It was Groundhog Day for the Mets, as they re-lived some of the darker moments from the World Series in dropping a 4-3 game to the Royals in Kansas City.
- Royals took an early lead with an unearned run that scored on a weak single. Two singles and a SF for their second run. Their third run made their second score look like a power run. A walk, a bunt with a bang-bang play at first and a bloop into CF that Juan Lagares missed catching by an inch. Relentless luck in action. Matt Harvey was pulled for Bartolo Colon, who gave up a solid single up the middle for the Royals’ fourth run.
- The Mets turned around and scored three runs in the eighth inning in a similar fashion.
- In the ninth inning the Mets put the tying run on third base with one out but were unable to cash, as David Wright and Yoenis Cespedes both struck out.
- Mets did better against the Royals vaunted bullpen than they did against Edinson Volquez, who turned in a Zack Wheeler-like start, as he needed 106 pitches to complete six innings, despite not allowing a run and surrendering just two hits.
- After a day off Monday, the same two teams square off again Tuesday. Hopefully this time the Mets’ bats will give Chris Young the beating he deserves.
I hate to say it (don’t want to extrapolate from one game), but David Wright looks like toast.
The defensive problems may be even bigger than the offensive failures (though he can’t bat 2nd all season). From what I’ve seen, he doesn’t have the arm to play 3B.
Guy is in the prime batting position for the team, right in front of Cespedes, and it is a waste. A hitter should do damage in that spot, not roll singles through the hole.
That said, I understand why David gets to start the season in that spot.
This could be very painful.
Besides for not judging Wright on just one game we have to realize that even healthy he’s never been an outstanding hitter against right handed pitching. The big numbers he puts up come from his ability to kill lefties. Now if he faces a couple of southpaws and looks lost then I would concede that there’s trouble ahead.
I was about to suggest “I wonder if David could play second base?” But in fact, the ability to get off a fast, accurate throw on the double play is at least as critical as the routine throw from third base; so scratch that thought. Not that it was much of an idea anyway.
One thing I do not expect to see is Wright hurting the team over time, by giving a reduced effort with the intention of preserving his body. He will go all out on a close play, soon, and we all will see what happens next.
Seriously, after one game! Be just a little more patient, please.
One game? What are you guys talking about?
You watched the playoffs last season? 20 K’s in 54 ABs. The weakened arm? The sluggish bat? And now an entire spring training where he can’t get on the field?
This isn’t about one game.
This is an unhealthy player and there are red flags all over the place.
Again, I agree that he has earned a shot. Management is in a brutal position with Wright, there’s nothing they can do short-term but to show him support . . . while quietly exploring options for Plan B. Ultimately, he will be dropped in the batting order. I just hope it doesn’t take them until August.
In my view, what he did last night was not an outlier. It is the new normal.
In my view, what he did last night was not an outlier. It is the new normal.
yep, dead on. the arm is a disaster. with that out and the Ces out, we would have won…looked all too familiar
I, too, have concerns about Wright.
But there are a couple of things that I think need to be said about him in last night’s game. First, Wright has always been top notch charging a ball and throwing on the run. In my opinion, there’s not a 3B in either league who would have made the play on Hosmer’s bunt any better than Wright did.
How different would perceptions be today if the long fly ball Wright hit down the RF line had been five feet fair for a homer instead of five feet foul?
There was a play against the Cubs that really disturbed me. Wright moved to his left, fielded a slow hopper, and fired to first — where the runner, not a speedster, was safe by a step. Infield single. But to me, that was a play that has to be made every single time by a professional 3B. He just didn’t have the smoothness or the arm strength.
I think he will increasingly become a guess hitter and run into some HRs. I don’t think it will change the overall equation. If the glove is good enough, I think the Mets can get by with the new David Wright, the .725 OPS version. If pitchers are smart, they will stop walking him. That’s how KC beat the Mets in the WS. They woke up and realized that he’s not dangerous anymore.
In fact, let’s hand it to KC’s scouting department. They made a lot of good calls on their evaluation of the Mets weaknesses — and right now, today, Wright is a weakness of both sides of the ball.
Again, I know that my take is very dark. I think he’ll have more and more bad stretches where he goes 2-20. Other times, those grounders will find holes between 3B and SS. He’s going to have to get lucky, because he will not drive the ball consistently anymore. BABIP will loom large.
But he’s a smart hitter, and a great competitor. If the glove/arm isn’t an outright disaster, Mets might be able to stand pat at 3B. He’s a 7-hitter now. I’d get d’Arnaud and Conforto up in the order, 2 and 3, followed by Cespedes and Duda and Walker.
Plus he looked bad on the ball that he backed up for to get the better hop.
“Don’t think. It can only hurt the ball club.”
My guess is TC doesn’t move Conforto up in the lineup as long as he’s platooning him.
I think the idea of sitting Conforto for Lagares is absurd, and I’m disappointed by the recent groundswell of opinion that seeks ways to get Lagares back on the field.
Comforto is twice the hitter. He will be a star; it’s absurd to stunt his development out of the box. Lagares is the guy, remember, who signed the big contract and showed up fat. Suddenly after a decent Spring he’s the new darling.
Michael Conforto looks like filet mignon. Good eye and discipline.
Jerry Blevins kept his streak alive.
The Mets put themselves in a position to tie but came up short in the ninth.
Let’s get them Tuesday.
I wonder how Conforto would do full-time against LHP. I suspect well.
Blevins looked great against lefties! Glad he’s back!
Also, happy that Lagares’s arm and range looked good again! And that Granderson is fine, apparently, even though a half-year “older.”
You thought his range and arm looked good? He came up short on a bloop hit in front of him and when someone challenged his arm, he threw the ball to third base into the ground rather than on a fly.
After one game, it looked more like 2015 than 13-14 for Lagares for me.
Well, it’s only one game, but I thought he did fine trying for the blooper and his throw on the hop was spot on and looked strong to me. Hope I’m right and you’re wrong, but we’ll see….
Note: Just saw that MLB Statcast had Lagares’s throw at 95 mph, Brian.
That’s good.
I’d still be more impressed if he could make a throw to the infield without having to bounce it.
I have concerns about David Wright, and also about Cespedes. He just does not seem to have focus. How does he not catch that ball in the 1st inning, was right in the sweet spot of the glove. I was one of the few who was not thrilled when he was signed over the winter, too many plays like the World Series inside the park homer he literally booted and at least twice last year he simply walked to the dugout after the ball got past the catcher after Cespedes struck out, it was almost comical one time when the opposing catcher had to run him down to tag him out at the edge of the dugout.
With Cespedes, I think you have to learn how to live with the whole man. Warts and all. He’s something of a strange bird.
People complained about Strawberry all the time, but we sure missed his 30 HR and 100 RBI when he walked away.
I don’t recall ever complaining that Strawberry just missed a ball because he wasn’t concentrating. Certainly not after he had been in the league a year or two. Straw had his shortcomings; he was something of an erratic fielder, and with his long frame it didn’t always look as if he was going full speed, even on stolen base attempts. And his throwing was not exactly precise. But I always thought he was trying, and paying attention.
Straw could do some things well; he was very good at coming in and making plays on potential singles, which was something some good fielders (remembering the 1960’s Henry Aaron here) didn’t do well at all.
Cepedes in the field is more George Bell than Darryl Strawberry.
Good comparison on the focus. But, Cespedes is much better in overall ability.
Through the first 6 innings, the Mets turned 3 double plays…and that was it!! They didn’t make a single play defensively—easy ones/hard ones…. and they did nothing to punish Volquez, for his “effective wildness”.
Harvey looked good…he should have sued for lack of support! They did nothing for him on either side.
It’s one game…. Wright’s situation is more a personal worry than one of team survival—- “Reasonable Hopes” are 100 games played with 50 ribbies. If he gives you that, he’s “participating”…if not, it’s not a gigantic negative jolt. You’ve already “lost” Captain America…he’s now David Wright— a Guy who used to be “The Guy”.
BTW—- any thought on his availability as a bench bat on off days? Is he going to be available on non-start days?
I keep telling myself it’s only one game, but I suddenly have a lot of concerns. First off the Royals have a knack for not only exposing our every weakness, but also getting every close call. The home plate ump also had a bery inconsistent strikezone. All that said, I thiught d’Arnaud, Cespedes and Wright all looked awful on both sides of the ball and Cabrera has the range of a coat rack.
This is going to be a very inconsistent offense that can’t manufacture runs and relies on streaky hitters. Infield defense is still bad even if Walker is slightly better than Murph.
Insulting the coat rack Matt? Really?
The very early results have Cabrera as the new Chris Young. Flores to be starting full-time by August 15th. It always takes a while for the 46 year veteran to recognize.
Given Cabrera’s skills, he is actually better-suited for the “super-utility” role than anyone else on the Mets — and nearly all of baseball.
I believe he hit .221 the first half of 2015, then went bananas in the 2nd half. For that reason, it’s hard for me to confidently predict how this will go.
But again: He’s here in part for his versatility, his ability to play 3B, and that may turn out to be his prime asset. I don’t know yet.
A lot of money invested.
The Mets might be wishing for a high-quality defensive SS by late July.
Madison Bumgarner walked 5 in 5 innings. One game does not a season make.