Matt Harvey

Chase Utley is a Coward

All we’ve heard about Chase Utley is that he’s a hard nosed player. He’s a winner. He’s a tough guy. Last night, he proved to be none of this things. He showed he’s a guy who hits you when your back is turned and runs away:

 

In my book that’s cowardice. If you’re going to hit someone or do something dirty be there for  repercussions. Instead, Utley his behind his manager and his team. 

First, he snuck into Citi Field hours well before team arrived so no one would see him. Then, even though he’s 6-18 with a double and a homerun off of Matt Harvey he didn’t start. The Dodgers sent up Joc Pederson to pinch hit against Harvey. During the game, the Dodgers used everyone on their bench except their backup catcher and Utley. He also wasn’t around after the game:

Utley ducked this game. He hid behind his manager. He’s a coward. 

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Yotober Dominance

Mets fans had every reason to be pumped before the game. The fans came and they brought it tonight:

From the first pitch to the last pitch, the crowd was amazing. I loved the Mets pausing introductions when Utley was introduced to prolong the booing. This is what happens when the Mets haven’t been in the playoffs for nine years. It’s what happens when Chase Utley injures Ruben Tejada on a dirty slide. It’s what happens when Matt Harvey finally gets to start in October. 

After a smooth first, Harvey got into some trouble in the second. There were three soft singles, and Terry Collins brought in the corners with bases loaded and no out. Why?  No one knows. In any event, Yasmani Grandal hit an RBI single to right. If the infielders were properly positioned, it would’ve been a 3-6-3 double play. Because they weren’t, it was a single. 

The bases would clear on the single after a Curtis Granderson throwing error. It was 3-0 with a runner on second. Harvey struggled from that point forward, but he kept the Dodgers at bay. His final line was five innings, seven hits, three runs, two earned, two walks, and seven strikeouts. He kept the Mets in the game, and he gave them a chance to win. 

The Mets seized that opportunity. Everyone reached base at least once. Travis d’Arnaud got the Mets on the board with an RBI single in the bottom of the second. The Mets loaded the bases and Curtis Granderson came up to the plate. He hit a double off the wall clearing the bases giving the Mets a 4-3 lead. 

d’Arnaud would expand the lead with a third inning two run homer. The Mets would put the game away with a six run fourth capped by a massive three run Yoenis Cespedes homerun:

It’s officially Yotober. 

In total, the Mets put 14 runs on the board. They were lead by three big bats:

  1. Granderson 2-5 with two doubles and five RBIs;
  2. Cespedes 3-5 with three runs, one homerun, and three RBIs; and
  3. d’Arnaud 3-4 with three runs, one homerun, and three RBIs. 

The Mets also got big contributions from Wilmer Flores and Juan Lagares. Flores played well at short, and I’m not grading on a curve. Lagares went 1-3 with three runs, one double, and a walk. Neither player was thought to get any start in this series, and yet, due to extenuating circumstances, they came in and played extremely well. 

Essentially, none of the Dodgers played well. Trash talking lefty starter Brett Anderson only pitched three innings allowing seven hits and six earned. The Dodgers bullpen went five innings allowing six hits, seven earned, and, five walks. On top of that the Dodgers and/or Chase Utley were gutless in not putting him in the game. They couldn’t find a spot for him in a 13-7 loss. Pathetic. 
The Mets rallied around Ruben Tejada. The only downside was having to use Jeurys Familia after Erik Goeddel allowed three runs and couldn’t record one out. 

The Mets are a win away from the NLCS. They’re one win away from exacting revenge on the Dodgers for what Utley did to Tejada. I can’t wait to be there tomorrow. Lets Go Mets!

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Mets Did What They Needed to Do in LA

Prior to the NLDS, I predicted the Mets would win in four games. I anticipated the Mets would split in Los Angeles and take care of business at home. 

I know everyone is angry over Game 2. The Mets had a 2-0 series lead taken from them. The Dodgers took advantage of the play where Ruben Tejada got hurt, and they rallied to tie the series at 1-1. It looks like the Dodgers have all the momentum, but this is baseball. Momentum is today’s starting pitcher, and the Mets have Matt Harvey. 

This year Harvey is 8-3 with a 2.23 ERA, 0.938 WHIP, and 9.2 K/9 at Citi Field. The Mets are 49-32 at Citi Field this year. The Dodgers are 37-44 on the road this year. The Dodgers are pitching Brett Anderson, who is whipping Mets fans into further frenzy. Advantage Mets. 

Citi Field should be the loudest it’s ever been. The crowd is going to be great. With the Chase Utley suspension and appeal, the Dodgers may actually be the more distracted team. Behind Harvey, the Mets are poised to win. 

I was nervous about Game 1. I was excited for Game 2. I’m confident about Game 3. LETS GO METS!

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Happy Harvey Playoff Day

Between this past season, the missed workout, to the recent Boras interview, Mets fans were going to make Matt Harvey‘ first playoff start a referendum on him as a person and as a player. Then Ruben Tejada broke his leg due to a dirty Chase Utley “slide.”  

  
I know everyone wants to make it bigger than what it is, but one simple truth remains. Harvey’s only job is to put the Mets in a position to win. Jacob deGrom did. Noah Syndergaard did as well (even if the Mets lost). The reason we’re expecting more than that?  Well, it’s because it’s Harvey. 

Even after deGrom’s great year and his record setting Game One performance, Tery Collins came out and said:

He’s the ace on a staff of young aces. He’s the Dark Knight. He’s the guy who came back this year and gave Mets fans hope that all if this was possible.  Harvey helped turn this hope into reality.  Coming off of Tommy John surgery, he’s had a great year with terrific moments. 

He went into Yankee Stadium, and he went 8.1 innings allowing two runs and striking out seven. He’s shut down the highest scoring team in the majors. He was the winning pitcher when the Mets clinched the NL East. Famously, he stayed in that game later than originally intended to get ready for the playoffs. 

The playoffs are here. If you’re being honest, there is no one you want on the mound with the series tied 1-1 than a motivated Harvey. He’s motivated to show he’s better than deGrom. He’s motivated to avenge Tejada. He’s motivated to win the game. 

This is the biggest game of the year.  The Mets have never lost a home NLDS game. With Harvey in the mound, that’s not going to change. I’m expecting today to be a Happy Harvey Day. 

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Mets Can’t Get Direct Retribution from Utley

Every Mets fan is whipped into a frenzy right now over Chase Utley‘s dirty “slide” which broke Ruben Tejada‘s leg. They can’t wait for him to be beaned or taken out with a retaliatory slide. 

The problem is that it’s not going to happen. Utley is a bench player. If he comes up in a big spot, you can’t bean him. You risk the game and the series. If you do that, Utley wins. If he’s not playing in the field, how can you retaliate with a take out slide?  Seriously, the only way to get direct retribution from Utley is to hire Jeff Gilloly to take him out during pre-game introductions. Please note, I’m not advocating this. 

Also, it’s dumb to expect Matt Harvey to plunk someone. First, who do you pick?  Second, if you’re not injuring the player, how is this payback?  Third, it will lead to warnings taking away the inside corner of the plate. Fourth, Harvey risks getting tossed. Fifth, it’s not enough. 

We learned that with the whole Mike Piazza–Roger Clemens–Shawn Estes debacle. Remember this happened years after the Mets plunked Tino Martinez as payback. No one was happy until the Mets could plunk Clemens directly. So if plunking someone won’t suffice, what will?

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NLDS Prediction 

This past week I’ve mainly focused on the big pitchers because that’s where I think the series will be won and lost. 

While you can argue the best two pitchers in this series are Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw, the Mets have historically performed slightly better than the rest of baseball against these two. I’m not sure that matters all that much because Kershaw and Greinke have pitched very well against the Mets. 

On the flip side, Noah Syndergaard is the hottest pitcher in baseball right now. He’s been close to unhittable for a month now. Additionally, Jacob deGrom has had a terrific year, and he pitched well while amped up. Finally, the Mets have a big advantage in the Game 3 matchup between Matt Harvey and Brett Anderson. Overall, as you can see the Dodgers and Mets pitching is a wash:

The biggest advantage for the Mets is their bullpen. So far this year, the Mets bullpen has been better. Additionally, it is comprised of relievers who can go multiple innings, if necessary, to put the game away. Therefore, the Mets don’t need to out duel Greinke and Kershaw. Rather, they just need to do their thing out there and let it become a bullpen game. 

No, I’m not counting on Kershaw performing as poorly as he had in past postseasons. I’m not expecting the Mets to completely neutralize Adrian Gonzalez. However, I am not discounting the Mets 4-3 record against the Dodgers.

I remember that the Mets won those games before David Wright and Travis d’Arnaud were healthy. I remember these games were before the Mets traded for Yoenis Cespedes, Juan Uribe, and Kelly Johnson. I remember the Mets bullpen is even better with the additions of Addison Reed and Tyler Clippard. I remember the Mets have never lost a five game series or an NLDS game at home. 

During the regular season, the Mets showed they could pitch with the Dodgers. They showed they had enough offense to beat the Dodgers. Then, they got better pitching and significantly better hitting. 

I see the Mets earning a split in LA. I see Harvey winning Game 3. I see the Mets outlasting Kershaw who will be pitching on three days rest. I see the Mets bats taking advantage of the Dodgers bullpen. 

Mets in four. 

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Terry Collins is the Right Man to Lead the Mets

I have questioned Terry Collins’ abilities as a tactician. I’ve seen him at his best in the biggest games of this season. Overall, his biggest strength is he’s a good man that is good with the media. 

Now, I don’t mean Jerry Manuel good with the media. I mean actually good with the media. He’s honest. He disarms with his bluntness and humor. He takes the heat, so his players won’t.  He seemingly always has his players’ backs. 

He’s also good in the clubhouse. With the Mets languishing in May, June, and July, he kept the team from falling apart. I still don’t know how he did it. The funny thing is before his stint with the Mets, he was divisive in the clubhouse. The Angels players forced him to resign. It’s clear Collins learned from his past experience while still being an old school baseball man. 

It’s a good thing because he was needed this week. When Matt Harvey missed a workout, Collins told everyone he’s handling it, and he considered the matter over. He acknowledged the mistake, but he told everyone not to blow it out of proportion. When it came up on subsequent days, Collins made jokes about the situation:

If handled improperly, this could’ve been a bigger issue. He turned it from a serious matter to a joke. He was a tremendous leader this week. No, he’s been a tremendous leader all season. It’s even more impressive when you consider he’s a lame duck manager. 

Now we need him to go out there tonight and manage a baseball game.  At times, he’s shown he can be an excellent tactician. The Mets are going to need that Collins in what appears to be a close series.  In any event, the Mets are here in large part because of Collins. 

He’s waited his whole career for this moment. I hope he enjoys it. He’s earned that right. 

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Why Collins is a Leader and Wright Isn’t 

For all my issues with Terry Collins, he’s shown himself to be a great presence in the clubhouse. He certainly showed himself to be that today with Matt Harvey missing the workout:

He tried to quash it. He tried to put an end to the story. As he said, “Its over. Done. End of story. Still pitching Game 3.”  He said it wasn’t a big deal. That’s how a leader handles it. 

Let’s see how David Wright handles his issues with Harvey. Let’s first visit the innings limit drama. On the day of the press conference, here’s how Wright treated Harvey:

Yup, Wright snubbed him for all to see exacerbating the story.  After the snub was reported everywhere, Wright needed to change course, and he did:

That’s right. He had a four inning conversation in the dugout for all to see so everyone can praise him and forget his snub. The Mets then started winning, and Harvey announced he would pitch in the playoffs. All was forgotten until Harvey screwed up today. Wright’s response?

“I’m concerned with the guys who are here.”  Are you kidding me?  He could’ve squashed it. He could’ve said a million other things. He’s turning this into a Jeter/A-Rod type of situation. Instead, he gave the impression there’s a clubhouse problem. Collins is then answering questions about Harvey’s perception:

Yes, this story is all Harvey’s fault. However, where was the Captain, the team leader, to step in and put an end to all of it?  He was adding fuel to the fire while making sure everyone was at their assigned lunch seats. 

Did that moment help Noah Syndergaard?  Probably. However, I’m not sure how it helped the rookie to have that story leaked in Spring Training. All that happened there was Wright got to look like the Captain, and Thor got smacked down by everyone. 

I don’t mean to beat up on Wright. He’s been a great Met, and I commend him for fighting to come back this year. However, that makes him a great player and a winner. It doesn’t make him a team leader, whether or not he is the Captain. 

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Harvey is Now a Distraction

As we all know now, Matt Harvey missed today’s mandatory workout:

https://twitter.com/jareddiamond/status/651452048827879424

Look, I understand bridge and tunnel traffic. We’ve all been there. However, it’s easy to pick up a phone. By not picking up the phone and calling, it became a story. I know he eventually reached out, but clearly, he didn’t do it in time. 

He was the only player who missed the workout. I heard Mike Francesca say this is uncharacteristic for Harvey, but that doesn’t matter. He created a story with his lack of responsibility. He irritated everyone with his lack of professionalism:

This is now a distraction. The one thing a team does not need is a distraction. The team does not need a locker room problem. Certainly, the team needs to keep everything in house rather than take veiled shots at each other. 

Seriously, I get why David Wright was upset, but he’s the captain. His thinly veiled shot of only caring about who is there is unbecoming. He only served to give the story more legs than quash it. His response should’ve been, “I don’t know why he missed the workout today, but I hope Matt is alright.”  

Also, I know the last press conference was a disaster, but the least Harvey could have done was be a man and face the reporters. Don’t just offer up a statement. However, if reports are correct, he apologized to his teammates. I assume it was a genuine apology, and I hope the team accepted it. 

The best thing for this team right now is to get away to Los Angeles for a few days. It’s another reason why not having homefield is a benefit. They can clear their heads and get ready for Game 1 Friday night. If Jacob deGrom goes out there and wins Game One, the story is dead. 

If Harvey dominates in Game Three, we may never hear about this again. 

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Mets Pitchers Against Dodgers Hitters

Earlier posts addressed the Mets postseason pitching experience as well as the Dodgers postseason offense. While it is interesting to see how theses players fared in October’s past, I’m more interested in seeing how the Mets pitchers have performed against the Dodgers (* – not on team, ** – not on projected roster):

July 3, 2015 Dodger Stadium

Noah Syndergaard ND, 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K

Hansel Robles W, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Jeurys Familia S, 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K

July 4, 2015 Dodger Stadium

Matt Harvey L, 5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 4

Alex Torres* 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

Carlos Torres** 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Sean Gilmartin 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

June 5, 2015 Dodger Stadium
Steven Matz W, 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
Logan Verrett** S, 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
July 23, 2015 Citi Field
Bartolo Colon L, 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Sean Gilmartin, 0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Carlos Torres** 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

July 24, 2015 Citi Field
Jon Niese L, 3.0 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Carlos Torres** 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Hansel Robles 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Alex Torres* 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

July 25, 2015 Citi Field
Matt Harvey W, 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Jenrry Mejia* 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Jeurys Familia 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

July 26, 2015 Citi Field 
Jacob deGrom ND, 7.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
Jeurys Familia, BS, 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Jenrry Mejia, W, 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Cumulative

Here are the cumulative stats for the pitchers who are projected to make the playoff roster:

Noah Syndergaard, 0-0, 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K

Matt Harvey 1-1, 12.0 IP, 13 H, 5 ER, 6 BB, 8 K

Steven Matz 1-0, 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

Bartolo Colon 0-1, 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

Jon Niese 0-1, 3.0 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Jacob deGrom 0-0, 7.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

Hansel Robles 1-0, 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K

Jeurys Familia S, BS, 3.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Sean Gilmartin 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Overall, with the exception of Niese, who will not start in the NLDS, have pitched well against the Dodgers. The Mets pitchers faced most of the Dodgers batters they will face in the playoffs. These stats give me confidence the Mets can win this series. 

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