Bartolo Colon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu1toI7woD4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_42D7hjW-1U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFgXQdYQna0
Oh, and in case, you still think winning the Wild Card Game is impossible, there’s Bartolo Colon to show you nothing is impossible:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzLERV9l9Vs
The New York Mets have announced their Wild Card Game Roster for tonight’s winner-take-all game tonight at Citi Field
Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
Pitchers
- Jerry Blevins
- Bartolo Colon
- Josh Edgin
- Jeurys Familia
- Robert Gsellman
- Addison Reed
- Hansel Robles
- Fernando Salas
- Noah Syndergaard
There were a few surprises on this roster. The one that immediately stands out is the Mets not carrying Lucas Duda on the roster. In a short period of time, Duda has gone from in the conversation to starting at first base tonight to not even being on the roster. His will be a big bat the Mets will miss for a late inning pinch hitting opportunity.
The next surprise was the Mets carrying Gsellman over Seth Lugo. While Gsellman has been the hotter pitcher over the past couple of starts, Gsellman does not have the experience Lugo has coming out of the bullpen.
The biggest surprise was the Mets carrying Edgin over Josh Smoker. This season, Smoker has struck out 14.7 batters per nine, and he has gotten the Mets out of a few tough jams. Edgin, on the other hand, has struggled this season due in large part to him not fully regaining his velocity after Tommy John surgery. However, despite the surprise, there is some justification for the decision.
First, both Smoker and Edgin are one inning pitchers. Each time Terry Collins has tried to push Smoker past one inning of work, he has allowed a second home run. With them both being one inning pitchers, the Mets most likely sought to use the pitcher who matches up better against the Giants. Given the Giants have many left-handed batters, Edgin seems to be the better choice. This season, lefties are hitting .235/.300/.235 off of Edgin as opposed to .360/.448/.600 off of Smoker.
Overall, the hope is that the Mets don’t have to use Edgin or worry about leaving Smoker off the roster. First and foremost, Blevins is going to be the LOOGY in the big spot, and Robleshas reverse splits. Additionally, the Mets 7-8-9- combination of Salas-Reed-Familia pitch just as well against lefties as they do to righties. In the end, so long as Syndergaard and the back end of the bullpen do their job, as we all expect they will do, the Edgin/Smoker decision will not amount to much.
Baseball is funny. There was about a four month stretch where watching Mets baseball was a tedious and frustrating exercise. It was about as painful as watching Yoenis Cespedes try to play on an injured quad.
Speaking of pain, seemingly everyone got hurt. Of all the people in the Opening Day lineup, only Curtis Granderson and Michael Conforto didn’t wind up on the disabled list at some point. With Conforto making two trips to AAA, that left Granderson as the only Met starter available all season.
We saw something similar last year. However, we saw last year that a team can make it to the postseason with some big trade deadline moves, a weak schedule to finish the season, and tremendous pitching.
Well, the trade deadline wasn’t the boon it was last year. Jay Bruce would struggle mightily until the last week of the season.
The starting pitching we all expected wasn’t there. Matt Harvey was never healthy and needed season ending surgery. Zack Wheeler had multiple setbacks during his Tommy John rehab, and he wouldn’t pitch this year. Both Steven Matz and Jacob deGrom pitched with injuries until they couldn’t anymore. Both had season ending surgeries.
Speaking of season ending surgeries, the Mets also lost David Wright to cervical fusion surgery and Neil Walker to discectomy. Speaking of bad backs, Lucas Duda was nowhere to be found for most of the year with him suffering a stress fracture in his back.
Still, the Mets made it back to the postseason. They did take advantage of that weak season ending schedule. Since August 20th, the Mets have the best record in baseball. How did we get here?
Well, Noah Syndergaard and his 95 MPH slider had a Cy Young caliber season. Bartolo Colon had his best season as a Met. Addison Reed and Jeurys Familia were the most dominant 8-9 combination in all of baseball. Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman became not only unlikely contributors, but also reliable starters in the stretch run.
Offensively, Asdrubal Cabrera became the best hitter in all of baseball the final month of the season. Cespedes got healthy, and Granderson regained his stroke. Wilmer Flores and Kelly Johnson combined to reasonably replicate Walker’s production until Flores got hurt and Johnson regressed. At that point, T.J. Rivera took complete advantage of the opportunity with the 27 year old undrafted rookie playing solid defense and spraying line drives all over the field. And yes, Jose Reyes returned to the Mets after his domestic violence issues to play better than anyone could’ve reasonably expected.
That coupled with the Giants and Cardinals playing sub .500 ball, the Mets had their 1973 window, and the Mets took full advantage. All they needed to do was win one more game.
Fittingly, Colon got the start (pun intended). He’d get a 2-0 lead off a pair of RBI singles from Rivera and Reyes. As he has seemingly done all year, Reyes scored Travis d’Arnaud from second. As usual, it was a questionable send by Tim Teufel as the ball beat d’Arnaud to the plate. Fortunately, the throw was to the first base side of the plate, and d’Arnaud made a nifty slide to just avoid the tag.
That’s when ghost of Phillies past Ryan Howard tried to put a damper on the party by hitting a game tying two run home run. Up until the Howard home run, he was cruising and showing no ill effects from his tendon injury.
In the sixth, James Loney would do his best Dave Magadan impression:
He also had a Cabrera impression with an impressive bat flip.
Of course, Cabrera would be heard from with an RBI single in the ninth. Cespedes would also be heard from, but in a completely different way altogether:
Yoenis Cespedes got himself tossed out of the game by dropping an F bomb. Apparently it could be heard in the dugouts.
— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) October 1, 2016
Reed and Familia locked down the eighth and ninth inning for the 51st time this season, which is by far the most in the majors.
The last out was recorded by Conforto making a sliding catch in left. The last time a left fielder with the number 30 caught the clinching out was Cliff Floyd in 2006. Hopefully, these Mets can have a long playoff run like that team. Honestly though, we’re hoping for more than that.
With that, the 2016 Mets completed their 1973 Mets regular season run. Now comes the hard part. That begins Wednesday with Syndergaard taking the mound against either the Giants or Cardinals in the winner take all Wild Card Game.
One of the quirks of the Wild Card Game is a team is able to create a standalone 25 man roster just for that game. After the completion of the Wild Card Game, the winning team is able to reset its roster for the Division Series. With that in mind, when the Mets construct their roster, they really have no need to carry extra starting pitchers. Instead, they can carry an extra reliever or two, and they can add a couple of bats on the bench for pinch hitting and running opportunities. With that in mind, here is how I would construct the roster.
Catchers (2) – Travis d’Arnaud and Rene Rivera
With the Wild Card Game starting pitcher likely to be either Syndergaard or Lugo, it seems that Rivera will be Terry Collins choice as the starting catcher. If the Mets fall behind early, he may very well go to d’Arnaud for offense. However, for now, Rivera seems the likely starter.
First Base (2) – Lucas Duda and James Loney
The only variable we don’t know right now is whether Duda can play everyday during a postseason run. However, we have seen him play effectively here and there as he gets more playing time. If Duda is ready to go, he has to start. If not, Loney can start with Duda being the power bat off the bench. If Duda does start, Loney is there for insurance for Duda’s back, and he can hit right-handed pitching reaosnably well in the event the Mets need an extra pinch hitter.
Second Base (2) – Kelly Johnson and T.J. Rivera
If the Mets face the Giants and Madison Bumgarner, it is likely Rivera gets the start. If the Mets face the Cardinals and Carlos Martinez, it is likely Johnson gets the start. No matter which one gets the start, we know that the other one will be the best pinch hitting option when the Mets need a bit hit.
Third Base (1) – Jose Reyes
At this point, barring something unusual happening, Reyes is the team’s everyday third baseman and leadoff hitter. He also serves as a backup shortstop in the event something happens to Cabrera
Shortstop (1) – Asdrubal Cabrera
Cabrera is the best hitter in the major leagues during the month of September, and while he has two injured knees, he is able to effectively handle all the balls that come within the vicinity of shortstop.
Outfield – (5) Jay Bruce, Yoenis Cespedes, Michael Conforto, Alejandro De Aza, Curtis Granderson
Given how Bruce’s bat has come alive the past few games and with the way Conforto has been adapting to being a pinch hitter, both players should find themselves on the Wild Card Game roster. What will be curious is whether it is Bruce or De Aza that finds themselves in the outfield with Cespedes and Granderson. In a winner-take-all situation, Collins just might be inclined to go with the defense over the bat.
Starting Pitchers (3) – Bartolo Colon, Seth Lugo, and Noah Syndergaard
Whether or not Syndergaard pitches on Sunday, he has to be on the roster. You cannot go down without the ability to throw your best pitcher, even if it is for one inning. Same goes for your second best pitcher, which is why Colon should be on the roster. As for Lugo, he should make the roster because: 1) he has experience as a short reliever; and 2) it is his turn in the rotation, so he can give you as many innings as you need.
Bullpen (5) – Jerry Blevins, Jeurys Familia, Addison Reed, Hansel Robles, Fernando Salas and Josh Smoker
If things go to plan, it is likely the Mets are not going to need more than Reed and Familia. If the starter is able to go six, Reed can pitch the seventh and Familia can get the final two innings like he did in the NLDS clincher last year. In the event things don’t go as smoothly, this bullpen can effectively mix and match. Smoker seems like a given to make the roster because it gives the Mets an extra lefty in the pen, one with reverse splits, that can get a big strikeout when the Mets are in a jam.
Bubble –
If the Mets were to go with this group of players, and it seems likely they would that leaves the team with 22 players on the roster with decisions to make for the final four spots. Here is a case for each of the potential bubble players:
Position Players
UT Eric Campbell – As we saw when the Mets faced Adam Conley and the Marlins, Collins has fallen back in the habit of using Campbell as his right-handed first baseman. In the event the Mets face the Giants, Campbell may well find himself getting a postseason start. If not, he has shown the ability to be a very effective pinch hitter in tight games.
UT Ty Kelly – Collins has liked using as a pinch runner towards the back-end of the season. Even though he is much better hitting right-handed in his short major league career, Kelly’s switch hitting ability does have some usefulness in neutralizing an opposing manager’s ability to go to a lefty/righty in a big spot for multiple outs.
CF Juan Lagares – Lagares just started to swing the bat, but we still don’t know if he can do it multiple times in a game if necessary. However, with the Mets not needing to carry as many pitchers, Lagares could be kept on the roster to bunt, pinch run, and play defense in the late innings.
C Kevin Plawecki – Plawecki has not done much of anything offensively this season. However, he remains a good defensive catcher, and his presence on the team would permit Collins to be aggressive in bringing in d’Arnaud for offense with full knowledge that the Mets have other catcher on the bench.
SS Matt Reynolds – Especially given Cabrera’s injuries further limiting his range, Reynolds could very well be the Mets best defensive shortstop. Should Cabrera have to leave the game with an injury, Reynolds could step right in defensively. Additionally, in the event Collins needs to start double switching people in and out of the game to keep a pitcher in longer, Reynolds’ ability to competently play second, third, short, and left make him a versatile and valuable bench piece.
Bullpen
LHP Josh Edgin – His chances of making the roster increase if the Mets play the Giants given the presence of Denard Span and Brandon Belt. In that event, the Mets may want that one extra lefty to have multiple matchup opportunities. Against the Cardinals, the need for the extra left-hander won’t be as great.
RHP Erik Goeddel – Even if it has been mostly in mop-up duty, Goeddel has pitched much better in September than he has all season. Unlike Edgin or Henderson (below), Goedell has also shown the ability to go multiple innings lately thereby increasing his usefulness out of the pen.
RHP Robert Gsellman – Gsellman could make the team as a long reliever with Collins then using Lugo as a one inning reliever who can let it fly for one or two innings. Additionally, with Gsellman’s sinker, Collins could elect to go with him in a situation in which the Mets need to get a double play.
RHP Jim Henderson – Henderson hasn’t been the same since coming back from the disabled list. With that said, he’s still striking out 10.6 per nine, and so far this month, he has seven scoreless appearances. More than any of the above, he has the biggest upside. However, when he loses with 95+ MPH fastball, and it happens without a moment’s notice, he’s going to get hit around.
Prediction
Who the Mets carry for the final three spots will be largely based upon the opponent. In the event that the Mets face the Giants, the odds of Campbell and Edgin making the roster go up significantly. If the Mets face the Cardinals, who have multiple effective lefties out of the pen, someone like Kelly with his switch hitting ability could see his chances of making the roster increase.
Overall, considering how the Mets have handled the catching situation late in the season, the Mets should probably carry Plawecki as a third catcher. Doing so will permit Collins to switch out Rivera for d’Arnaud if the Mets fall behind early or if the Mets need a right-handed pinch hitter.
If the Mets face the Giants, it is likely that Campbell will make the roster as the starting first baseman. If the Mets face the Cardinals, the Mets will then likely carry Kelly as a pinch runner/pinch hitter or Reynolds. Given how the concerns over Cabrera’s knees, and the need to double switch late in games, and because Reynolds has some extra pop in his bat than Kelly, Reynolds should be the choice.
The last spot becomes dicey. As the Mets bullpen is constituted, the team has multiple pitchers who can go multiple innings thereby negating the need to carry an eighth reliever. This choice here will likely be and should be opponent driven. If the Mets face the Giants, Edgin should be the choice so the Mets can get multiple lefty/lefty matchups late in games. If the Mets face the Cardinals, the team should probably carry both Reynolds and Kelly. This would help the Mets neutralize the Cardinals unleashing their left-handed relievers against the Mets late in the game.
Of course, if Lagares is truly healthy enough to swing the bat, as he has done the past few games, he definitely needs to be on the roster. He had a good postseason last year, and he’s the team’s best defensive outfielder.
There are a number of interesting decisions ahead, and ultimately it will depend on the opponent and whether the Cardinals keep enough heat on the Giants so Bumgarner had to pitch on Sunday.
Editor’s Note: this was also published on Mets Merized Online
With the Mets beating the Marlins, and the Reds beating the Cardinals, the Mets magic number to claim one of the two Wild Card spots is two. This means the Mets can claim a Wild Card spot as early as Friday or as late as Saturday. It would behoove the Mets to clinch as soon as possible for many reasons.
For starters, there is the issue of their starting pitcher. As it stands right now, Noah Syndergaard is slated to pitch on the regular season finale. In the event the Mets have not wrapped up the Wild Card by then, Terry Collins will have little choice but to throw Syndergaard. You do not want the Mets to miss out on the postseason because you held your ace back for a game that was not yet guaranteed. If the Mets are forced to pitch Syndergaard on Sunday, the Mets choices for the Wild Card Game will be either Bartolo Colon, who has an injured tendon in his right foot, on short rest or the unproven rookies Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman. In reality, there is only one pitcher the Mets can trust right now in a winner-take-all game and that is Syndergaard.
Another important reason the Mets need to clinch early is some of their better players need some rest. Asdrubal Cabrera has been the best hitter in all of major league baseball in September. He is also dealing with two knee problems. He has really been dealing with a left knee issue all season and just the other day, he fouled a ball off his right knee. As a result of these injuries, Cabrera has taken up the habit of sliding whenever possible to stop his momentum to keep pressure off his knees. With that in mind, he can certainly use an extra couple of days off. The Mets should want to get them for him too considering how well he has hit since coming off the disabled list.
There is also the issue of Yoenis Cespedes and his injured quad. While he has been much healthier and hitting better than he was while he was hobbled, he has not been the same hot hitting Cespedes Mets fans have grown to love. Since coming off the disabled list he is “only hitting” .269/.346/.522 with nine homers and 26 RBI. These are for sure terrific numbers, but they are not the numbers the Mets have come to expect from Cespedes. An extra couple of days should help him recuperate a little more and get some more of his power back.
The Mets bullpen can also use some time off as well. Right now, Addison Reed has made the third most appearances in the major leagues. The 77 appearances is already a career high for him as are the 74.2 innings pitched. Jeurys Familia has pitched in more games and thrown more innings than any other closer in baseball. Throw in Fernando Salas heavy September workload, and you have a tired 7-8-9 trio heading into the postseason. A couple of days off will certainly do each of these pitchers a lot of good.
Additionally, clinching early will allow the Mets to give an older player like Curtis Granderson a few days of rest before the postseason. It will also allow the Mets to see if Lucas Duda is ready to fully takeover for James Loney at first base. Furthermore, it allows the Mets to play Michael Conforto to get him going to permit him to be as effective a pinch hitter off the bench as possible this postseason.
One or two days may not seem like much to accomplish all of these goals, but it really is. Those days permit the Mets to set up Syndergaard to be ready to pitch, and it gives Cabrera and Cespedes, the Mets two most important hitters right now, time off their feet to be as fresh as possible. As long as the Mets have that, they will not only have a good shot at winning the Wild Card Game, but it will also improve their chances of making a deep run in the postseason.
The reason why Bartolo Colon has been effective all season has been his ability to locate and put movement on his high 80s fastball. When he is unable to do that, he becomes a batting practice pitcher. Last night, Colon was a batting practice pitcher. It all come unraveling in a four run second inning.
Consider for a second, the first out of the inning was a sacrifice bunt by the opposing pitcher Adam Conley. Up until that point, the Marlins first four batters of the inning had hit the ball hard, and there were already two runs scored. Dee Gordon the followed his first inning home run with a two RBI single making it 5-0. With the way the Mets offense has been hitting lately, and with the Marlins bullpen most likely needing to do a bulk of the heavy lifting on the night, this game was not out of reach.
What was interesting was Colon was due up second in the top of the third. Last week, Terry Collins was very aggressive pulling his pitchers in a search for more offense to win games. Granted, there is a massive difference between pulling Colon early than Seth Lugo, Robert Gsellman, or Gabriel Ynoa, but the game was already on the verge of getting out of hand at 5-0. Furthermore, with Gsellman going deep into Sunday’s game along with the Mets not needing Ynoa or Rafael Montero to start another game this year, the Mets could’ve rolled the dice in pulling Colon. Instead, Collins stuck with the veteran in the hopes that he would get himself right and go deep in the game.
In the bottom of the third, it was clear that wasn’t going to happen. Right off the bat, Christian Yelich hit the ball hard, and it deflected off of Colon. After the play, Collins and Ray Ramirez would go out to the mound with Colon ignoring Ramirez. Giancarlo Stanton followed with a hard line drive out to center. At this point in time, it was clear Colon didn’t have it, and yet he would go another batter. Justin Bour then hit a hard line drive to right that Jay Bruce misplayed into a two run triple to make it 7-0. Right then and there, the game was effectively over. It was right then and there that Collins lifted Colon for Ynoa.
If you want to defend Colon pitching to start the third, you can make the case. You can make an even better case given the emotions of the night and the way Colon was being hit around, he should not have been in the game. The issue becomes why not let Colon finish the inning? It’s one thing to go to your bullpen for six plus innings to stay in a close game. It’s a whole other matter to go that deep into the pen for a game you’ve already lost. Why not let Colon figure it out? At that point, what is the difference between 7-0 and 10-0? You might as well try to steal a couple of innings out of him to save the bullpen a bit – even with the expanded rosters.
As it turned out, the Mets bullpen wouldn’t get burned. They got good work out of a group of relievers who are most likely not going to be on the postseason roster with Ynoa, Montero, Erik Goeddel, Josh Edgin, and Jim Henderson. Still, you have to question what Collins would have done if one of those guys were hit hard. Would he have made one of them wear it, or would he have chased the unlikely comeback? We’ll never be sure. What we are sure of is Collins inability to play it one way might’ve cost the Mets what might’ve been a winnable game.
As we saw with the Mets last year, your chances of winning in the postseason are greatly enhanced when you are able to properly set your rotation. With the Mets clinching in plenty of time, they were able to make sure Jacob deGrom went against Clayton Kershaw in Game One of the NLDS, and they were ready to make sure Matt Harvey started a pivotal Game Three. The Mets were also able to start Noah Syndergaard in Game Two and have him ready for a lights out relief appearance in the clinching Game Five. If the Mets were not able to set their rotation just like that, it is very possible the Mets don’t make it out of the NLDS let alone make it all the way to the World Series.
In many ways, that is what is on the line for Syndergaard in his start against the Marlins tonight.
As it stands right now, the Mets have a half game lead over the Giants for the first Wild Card. With the Mets having won the season series against the Giants, all they need to do is just tie the Giants for the first Wild Card to play the Wild Card Game at Citi Field. The Mets also have a 1.5 game lead over the Cardinals for one of the two Wild Card spots. All told, the Mets magic number to get a Wild Card spot is five. That number goes down to four if Syndergaard goes out there and wins tonight. It could go even lower with a Cardinals loss.
The Mets need to get to that clincher as soon as possible. With Syndergaard pitching tonight, his next scheduled start will be on Sunday, which is the regular season finale. If Syndergaard is forced to make this start, that means he will be unavailable to start in Wednesday’s Wild Card Game. If Syndergaard has to start on Sunday, it means the Mets have to choose between Seth Lugo or Robert Gsellman on normal rest or Bartolo Colon on short rest to make the biggest start of the season. Simply put, Syndergaard is the Mets best pitcher, and he is the man the Mets want on the mound for the Wild Card Game.
The Mets also need a big start from Syndergaard because the Mets need to help move on from the emotion that swept them up last night. Both Yoenis Cespedes and Travis d’Arnaud were crying on the field. It was a hard game for the Mets to play. From an outsider’s perspective, it appeared that the emotions of the night got the better of them. That is certainly understandable, and it would be understandable if it happened again tonight. No one expects the pain from losing Jose Fernandez to go away just because the Marlins won a big game last night. Still, the Mets have to move on and get back to playing winning baseball. Syndergaard shutting down the Marlins will go a long way towards helping the team get back on the winning track.
Finally, Syndergaard needs a big start for himself. In his last outing, he threw 99 pitches, and he couldn’t get out of the fourth inning against a terrible Braves team. In that game, he allowed eight hits and walked three while allowing five runs in just 3.2 innings. That’s not Syndergaard. He needs to get back on the mound tonight and get back to being Syndergaard. If he doesn’t, the Mets have no shot at winning the Wild Card Game or in making a deep run in the postseason.
There is a lot on the line in tonight’s start. Syndergaard has to help rejuventate not just the Mets but also himself. He has to do all that is necessary to make sure this is his last start of the regular season. It’s a lot to put on his broad shoulders. However, as we have seen in his young career, he can certainly handle it.
You understood the emotion from the Mets and the Marlins last night in the aftermath of Jose Fernandez‘s death. From the beginning, you saw Giancarlo Stanton as the emotional leader of the clubhouse. You saw Dee Gordon swinging from his shoe tops. On the other side, Yoenis Cespedes was crying while embracing the Marlins players. Bartolo Colon just didn’t have it on a night he would later saw he wished it was Fernandez who got the win. You heard Travis d’Arnaud talking about how he got choked up watching the Marlins, Gordon specifically, crying on the field.
You could understand the Mets not knowing how to deal with the moment. No one ever truly knows how to deal with death, and even fewer people deal with it well. That’s assuming you can ever truly deal with the loss of a friend, a family member, or a respected competitor. Eventually however, you have to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, and you need to get back to your normal routine. For the Mets, that is not just going out there and playing baseball. No, that is going out there and beating up on a emotionally distraught team .500 baseball team that is no longer realistically in the hunt for a Wild Card spot.
It may sound cruel. It may sound callous. It may even seen unfeeling and disrespectful. However, at some point, the Mets need to move on, and they need to get back to business as usual. One to two days may not seem like a fair or realistic turnaround, but keep in mind, no one is rescheduling these games for a time when the Mets are emotionally capable of playing the Marlins.
No, the Mets have to go out there and put forth a better effort. The Mets have to process their emotions better and just stick to playing baseball. Yes, it’s hard, but that is what they are paid to do. Better yet, that is how they can best honor Fernandez. Fernandez was a guy that lived to beat up on the Mets. In eight career starts, he was 3-0 against the Mets with a lifetime (boy does that word seem cruel right now) 1.34 ERA, 0.979 WHIP, and an 11.3 K/9. He was this good against the Mets because he wanted to show the world that while the Mets had the heralded rotation of Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz, and Zack Wheeler, it was Fernandez that was the best pitcher in the NL East, perhaps all of baseball.
There wasn’t just a competitive drive to Fernandez. There was a joy in the competition. He didn’t just want to beat you; he wanted to beat you at your best. The Mets weren’t at their best last night. They need to be tonight. They need to do it to win the Wild Card. They need to do it to honor Fernandez.
Tonight, I got some sense of what it was like to be a Braves fan when Mike Piazza homered off Steve Karsay:
An emotional Dee Gordon, wearing a Jose Fernandez jersey just like the rest of his teammates, hit a leadoff home run off Bartolo Colon. As a fan of the game, you tip your cap, and you appreciate the moment.
Starting with that home run, you got a sense the emotional Marlins team needed this game a little more, and they were meant to win it.
Still, it was hard to watch as a Mets fan as the Mets have not yet clinched a Wild Card spot. It was hard to watch Colon throwing batting practice fastballs while seemingly getting squeezed by John Hirschbeck. I was hard to watch Ray Ramirez have to come visit him on the mound. That one was especially hard to watch. Thankfully, Colon brushed him off.
All of Colon’s 2.1 innings were tough to watch. You had to question what Terry Collins was thinking leaving him out there to get knocked around to the tune of eight hits and seven runs. As Colon was fooling no one, he recorded no strikeouts. On the bright side, Gabriel Ynoa stabilized things for 1.2 innings before passing it off to Rafael Montero, who actually threw a scoreless inning.
The Mets offense was a no show as well. They were shut down by Adam Conley, who pitched an emotional three innings before handing it off to the Marlins bullpen. Collectively, they down the Mets in the same way Fernandez, who was scheduled to pitch tonight, would have.
The Mets had their chances. In the fifth, the Mets scored two runs on an Asdrubal Cabrera two RBI double. Who else would come through?
In the sixth, the Mets loaded the bases with one out, but they would get nothing out of it. A Lucas Duda strikeout and Kelly Johnson ground out later, the Mets would come away happy.
In the eighth, Duda did come through with a two out RBI single. Alejandro De Aza would then strike out looking to end the rally.
Ultimately, the Mets would lose 7-3 It was a hard night for all, including Yoenis Cespedes and the Mets:
https://t.co/8xWmNoIBbi
Even with the Mets fighting for the Wild Card, on this night, the Marlins just had a little more to play for:
Game Notes: Jay Bruce started over Michael Conforto. He was 1-4, and he misplayed a Justin Bour line drive into an RBI triple.
In the grand scheme of things, the outcome of any presidential election is more important than one September baseball game. However, this is an extremely important baseball game.
Right now, the Mets have a one game lead over the Giants and a 1.5 game lead over the Cardinals for the first Wild Card spot with only six games left on the schedule. The Mets are sending their second best starting pitcher this year, Bartolo Colon, for a chose to either hold serve or increase their lead in the Wild Card standings. The Mets are also playing the Marlins, who as we have seen in 2007 and 2008, have a tendency to ruin the Mets chances to making it to the postseason. If you are a Mets fan, you absolutely need to watch this game.
You need to watch this game even if the Mets are getting blown out. As we saw on Saturday, the Las Vegas 51s roster led the Mets to an almost improbable Mets victory. You don’t want to be the fan that misses the moment of an incredible come from behind victory. If the Mets are winning big, do you really want to be the person that misses an Asdrubal Cabrera home run or a Michael Conforto opposite field double? Of course not.
Overall, do you really want to be the person who turned off a Mets game early?
With that in mind, DVR the debate. Watch it after the Mets game, or watch it after the Reds-Cardinals game is over. If you really want, you can save the debate for Thursday, which is the Mets last off day of the season. As long as you DVR the debate, it will always be there. However, the chance to see the Mets make an improbable run to the postseason comes once every thirty years or so. There’s going to be another debate in about two weeks, and there is going to be another presidential election in four years.
If you’re a true Mets fan and a good American, you’re watching the Mets game over the debate.