Mets Game 108: Loss to Royals

Royals 4 Mets 3

Mets introduce the Royals to National League baseball. Ironic, considering the Royals’ heyday of the mid-1970s through early 1980s was the result of playing fast-paced,
NL-style ball.

But in the end, it was the rock ’em, sock ’em brand of Adulterated League baseball that won the ballgame.

Mets Game Notes

Kind of a lazy afternoon ballgame. Not sure if it was due to the David Wright news or playing a day game after a night game. Maybe both.

Jeremy Hefner wasn’t nearly as bad as he was in his previous four starts, but he wasn’t good enough to earn a win. In six innings he allowed 3 earned runs, 8 hits, and struck out 6 while throwing a not-so-efficient 110 pitches. He had that “one bad inning” in the third, and that was the difference in the ballgame.

Meanwhile, the Mets could do nothing against Bruce Chen — his one bad inning was really one bad pitch — a solo homer to the red-hot Daniel Murphy. I was stunned to see Chen removed after 94 pitches, particularly since KC went through their entire bullpen on Friday evening. Though, it is only his third start of the year, and he went 97 and 94 pitches in his last two starts. Still, he looked fine, was cruising, and seemed able to go another 10-15 pitches. The time to push a pitcher past a predetermined pitch count limit is when your eyeballs see free and easy, natural motion, and lack of struggle. Once Chen was lifted, it was as though the Mets woke up, and happy to see someone else on the mound.

Andrew Brown must be hitting about .900 as a pinch-hitter. OK, I’m sure it’s not that high, and I can look it up, but it feels that way.

Speaking of pinch-hitting, interesting to see Josh Satin bat against righthander Aaron Crow with men on first and third and one out in the eighth — with Ike Davis sitting on the bench. Does that say more about Terry Collins‘ confidence in Satin, his lack of confidence in Davis, or was there something else to consider? It worked out, of course, but I’m curious to know the thinking behind it.

During that at-bat, Juan Lagares — representing the tying run — stole second without a throw from catcher Salvador Perez, who was brought in to the game for his defensive prowess. An inexplicable non-move, because Brown — not the fastest runner — was on third and Lagares didn’t get such a tremendous jump that it made sense to hold the ball. And it appeared as though Perez caught the pitch cleanly, so it wasn’t a case of not getting a grip on the ball. He just flat out didn’t make the throw. Earlier in the inning, Perez committed a passed ball. The “defensive specialist” singlehandedly allowed both the second and tying run to advance into scoring position. Perez finally did do something he’s paid to do when he threw out Marlon Byrd in the 11th in what appeared to be a two-strike hit-and-run turned bad.

Miguel Tejada is STILL playing? Who knew?

Does every KC reliever throw 97 MPH?

Next Mets Game

The Mets and Royals do it one more time on Sunday at 1:10 PM. Zack Wheeler takes the ball against Ervin Santana.