Steven Matz
After tonight’s loss, the only person angrier than Mets fans was fake tough guy Mark Teixeira.
In an interview earlier in the year with Carton and Governor Chris Christie, he admitted he would never charge the mound, but he sure is good at pulling a hissy fit.
Whether it's yelling at his own 3B coach or screaming at Matz, Mark Teixeira is one doofy angry guy. #Yankees #Mets pic.twitter.com/gTUYGiTym5
— ESNY (@EliteSportsNY) August 4, 2016
He would then have a very late slide into Neil Walker because sliding late into a defenseless player is tougher than being a man and facing off against Steven Matz.
It’s hard to imagine Matz throwing at Teixeira even though Teixeira hit a three run homer off of him in his prior at bat to break a 3-3 tie. Matz hadn’t had pinpoint control since he’s been dealing with the bone spurs, the ball was at Teixeira’s feet, and it was an extra base runner with the Mets trailing. In this pennant race, the Mets need all the wins they can get, and they’re not sacrificing games to exact revenge on a .195 hitter.
Regardless, the Mets should not have been in that position. They were tattooing Yankees starter Chad Green starting with Curtis Granderson delivering the keynote address:
It was his 18th leadoff home run with the Mets breaking his tie with Jose Reyes.
Granderson has a terrific night going 1-3 with two runs, one RBI, three walks, and a home run. The rest of tur a Mets offense? Not so much.
Wilmer Flores was halfway to a Joe Torre (four GIDPs in one game) by the third inning. He killed a first inning bases loaded rally by grounding into an inning ending double play. In the third it was only runners on first and second when he grounded into his inning ending double play.
In the second, it was Walker who killed a rally with a double play. Given the amount if base runners were left on base, you knew it was going to come back and haunt the Mets. The Mets should’ve score much more than three runs in the first three innings, but what else is new?
The team was 2-12 with runners in scoring position including Michael Conforto striking out in a big spot in the seventh when he represented the tying run, and Granderson had scored a run on a James Loney ground out to make it 6-4. He was amongst the biggest culprits of the night as six different Mets would leave multiple men on base:
- Neil Walker (2)
- Yoenis Cespedes (5)
- Jay Bruce (3)
- James Loney (2)
- Michael Conforto (5)
- Wilmer Flores (5)
Between that and Matz allowing six earned over six innings of course the Mets weren’t going to win this one.
To make matters worse, Teixeira would get the last laugh. He got into Hansel Robles‘ head with Robles thinking Teixeira was stealing signs. Robles lost his concentration and his cool leading to a Starlin Castro infield RBI single to Robles. No, Asdrubal Cabrera doesn’t make that play.
After an uncharacteristically poor performance, Robles was pulled while Teixeira and the third base coach were laughing at him. After Josh Edgin walked in a run against Didi Gregorious, the only batter he faced, there would be three runs charged to Robles making it 9-4.
That’s where it would remain as Luis Severino came on and shut down the Mets allowing one earned on one hit and one walk with five strikeouts in 4.1 innings. Walker would homer off Tyler Clippard in the ninth to provide some window dressing in a 9-5 loss.
With Daniel Murphy going off again for the Nationals, the Mets are a season high 8.5 games out of first place.
Game Notes: Bruce is now 0-8 with one walk and three strikeouts to begin his Mets career. Despite Collins’ you hit you play philosophy, Alejandro De Aza, Travis d’Arnaud, and Matt Reynolds would sit. Cespedes shot an 83 before the game, and he would go 1-5 with two strikeouts in the game.
With Brandon Nimmo being the guy almost traded away in the Jay Bruce trade, he was supposed to be the guy who hit the big homer tonight. In the second inning, Wilmer Flores reminded us all that it was his schtick:
The homer gave the Mets a 1-0 lead they would relinquish in the fourth inning on a Logan Verrett wild pitch allowing Didi Gregorious to score from third. The Mets would fall behind 3-1 in the fifth. Brett Gardner doubled to right hitting the side wall permitting Rob Refsnyder to score from first. Gardner would come around to score on a Jacoby Ellsbury RBI single.
The Yankees should have been up by more, but Gardner killed a first inning rally with his legs:
The final line for Verrett would be five innings, four hits, three runs, three earned, three walks, and two strikeouts.
The Mets got one back in the bottom of the fifth featuring their two young left-handed outfielders. Nimmo pinch hit for Verrett. He didn’t get his homer, but he hit a single to start a rally. He came around to score on a Michael Conforto one out RBI double off CC Sabathia. It was Conforto’s first ever regular season extra base hit off a left-handed pitcher. Conforto only got the chance because Justin Ruggiano was forced to leave the game with an injury.
That set the stage for Matt Reynolds in the sixth.
Flores led off with an excuse me infield single off Yankees reliever Richard Bleier. Travis d’Arnaud, who was not traded for Jonathan Lucroy, hit an opposite field single. d’Arnaud quietly had a good night going 2-5 with a run scored. That run scored would be on an absolute bomb off Reynolds’ bat giving the Mets a 5-3 lead.
The Mets would lose the lead with Terry Collins getting a little too cute in the eighth inning.
With two lefties leading off the eighth, Collins turned to Jerry Blevins to start the inning. Blevins allowed a leadoff walk to Gardner before striking out Ellsbury. Collins then turned to Addison Reed, who is traditionally poor with inherited runners. He was again tonight.
Brian McCann greeted Reed with a single sending Gardner to third. Ronald Torreyes would take second on a wild pitch. Gregorious would have a terrific at bat flaring a single into left field scoring both Gardner and Torreyes tying the game at 5-5. It was the first run Reed has allowed since June 23rd.
Jeurys Familia struggled himself in the ninth. He couldn’t get a feel for the strikezone, and he was giving d’Arnaud a workout spiking his sinker. He was completely bailed out by Curtis Granderson who chased down a ball by the right field line flat of robbing Aaron Hicks of an extra base hit and possibly an RBI.
Familia navigated his way out of the inning despite allowing the one out walk to Austin Romine. Romine stole second with Familia not paying him any attention. Romine could’ve taken third as d’Arnaud skipped it past Reynolds and into center field, but Romine didn’t notice it in time. Despite all that, Familia bore down and get out if the inning.
Seth Lugo, the last man in the bullpen, wouldn’t be as lucky. He issued a four pitch walk to Ellsbury, and Mark Teixeira beat the shift with an opposite field single. Ben Gamel laid down a sac bunt Lugo fielded. However, he would reach safely as Rene Rivera, who was double switched into the game, somehow directed Lugo to go to third. Lugo couldn’t get the speedy Ellsbury at third. He would later score on a Starlin Castro sac fly to make it 6-5.
That set the stage for new Yankee closer Dellin Betances. He was greeted with a Loney double, and he would move to third on a Reynolds sac bunt. It would take a home run to score Loney from third on s fly ball to the outfield. You’re also giving an out to Betances, who is a great reliever.
Alejandro De Aza was then hit by a pitch. He took off for second on a Rivera ground out to Betances. Betances froze Loney and got Rivera at first. Granderson would then strikeout to end the game. The sac bunt was a strange move at best.
It was an ugly 6-5 loss helped again with some odd late game Collins decisions.
Game Notes: Steven Matz pinch hit for Erik Goeddel in the sixth, and he drew a pinch hit walk. He was needed to pinch hit as the Mets were playing short due to trades, Yoenis Cespedes being unable to play with his quad injury, and the Mets refusal to DL Asdrubal Cabrera for one reason or another.
Last year, the Mets were coming off an absolutely brutal loss to the San Diego Padres on the eve of the trade deadline. As the team blew a 7-1 lead, it seemed like all hope was lost.
However, the Mets front office didn’t share the same sense of diapair. They were active on the phones trying to improve a team that was three games behind the Nationals. They were a team who had an extremely weak August schedule. They were a team in the mend with Travis d’Arnaud, Michael Cuddyer, and David Wright expected to return from the disabled list.
It was a good team getting healthy facing a favorable schedule ready for a three game set at home against the first place Nationals. It was behind this backdrop that the Yoenis Cespedes trade happened.
Seeing Cespedes hobbled out there is a stark reminder that this year is not last year. This is a Mets team that isn’t getting healthy. In fact, they’re falling like flies. Here is a list of the players currently on the disabled list:
- David Wright
- Lucas Duda
- Matt Harvey
- Juan Lagares
- Jose Reyes
- Jim Henderson
This does not include Noah Syndergaard or Steven Matz who both have bone spurs in their pitching elbows that will need to be surgically removed in the offseason.
This list also does not even include Asdrubal Cabrera who left yesterday’s game with what is initially being described as a strained patellar tendon. He seems as if he’s bound for the disabled list. With Cabrera going down, it will create another hole in not just the lineup, but with the defense.
With Cespedes’ injury and Lagares’ surgery, the Mets are left scrambling to find a center fielder. They have tried Curtis Granderson out there, and after one game, the Mets saw enough. Against righties, the Mets have tried Michael Conforto in center, and he has held his own. Just recently, the Mets signed Justin Ruggiano, who was playing in AAA before being released by the Rangers.
With Cabrera injured and seemingly bound for the disabled list, it leaves the Mets scrambling to find adequate defenders at the two most important defensive positions. It will also mean Neil Walker, who has hit .234/.316/.343 since May 1st, will be the only starting infielder remaining from the Opening Day Lineup.
By no means is Walker the only one struggling:
- 2015 – .259/.364/.457 with 33 doubles, two triples, 26 homers, and 70 RBI
- 2016 – .234/.326/.431 with 16 doubles, four triples, 16 homers, and 29 RBI
Michael Conforto
- 2015 – .270/.335/.506 with 14 doubles, nine homers, and 26 RBI
- 2016 – .225/.303/.419 with 14 doubles, or triple, 10 homers, homers, and 30 RBI
Travis d’Arnaud
- 2015 – .268/.340/.485 with 14 doubles, one triple, 12 homers, and 42 RBI
- 2016 – .249/.290/.321 with five doubles, two homers, and 10 RBI
All across the diamond, the Mets are dealing with injuries, under performance, or both. According to Baseball Reference, the Mets have the lowest team WAR at shortstop, third base, and right field among National League teams in the playoff hunt.
Further exacerbating the Mets struggles is their August schedule. There are the four emotionally charged Subway Series games along with series against the Tigers, Giants, Cardinals, and Marlins. There is s short West Coast trip. The combined record of their opponents is 416-369, which is good for a .530 winning percentage. With this schedule and the state of the Mets roster, things can fall apart quickly.
In reality, neither Jonathan Lucroy nor Jay Bruce help these problems. They do not solve the defensive gap at short or center. They cannot heal the players on the disabled list. They cannot make the schedule any easier. No, the only thing they can do is to join the Mets and play well.
However, if the Mets don’t get healthy or start playing better, there’s no point in adding Lucroy or Bruce. They don’t solve the Mets real problems, and they likely don’t put the Mets over the top.
With that in mind, there’s no sense on buying at the deadline. You’re just purging prospects to help acquire players who will most likely not be difference makers. There’s also no sense to selling because this is a talented team that needs to find that next gear.
With that in mind, as frustrating as it might be, the Mets best option might be to stand pat.
Steven Matz deserved a much better fate. He danced in and out of trouble all night. Even with that balky elbow, he reached back and found something to make the pitch to get out of the inning. That was until the sixth inning.
Mark Reynolds hit a double to set up second and third with no outs. Now, Reynolds should have been out. Center fielder Michael Conforto fielded the ball cleanly off the wall and made a terrific one hop throw to Neil Walker well ahead of Reynolds. However, Walker had trouble catching the ball like he’s had trouble hitting since May 1st.
After David Dahl popped out, the Rockies sent up their eighth place hitter Nick Hundley. Instead of intentionally walking him and setting up the double play with the opposing pitcher Tyler Chatwood coming to the plate, the Mets decided to pitch to him.
Hundley would hit a ground ball past Wilmer Flores. Flores should have had it, but for whatever reason, when he plays third, he has fall down left, fall down right range, and in this instance, he didn’t fall down fast enough. It would be a 2-1 lead, which for the Mets lately seems insurmountable.
It wasted Matz’s gutsy performance. His final line would be six innings allowing 10 hits, two earned, one walk, and five strikeouts.
The only run support he received was a James Loney second inning solo shot. It was the first home run Chatwood allowed outside Coors Field this year.
Coming into the game, he was 5-0 with a 1.30 ERA and a 1.014 WHIP. Tonight it was more of the same with him going seven innings allowing only three hits, one earned, and four walks with four strikeouts. When Chatwood was on the mound, hitting with runners in scoring position wasn’t that big an issue as no one would get on base. Officially, the Mets were 0-3 with runners in scoring position against Chatwood.
You’d tip your cap to him, but you don’t know if he was great again, or if the offense is that bad. When he exited the game, he had a 3-1 lead after a Mark Reynolds seventh inning laser to left field off of Erik Goeddel.
Then there was a cruel sense of déjà vu. A day after Jake McGee couldn’t get anyone out, he couldn’t get anyone out today allowing back-to-back singles to Alejandro De Aza and Curtis Granderson. It was first and second with no outs, and the Rockies would go to Scott Oberg to bail them out. With him facing this inept Mets team, of course he did.
Travis d’Arnaud, Yoenis Cespedes, and Loney came up swinging at the first pitch. d’Arnaud was sawed off, and he grounded to third. Cespedes popped out to the first baseman. Loney weakly grounded into the shift. At that point, the game was effectively over.
In case anyone had any delusions of grandeur of the Mets coming back, Antonio Bastardo took care of that allowing a three run bomb to Carlos Gonzalez. At 3-1, the game was over. At 6-1, it felt like the Rockies were beating a dead offense with a stick.
According to SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo, the Mets have inquired about Jon Niese, and the team may be interested in Mark Melancon.
Niese makes a lot of sense for the Mets. With the Mets not knowing when and if Zack Wheeler can come back this year and Steven Matz dealing with bone spurs in his elbow, it would not hurt for them to have some insurance in their starting rotation even if it is Niese, who was dreadful as a starting pitcher this year. The hope is that Niese could get back to what he was with the Mets when he is once again working with Dan Warthen. It is also possible that Niese could pitch out of the bullpen for the Mets as he did so well for them last year.
Niese was demoted to the bullpen by the Pirates, and he has made four appearance so far pitching well. He is 1-0 with a 2.16 ERA and a 1.080 WHIP.
On the other hand, it is hard to believe the Mets could also acquire the pending free agent Melancon from the Pirates even if it was a package deal to take on both Niese and Melancon. Melancon is having another outstanding year as the Pirates closer going 1-1 with 30 saves, a 1.51 ERA, and a 0.960 WHIP in 45 appearance. Either this is a ploy to drive up the price of Melancon as the Nationals are interested in him, or it’s the Mets trying to get him on the cheap by having the Pirates try to package him with Niese. It is doubtful the Mets would give up the prospects necessary to land him to have him set up for Jeurys Familia.
The Mets are apparently more interested in a bat now due to Juan Lagares‘ injury. In other news, the Mets were interested in Steve Pearce, but they have found the Rays asking price to be too high. The Mets have also inquired on Jay Bruce as insurance for Yoenis Cespedes for both this year and the next. It should be noted that the Reds turned down a Bruce for Wheeler deal last year that resulted in the Mets acquiring Cespedes for Michael Fulmer last year at the trading deadline.
The Reds are also dangling Ross Ohlendorf, Blake Wood, and Tony Cingrani in the hopes of making a deal to alleviate some payroll for next year. There are no reports that the Reds have discussed any of these relievers with the Mets in a deal that could or could not involve Jay Bruce. However, we do know that the Reds have been scouting Kevin Plawecki for some reason or another.
If the Mets were able to move Plawecki for a Cingrani or a Wood, they have to consider it as they are both having good years out of the pen. Wood has made 44 appearances going 5-1 with one save, a 3.42 ERA, a 1.500 WHIP, and an 8.6 K/9. Cingrani has made 46 appearances going 4-2 with 12 saves, a 3.20 ERA, a 1.267 WHIP, and a 6.4 K/9. Both relievers are controllable past this year, and it appears as if Plawecki may never fulfill his offensive potential with the Mets. It is worth a shot.
With the trade deadline Monday, there are going to be a number of rumors involving the Mets as the Mets were very active in the trade market last year, and they are in the thick of the Wild Card race. Now, with the Marlins making the first big deadline trade acquiring Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea, Fox Sports Jon Morosi believes it will get the ball rolling with a number of teams, like the Mets, making a number of deals.
The Jonathan Lucroy Sweepstakes
According to ESPN’s Jerry Krasnick, the Tigers are out on the Jonathan Lucroy Sweepstakes. This might be one of the reasons the Brewers have re-engaged the Mets on Lucroy. As the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal’s Tom Haudricourt reported, the Brewers aren’t getting the offers they thought they would receive in exchange for Lucroy, and they also want to make sure they canvass the area to make sure they get the best possible return they can get for the catcher.
Lucroy would be a huge upgrade over what Travis d’Arnaud has provided the Mets this season. So far this year, d’Arnaud is hitting .246/.299/.333 with five doubles, two homers, and 10 RBI. Additionally, d’Arnaud has already had a stint on the disabled list. Lucroy has been the second best catcher in baseball this season hitting .300/.361/.486 with 17 doubles, three triples, 13 homers, and 50 RBI. It is not much of a surprise that the Brewers already rejected a straight up deal of Lucroy for d’Arnaud. According to Fox Sports Ken Rosenthal, the Brewers informed the Mets that they want some high end prospects in addition to d’Arnaud in exchange for Lucroy. In order to get those prospects, Haudricourt says the Brewers would consider bundling Lucroy with one or two of their coveted relievers, which include Jeremy Jeffress and Will Smith.
The Mets will have to get creative as, according to ESPN’s Adam Rubin, the Mets do not anticipate either Amed Rosario or Dominic Smith. Further complicating matters is, as MMO and Mets Minors own Michael Mayer reports, Dilson Herrera has been dealing with a sore shoulder causing him to miss the last four games.
Trade With the Tampa Bay Rays
According to Yahoo’s Jeff Passan, the Rays will trade Steve Pearce prior to the trade deadline, and it appears that Matt Moore is the pitcher they will most likely be willing to trade.
According to Crasnick, the Mets are very interested in Rays’ Steve Pearce. In his career, Pearce has predominantly played first base and outfield. However, the Rays have not played him in the outfield this year. Instead, he has played mostly first base with some time at second, third, an DH.
Pearce would certainly fulfill a need for the Mets as he is hitting .312/.384/.528 with 11 doubles, one triple, 10 homers, and 29 RBI on the year. He has hit a respectable .288/.348/.452 against righties, but he is flat out mashing lefties hitting .377/.476/.736 against lefties. The Mets could desperately use him given some of the splits we have seen with the Mets starters against lefties:
- James Loney .212/.235/.303
- Curtis Granderson .230/.300/.400
- Michael Conforto .091/.128/.091
This does not even include Neil Walker who is hitting lefties well this year, but is still a career .262/.320/.357 career hitter against lefties. Given the injuries to Jose Reyes and Yoenis Cespedes as well as Juan Lagares again being put on the disabled list with the torn ligament in his left thumb, the Mets are going to have to play two or more of the aforementioned players against lefties.
The Mets could also have some interest in Matt Moore, who is 7-7 with a 4.08 ERA and a 1.269 WHIP in 21 starts. Moore would be an upgrade over Logan Verrett, and he could be insurance against Steven Matz and the bone spurs in his left elbow.
However, the chances of the Mets acquiring either player is not particularly good at the moment as the Rays intend to drive a hard bargain. According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, the Rays asked for Christian Yelich and J.T. Realmuto in exchange for Moore and Jake Odorizzi.
Relief Help
The Mets were earlier linked briefly to Jon Niese given Matt Harvey‘s season ending surgery. However, it does not appear as if those talks have gotten anywhere beyond the preliminary stages at this point. Now, the struggling Niese is in the bullpen alongside Pirates closer Mark Melancon. Melancon is having another strong year as the Pirates closer going 1-1 with a 1.51 ERA and a 0.960 WHIP while recording 30 saves.
According to Rosenthal, the Nationals have been in active trade discussion with the Pirates about Melancon after Jonathan Papelbon has had a rough stretch to the season. Rosenthal further reports trading the pending free agent Melancon would not signal the team is waiving the white flag. Instead, the Pirates remain active on the trade market themselves, and they intend to replace Melancon with either Tony Watson or former Texas Rangers closer Neftali Feliz.
Frankly, it wouldn’t be a trade deadline unless the Nationals were trying to displace their closer. According to Rosenthal, the Nationals are also in on Royals closer Wade Davis, who is having another great year recording 21 saves while recording a 1.60 ERA and a 1.099 WHIP.
Neither Melancon nor Davis have been linked to the Mets.
The Final Cost
As we see with the ask for Lucroy, the prices are going to be steep at the trading deadline. In reality, the only thing that helps the Mets chances there is the fact that the Mets are not on Lucroy’s no trade list. Perhaps the most discouraging sign of all is Passan’s latest report that the Phillies could obtain three to four prospects in exchange for Jeremy Hellickson.
Editor’s Note: this was first published on Mets Merized Online
There were two reasons to believe that the Mets were going to win today’s game against the Rockies. The first was that since July 10th, the Mets have alternated wins and losses, and the Mets lost last night. The second reason was that Jacob deGrom was taking the hill during a day game, and deGrom is the Dayman having gone 15-3 with a 1.63 ERA and a 0.923 WHIP in day games. In his last start, deGrom threw a complete game shut out.
With that in mind, you knew a Rockies team who played a night game was not going to do any damage against deGrom. They didn’t as deGrom pitched seven scoreless innings allowing just five hits and walk one while striking out six. Trevor Story was the only Rockies baserunner to reach second base, and no Rockies even reached third against him. Seemingly, the only reason deGrom was lifted from the game having thrown 97 pitches was to get some more offense.
The Mets were in need of it as well. The team didn’t have Jose Reyes and Yoenis Cespedes in the lineup due to injury. Michael Conforto was sitting because the Rockies were starting the left-hander Tyler Anderson. That meant Alejandro De Aza, and his extremely poor splits against lefties, was in the starting lineup. Furthermore, Rene Rivera was starting over Travis d’Arnaud. It was a weak lineup that featured the still struggling Neil Walker was batting cleanup. It should then come as no surprise that heading towards deGrom’s spot in the lineup in the seventh inning, the Mets were only up 1-0.
That run would be scored on a Rene Rivera two out RBI double scoring James Loney from first. Perhaps inspired how the Sid Bream-esque Loney was able to score from first, Rivera was thrown out trying to stretch a double into a triple. He made the ill-advised last out of an inning at third base. Even with that, he had a terrific day going 3-3 with two doubles and an RBI. It was Rivera who would leadoff the seventh inning with a single off Rockies reliever and former Rays teammate Jake McGee starting a curious chain of events.
De Aza followed Rivera’s single with a double to deep left-center field. That double would have scored anyone other than Rivera. Still, the Mets had runners at second and third with no outs. Terry Collins then made the bold choice of using Cespedes as a decoy. The Rockies took the bait walking Cespedes to load the bases. As Cespedes had a flare-up of his quad before the game preventing him from playing the field, he would be lifted for the pinch runner Steven Matz. It was a defendable position considering with his bone spurs there was no way Matz would ever pitch in this game, and he has decent speed. Furthermore, the Mets did not want to waste their bench any further. After Collins made two very good and defendable decisions, he began to make some baffling decisions.
The Rockies would bring in the right-handed reliever Scott Oberg into the game to pitch to Juan Lagares. Rather than keeping Lagares, his best defensive center fielder, in a tight 1-0 game, Collins went to his bench. Instead of going with Michael Conforto, the best hitter he had on the bench, Collins went to Kelly Johnson for some reason or other. At this point, the Mets struggles with runners in scoring position would really become magnified. Johnson would hit into a fielder’s choice with Story choosing to take the force out at home. Bases were still loaded, but now with one out. Granderson would chase a ball in the dirt to strike out putting it all on Wilmer Flores to come through. He didn’t. He hit a shallow popout to the center fielder Charlie Blackmon to end the inning. The Mets had bases loaded with no outs, and they still could not score.
The Mets were very fortunate they have an incredible bullpen that would hold onto this lead. Despite pregame overtures that Jeurys Familia would be unavailable for today’s game, Collins went to Addison Reed in the eighth. Reed would record two outs and would allow a single to DJ LeMahieu. Collins then lifted Reed for Jerry Blevins, who struck out Carlos Gonzalez to get out of the inning.
Familia would come on in the ninth on a day he was supposedly unavailable, and a day after he blew his first save in approximately one year. Of course, it wouldn’t be easy as it never is with the Mets. Story would hit a leadoff single, and he would steal second. Rivera was late on the throw, and it got through the infield. Familia would then walk David Dahl on a 3-2 count. Daniel Descalso was sent up there to lay down a sacrifice. With two strikes, he laid down a bunt spinning towards the line. Rivera let it go as it seemed as if it was going to go foul giving Familia the strikeout. Instead, the ball stopped dead on the line loading the bases with no outs.
It seemed like Familia would get out of it for a split second. He struck out Tony Wolters to get the first out. Then Cristhian Adames hit a ball that Loney just booted. The Mets weren’t going to turn two, but the Mets could’ve recorded at least one out. With that, Story would score the game tying run. With Blackmon at the plate, Familia spiked a ball at the edge of the grass that just ate up Rivera behind the plate. The wild pitch allowed Dahl to score the tying run. At that point, Familia intentionally walked Blackmon, and Collins lifted him from a game he shouldn’t have been used in the first place. Hansel Robles then came on and get the Mets out of the inning without any further damage. Maybe, just maybe, he should’ve pitched in the eighth or ninth rather than a tired Familia who Collins had declared was not available for this game.
When you peruse the official statistics for this game, you will see Familia blew the save and took the loss. That is true. However, it was a series of curious late inning decisions by Collins that really set the stage for this loss. It is quite fitting the very Kelly Johnson Collins had to bring into the game would make the final out in the ninth.
Game Notes: A night after going 3-3 with a walk, Walker was 3-4 on the day. It appears like his deep two and a half month slump might be coming to an end.
On a typical Sunday, I’ll catch the first few innings on the car radio. Not today. We got out of the house earlier than usual to ensure we’d be home in time for my son and I to watch not only the Mets game, but also Mike Piazza‘s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Everywhere we went, Mets were talking about how excited they were for both an important game against the Marlins, but also to see Piazza join Tom Seaver as the only Mets players in the Hall of Fame. My son got caught up in the excitement as well singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and “Meet the Mets.” However, he was most excited when he got his lemonade. Check that, he took my peach jalapeño sticking me with the Strawberry one.
It’s a big Mets day, I’ll call it my Darryl Strawberry one.
Naturally, we started with the Mets game as Piazza wasn’t at the podium. By the way, God bless whoever created picture-in-picture. The Mets game got off to a great start with Michael Conforto showing that he just might be able to play well in center field:
Then, in the third, Jose Reyes would hit a two out RBI triple scoring Conforto, who was actually in scoring position. The Mets had a 1-0 lead, and soon it would be time to tune in to watch Piazza officially become a Hall of Famer:
His speech was perfect.
He touched on everything you would want him to touch upon. He spoke glowingly about his boyhood idol Mike Schmidt and how Johnny Bench was the standard bearer at the position. He thanked everyone on the Dodgers including Tommy LaSorda, Eric Karros, and Tom Candiotti. He talks about how great it was growing up as a Dodger before talking poignantly about what it meant to him to be a Met.
He talked about how John Franco welcomed him into his home and gave him his #31. He talked about his on and off the field relationship with Al Leiter. He spoke about how clutch Edgardo Alfonzo was making it easier for him to do what he did, which was hit big homers including the post 9/11 home run.
But like the most of the speech, Piazza deflected the attention away from himself. Instead, he talked about the real heroes were those that gave their lives on 9/11. Much like the moment he hit that home run, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house – Cooperstown, yours, and mine.
His acknowledgment of Mets fans was also touching. It’s something that’s not always seen in Hall of Fame speeches. It was touching to hear he loved us as we loved him.
All while this was happening, Steven Matz was back in form, and he was mowing down the Marlins. I barely noticed him pitching six innings allowing four runs, none earned, and two walks with six strikeouts. By the time, I was fully re-engaged in the game I mostly ignored in the picture-in-picture, Hansel Robles was on the mound.
Robles did what he has done for most of the year and shut down the opposition. He seems to have been given the seventh inning job, and he has it locked down.
In the top of the eighth, the Mets finally got some insurance. Yoenis Cespedes singled home Alejandro De Aza, who had reached base on a wild pitch by Kyle Barraclough after striking out. Seriously, how else would De Aza reach base? James Loney singled home Curtis Granderson. The Mets seemed poised for more after a Kelly Johnson walk. However, Asdrubal Cabrera hit into a force out with Cespedes out at home (initially ruled safe, but it was overturned on replay) making him 0-32 in his last 32 at bats with runners in scoring position. Juan Lagares then lined out to end the rally.
Lagares had come on for defense in place of Conforto in the seventh. Conforto has played well before the seventh showing he could be a viable option going forward. He also had a nice day at the plate going 2-2 with a run scored.
After eight, it was 3-0 Mets which was a lot more support than Addison Reed and Jeurys Familia needed. Reed and Familia shut the door giving the Mets a 3-0 win putting them a half-game behind the Marlins. It was Familia’s 34th straight save this year and 51 straight dating back to last year.
It put the end to what was a great day to be a Mets fan.
With Steven Matz taking the loss last night, he fell to 0-4 with a 5.31 ERA and a 1.475 ERA over his last seven starts. In those seven starts, he has been spotted rubbing his elbow in the dugout between innnigsm and he has thrown his slider less frequently. He has been clearly affected by the bone spurs in his elbow that need to eventually be surgically removed from his elbow. Matz’s problems highlight the Mets rotation issues which also include Noah Syndergaard‘s dead arm scare, and Matt Harvey having season ending surgery to address his thoracic outlet syndrom.
The options to fill Harvey’s spot in the rotation leave much to be desired. Logan Verrett currently has a 5.20 ERA as a starter this year. Both Gabriel Ynoa and Sean Gilmartin have pitched to an ERA over 6.00 for the past few months. Zack Wheeler, who was initially slated to rejoin the rotation in the beginning of July, has had a number of setbacks and is still throwing bullpen sessions. Best case scenario, Wheeler is back around mid-August. That may be too long to wait given the Mets current hole in the rotation and the health issues the Mets other starters are currently experiencing. Strange as it may sound, the Mets are actually investigating the possibility of adding a starting pitcher at the trade deadline, including but not limited to Jon Niese. Ideally, the Mets would look to add a back of the rotation starter who would hopefully not cost much in terms of prospects and who could eat up some valuable innings as the Mets continue fighting in this pennant race. With that in mind, here are some possible trade targets:
Jon Niese – Niese is having a nightmare of a season with a 4.89 ERA and a 1.556 WHIP that got him banished to the bullpen. Still, over his Mets career, he had a serviceable 3.91 ERA and a 1.361 WHIP while averaging six innings per start. In the postseason last year, he was moved to the bullpen where he got many valuable outs.
The Rays
Matt Moore – Moore is not the same pitcher who was an All Star and finished in the Top 10 in Cy Young voting. After his 2014 Tommy John surgery, he has not been the same pitcher. With this being his first full season back, he is 5-7 with a 4.33 ERA and a 1.298 WHIP. He is primarily a fastball-change up pitcher with a low to mid nineties fastball and a mid eighties change up. Over the course of this season, he is averaging a little over six innings per game. He still has some upside, and he has a $7 million team option and $2.5 million buyout for next year.
Jake Odorizzi – Odorizzi is 4-5 with a 4.39 ERA and a 1.274 WHIP in 20 starts for the Rays this season. Part of the issues with Odorizzi is he doesn’t go deep into games averaging under 5.2 innings per start, and the fact that he has a higher career ERA, WHIP, and opponent’s batting average in the second half of the season. The 26 year old is under team control until 2020.
Drew Smyly – Smyly is another member of an underachieving Rays pitching staff that could be moved at the trade deadline. Smyly has been dealing with a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder, and he has opted not to have surgery. He is now in the process of having the worst year of his career going 2-11 with a 5.64 ERA and a 1.358 WHIP while averaging almost six innings per start.
Jeremy Hellickson – Unlike his former teammate Moore, Hellickson, the 2011 Rookie of the Year, never did undergo Tommy John surgery. The 2017 free agent is putting together a solid season for the Phillies going 6-7 with a 4.03 ERA and a 1.200 WHIP while averaging 5.2 innings per start. These numbers stand to be his best in four years.
The Pending Free Agents
Tyler Chatwood – The 26 year old Chatwood is having a good season with an 8-5 record with a 3.29 ERA and a 1.286 WHIP while averaging six innings per start. These numbers are all the more impressive when considering the fact that he pitches half of his games at Coors Field, and the fact that this is his first full season after having had Tommy John surgery in 2014.
Andrew Cashner – The pending free agent is having the worst year of this career going 407 with a 5.05 ERA and a 1.478 WHIP averaging under five innings per start while pitching a majority of his games in Petco Park, which could be the best pitcher’s park in the majors.
Jorge De La Rosa – The 35 year old De La Rosa is approaching both free agency and the end of his career. This year he is 6-6 with a 5.50 ERA and a 1.573 WHIP while averaging five inning per start. Surprisingly, he is even worse away from Coors Field going 2-4 with a 6.50 ERA and a 1.778 WHIP.
The Angels
Jered Weaver – Once an ace for the Angels, Weaver has seemingly lost it this season. He has gone from a guy who got guys out with guile, location, and a 90 MPH sinker to a guy who tops out at 84 MPH. The result is an 8-7 record with a 5.05 ERA and a 1.412 WHIP.
Tim Lineceum – Weaver’s current Angels teammate has also gone from an ace to an also ran. In his five starts for the Angels, he is 1-3 with a 6.85 ERA and a 2.070 WHIP.
Hector Santiago – Santiago is putting together another average season going 7-4 with a 4.27 ERA and a 1.272 WHIP while averaging a little over five innings per start. The 28 year old is scheduled to be a free agent after next season.
Matt Shoemaker – Shoemaker is another Angel on a staff of mid to the back of the rotation starters. This year, Shoemaker is 5-9 with a 4.08 ERA and a 1.264 WHIP while averaging almost six innings per start. He may be the player the Angels are least likely to move as he is under team control until 2021.
Overall, the trade options do not stand to be much better than the internal options. This may be one of the reasons why the Mets are prioritizing adding pieces to the bullpen over adding another starting pitcher at the trade deadline.
Editor’s Note: this was first published on metsmerizedonline.com