Mets Return The Favor

If you thought blowing a 6-0 lead entering the bottom of the eighth was bad, Taijuan Walker only lasted one-third of an inning. In that one-third, he allowed SIX runs.

The key moment of the inning was a Kevin Newman hit ball Walker tried to touch foul. Instead, the umps called it fair. While Walker argued, and J.D. Davis aimlessly walked towards the third base coaches box not even pretending to care to make a play, the Pirates scored three runs to take a commanding 6-0 first inning lead.

Luis Rojas argued the play as vociferously as we’ve ever seen him argue with an umpire. Between that and a bump, he’d get tossed.

Walker departed as well. He’d be replaced by Drew Smith. Over 2.2 scoreless innings, Smith gave the bullpen some much needed length, and he kept the Mets in position to get back into the game.

The Mets would do that. First, it was a Dominic Smith two out RBI single making it 6-1. In the ensuing inning, Travis Blankenhorn came up to pinch hit for Smith, and he hit his first Major League homer.

Suddenly, it was 6-4 in the fourth. That meant the Mets were back in the game. They’d stay in the game because the bullpen was phenomenal.

After Smith, Miguel Castro threw a scoreless inning, and Aaron Loup followed with two more scoreless. With Smith hitting an RBI double scoring Jeff McNeil from first in the sixth.

Just like that, it was a one run game. After Jeurys Familia pitched an adventurous yet scoreless eighth, the Mets had a chance. Those chances improved when Smith hit a lead-off single. Then, Michael Conforto had his biggest hit of the year.

Conforto has been heating up of late, and we’ve seen him hit for power again. When he hits like this, no deficit is insurmountable, even a 6-0 first inning one.

After Edwin Diaz threw so many pitches in his blown save the previous night, Trevor May got the chance. Despite issuing a lead-off walk, he earned his second save of the year.

This was a game where we saw how special and resilient this Mets team is. They responded to a 6-0 first inning deficit with 8.1 scoreless. Wins like these makes you believe they can win the World Series.

Game Notes: Jacob deGrom has been put on the IL and shut down. Dave Jauss replaced Rojas as manager after the ejection.

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Edwin Diaz Pulls A Hansel Robles

Hansel Robles was one of the more maddening New York Mets relievers. He could go through scoreless streaks which huge performances, and he could follow it by being completely unable to get an out.

Perhaps, what drove Mets fans craziest about Robles was the point. Inevitably, when a ball was hit out, Robles stuck his finger in the air so as to indicate it was a pop up.

Robles was designated for assignment three years ago, and when he left the Mets, the thought was we’d never have to see another point again. We were wrong, very wrong.

In a game the Mets once led 6-0, Edwin Diaz was asked to close out a game they now only led by the score of 7-5 heading into the bottom of the ninth.

Diaz struggled loading the bases, and Jacob Stallings would hit a walk-off grand slam giving the Pirates a 9-7 win. As we all watched on in horror, Diaz pointed to the sky.

https://twitter.com/majorleaguegifs/status/1416593712113754114?s=21

It was a horrific loss, and to make matters worse, we were again reminded of the Robles point. So to compound the Mets loss, we’re again reminded of the point and how bad things can get.

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Seth Lugo And Edwin Diaz Implode Turning Laugher Into Misery

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been looking like the first place team, and the New York Mets have looked like the second division club. With Tylor Megill on the mound, that changed.

Megill never should’ve been in the majors this year, and yet, due to injuries, he’s suddenly a key part of the rotation. He very much looked like that in this start.

He allowed no runs while pitching a career best six innings. He’d allow just six hits while striking out two. Perhaps, the more astonishing part was his walking none.

He battled through some tricky spots. That began with Adam Frazier doubling on a pop up by J.D. Davis to lead off the first. Later in the game, Pete Alonso made an error to start some trouble for Megill.

There were multiple situations with a runner in scoring position, but Megill showed poise getting out of the jams. Of course, it didn’t hurt Luis Guillorme was playing Gold Glove caliber defense in Francisco Lindor‘s absence.

Guillorme helped abate Lindor landing on the IL. In addition to the great defense, he was 1-for-3 with a run, double, and a walk. He scored that run in the sixth when Travis Blankenhorn had his first career RBI hitting a pinch hit double in the seventh which just missed going out.

It was a night the Mets offense came back to life scoring six runs. Michael Conforto‘s bat started to come alive with two doubles. Jeff McNeil had an RBI. Of the Mets 11 hits, eight were for extra bases including three homers.

Entering the bottom of the eighth, the Mets had a 6-0 lead. It was a good thing too because Seth Lugo had a rare implosion. After allowing just five runs all year, the Pirates scored five runs in two-thirds of an inning off Lugo capped off by a Wilmer Difo pinch hit three run homer.

Suddenly, a 6-0 laugher was a tight 6-5 game. Aaron Loup came in to relieve Lugo to face Frazier. Frazier hit a hard grounder down the line, but Alonso made a diving stop to rob Frazier of an extra base hit.

The Mets got one of those runs back in the top of the ninth courtesy of Brandon Nimmo, who hit a solo homer to straight center increasing the Mets lead to 7-5.

The Mets appeared to need that extra cushion with Edwin Diaz struggling in the ninth. His first pitch hit Ke’Bryan Hayes, and then he walked Bryan Reynolds on five pitches.

After Ben Gamel chased a pitch in the dirt to strike out, Diaz hung an 0-2 slider which John Nogowski smoked towards third. Jonathan Villar, in for defense, knocked down the short hop keeping it in the infield. It saved a run, but it loaded the bases.

What ensued was a great battle between Diaz and Gregory Polanco. At the end of the nine pitch at-bat, Diaz froze Polanco with a 3-2 slider on the corner to strike him out.

But, it didn’t matter. On Diaz’s next pitch, Jacob Stallings took a pitch off the inside corner and hit a walk-off grand slam. Kevin Pillar did all he could in left diving into the stands, but it was all for naught.

The Mets blew a 6-0 lead and lost 9-7. There’s no other way to put it other than admitting it’s time to panic.

Game Notes: Jacob deGrom reportedly dealt with right forearm issues in his bullpen session.

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Michael Conforto Having Worst Contract Walk Year Ever

With the allowance for some, but not much, hyperbole, Michael Conforto is having one of the worst contract walk years we have ever seen. Case-in-point, it’s after the All-Star Break, and he just fell under the Mendoza Line.

This is the same Conforto who was arguably the best hitter in the NL last year. He had the look of a player about to bust out and be the superstar we all imagined he’d be when he was blasting two homers in the 2015 World Series.

Instead, through 53 games, he’s hitting just .199/.343/.295 with seven doubles, three homers, and 19 RBI. His slugging percentage looks like what his batting average should be.

Defensively, he’s a 92 wRC+ and an 81 OPS+ hitter. His ground ball rate is a career worst, and not too coincidentally, so are his home run rates. He’s pulling more than he ever has, and his hard hit rates are the lowest in his career.

Defensively, Conforto has a 1 DRS and a 1 OAA. That’s actually a nice rebound for a player who was declining defensively. However, Conforto has again lost a step in the outfield. His sprint speed is in a three year decline.

When you throw in Conforto suffering another injury, this has been just about as bad a season as anyone could have entering free agency. He’s been hurt, dropped in the lineup, and having the worst year of his career. Keep in mind, there was a year where he struggled due to a wrist injury.

The good news for Conforto is there are still roughly two-and-a-half months of the season. If the Mets remain in first place, he will also have a postseason. With any resurgence, Conforto can once again establish himself as one of the best in the game and the top free agent outfielder.

If not, Conforto will likely see a two as the first number in his contract. However, instead of a multi-year deal worth over $200 million, it’ll be a large one year price it deal for more than $20 million.

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Mets Lose Lindor And Inexplainable Game To Pirates

The New York Mets first game out of the break was a completely unmitigated disaster. To a certain extent, it was an embarrassment.

Against Chad Kuhl and the Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen, the Mets kept threatening and faltering. In fact, this team was 0-for-12 with RISP. That’s only part of the story.

In three straight innings, they drew lead-off walks. They had runners on first and second three straight innings. They had eight different men in scoring position.

Just one of them scored. It was Pete Alonso on a Jonathan Villar RBI fielder’s choice in the fourth. That wasn’t enough run support for Marcus Stroman.

Stroman didn’t have his best stuff, and he was fighting it in more ways than one.

His toughest inning was the second. The Pirates loaded the bases against him with one out, and then the rains came. There was roughly a half hour rain delay.

He’d strike out Kuhl, but he’d allow a two RBI single to Adam Frazier giving the Pirates a 2-0 lead. After that Ke’Bryan Hayes hit one up the middle making Stroman look like Charlie Brown. Stroman escaped the inning without any further damage.

That damage would come later. The fifth inning would be as bizarre and damaging an inning as we’ve seen. It started with Francisco Lindor leaving with an apparent oblique injury.

In the bottom of the inning, we’d see Stromsn retire John Nogowski to get out of a tough jam to leave the game at 2-1. Stroman celebrated, and Nogowski thought he was tougher than Stroman.

Stroman couldn’t get to Nogowski because James McCann wouldn’t let him. We’d see Stroman bent over and run off the field. Apparently, he was alright as he back to the dugout to chirp Nogowski.

This was all well and good, but Stroman and the Mets took the loss. The 2-1 deficit grew to 4-1 when Drew Smith and Jeurys Familia each surrendered long homers.

It was another ugly, inexplicable, and unacceptable loss to a very bad Pirates team. They now loss three out of five to the Pirates, and worse yet, they’ve lost their best position player.

Game Notes: Gary Thorne came back to do play-by-play with Gary Cohen on vacation. Billy McKinney was designated for assignment to make room for J.D. Davis on the roster. Luis Guillorme replaced Lindor at short.

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Jacob deGrom Avoided All-Star COVID Exposure

New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom has skipped the All-Star Game due to his nagging injuries and to spend time with his family. It was the right decision in more ways than one.

The first game out of the All-Star Break for Major League Baseball was supposed to be between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. That game and a subsequent game was suspended due to COVID.

There were three Yankee players who tested positive for COVID with three more pending cases. One of those with a pending case was All-Star Aaron Judge.

Judge’s pending case led to the recommendation the five Red Sox All-Stars undertake social distancing measures. Rafael Devers advised he could not participate in media availability and needed to take a COVID test.

As of this moment, it would appear the positive cases are restricted to the Yankees and the concern is limited to the Yankees and Red Sox. However, that is just based on what is being reported.

Really, we don’t know how many players have been exposed or will test positive. Part of the reason is we don’t know the level of social interaction between the players during the festivities.

To a certain extent, there should be some concern about Taijuan Walker who pitched in the game. The same could be said for Pete Alonso and Dave Jauss, who participated in the Home Run Derby.

The only thing we know for certain is deGrom was not exposed to anything at the All-Star Game because he wasn’t there. Hopefully, his teammates were similarly not exposed. That’s of increased importance given how the Mets are one of the least vaccinated teams in baseball.

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Mets 2021 Uniforms: Back in Black

After the years of waiting, the New York Mets are finally bringing back the black jerseys on July 30, and they’ll be worn for all the ensuing Friday games.

These are the jerseys Mike Piazza and Edgardo Alfonzo wore the last time the Mets captured the pennant at home. They’re the jerseys David Wright and Carlos Beltran wore the last time the Mets clinched a division at home, and they wore them again to open Citi Field.

Now, we’re going to see current Mets greats carry on the tradition. Certainly, we should expect to see Jacob deGrom, Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, and Pete Alonso accomplish similar feats to those Mets teams.

Friday nights are the perfect time for these jerseys. By limiting it, it prevents the issue fans previously had where the regular jerseys were almost entirely phased out for the black.

Of course, there’s also hope the Mets still embrace the blue alternates. It would be great to see Mr. Met return to the sleeve and have them worn on Family Sundays at Citi Field.

Overall, it’s great to see the Mets bringing back a fan favorite jerseys and treating them like a special event. Hopefully, it is something which stays well past this season.

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Neon Moment Of The Week: Alonso A Yankee Doodle Dandy

The New York Mets went to Yankee Stadium for part one of the annual Subway Series scuffling. They had lost 11 out of their past 17 games. After taking the first game, they were on the precipice of losing another game while having another frustrating day at the plate with lost opportunities.

In the top of the seventh, which was the final inning because of Rob Manfred, Aroldis Chapman was on for the save. He had been struggling of late with the sticky substances crack down, but he got ahead of Pete Alonso, who was in a 1-for-17 stretch.

In dramatic fashion, Alonso hit a game tying solo homer ignoring the Mets offense.

After that homer, the Mets offense was unstoppable. Chapman completely lost it, and he set up a six run inning for the Mets. Just like that, a 5-4 loss became a 10-5 win. As an aside, this would prove to be the Mets first road series win since the May 31 – June 2 series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Alonso would go on to become the 30th player to homer in both ends of the doubleheader. After that, he’d go on to win the Home Run Derby. With the home run barrage and the sparking the Mets to victory, Alonso providing the early fireworks on the Fourth of July is the Neon Moment of the Week!

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Taijuan Walker Highlight Of All-Star Game

It seems every year there is a debate over whether every team should really be represented in the All-Star Game. Last night was another example of why it matters. It was great seeing the newest New York Met take the mound in the sixth inning.

That’s not to say Taijuan Walker was an All-Star only because of that rule. That clearly wasn’t the case with his great first half. Rather, there’s just something extra special about that game when you see players from your favorite team out there among on the best in the game. Certainly, Walker has shown himself to be that.

Walker showed the type of stuff which led to him being an All-Star when he struck out Whit Merrifield. His outing was marred a bit by Mike Zunino hitting a homer. That said, he pitched great, and he definitely showed he deserved to be there, and more importantly, he showed that this may not be his last appearance.

That is certainly special given Walker’s story. This is a pitcher who only received an offer from the Mets in free agency despite having a strong 2020 season. Previous to his joining the Mets, Walker had been traded twice, non-tendered, and dealt with various injuries including his needing Tommy John surgery. More than anything, Walker appearing in that All-Star Game was a story in perseverance.

Regardless of the outcome, Walker being an All-Star was a truly special moment. It is what we all love about sports. Walker had a great first half and a special moment. None of it is going to compare to what he will have in store in the second half and his raising that World Series trophy come October.

 

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Alonso Is Re-Pete Home Run Derby Champion

Each of the Home Run Derby contestants wore the number 44 in honor of the late Hank Aaron. Much like Aaron once before him, Pete Alonso once again established himself as the real home run king.

First, Alonso knocked off Salvador Perez. Then, he squared off against Juan Soto. Alonso did so well that round, he actually used his time out solely for the purpose of hyping the crowd.

Finally, Alonso faced Trey Mancini in the finals. The cancer survivor was a crowd favorite, and really everyone on that planet, except Mets fans, were rooting for him.

Mancini had a great round hitting 22 homers. That just so happened to be the same amount Vlad Guerrero Jr. hit two years ago. Once again, Alonso beat that number.

In total, Alonso hit a very nice 69 total homers. If not for his going second in his matchups against Soto and Mancini, he very likely would’ve hit more. Those homers traveled a combined 26 miles.

With that, Alonso joins Ken Griffey, Jr. and Yoenis Cespedes as the only players to successfully defend their title. There’s every chance Alonso can and will go for the three peat, sorry three Pete, next year in Los Angeles.

There have been many great at this event, but Alonso could be the best ever at this. Really, he’s to the Home Run Derby what Jacob deGrom is to pitching.

Speaking of deGrom, he won the Cy Young in 2019 when Alonso won the Home Run Derby. It looks like that feat will be repeated this year. Certainly, we can also expect the Mets to have a big second half much like they had that year as well.

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