Mets Game 140: Win Over Marlins
Mets 4 Marlins 3
Mets take the series from the floundering Fish (see what I did there? It’s the #littlethings that keep me inspired!)
Mets Game Notes
The Marlins really made Jacob deGrom work in the early innings — he was averaging about 24 pitches per inning through the first three frames, which is far too many. Somehow, though, he lasted through six innings, allowing only one run. I’m still not sure how he managed to do that, though the Pitcher’s Best Friend — the double play — certainly played a part. Still, too too many pitches by deGrom, and I’m not sure why he had to toss so many. Was it a matter of not having a “put away” pitch? Was he trying too hard to nibble and get strikeouts — perhaps because of the Mets’ recent defensive issues and taking a cue from Zack Wheeler? Was it just a weird night? Usually we see the young Marlins hacking away and ending their at-bats as quickly as possible; this was something of an aberration, from the perspective of both the Fish and deGrom.
Kind of cool to see Matt den Dekker, Juan Lagares, and Kirk Nieuwenhuis playing in the same outfield together. Now, if someone said THAT is potentially one of the best-fielding outfields in baseball, I’d be on board. It might also be among the outfields with the most strikeouts in baseball, but, hey, it’s give and take. That quip by Chris Young back in March seems laughable now, doesn’t it? By the way, you should really go back and read that post — it’s more interesting now that we have the benefit of hindsight.
If Lagares is taking this leadoff thing seriously as an audition, he’s so far doing a darn fine job of making a case for hitting at the top of the lineup in 2015. Of course, there are 22 more games to go, but so far, so good.
I sort of wish Keith Hernandez was in the booth for this series, just to hear him say, “I like the way this young man swings the bat,” every time Christian Yelich came to the plate. Yelich reminds me a bit of a young Keith, and I imagine he might see the similarity as well.
In being charged with the loss, Miami reliever Mike Dunn is now 10-6 on the season. Sounds like a record of starter, doesn’t it? Or Dick Tidrow from back in the day.
Next Mets Game
The Mets have a day off on Thursday as they trek to Cincinnati to face the Reds on Friday night. Bartolo Colon faces Alfredo Simon on Friday at 7:10 PM.
Can’t believe the bullpen mismanagement that led to Torres batting with the bases loaded in the 8th. Let Carlyse finish the 7th for goodness sake.
I just hope Mejia’s able to keep himself healthy going forward. That’s going to be an interesting angle, with the way the current manager throws certain guys (with past injury history, and current pains) out there 4 nights in a row, sometimes. Rinse and repeat in the case of Familia, and Parnell – for that matter, attempting to come back from serious injury.
…………..and who the hell knows what the deal with Vic Black’s own “Parnellian” neck inury?
…………………………fun stuff……………………………
Overall, though – Mike Dunn had to be pretty pissed last night, in drilling Tejada w/2 strikes on him in the 8th, to load the bases —— that was about as “finished” an AB as there could have been, and ol’ Rubey got just enough hand on it – where it was more than the knob of his bat. (At least Collins was kind enough to forfeit the next out by sending Torres up to charitably strike out looking.)
Wonder how that hand of Tejada’s is feelin’ today………….I’d like to imagine that Flores’ll be back in the lineup tomorrow night, regardless — since Tejada’s essentially worthless vs. RHP, anyway.
His hand is probably good n’ flamed up this a.m. But, the Mets don’t play ’til tomorrow in Cincy.
Glad to see Terry getting Ruben back into the lineup, amidst a nice little run with the bat from Flores — said no Met fan, ever.
– Nice to see den Dekker showing us a bit of “Gator” – with the beautifully placed drag bunt single to get the rally started.
That’s the exact kind of player den Dekker was at Florida, and I’d hope he gets enough time within the organization at the Major League-level, to show his “leadoff” game……at least the same kind of time that has been afforded to Nieuwenhis the past few years, anyway.
– Speaking of Nieuwenhuis, that was a big-boy HR he hit into the 2nd deck. Impressive shot, especially in that park – from a guy not named Giancarlo. (Easily my favorite hitter to watch in MLB, by the way —- Stanton, not Kirk.)
– Equally good to see was Duda smashing through the shift, d’Arnaud going oppo, and Herrera busting it out of the box (on an 0-for night, where we’d probably see other “phenom” prospects like F-Mart [WHO?!!! – whattaBUST, happy to say] jog out of the box).
Good win.
Had a very funny “Met” feeling after seeing Stanton waffle that Torres hanger. Glad Mejia was able to get the double-play ball, after the Marlins messed up a couple of bunt attempts in a row.
Gotta love MLB fundamental play ——- disgusting.
D Wright went from dangerous to disastrous in 24 hours. It is a humbling game. Give him a blow every 3-4 days for the rest of the season. Its not like the Mets are going anywhere.
The Marlins pitcher was good and we all know they have a good, talented Young team. So was the Mets performance a one time thing, or are the young players coming along, or is it more about getting dead weight a rest and getting your lineup in order.
This seems to have been the case for the last couple or more years, so maybe its a mirage.
But in the same process, Backman continúes to be successfull while previously al the same level, the Mets were run out of town (búfalo)
Just a thought
Roger McDowell was 14-9 w/22 saves in ’86.
No idea why TC allowed Carlos Torrez to bat in the 8th with two outs and the bases full and the score 4-2. The Marlins announcers were also very surprised by this – the Mets had a chance to break the game open and were only leading by two runs and Torrez isn’t some stud that you don’t want to remove from the game.
The way Backman has managed these past two years, you really think he would have got more production from this team?
By comparison, consider how long guys like EY Jr, Kirk, Campbell and Satin have gone between games, at bats or pinch running opportunities.
TC has got to go, and with both Wally and Pedro Lopez in the organization it seems stubborness or wilful blindness is the only thing standing between TC and the exit.
Yet more kudos to deGrom for not getting flustered by that.
I’ve never known Winters to be incompetent, but he has had vendettas. Remember when Milton Bradley tore his ACL being pulled away from Winters after Winters tried to get Bradley to fight him at first base? So maybe someone on the Mets said something in the first inning that Winters didn’t like, and he was out for payback.
I think that means his problem is “opening up” too early with his shoulders and maybe hips. And, for him, that tends to go with a reverse twist in the opposite direction when he brings the bat back; presumably as he twists back from that position toward the pitch, that gets his core rotation started too early.
I don’t know whether Hudgens and Johnson and Natera and Wright and all the video guys have simply failed to notice this — Wright has said he’s not very analytical about his swing and goes more by feel — or whether David knows the deal and just can’t translate good habits into games. Either way, it’s a very bad sign going forward — as Wright ages, he’ll be able to rely less on natural talent. We’re seeing that already.
BTW kind of typical Mets — everyone in the organization insisted D-Wright was “fine” and then the batting coach says on a blog that Wright’s injury is affecting his performance.