Steven Matz
For the past seven games, the Mets have found new and interesting ways to lose. Today, it was a tried and true method for this team. Not getting hits with RISP and some truly bizarre managerial decisions from Terry Collins.
Like most of the games on this road trip, things started well for the Mets. Michael Conforto, who Collins has spent the better part of two years telling us can’t hit lefties, hit a two run homer off Patrick Corbin to give the Mets a 2-0 first inning lead.
From that point forward, the Mets would go 1-6 with RISP.
Matt Harvey would give up that lead. In the first, he allowed a lead-off triple to Rey Fuentes. Fuentes then scored on a Chris Owings ground-out. In the third, Harvey allowed an opposite field two run homer off the bat of Jake Lamb.
It was all part of a maddening start by Harvey. He did not have one 1-2-3 inning. He walked four batters including the opposing pitcher. He allowed his 11th homer of the season. He needed 95 pitches to get through 5.1 innings.
And yet, there were positive signs. He didn’t allow a hit with RISP. He had big strikeouts of Paul Goldschmidt and Yasmany Tomas. He left the game in line for the win.
The Mets had a 4-3 lead when Harvey departed. The additional two runs came in the fourth. Juan Lagares hit a long home run to tie the score at three. Matt Reynolds followed with a walk, and he would score on a Jose Reyes RBI double. As we know, the Mets wouldn’t win this one.
For some reason, Collins went to Robert Gsellman and his 7.07 ERA to pitch the seventh. This is the same Gsellman the Mets have just removed from the rotation for the next couple of weeks. Depending on the ETA of Steven Matz and/or Seth Lugo, Gsellman may not start another game this year. Despite this, Collins felt Gsellman was the right man to protect a one run lead to help the Mets break a six game losing streak.
Gsellman would walk Goldschmidt, and he would score on a Tomas RBI double. Just like that, the score was tied.
The Mets would mount subsequent rallies to try to get another lead. In the eighth, there were runners on first and second with two outs, and Lagares grounded out. In the eleventh, the Mets had the same situation, and Reyes struck out. That would be the Mets last chance.
The real part of the Mets bullpen had done a good job. Josh Edgin got Harvey out of the sixth unscathed. Jerry Blevins (8)and Addison Reed (9 & 10) pitched perfect innings to get the Mets to the 11th. At that point, Collins did the complete opposite of what he should have done.
He brought in Rafael Montero. Not the red hot Paul Sewald. Not Fernando Salas who has been better of late. Not Neil Ramirez who the Mets signed to help the bullpen. No, he brought in Montero, and his rationale was absurd:
To recap: Mets were down to Montero, Sewald, Salas, Robles, Ramirez.
Salas-off, Robles-iffy, Ramirez-extended lay off; Sewald-closer.— Matt Ehalt (@MattEhalt) May 18, 2017
First batter Montero faced was Chris Herrmann. Herrmann is a career .207/.277/.338 hitter who entered the game hitting .160/.250/.280. He injured his hand in this game. Naturally, he did this:
"That ball is gone! Chris Herrmann walks it off!"#DbacksSweep pic.twitter.com/vATHD6f4mg
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) May 17, 2017
To recap, Collins brought in a guy with a 7.07 ERA to preserve a one run lead, and he used a guy with a 9.00 ERA to keep the game scoreless. At this point, you have to wonder if he’s trying to get fired.
Game Notes: Reyes tried to go to second on a play in the second on a throw to the cut-off man. The play wasn’t even close, and it killed what could have been a big rally.
The Mets are a team with a number of issues right now. The pitching staff as a whole has the worst ERA in all of baseball. The starters haven’t been going deep into games, and the bullpen is just now starting to crack. While the position players are hitting, the team defense is unacceptably poor. While there may not be any causation, there is certainly a correlation between the Mets poor pitching, and their poor defense.
With Noah Syndergaard and Jeurys Familia going down, it is hard to believe the pitching staff is going to get any better. Right now, the Mets can pin their hopes on Steven Matz and Seth Lugo, but who knows when they can come back? And when Matz comes back, how long is he going to be healthy? Same goes for Lugo who has a torn UCL in his pitching elbow. With the Mets unlikely to significantly upgrade the pitching staff in any way, the team is going to have to upgrade their defense.
There are some minor tweaks that can be made. Juan Lagares can start in center field over Curtis Granderson. Typically, you do not want to start Lagares due to his offense, but with Granderson hitting .144/.206/.272 on the season, it’s hard to argue Lagares can be any worse. Unfortunately, a switch from Granderson to Lagares is likely insufficient to address the defensive issues. That goes double with the Mets statistically having the worst middle infield in the major leagues.
Right now, the easiest position to upgrade is shortstop. Asdrubal Cabrera has a torn ligament in his thumb leading the Mets to consider putting him on the disabled list. In addition to his thumb, we have also seen Cabrera struggle for the second straight year with some leg issues. If he were to go on the disabled list, the natural option to replace him would be Jose Reyes.
For his part, Reyes just isn’t hitting. For the season, Reyes is hitting .189/.286/.315. Those numbers have been boosted by his numbers in May. In May, he is hitting .220/.283/.341. As a result of his poor hitting, Reyes is eminently replaceable. In fact, he has been replaced. When Lucas Duda returned from the disabled list on Friday, Reyes moved to the bench, and T.J. Rivera was moved to third base.
Overall, the Mets need a shortstop. As it so happens, they have on in Triple-A with Amed Rosario.
Depending on whichever source you rely, Rosario is either a top 10 prospect or the best prospect in all of baseball. One of the main reasons for this is he is succeeding in Triple-A. Through his first 36 games, Rosario is hitting .359/.401/.493 with 11 doubles, a triple, two homes, and 22 RBI. This isn’t even him padding his numbers at Cashman Field. In fact, he has hit better on the road.
Now, Rosario has cooled off in May hitting .283/.339/.472. However, if those numbers are indicative of what a slump looks like for Rosario now, that’s extremely encouraging. Even with a potential regression if he were to be called up to the major leagues right now, Rosario’s offense would certainly play in the majors. One of the reasons why is Rosario is a good defender.
Look past his nine errors this season. This is a player widely regarded as one of the top defensive prospects in baseball. Overall, it is his defense that is needed right now. His range at shortstop is far and above what either Cabrera or Reyes can provide at the moment. Those ground ball hits pitchers give up could be turned into outs. If those hits become outs, rallies end, or maybe rallies don’t start in the first place. The starting pitchers now have to throw less pitches, and they could go deeper into games. In turn, this could take some of the burden off of the bullpen.
Is this an oversimplification? Perhaps. But there is no denying the Mets need a better glove at shortstop. A shortstop with more range would permit help abate the range issues Neil Walker has at second and Rivera has at third. Even if this all is an oversimplification, it’s at least worth a shot.
Right now, the Mets are not really going anywhere as currently constituted. There are few areas in which the team can look to upgrade internally. With Cabrera’s injuries and Reyes’ ineffectiveness, shortstop is one of those areas. If the Mets are serious about winning in 2017, now is the time to call-up Rosario.
It started early for the Mets. Steven Matz was injured before Opening Day, and the Mets again wondering what is really wrong with him. Seth Lugo pitched in the World Baseball Classic, partially tore his UCL, and he is going to try to rehab it rather than having Tommy John surgery. Indirectly, this led to Rafael Montero pitching like, well, Montero. It also led to a less than inspiring performance by Adam Wilk.
Noah Syndergaard is gone for an extended period of time with a torn lat. Matt Harvey has been suspended three games for failing to show up at the ballpark. Yoenis Cespedes and Lucas Duda have not played in a few weeks, and there are just rumors that they are soon to return. Travis d’Arnaud is yet again on the disabled list himself, and as usual we are unaware when he can return. Once again, Asdrubal Cabrera has been hobbled in the early part of the season leading everyone to wonder when the Mets finally put him on the disabled list.
Jeurys Familia was suspended for the first few weeks of the season, and he was not sharp immediately upon his return. Addison Reed struggled in his adaption to closer and again in his transition to the eighth inning reliever. Fernando Salas just struggled, and Josh Smoker has probably struggled more than Reed and Salas combined.
Jose Reyes was hitting .095 midway through April. Curtis Granderson entered the month hitting just .128. Neil Walker is under the Mendoza Line against right-handed pitching, and he entered the month of May hitting just .195. Wilmer Flores cannot his right-handed pitching. Juan Lagares can’t hit any pitching.
The end result was the Mets losing six in a row and 10 of 11. Already, people were starting to wonder if this team was similar to the 1992 or the 2009 Mets teams. Despite all of this, the Mets are back at .500 and second place in the National League East. How did it happen?
Well, for starters young and under utilized players have stepped up. Michael Conforto went from the bench to one of the best hitters in baseball. For the second straight season, T.J. Rivera has taken complete advantage of an unexpected opportunity being given to him. Josh Edgin has become a dominant LOOGY in the bullpen. We have even seen Paul Sewald step up pitching terrifically after some initial hiccups.
Then there are the veterans who have had career best seasons so far. Jay Bruce is on base to put up career best numbers in every offensive category. Jerry Blevins has been used almost every game, and he is putting up better numbers than he did last year’s career best season for him. Rene Rivera is hitting over .300. Hansel Robles is 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA in 16 appearances.
More than there, the Mets have exhibited some professional pride. Reyes is hitting .282/.341/.564 with three doubles, a triple, two homers, nine RBI and a stolen base over his last 10 games. Granderson has hit .250/.368/.625 with three doubles, a homer, and four RBI over his last five games. Walker has hit .276/.364/.414 with four doubles and four RBI in the month of May.
In addition, the bullpen has been much better of late. Familia has had five straight scoreless outings. Reed has allowed just two hits with no runs in the month of May. Terry Collins has been more judicious in his use of Salas, and Salas has not allowed any runs in his last five appearances. With Blevins, Edgin, and Robles continuing their outstanding seasons, this has become the dominant bullpen everyone envisioned it would be to start the year.
With the combination of the resurgent veterans and the outstanding young player, the Mets are winning again. In the month of May, the Mets lead the majors in runs scored. They are fifth in the National League in homers. However, unlike last year, the Mets do not need homers to score runs. The Mets .320 team batting average and .517 slugging with runners in scoring position is second best in the majors, and its .419 OBP with runners in scoring position is the best in baseball.
Despite all the noise around the Mets, this team is playing its best baseball of the season. Once their pitching gets relatively healthy, and their current pitchers pitch close to their true talent levels, this team will once again be one of the best teams in all of baseball. Until then, this current group of Mets will make sure the Washington Nationals will be within shouting distance allowing the Mets to compete for the division.
Yet again, the Mets have had to turn to Rafael Montero to make a start because there weren’t better options for the Mets. There weren’t better options because Sandy Alderson believed the Mets had enough starting pitching to never need to sign a veteran signing pitcher. As we have seen, this was a miscalculation.
Lost in the excitement of the Mets having seven starting pitchers was the fact that pitchers break down. This pitching staff exemplifies this axiom. Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, and Steven Matz were coming off season ending surgeries. For his part, Matz is seemingly never healthy. Zack Wheeler hadn’t pitched in over two years due to his having Tommy John surgery and the ensuing complications therefrom. Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo were terrific in September of last year, but it was against some fairly weak competition. Also, it is likely both were going to be on some form of an innings limit. Finally, there was Noah Syndergaard, who seemed indestructible.
Now, we could have anticipated Matz doing down, but the other manner in which the Mets have turned to Montero and Adam Wilk has been a surprise. No one expected Lugo to suffer a torn UCL. Syndergaard tearing his lat never could have been reasonably anticipated, nor was the Mets needing to suspend Harvey. Still, given the relative injury histories, it was certainly plausible the Mets would be down three plus pitchers at any point of the season. It was also plausible because pitchers break.
Despite this, Alderson moved both Logan Verrett and Gabriel Ynoa to the Orioles in separate deals. Both moves were defensible because the Mets needed space on the 40 man roster to accommodate free agent signings. Still, those arms needed to be replaced by cheap veterans who could be stashed in Triple-A, or the Mets could have signed a swingman who could have served in long relief and be available to make a spot start.
Now, we know players like Doug Fister and Colby Lewis likely weren’t signing unless they got minor league deals. Still, there were pitchers like Jon Niese and Dillon Gee available. Mets fans may not love them, but they are certainly better than Montero. There was also Scott Feldman who has served in both relief and long man roles, and he signed with the Reds for just $2.3 million. There are several other names like Jake Peavy who at least has the veteran guile to gut through five innings. Instead, the Mets stuck with Sean Gilmartin, who they won’t even trust to make a start, and they signed Wilk who is not a viable major league pitcher.
And now, the once vaunted Mets starting pitching is a mess, and it is up to Alderson to fix it. This is the same Alderson who has been very cavalier in moving pitching the past few seasons to help fix the weaknesses in teams he has built. So far, his answer has been Milone who has a 6.43 ERA in six starts this season. That’s hardly an answer.
Likely, Alderson’s real answer is to hope for some health with presumably both Matz and Lugo will be ready by the end of the month. Maybe this time the health plan with work.
It’s apparent Rafael Montero doesn’t have it. He has all the talent in the world. Talent enough to lead the Mets to give him chance after chance after chance. He’s squandered them all. Last night was the latest example with him allowing five earned over 3.2 innings. The Mets cannot in good conscience let him make another start for this team.
Just like the Mets were forced to do last season, it is time to give someone else a chance. Last year meant Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman. Gsellman thrived, and as a result, he made the Opening Day rotation. Lugo was making a name for himself in the World Baseball Classic until a slight tear in his UCL was discovered. Lugo’s absence has been really felt with the injuries to Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard. With him and Matz still weeks away, the Mets need to figure out who should get a chance to pitch in the rotation.
As noted above, Montero has squandered that chance. It is time to give someone else a shot. Unfortunately, there are no stand outs right now in Triple-A meaning the Mets are going to have to take a chance on someone. That pitcher should be Ricky Knapp.
Knapp is the son of former major league pitching coach Richard Knapp. It should then come as no surprise that Knapp has repeatable and clean mechanics. He’s also a four pitch pitcher that really doesn’t have one outstanding pitch. Accordingly, Knapp is reliant upon location, mixing up his pitches, and pitching to contact in order to get batters out. He has been largely successful in that because Knapp keeps the ball on the ground having a 1.46 ground out to fly out ratio. As a result, Knapp has gone deep into games with him leading the Mets organization with three complete games last year.
As it so happens, Knapp is not the type of pitcher that typically thrives in Vegas. That is quite evident in Knapp’s stats to start the season. Through his first six starts, he is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. This makes him yet another Mets pitching prospect who is struggling in Vegas. Still, there are some signs of hope for him going forward.
Knapp is walking 2.1 batters per nine innings which is lower than his 2.3 BB/9 in his minor league career. In his two road games, Knapp is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. His opponents have a .328 BABIP this season which is higher than the .299 BABIP batters have against him in his minor league career or the .274 BABIP Double-A batters had against him. With a normalized BABIP and with Knapp replicating his numbers on the road, there is a strong case that can be made Knapp could succeed at the major league level.
Overall, there are signs for hope for Knapp to be able to succeed with the Mets. Those hopes should be elevated when you consider Knapp will have the opportunity to work with Dan Warthen. At the very least, he can’t be worse than Montero. For that reason alone, the Mets should give him a shot until Lugo or Matz are ready.
In honor of it being May the Fourth, i.e. Star Wars Day, here is a list of Mets players re-imagined as Star Wars characters:
Rey – Michael Conforto
Both were abandoned in the desert despite having great skills. Now, their opportunity has unexpectedly arrived, they are ready to be great like everyone once expected them to be.
Jyn Erso – David Wright
They have both sacrificed everything to be a part of this and to lead everyone to victory. It’s heartbreaking what happened to them. It’s incumbent on everyone to succeed and be victorious to honor their legacy.
Han Solo – Curtis Granderson
They were once great, but now they are older and are barely holding on at this point. As we know, it ends badly for both of them.
Luke Skywalker – Zack Wheeler
We thought both had disappeared and were never to be heard from again. Despite all odds, they have been re-discovered, but they may be here for the end of something (Jedi, Five Aces) than contributing to it.
Snoke – Ray Ramirez
They are both trying to oversee the destruction of everything, and we don’t know why they want to do it.
Jar Jar Binks – Rafael Montero
The question isn’t just why they are still here, the question is why did they exist in the first place.
K-2SO – Matt Harvey
While it may have been the opposite years ago, they are now the ones taking the bullets for everyone. It’s only a matter of time before they break down.
C3PO – Steven Matz
Both are constantly broken down, and we still do not know what is going on with their arms.
Jabba the Hut – Bartolo Colon
Both are massive, and both are now the enemy.
Saw Gerrera – Noah Syndergaard
Literally, no one thought what they were doing or how they were going about things was a good idea. Yet, they did them anyway, and now they are gone leaving others to scramble to do the job we once they were best suited.
Poe Dameron – Seth Lugo
Both played extremely important roles in the beginning of the saga (Poe – new trilogy, Lugo – aces getting injured). We are now just awaiting Lugo to return when he is needed again just like Poe did.
Finn – Jay Bruce
They were both told to do things a certain way, and it just wasn’t working for them. Now, the are in much better situtations, with people who realize who they really are, and they are thriving.
Galen Erso – Sandy Alderson
They were the ones with the grand plan, and they put all the pieces in place. However, they are now watching as things are falling apart all around them. Both need a miracle. Galen got his. We’ll see about Sandy.
Wickett – Wilmer Flores
Both are considered cute and cuddly, but they are warriors that will tear you to shreds . . . especially if you are a left-handed pitcher.
Death Star – Fernando Salas
Both were thought to be completely indestructible, and yet every time we see them they are getting blown up by the opposition.
General Leia Organa – Jose Reyes
They’re both back looking to recapture past glory. Sadly, we don’t think things are going to work out for them like we once thought it would.
Yoda – Yoenis Cespedes
Believe it or not, Cespedes is smaller than everyone, and yet, like Yoda he is the most powerful. Also, with his constant leg issues, he hobbles around like Yoda does.
Maz Kanata – Dan Warthen
Wedge Antilles – Lucas Duda
Time and again, their contributions are overlooked. Wedge took part in blowing up both Death Stars. Duda was the first base man for the pennant winner and one the Mets cannot adequately replace when he’s not on the field. Despite all of that, no one seems to want to give them credit for their contributions.
Obi-Wan Kenobi – Jacob deGrom
Princess Leia said it best when she said, “Help me Jacob deGrom, you’re my only hope.”
May the Force Be with You and Lets Go Mets!
The last time the Mets lying to everyone about an injury worked out was when they hid the fact that Duaner Sanchez was done for the season after his ill-fated cab ride. Keeping the injury under wraps allowed the Mets to move Xavier Nady for pitching help at the deadline. Certainly, if teams knew the Mets were desperate, the price for a reliever or an additional starter likely would have gone up.
However, when it is still April, the Mets gain nothing from lying to the fans. In fact, it only serves to further sow distrust with the fan base and to make them angry.
Last year, the line was Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, and Steven Matz were all dealing with “mechanical issues.” That turned into deGrom having a series of physical problems including his needing season ending surgery to help repair a nerve in his pitching elbow. Harvey’s mechanical issues turned out to be Thoracic Outlet Syndrome which also required season ending surgery. Finally, Matz’s mechanical issues was a massive bone spur in his elbow the Mets had him pitch through until he could no longer. Like deGrom and Harvey, he also needed season ending surgery.
Based upon this and the many many lies this team tells, you can’t trust them at all.
For example, what really is the issue with Noah Syndergaard. First, it was reported he had a blister. Then that became it wasn’t a blister, but a nail that ripped off while he was pitching. Despite these minor issues, he was slated to pitch on Wednesday until he didn’t. According to the Mets, there was a miscommunication, and Robert Gsellman was not supposed to be skipped in the rotation.
Then, it was a tired arm which became a shore bicep. That sore bicep became tendinitis. Syndergaard’s explanation was much more daunting when he said he felt pain in his shoulder when he threw the ball.
Speaking of Gsellman, we saw his velocity drop from 94 MPH to 90 MPH as the game progressed. Now, we’re hearing that he has mechanical issues. I think we know where this ends up.
Now, no one is truly forthright when discussing injuries. It is part of the territory with professional sports. If you follow the NHL, you’ll notice how “upper body injuries” are terms that mean needs 10 offseason surgeries. In MLB, a tired arm means an eventual visit to Dr. Andrews. We know that. The issue is the Mets seemingly lie more than anyone, and frankly, they’re not even that good at it.
With respect to Syndergaard, just tell the fans he is being skipped with a tired arm, and he will see the doctor. Don’t announce he’s starting Wednesday to presumably try to drive up attendance. Don’t conjure explanations when you can simply say he’s going to see a doctor. This sows distrust, and yes, a bit of panic with fans. Panic, which Sandy Alderson has mocked Mets fans for having in the past while he was doing nothing to improve the team.
You are already seeing an angry fan base. Despite the Mets having World Series aspirations, Citi Field has looked largely empty. It’s looked as empty as it did anytime from when it opened until 2015. The fans aren’t happy. The least you can do is level with us.
With the injuries to Yoenis Cespedes, Asdrubal Cabrera, Travis d’Arnaud, Wilmer Flores, Seth Lugo, and Steven Matz, the Mets have not jumped out of the gate quite like we all expected. Entering this three game set with the Nationals, the Mets are 5.5 games out in the division. If they suffer another sweep at the hands of Daniel Murphy and the Nationals, they will fall to 8.5 games out.
And yet, this is not the worst the Mets have ever had it. In each of the six times they have won the division, they have trailed at some point in the season. There are multiple occasions where the Mets trailed in the division by double digit games. Can you name each deficit overcome by the Mets when they have won the division? Good luck!
Given the fact that it was his second start since missing two plus years due to Tommy John surgery and the fact that the Mets were down to five starters with the Steven Matz and Seth Lugo injuries, Zack Wheeler‘s start had more importance attached to it than usual.
After a 13 pitch scoreless first inning, things were looking good. He was hitting his spots, and he was hitting 97 on the gun. Then again that’s what happened in his first start. The real test was from the second inning on.
Wheeler passed the test with flying colors. He maintained both his velocity and control. While he was getting the benefit of some excellent pitch framing from Travis d’Arnaud, Wheeler put the ball where d’Arnaud put his mitt.
Wheeler put together a stretch of eleven straight retired. That ended in the sixth when he finally started to struggle with his location and velocity.
There were runners on first and second with one out. Wheeler reached back and got a huge strikeout of Howie Kendrick, but Wheeler lost it all and walked Odubel Herrera. After 5.2 innings, Collins went to Hansel Robles.
Third straight day of pitching or not, Robles made a horrendous pitch to what amounts to the Phillies only real power threat. The first pitch hung down the middle of the plate, and Maikel Franco launched it for a grand slam.
The grand slam put somewhat of a damper on what was a terrific start for Wheeler. His final line was 5.2 innings, four hits, three runs, three earned, one walk, and four strikeouts.
Arguably, it was the best Wheeler has ever looked in a Mets uniform. Certainly, it was his most important start. The effort earned him a well deserved and long awaited win.
The Mets offense was humming once again even if Vince Velasquez was pitching pretty well.
It all got started with surprise lead off hitter Michael Conforto getting the lead-off single and scoring on a Yoenis Cespedes RBI double. The score would become 2-0 when Conforto did this:
Michael Conforto got some extension on that home run. He crushed it a projected 422 feet, off the bat at 108.1 mph. #Mets pic.twitter.com/ElRj8AlVUX
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) April 13, 2017
Like a true lead-off hitter and table setter, Conforto was in the middle of the next rally.
The fifth inning started with d’Arnaud getting hit by a pitch, and like the smart player he is waiving off Ray Ramirez:
lmao look at Travis d'Arnaud running away from Ray Ramirez…what a smart kid. Wants no part of him #Mets pic.twitter.com/PjtsVm9YMe
— MetsKevin11 (@MetsKevin11) April 13, 2017
Wheeler tried to bunt him over, but the Phillies walked him instead. Velasquez then walked Conforto to load the bases. Asdrubal Cabrera, the same player who had an 0-32 streak with RISP last year, came to the plate.
Cabrera delivered with a two RBI single making him 5-5 with RISP to begin the season. Conforto then scored on a Cespedes sacrifice fly to make it 5-0. As noted above, the Mets needed all of those runs.
Fortunately, the rest of the Mets bullpen locked the game down. Jerry Blevins, Fernando Salas, and Addison Reed combined to pitch 2.2 scoreless innings to preserve the 2.2 innings, the 5-4 win, and the series sweep.
The Mets certainly got healthy in Philadelphia, and they have momentum as they take their rejuvenated talents to South Beach.
Game Notes: Curtis Granderson was just given the day off. There were no injury issues. Jose Reyes batted seventh again. He went 0-4, and is now 1-10 from the seventh spot in the lineup.