, it’s obvious. I can understand Terry Collins saying it’s no big deal, but it is. We should also note, it is a big deal. The common denominator here is the pitching coach Dave Eiland. It seems his players have a history of this now.
The reason is because it’s an opportunity. Perez is important to the Royals. If he’s caught, at a minimum, he had to change his gear. Without the pine tar, the Royals pitching from the starters to the bullpen suffers. More likely, he’s ejected and could face a possible suspension.
The goal here is to win the World Series. As long as things are on the up and up with Jacob deGrom and/or Travis d’Arnaud, you have to try. The only reason not to try is because you’re doing the same thing. If you don’t try, it’s not doing everything to win. I saw enough of that.
It’s time to do everything you can do to win.
There may not be more of a streaky hotter than Lucas Duda. His regular season stats were .244/.352/.486 with 27 homers and 73 RBI, but that’s only part of the story.
He started the season guns blazing. In April and May he hit .298 with 9 homers. In June, he was ice cold hitting .187 with one homer. July was not better with him hitting .178. However, in a four game stretch at the end of the month he hit six homers. It catapulted him to a good August that saw him hit .304, albeit with only three homers.
He then had the back injury that the Mets mismanaged. He hit six homers in September, but he only hit .227. The postseason was a nightmare. He was 2-18 in the NLDS. He looked so lost he sat in Game 1 of the NLCS. However, he came back with a vengeance:
In the NLCS, he was 4-10. In the clinching Game 4, he had the aforementioned homerun. He was 3-4 with a homer and 5 RBI. Last night, he came out hitting in the World Series. He was 2-6 with two hard hit balls through the shift. He’s now 5 for his last 10.
For a hitter as streaky as Duda, this is a great sign in short series. It looks like Duda is breaking out at exactly the right time.