This year’s edition of the Subway Series saw two struggling New York teams. After the series, the Mets weren’t the ones struggling anymore:
1. There shouldn’t be anymore doubt Brandon Nimmo is the Mets best offensive player, and he’s the real catalyst for the team.
2. If the point of replay is to get the calls right, there’s no point to replay when Nimmo is called out on a play he was clearly safe.
3. Gerrit Cole and Aroldis Chapman certainly are not the same pitchers since the crack down on sticky substances.
4. Imagine being someone who thought Cole deserved to be in the same breath as Jacob deGrom let alone thinking he was better.
5. Taijuan Walker absolutely should’ve been an All-Star, and he proved it again with his no-hitting the Yankees for 5+ innings. Hopefully, he will be an alternate for when deGrom won’t pitch in the game.
6. Was the Aaron Judge homer off Walker the first time one 99 broke up the no-hitter of another 99?
7. Again, there is no way the Mets should even contemplate DFAing Jose Peraza, especially after that bases loaded double to clear the bases. Use one of J.D. Davis‘ options and teach him how to play a position.
8. It’s funny that Tony Tarasco was on the field for the play where the Mets fan reached over the wall for the Peraza double. Tarasco was the Baltimore Orioles RF on the Jeffrey Meier/Derek Jeter play.
9. Pete Alonso‘s homer off Chapman was arguably the biggest hit of the year.
10. Alonso looks much more like the 2019 version hitting 275/.343/.517 with nine homers and 135 wRC+ over 134 PA since returning from the IL (h/t Tim Ryder).
11. Dominic Smith is red hot with a .875 OPS the past week and a .327/.365/.571 over the past two weeks. Like Alonso, he absolutely can keep this up.
12. That sure looked like the Jeff McNeil of old in this series.
13. The Mets made the right call keeping Billy McKinney up over Albert Almora. Now, McKinney needs to prove he can play off the bench effectively. He may get a week to prove it.
14. Considering he’s being stretched out, you absolutely take those five innings from behind Corey Oswalt, who looked good besides the one mistake.
15. On the bright side, while we may not see Carlos Carrasco or Noah Syndergaard until August or September, they’re going to be well rested and ready to dominate in the postseason.
16. What is going on with Michael Conforto?
17. Good thing Jeurys Familia is back because Miguel Castro doesn’t have it anymore.
18. This Mets team is built for the postseason because of their pitching and their ability to fight back late in games.
19. It was odd to see the Mets not optimize their defensive alignment behind Marcus Stroman, especially with the DH in play.
20. This series coming up against the Milwaukee Brewers is a good temperature check to see how good the Mets are, and for that matter, just how good the Brewers are.
The New York Mets have been struggling of late. While we all anticipated the regulars being activated may lead the team to take off, the opposite happened.
The Mets had struggled mightily this past week. Against division opponents, the Mets went 7-10 with the offense primarily to blame. Simply put, they just weren’t scoring runs leaving their pitching high and dry.
That was the case on June 29. Entering the top of the seventh, the Mets were down 3-0. For a team who scored more than three just three times over an 11 game stretch, that meant the game was all but lost.
That was until two got on in front of James McCann, who delivered his biggest moment as a Met hitting a game tying three run homer. That sparked a four run rally leading the Mets to right the ship and win a much needed divisional game against the Atlanta Braves.
Before last night's three-run shot, James McCann's last homer was on 6/6 in San Diego. From 6/7-6/28 (62 PA), he collected just four XBH (all doubles) and had a .071 ISO. He needed this and the #Mets needed it, desperately. #LGM @Metsmerized (via @Mets) pic.twitter.com/06aRuKAAbf
— Matt Musico (@mmusico8) June 30, 2021
This has been part of a big month of June for McCann. In his 26 games, he hit .288/.341/.500 with five doubles, four homers, and 16 RBI.
McCann came through big in June when the Mets needed it most. That was especially the case with his game tying homer, and that is why it’s the Mets Neon Moment of the Week!
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The New York Mets inability to score runs was starting to become problematic. That was until Brandon Nimmo was activated off the IL, and the Mets got to play in Yankee Stadium.
Nimmo would get a hit in his first AB, but he didn’t ignite the Mets offense until his one out single in the fifth. He’d score the first run of the game after ensuing singles from Francisco Lindor and Dominic Smith.
The rally continued with a Pete Alonso walk. James McCann drove home Lindor with an RBI single. The Alonso walk knocked New York Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery out of the game. After reliever Lucas Luetge allowed the McCann single, he threw a wild pitch permitting Smith to score the third run of the inning.
That was more than enough run support for Taijuan Walker, who was strong. He didn’t allow a hit until Aaron Judge homered off of him in the bottom of the sixth. His final line was 5.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K.
By the time those runs scored against Walker, the game was all but over because the Mets exploded for five runs in the top of the sixth.
Starting with a Jeff McNeil single, the Mets loaded the bases with no outs. Lindor walked to force home a run, and Smith followed with a two run double increasing the Mets lead to 6-0.
Go get 'em, @TheRealSmith2_! #LGM pic.twitter.com/k82JLaQU2m
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 3, 2021
Michael King entered the game and nearly got the Yankees out the jam by striking out Alonso and McCann. However, he’d walk Michael Conforto to reload the bases. Kevin Pillar is them delivered a two out two run RBI single. Through six, it was 8-3 Mets.
There was so much to like about this game. Walker pitched well. Nimmo, Lindor, and Smith combined to go 8-for-15. McNeil and Jose Peraza each had two hit games. Jeurys Familia and Drew Smith were terrific out of the pen.
If you’re a pessimistic Mets fan looking for a downside, it was Miguel Castro.
There was two out and one on when Luis Rojas pulled Walker for Castro. Castro then loaded the bases on a HBP and walk before allowing a two run single to Gio Urshela. This forced Rojas’ hand as we brought in Familia to reliever Castro.
Despite that blip, the Mets completely and utterly dominated the Yankees. This once again looked like the Mets team we anticipated seeing throughout the 2021 season. It started with Nimmo atop the lineup and followed with the lineup clicking.
Game Notes: Smith played first and Alonso was the DH. Peraza played third. He had an error. Tomorrow is a split admission doubleheader.
The New York Mets traveled to Atlanta, and they lost yet another road series.
1. At 17-25, the Mets are an awful road team, and they’re not going anywhere if they can’t correct this.
2. When you include the one Washington Nationals make-up game, the Mets three out of four. Digging deeper, they’ve lost 10 out of their last 16.
3. Unless there was a sinkhole on the infield dirt, Luis Guillorme, who was charging in on the ball, was not out-running Ronald Acuña to third.
4. Only Jacob deGrom could have a seven inning game where he allows three runs while walking none and striking out 14 a bad start.
5. It’s very troubling Sandy Alderson hired Mickey Callaway (or at least was the GM when Jeff Wilpon did it), hired Jared Porter, and came extremely close to signing Trevor Bauer. Oh, and he was the guy who brought back Jose Reyes.
6. There’s absolutely no place for Bauer in baseball.
7. We’re starting to see more Jeff McNeil at third late in games. He should be there everyday.
8. Mets are a clutch James McCann three run homer from the walls caving in on them.
9. He was injured, but David Peterson hasn’t been good or consistent all year. The sad part is even with that they still need him.
10. Maybe it’s a blip, or maybe the league has figured out Sean Reid-Foley, but his last few appearances haven’t been good.
11. The Thomas Szapucki outing was disheartening as he didn’t really show any indication he’d be ready to help the Mets this year.
12. Tylor Megill has more than earned more starts, and seeing everything, Corey Oswalt should be slotting in behind him in the rotation as they continue to stretch him out.
13. Albert Almora has now surrendered more homers and RBI than he’s hit. Good on him for volunteering to pitch, but there’s no reason for him to stay up over Billy McKinney when Brandon Nimmo is healthy.
14. Mets need a lot more of what Dominic Smith provided this past week, especially since his LF defense isn’t good.
15. Pete Alonso has been hitting a lot better of late, but sooner or later, he needs to start hitting a home. The same could be said for this entire Mets team.
16. With the great second base defense Jose Peraza has provided and his big hits the Mets should be really be considering his role going forward with the team. You could argue he should be playing everyday.
17. The Mets will never do it, but J.D. Davis still has minor league options and can’t refuse an assignment to Syracuse. Given how he can’t play a position, and his activation may force a Peraza DFA, he should be sent to Syracuse where he can actually learn how to play defense.
18. Speaking of Syracuse, it’s an embarrassment to the Mets and MLB that the Mets organization is not providing housing and other needs to minor leaguers they’re barely paying.
19. The quote was met with derision but hitting coach Hugh Quattlebaum is right. He needs to focus on processes. When processes are correct and clicking, the runs will then follow.
20. The Mets and Yankees both head into the Subway Series in complete disarray and with the threat of all three games being rained out.
Game Recaps
When Michael Conforto drove home Francisco Lindor in the top of the first, it wasn’t hyperbolic to think it was game over. Jacob deGrom was on the mound, and one run is all he needs.
That was except for tonight. In inexplicable fashion, deGrom surrendered more runs than he had in either the month of April or May.
Somehow Ehire Adrianza led off the bottom of the first with a triple. After he was singled home, to the astonishment of everyone, Austin Riley homered off of deGrom making it a 3-1 game.
"I gotta tip my hat to Riley over there…I said to James 'how did he hit that?'"
Jacob deGrom discusses Austin Riley's home run in the 1st inning pic.twitter.com/RfISBfugw4
— SNY (@SNYtv) July 2, 2021
At that moment, deGrom’s ERA finally creeped over 1.00. It didn’t stay that way for long, even on a night where deGrom’s velocity occasionally (and purposefully?) dipped.
From that point, deGrom was a man on a mission. He’d put up six scoreless after that recording 12 of his 14 strikeouts. Fortunately, he’d get a no decision for his effort.
For that, he can pretty much thank only Dominic Smith. While the Mets offense was sputtering again, Smith had a two home run game sending this guy tied into the bottom of the ninth.
No doubt Dom. ?@TheRealSmith2_ | #LGM pic.twitter.com/0IvYR7eVdq
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 2, 2021
Smith vs. Smith.
DOM WINS THIS ROUND! ☄️ pic.twitter.com/d9AzSNqkLF
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 2, 2021
Luis Rojas tabbed Seth Lugo to pitch the inning. The decision was the right one, but sometimes the right decisions don’t work. For Lugo, the problems started when he threw away a ball on a ball hit by Guillermo Heredia. Just like that, it was a single and an error putting the leadoff man on second.
A Pablo Sandoval fielder’s choice put Heredia on third, and Lugo struck out Kevan Smith. After intentionally walking Ronald Acuña, Lugo faced Ender Inciarte. Inciarte battled, and the umpire completely missed the 3-2 pitch meaning the bases were loaded instead of the inning being over.
That brought Freddie Freeman to the plate. There was some second guessing as to why Lugo instead of Aaron Loup here, but Lugo is the team’s best reliever, and he gets LHB out. If not for bad luck, Lugo gets out of the inning.
Bottom of the 9th, two outs, tie ballgame..
Take it away, @FreddieFreeman5!#ForTheA pic.twitter.com/THoG0HLgmT
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 2, 2021
If it doesn’t hit Lugo’s foot, it goes to the 10th. There were many saying Luis Guillorme should’ve gone to third, but given how he was heading away from the base, and it was Acuña running, he’s not beating him to the bag. Really, the throw was the only play.
Said another way, once it hit Lugo, the game was over. It’s shouldn’t have come to that with the umpire blowing a call in the Inciarte AB. More than that, the Mets needed someone other than Smith hitting.
Well, it’s July 1, meaning this is yet another year the New York Mets make their installment payment to Bobby Bonilla on the 25 year buy out. It’s also the day people try to rush to be funny.
Truth be told, Bonilla Day and everything associated with it should be celebrated by Mets fans:
1. The deal got rid of Mel Rojas, who needed to go because he was terrible and cost the Mets the 1998 Wild Card.
2. His injuries opened the door for playing time for Roger Cedeño, who would set the then Mets single season stolen base record.
3. Cedeño’s breakout helped the Mets use him as a key piece to obtain Derek Bell and Mike Hampton. Of course, the other key was buying out Bonilla freed up the money to permit the Mets to make the trade.
4. Hampton was the NLCS MVP as the Mets won their first pennant in 14 years.
5. When Hampton departed in free agency for the Colorado Rockies money and Denver school system, the Mets used their compensation pick on David Wright.
As we know, Wright would go on to become the Mets best third baseman and arguably their best ever position player. Certainly, any organization would do all they could do buy out a player for a pennant and to obtain a player like Wright.
There’s also the fact the joke is on everyone else now. The Bonilla money is a rounding error for the Mets now. Unlike the Wilpons who were ashamed, Steve Cohen uses Bonilla to promote special experiences at Citi Field.
This #BobbyBonillaDay, Bobby is heading to the plate to host an @Airbnb stay at @CitiField, in the ultimate Mets overnight experience. Starting on July 8 at noon, #Mets fans can request to book one night at Citi Field on July 28. #LGM
⚾️? https://t.co/mX83DzGsBt pic.twitter.com/O5hWqr1kz3
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 1, 2021
Overall, the Bonilla buy out was one of the best things the Mets ever did, and it will continue to be. So everyone can repeat the same lame forced jokes while Mets fans bask in the glory of it.
The New York Mets had a 2-0 lead when Pete Alonso hit a first inning two run homer off Max Fried. It was a down hill from there . . . way downhill.
David Peterson immediately gave up the lead in the bottom of the first. After a scoreless second, the Braves plated two more against him in the third.
Then, in the fourth, it all fell apart. After one run had scored increasing the Braves lead to 5-2, and one on, Peterson left the game with an injury. Sean Reid-Foley came in, and he was battered.
While the Mets wanted multiple innings from Reid-Foley, they got 0.2. In that stretch, he allowed the inherited runner to score before allowing four of his own.
This all but forced Thomas Szapucki to make his MLB debut. With Szapucki being a top prospect, and his potentially needing to take Peterson’s spot in the rotation, you wanted this to be the feel good story.
On the bright side, Szapucki escaped that jam allowing just one inherited runner. Past that, he wasn’t great allowing homers to Ozzie Albies and Ehire Adrianza.
The worst thing Szapucki did was not finish the game. He was completely out of gas after 3.2 innings, and he loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth. Luis Rojas had enough, and he brought in Albert Almora, Jr. to pitch.
When Almora surrendered a homer to Ozzie Albies, Almora officially allowed more homers and RBI than he has hit and driven in this season. Basically, that’s the tale of how the Mets lose 20-2.
It’s just time to say nothing more about this one. Before moving on completely, the Mets need to figure it out soon because their +16 rum differential is now -2, and more importantly, their division lead is down to two.
Game Notes: Dellin Betances will have season ending shoulder surgery. Jonathan Villar was pulled from his rehab start in Syracuse. Mets finished June 15-15.
Top seven. One on. Two out. A.J. Minter leaves an 88.9 MPH cutter in the heart of the plate. Michael Conforto takes a big swing, connects, and . . . .
Ronald Acuña catches it short of the right field warning track for the last out of the inning. Instead of a 6-3 lead, the Mets lead was 4-3.
It’s an all too familiar story with Conforto this season. For some reason, he just isn’t hitting for any power. We shouldn’t dwell too much on his just having seven doubles and two homers as he did have an IL stint.
That said, those numbers over a 162 game average would be a paltry 28 doubles and eight homers. Those are Luis Guillorme numbers, not Conforto numbers.
Overall, Conforto has a .318 SLG. His ISO is .098. That just doesn’t seem possible. After all, this is a 30 home run hitter who was one of the best hitters in baseball last year.
His hard hit rate is a career worst 35.7%. His ground ball rate is a career worst 45.9%. His 7.1% HR/FB is easily the worst in his career. His Baseball Savant page is a lot of blue with Conforto having poor exit velocities and hard hit percentages.
Everywhere you look, Conforto is just having a career worst offensive season. That’s saying something too considering the year he played through a wrist injury. He’s just had more of a power outage than the State of New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy.
Now, there are some mitigating factors. The ball is deadened, and MLB is working to eliminate pitchers using sticky substances. His impending free agency is hanging over him. As noted, he’s dealt with injuries.
There’s also the Chili Davis factor. Much of what we’re seeing with Conforto is something we’re seeing with other Mets, but not as extreme. Same goes for the Cubs players whose power evaporated under Davis.
To wit, there may be hope this is just a blip for Conforto. He may just need to get into rhythm and get the opportunity to work with the new hitting coaches.
The Mets and Conforto better hope that’s the case because this team has World Series aspirations, and it’s going to be difficult to get there without Conforto hitting. Taking a step further, Conforto’s value on the free agent market is going to take a massive hit if, well, he can’t anymore.
This was ticketed for another very frustrating game. The Mets offense could do absolutely nothing against Charlie Morton over the first six innings.
In years past. it made sense. Morton has a very good track record, but he entered this start with a 3.68 ERA. While Morton’s curve was sharp, this seemed more indicative of how poorly the Mets offense has performed.
The shame was Tylor Megill gave the Mets another solid effort. He started the game with four scoreless with the help of a great Dominic Smith play in left.
.@TheRealSmith2_ saving a run. ? pic.twitter.com/11VIlkEjFG
— New York Mets (@Mets) June 29, 2021
Megill ran into trouble in the fifth. After two quick outs, Ronald Acuña and Freddie Freeman singled, and then Ozzie Albies hit a three run homer. Honestly, at the time, it seemed like the 3-0 lead was insurmountable.
Things changed in the seventh. Smith hit a 3-2 curve for a single. Then, the Mets got a little bit of luck. Kevin Pillar battled Morton, and the home plate umpire Adam Beck called what should’ve been strike three ball four.
James McCann came to the plate as the tying run. McCann had looked overmatched, but then, he hit the game tying three run homer.
.@McCannon33 makes it a brand new ballgame! #LGM pic.twitter.com/gYi7BnZYpa
— New York Mets (@Mets) June 30, 2021
Morton was done for the night with his being lifted for A.J. Minter, but the Mets bats weren’t. Jose Peraza hit a pinch hit ground rule double, and two batters later, Francisco Lindor had the go-ahead RBI single.
Lead secured. ?@Lindor12BC | #LGM pic.twitter.com/PHKmAXkmU3
— New York Mets (@Mets) June 30, 2021
These runs were the benefit of Drew Smith. Smith picked up the win after pitching a scoreless sixth. It was the first of four scoreless from this Mets bullpen.
Naturally, one of those came from Edwin Diaz. Ehire Adrianza had put a scare into everyone hitting a potential homer JUST foul. Despite the scare, Diaz recorded his 17th save, and the Mets earned the 4-3 win.
Again, there are signs of life from this offense. Overall, what you like most is the fight in this team.
Game Notes: The Mets had two sacrifice bunts with neither coming from a pitcher (Lindor, Luis Guillorme). Michael Conforto is only slugging .318.
It finally happened. In the New York Mets 8-4 loss, the late inning machinations led to Jeff McNeil playing third base. It took 74 games for the Mets to put their best third baseman at third base.
Now, many don’t believe that to be true because McNeil struggled there for exactly nine games in a COVID impacted season. For some reason, those nine games were weighed much more than the rest of his career.
Entering 2020, McNeil had played 171.1 innings at third at the MLB level. Over that admittedly small sample size, he had a 6 DRS, 3.1 UZR, and a 5 OAA. Those numbers are excellent. Really, when you have a player of that caliber, you don’t move him off the position.
That goes double when you look at the other Mets third basemen. J.D. Davis and Jonathan Villar entered the year with reputations as poor defenders, and they haven’t disappointed.
In 94.0 innings, Davis has a -2 DRS, -0.9 UZR, and a -1 OAA. While having the propensity to make the highlight play, Villar has a -1 DRS, -1.9 UZR, and -2 OAA in 362.2 innings at third.
At the moment, both Davis and Villar are on the IL taking them out of the third base mix. That means Luis Guillorme is the third baseman for now.
Shockingly, Guillorme is not a good third baseman. In 113.2 innings this year, he has a -3 DRS, -1.0 UZR, and a -1 OAA. For whatever reason, the skills which make him an extraordinarily gifted middle infielder isn’t translating at the hot corner.
This makes the Mets putting McNeil at second and Guillorme at third an inexplicably bad and stubborn decision. Remember, when McNeil wasn’t initially called up in 2018, Sandy Alderson’s initial rationale was McNeil wasn’t a third baseman.
Of course, the problem is McNeil is s third baseman, and he’s a very good one at that. They’re taking one of their best players and neutralizing just how great he can be.
More than that, they’re purposefully not allowing Guillorme to thrive. He is a player who plays exceptional defense and finds a way on base. When he’s played second, he’s done that. When he hasn’t, he’s a player who hits for no power and plays poor defense. Continuing down this path is insane.
This is a good Mets team which can be great. They can win a World Series. To do that, they’re going to have to get the most out of their roster and put their players in a position to succeed. As long as McNeil is at second with Guillorme at third, they’re not going that.
It’s past time to make the switch. The Mets can maximize their defense and help their pitching by making this switch. They can be an even more imposing club. Hopefully, we will see McNeil at third with Guillorme at second soon.