After getting swept by the Nationals, the Mets feel six games back in the National League East. The offense has been completely inept averaging 3.2 runs per game. The Mets went 11-15 over the course of the month despite playing only eight games against teams with a winning record. Both Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz are dealing with bone spurs in their elbows. These days you’d be hard pressed to find a Mets fan that has any hope that the Mets could return to the postseason.
Lost in all of this is the fact that the Mets are only a half a game back in the Wild Card Standings.
Even if you assume the National League East is out of reach (it isn’t), the Mets are in the thick of a pennant race. Better yet, they are going up against the Dodgers, Marlins, and Cardinals. In order to make the postseason, the Mets need only beat out two of those teams. Each of the three teams the Mets are competing with are flawed teams with real problems.
St. Louis Cardinals
Outside of Carlos Martinez, the Cardinals rotation is struggling. Their other four starters have ERAs 4.09 and above, and ERA+s of 1o1 and below. To be at the point they are, they have had to rely on what has been a pretty good bullpen. With that said, their closer, Trevor Rosenthal, is having a horrible season with a 5.19 ERA.
Offensively, the team has a black hole in center field. It has come to the point where they are trying Kolten Wong out there. This is the same Wong the Cardinals had sent down for his inability to produce at second base. The Cardinals were able to move Wong to center because Jhonny Peralta finally came off the disabled list. Peralta is now the third baseman, but he is not hitting after returning from the disabled list.
On top of all of these problems, the Cardinals finish the season with 10 of their final 20 games against the Cubs and the Giants.
Miami Marlins
Barry Bonds has certainly had an impact on this team as seemingly not named Giancarlo Stanton is having a good season offensively. Stanton’s production is troublesome for the Marlins as he is not the same player for the Marlins a year after wrist surgery. Fact is, the Marlins need him as their starting pitching hasn’t been very good outside of Jose Fernandez.
The Marlins really don’t have a viable fifth starter. In reality, they don’t have much of a rotation past Fernandez. Adam Conley is their second best starter, and he is 4-5 with a 1.357 WHIP. The other rotation options have ERAs of 4.45 and above. With a rotation like that, it should come as no surprise that the Marlins are performing above expectations as they have both allowed and scored 326 runs. If the rotation continues to drag down this offense, we can reasonably expect this Marlins team to trek back towards the .500 mark.
In the event they are able to hang in the race, the Marlins are going to have to earn their way into the postseason with nine of their last 13 games coming against the Mets and the Nationals.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers are currently leading the Wild Card race with a 43-37 record. That record is mostly driven by the greatness of Clayton Kershaw.
This season Kershaw is 11-2 with a 1.79 ERA and a 0.727 WHIP. Name the pitching catergory, and you can rest assured that Kershaw is probably leading it. In games that Kershaw pitches, the Dodgers are 14-2 in games that Kershaw starts. If you removed Kershaw from the Dodgers rotation, the Dodgers would be 29-35 this year. That is not a team that would be in the thick of the Wild Card race let alone leading it.
Normally, that type of analysis is done to show why a pitcher like Kershaw should win the Cy Young and/or MVP awards. It is not done as an example to show why his team will not make the postseason. Yet, that’s the position the Dodgers are facing. Kershaw has been having back problems recently. He has received an epidural injection, and he is on the 15 day disabled list. As Mets fans have seen over the past few seasons, back injuries are funny things. Once it starts acting up, you do not really know when a player can returns.
With that in mind, we really don’t have an answer to the Cardinals, Marlins, or Dodgers question marks. As Mets fans, we become myopic in how we assess the Mets chances of making it back to the postseason. Day in and day out, we see the Mets put out a poor offense and begin to believe the Mets aren’t going anywhere. However, when you take a step back and look out over the National League landscape, the Mets are competing against other flawed teams for those two Wild Card spots.
Overall, despite the Mets recent struggles, this can still be a postseason team. As we saw last year, with the Mets pitching, the team just has to get there. Seeing the competition, they very well can.
The Mets came into June only two games behind the Nationaks. After finishing having a 12-15 record in June and having been swept by the Nationals last week, the Mets now find themselves six games back, and the offensive problems of old has returned.
Bear in mind, these grades are on a curve. If a bench player gets an A and a position player gets a B, it doesn’t mean the bench player is having a better year. Rather, it means the bench player is performing better in his role.
Position Players
Travis d’Arnaud (C-). He hasn’t hit since he’s come off the disabled list, and while he has been throwing better, he did allow the Nationals to go a perfect six for six in stolen base attempts. He did get extra credit for being anyone other than what the Mets have been trotting out there behind the plate this year.
Kevin Plawecki (F). June was probably his worst month as a professional and that is saying something. With d’Arnaud finally healthy, sending him down to the minors was a no-brainer.
Rene Rivera (C-). Like he’s done this year, he’s hit poorly while being a stabilizing force behind the plate However, as he’s been relied upon more and more, his poor offense became more of a problem hence the reduction from his grade last year.
Lucas Duda (Inc). He missed the entire month with his back injuries, and he has not yet begun baseball activities.
James Loney (A). Loney has not put up offensive stats this good since 2008. Even with his sometimes poor range, he has been a tremendous stop gap at first base while Duda has been injured.
Neil Walker (F). He hit .213/.293/.275 with one homer and six RBI. That is a far cry from his nine home run April.
David Wright (Inc.) He didn’t play as he had neck surgery.
Asdrubal Cabrera (D). He’s hitting .237/.308/.423 in June, and the defensive metrics suggest he’s played a poor defensive shortstop.
Wilmer Flores (A-). He came off the disabled list, and he had the best offensive month of his career hitting .306/.370/.444. This would have been a higher grade if not for his struggles defensively.
Eric Campbell (Inc.) At least the Mets didn’t play him in June.
Matt Reynolds (A). Reynolds might’ve struggled in his first call-up, but he is making the most out of his most recent opportunity hitting .296/.321/.556. He has shown some versatility by playing his first ever game in ht eoutfield. In that game, he hit a game winning home run.
Ty Kelly (F). He hit .133/.188/.333. He simply hasn’t been good.
Michael Conforto (F). Whether it was the wrist or another issue, Conforto just hasn’t been getting it done. He all but forced the Mets to demote him.
Yoenis Cespedes (B+). With his home run numbers are down (3) and while the defensive metrics don’t love his defense in center field, he still put up terrific numbers while playing through some minor injuries here and there.
Curtis Granderson (B). Granderson had a good month after a horrendous May hitting .255/.358/.447 with four homers.
Juan Lagares (A). In limited action, he continued to play Gold Glove caliber defense while hitting .364/.462/.545. However, he was only limited to seven games as he’s dealing with a torn ligament in his left thumb. He’s currently on a rehab assignment.
Alejandro De Aza (F-). He’s terrible.
Brandon Nimmo (Inc.) He has only played in four games. He has had some issues with his routes, but he has not looked over-matched at the plate.
Pitchers
Matt Harvey (B). Harvey had his best month of the season by far. His 2.83 ERA over the course of the month was his best of the season, but it is still high for him. Even with him pitching better, he was still 0-3 over the course of the month.
Jacob deGrom (B+). Like Harvey, deGrom had a much better month. He had a 2.45 ERA over the course of the month while getting his fastball velocity to return. Again, like Harvey, even with him pitching better, he was 0-3 over the course of the month.
Noah Syndergaard (B). Syndergaard had some trouble with location in his last two starts, and he had his worst start of the season in what was a big June game against the Nationals. In that game, when he was paired with d’Arnaud instead of Rivera, base runners were a perfect five for five in stolen base attempts. Overall, he was 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA over the course of the month.
Steven Matz (F). He was terrible all month going 0-2 with an ERA of 5.91 heading into last night’s gritty start. Much of the trouble was the result of bone spurs, but you’re ultimsteky judged on your results.
Bartolo Colon (A+). Colon had his best ever month as a Met going 2-1 with a 1.67 ERA.
Logan Verrett (C-). He had a tough month with a 5.93 ERA, but he did make a good spot start that gave the Mets a chance go win and helped save the bullpen.
Jeurys Familia (A+) The Houdini Act against the Cubs shows why he just might be the best closer in the game.
Addison Reed (B). Reed came back down to earth a bit, but he has still been a terrific eighth inning reliever for the Mets.
Jim Henderson (D). He had a rough month with a 5.63 ERA in eight appearances. He was just overworked, and now, he’s on the DL with an injury to his twice surgically repaired shoulder.
Hansel Robles (A+). Robles saved the Mets time and time again this month. He bailed out starters and the bullpen when starters went short in the game. He got big outs all month long.
Jerry Blevins (B). He continues to go out there and get lefties out. With the bullpen getting extra work, he’s been stretched out a little too much here and there, but he still gets the big lefties out.
Antonio Bastardo (F). 6.35 ERA for the month, and he might not have even been that good.
Rafael Montero (Inc.) Didn’t pitch in the majors in June as he’s been terrible in AAA.
Sean Gilmartin (F). He was jerked back and forth between being a starter in AAA and a reliever in the majors. Something had to break and it was Gilmartin with his 15.75 ERA.
Erik Goeddel (A). He got a chance with Henderson’s injury, and he took full advantage with a win last night and a 1.08 ERA.
Terry Collins (F). He was hamstrung by a team with injuries. The players that were here under-performed. Collins met that challenge by overplaying De Aza and with other curious lineup decisions. He pitched Henderson onto the DL, dangerously overused Robles, and he was part of team brass that talked Matz out of getting surgery.
All Star voting came to a close yesterday, and based upon the voting results over the course of the season, it looks like Yoenis Cespedes is about to become the sixth Mets outfielder to ever start an All Star Game. Can you name the other five? Good luck!
It looked like more of the same for the Mets. Steven Matz allowed a first inning two run home run to Kris Bryant and a solo shot to Javier Baez in the sixth. The Mets were down 3-0 and didn’t seem to have a chance. It was the same old dreary Mets offense. In the bottom of the sixth, Yoenis Cespedes woke everyone up:
The 441 foot shot was the longest in Citi Field history and first into the Promemade Level. It was shades of Tommie Agee.
The Mets looked like a different team after that. Travis d’Arnaud got it started with a one out single off Cubs starter John Lackey. Then a minor miracle happened when Alejandro De Aza worked out a walk against Cubs reliever Joel Peralta. Then Brandon Nimmo had the at bat of the night.
Nimmo was quickly down 1-2 in the count. He would foul off three straight pitches, and he would hit an RBI single on the ninth pitch of the at bat. It narrowed the score to 3-2. He alertly moved to second when center fielder Albert Amora tried to get De Aza at third.
Joe Maddon then went to Pedro Strop to pitch to Neil Walker. Strop quickly went ahead in the count 0-2, and the Cubs pulled the infield in. Walker then hit a hooper at second baseman Baez who had no shot at getting De Aza at home. He tried to get Nimmo at third, but he threw it wild.
Nimmo then scored to make it 4-3. It was a comeback the likes of which the Mets have not made in quite a while.
In the eighth, MLB history was made when Addison Reed pitched to Addison Russell. Russell won the first ever battle of the Addisons by walking. It set up runners at first and second with two outs. Maddon sent up Jason Heyward to pinch hit, and Terry Collins countered with Jerry Blevins. Blevins got Heyward to tap one back to Blevins to end the inning.
Jeurys Familia recorded his 27th straight save this year to secure the 4-3 win. This one wasn’t easy. Ben Zobrist hit a double to make it second a third with no outs. Familia struck out Bryant, and then intentionally walked Anthony Rizzo to face rookie catcher Willson Contreras. Familia struck out the overmatched Contreras. Baez popped it up to end what was a tremendous save by Familia and win for the Mets.
The Mets took the first game of a four game set against the Cubs. By the way, last year’s NLCS was also a four game set.
Game Notes: Matz showed his frustration out there a few times, most notably when Lackey buzzed him on a sac bunt attempt. He also threw his glove after the Baez homer. Erik Goeddel earned the win after pitching 1.2 scoreless innings.
Since MLB has not adopted my All Star Game changes, here is my National League ballot:
C – Buster Posey
It’s the narrowest of margins between between Posey and Jonathan Lucroy. Posey gets the vote as he has a 0.1 WAR advantage over Lucroy, and he’s the best pitch framer in the game this year.
1B – Paul Goldschmidt
Yet again, Goldschmidt is the best first baseman in the NL if not all of baseball. Consideration should be given to Anthony Rizzo, but in reality, Goldschmidt is a better player.
2B – Daniel Murphy
Second base is very deep in the NL with Murphy, Ben Zobrist, Neil Walker, etc. Ultimately, the tie breaker is Murphy because he leads second basemen in batting average and slugging. He’s also been a difference maker for a Nationals team in first place.
3B – Nolan Arenado
Easiest choice on the ballot. He’s the best fielding and hitting third basemen in the NL.
SS – Corey Seager
The NL Rookie of the Year favorite leads all shortstops in WAR and is second in homers to fellow rookie Trevor Story. It’s Seager over Story as Seager has been the much better all around and consistent player.
OF – Yoenis Cespedes
Last year when Cespedes joined the Mets, he went on an absolute tear that helped the Mets turn things around. He’s been just as good this year with less help.
OF – Christian Yelich
The Marlins were supposed to have the best and most exciting young outfielder in the National League in Giancarlo Stanton. They do, but it’s Yelich.
OF – Starling Marte
Like the Marlins, the Pirates could reasonably expect one of their outfielders to start the All Star Game. Like the Marlins, it’s a different player. You would’ve expected the former MVP Andrew McCutchen to be the guy. However, Marte is their best outfielder. In fact, as per WAR, he’s the best outfielder in the NL.
Here is my American League Ballot:
C – Salvador Perez
He leads American League catchers in most offensive categories, and he is one of the best catchers that would actually qualify as a batting title.
1B – Chris Davis
For the most part, this has been a down year for most of the American League’s first basemen. Miguel Cabrera has been playing well of late while Joe Mauer has tapered off after a good start. The most consistent has been Davis, who leads first baseman in homers, RBI, and WAR. He’s a large reason why the Baltimore Orioles are surprisingly in first place . . . again.
2B – Jose Altuve
He has been the best player in the American League in the first half. He’s in the MVP discussion. He’s the easy selection in either league despite Robinson Cano’s resurgence.
3B – Josh Donaldson
The reigning American League MVP has followed-up with a similarly great season for the Blue Jays. He is yet again the best third baseman in the American League.
SS – Francisco Lindor
He has been a driving force for the first place Cleveland Indians with his glove and his bat. Due consideration should be given to Manny Machado. However, Machado has split time between short and third, and he began the year as a shortstop.
OF – Mike Trout
Trout is still the best outfielder in the American League as he has been for the past 5+ seasons. By the way, he is only 24 years old.
OF – Jackie Bradley, Jr.
Bradley’s defense has always been a given. Now, with a .294/.384/.558 batting line, it appears his bat has caught up with his glove making him one of the best all around outfielders in baseball.
OF – Ian Desmond
The guy no one wanted as a shortstop in the offseason has become a versatile outfielder playing well in both left and right. More importantly, his potent bat has returned. He’s been the best player for what has been the best team in the American League so far.
In Max Scherzer‘s last three starts (including tonight) against the Mets, he has allowed four hits total. In essence, he only allows one hit per outing against the Mets. Asdrubal Cabrera took care of that one hit with a second inning single. Since it wasn’t a home run, it meant the Mets weren’t going to score off of him.
No, it didn’t help that Curtis Granderson needed to be scratched from the lineup after getting nicked up yesterday. His absence was all the greater when Terry Collins decided to put Alejandro De Aza and his .216 OBP in the lead off spot. It really makes no sense at all until you consider
The decision worked as well as everyone thought it would. Brandon Nimmo hit a one out single in the eighth chasing Scherzer from the game. Granderson then pinch hit for Rene Rivera and singled off Oliver Perez. After a Travis d’Arnaud pinch hit fielder’s choice, the Mets sent up De Aza.
Dusty Baker brought in his closer, Shawn Kelley, for the four out save as he was the only person in the ballpark who thought De Aza was a threat. Despite having been 3-3 off Kelley in his career, De Aza would strikeout to end the inning.
It also didn’t help that the Mets didn’t re-sign Daniel Murphy in the offseason. He’s now a National AND a Mets killer. Coming into tonight’s game, he was hitting .419/.441/.645 with two homers and eight RBI. Tonight was more of the same:
Allow me to reintroduce myself. https://t.co/5UbEsOP3cK pic.twitter.com/DDQwrAfjip
— MLB (@MLB) June 29, 2016
Murphy’s homer was one of the two runs scored off of Logan Verrett who made a good spot start. He pitched five innings allowing the two runs with four walks and one strikeout. It didn’t matter as the Mets didn’t score any runs for him.
If there was any hope the Mets would comeback, Murphy crushed those hopes:
FWAHHHH!!!!!! Murph done did it again! A monster homer to RF puts the #Nats up, 4-0. pic.twitter.com/arMRAYoh1G
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 30, 2016
Murphy’s two run home run off Sean Gilmartin in the eighth made it 4-0. It put the game out of reach. The James Loney two run homer in the ninth really only served to end a 23 inning scoreless streak. The Mets lost 4-2 and fell to six games behind the Nationals in the division.
Game Notes: Nimmo took some poor routes on balls leading to some base hits that led to a run in the third. Antonio Bastardo pitched two scoreless innings. Murphy went 2-4 with two runs, three RBI, and two homers.
Murph is batting .429 against the Mets so far this year, with 4 HR & 11 RBI in 9 games.
— EveryMurphyAtBat (@EveryMurphyAB) June 30, 2016
Last year, Travis d’Arnaud established himself as a major league catcher both behind and at the plate. He showed how far he had come from the player that had to be sent to down to the minors in 2014 because he wasn’t hitting.
In 67 games, d’Arnaud hit .268/.340/.485 with 12 homers and 41 RBI. He had a 127 OPS+. For the most part last year, d’Arnaud spent his time hitting fifth, sixth, and seventh. For whatever the reason, d’Arnaud was at his best when he was hitting seventh in the lineup. When he did hit seventh, d’Arnaud was hitting .311/.382/.541 with two homers and 12 RBI. d’Arnaud was hitting seventh in the lineup when he hit three homers in the postseason last year. Given the construction of the Mets roster this year, you could make the case that d’Arnaud should’ve been hitting seventh.
Instead, Terry Collins sees him as the eighth place hitter on this Mets team. There was a legitimate reason for it when he was hitting behind players like David Wright, Lucas Duda, Yoenis Cespedes, Michael Conforto, Neil Walker, and Asdrubal Cabrera. Now, it is a bad decision. Duda and Wright are on the disabled list, and Conforto is in the minor leagues. Now, Collins is hitting d’Arnaud behind players he is clearly better. Take a look at the players who are currently hitting ahead of d’Arnaud:
- James Loney – a career .285/.338/.411 hitter who was released by the Rays prior to the start of the season.
- Wilmer Flores – a career .252/.290/.383 hitter who lost his starting job to Ruben Tejada last year and was never considered for a starting job this season
- Brandon Nimmo – a promising rookie
Given how much d’Arnaud progressed last year, it is easy to say he is better than these options, and accordingly, he should hit higher in the lineup. However, d’Arnaud is struggling this year only hitting .206/.270/.250 with no homers. There are various reasons for these struggles from his wrapping his hands around Julio Franco style when he bats to him starting with an open stance and closing it as the pitch is being delivered. He’s just not as quiet in his stance as he was last year when he was having his most successful season. It’s possible some of these changes were made due to his shoulder. It’s also possible these changes were made due to the struggles he has been facing while hitting eighth in the order.
In 17 of his 19 games this year, d’Arnaud has hit .203/.277/.254 while hitting eighth in the order. For his career, he is hitting .194/.278/.287 from that spot in the lineup. That includes him going 0-3 against the Nationals yesterday. In his entire career, d’Arnaud has never hit well out of the eighth spot in the lineup. It has been more of the same this year, and quite possibly, it has led to d’Arnaud reverting to some bad habits at the plate. The Mets need to get him going in order to help with their offensive woes. It’s possible the best way to cure help him and the Mets is to take him out of the eighth spot.
Over the past week, Mets fans have become aware of Brooklyn Cyclones reliever Nicco Blank due to his leaving tickets for Taylor Swift for Cyclones games. I had the opportunity to speak with him to get to know him as a baseball player, a person, and where his efforts to get Taylor Swift to attend a Cyclones game currently stand:
Mets fans have just started to get to know you with the news surrounding your leaving tickets for Taylor Swift to see you pitch at Cyclones games. If Taylor Swift were to take you up on the offer, what type of pitcher is she going to see?
Well first of all she’s going to love my walk out song, and I wouldn’t be too surprised to spot her dancing up in the suite as I warm up. If she can resist the temptation of looking at my flowing hair, the entire time she will see a pitcher that attacks hitters and isn’t afraid to challenge guys. After the game, she’ll definitely be beating down the doors to get an autograph. All joking aside I think she would really enjoy a Cyclones game. MCU Park is such an electric environment and we have a great team this year that is a lot of fun to watch!
This is now your third year in the Mets organization and the second with the Cyclones. How have you progressed as a pitcher from your days with Central Arizona College?
Since my days at Central Arizona, I have been working really hard to improve as a pitcher. I’m starting to understand I don’t need to throw every pitch with maximum effort to be effective. I want to be at an 80% effort and in control of my mechanics. Just trying to stay within myself and not do too much. This is where I see my most consistent results and consistency is what I need with the stuff I have. I’m learning how to be a pitcher and not a guy who just throws hard. Being around the coaching in this organization is a blessing for me.
What people have had the greatest impact upon your career?
There are numerous people who have impacted my career in a positive way but my parents deserve all the credit for where I am today. My dad taught me at young age that hard work and dedication would get me anywhere I wanted to go in life. My mom is my biggest supporter and has done more for me than I could ever repay her for. Both of them celebrate my success, get me through my rough days and always motivate me to chase my dream. I’m so thankful to have such wonderful parents.
What was the best piece of advise anyone has given you about how to succeed as a pitcher and make it to the major leagues?
When Daniel Murphy was down in Florida rehabbing in 2015, he shared with me his secret of slowing the game down and harped on believing in my abilities. Being confident and in control seems to be working for him, so I try to emulate that aspect of his game.
What are your goals for the 2016 season?
My main goal is to be on the St. Lucie roster by the end of the season. Improving my fastball command early in the count to limit walks is the biggest thing I’m working on now. Like I mentioned earlier, trying to throw my pitches with an 80% effort and being able to recognize when I’m overthrowing.
Lets let the fans get to know you a little bit more than your leaving tickets for Taylor Swift. What has been your favorite memory as a baseball player?
My favorite memory as a baseball player is winning state my senior year of high school. We were underdogs and beat the top three teams in our division all in a row to capture our first state title in 44 years.
Who was your favorite baseball player growing up?
Derek Jeter by far. Funny story is the first time I picked up a ball I threw left handed but since Jeter was my favorite I was going to be right handed and play short stop. My dad didn’t think I was going to be a pitcher so I always tease him about how nice it would have been for my career to throw left handed.
What interests or hobbies do you have outside of baseball?
I really enjoy cooking. You can catch me in the kitchen before home games whipping up a pregame meal. During the offseason, I spend most of my time working out and educating myself about exercise science and nutrition, which is one of the many things I’m interested in pursuing after my baseball career.
Favorite musician? Is it really Taylor Swift?
I am so eclectic when it comes to music so picking a favorite artist would be too difficult. Let’s just say if I were managing a baseball team, I would bat T Swift first to get the party started.
Have you heard back from Taylor Swift or her people yet about whether or not she is going to attend a Mets game?
Taylor hasn’t responded yet, but our front office staff now wants to get involved and get her to MCU Park for a game. I’m pretty hopeful that she will be at a game by the end of the summer.
I appreciate Nicco Blank for taking the time out to answer some of my questions and for letting Mets fans get to know him a little better. Hopefully, Taylor Swift will make it out to a Cyclones game at MCU Park before Blank gets called up to St. Lucie this summer. All Mets fans should head out to MCU Park to see him and the other future Mets players this summer.
The Mets chance was in the top of the sixth. Yusmeiro Petit walked Neil Walker to load the bases with one out. Dusty Baker then summoned Oliver Perez from the bullpen. The very same Oliver Perez Mets fans love to hate.
After Ollie struck out James Loney and got Wilmer Flores to meekly pop out to center to end the threats hereby earning the win, Mets fans hate him all the more now. In fact, there’s a short list of things Mets fans hate more than him. About the only thing that really comes to mind is the Mets offense, especially after they got shut out tonight.
If you didn’t expect the Mets to have a low offensive output, you didn’t realize Matt Harvey was starting. In Harvey’s 81 career starts, the Mets have scored two runs or less for him 35 times. That’s 43% of the time. It’s absurd.
Like the other 34 times, you can’t pin this one on Harvey. He had allowed one earned on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts in 3.2 innings. He was only pulled due to a length rain delay that lasted over an hour and a half.
After the rain delay, Terry Collins initially went to Erik Goeddel. After Goeddel walked Danny Espinosa, Collins brought Jerry Blevins into the game do face the left-handed pinch hitter Clint Robinson. Naturally, when you have to go deep in your bullpen tonight and have Logan Verrett making a spot start tomorrow, you want to play the match-up game in the fourth inning.
Blevins would get out of the inning unscathed, but Bryce Harper would launch a two run home run in the fifth to make it a 3-0 game. The Nationals would stretch the lead to a 5-0 game in the seventh when Mets killer Wilson Ramos hit a two run double off of Hansel Robles to make it a 5-0 game. The Mets intentionally walked Daniel Murphy to get to Ramos. To add insult to injury, Robles would have to leave the game after a Ryan Zimmerman got him on the knee.
It was a tough night all around. Harvey took the loss dropping him to 4-10 on the season. The Mets also lost another game in the division and remain in third place.
Game Notes: Alejandro De Aza e texted the game in the fourth as Curtis Granderson had trouble getting loose after the rain delay. De Aza was 0-2. Brandon Nimmo had another good game going 1-4. Nationals rookie Lucas Giolito pitched four scoreless in his major league debut.