On Mother’s Day, 2016, the Mets and San Diego Padres played one mother of a ballgame. It was hard fought, and kind of wild.
The Mets took the field in all pink road uniforms, which simultaneously raised breast cancer awareness and made them look like nine giant bottles of Pepto-Bismol. Matt Harvey started for the Mets and looked kind of like the Harvey of old. He went a solid six innings, giving up four hits, two walks, two earned runs while striking out ten. It was the fifth inning that got him a little bit again, but by the time that occurred, the Mets had built a 3-0 lead. With two outs in the second, Kevin Plawecki hit a solid double off Padres starter Andrew Cashner. He was chased home on a 97-hop single through the middle by Eric Campbell. Harvey followed with base knock of his own, Curtis Granderson walked and Asdrubal Cabrera notched the Mets’ second run with a single to left. In the third, Yoenis Cespedes hit one of his signature laser beam homers into the left field stands.
In the fifth, though is when it really got interesting. Harvey had been cruising, but he gave up a hard-hit out to center by Melvin Upton, Jr. to lead off. Alexei Ramirez followed with a single to right and Christian Bethancourt rifled a shot into the stands in left center, making the score 3-2. After a strikeout of second baseman Adam Rosales, Harvey notched his ninth K of the day on Cashner, but catcher Kevin Plawecki couldn’t hold on and Cashner reached first base. Mets personal tormentor John Jay hit a ringing double to right, but a perfect throw from Granderson to Wilmer Flores to Plawecki nailed Cashner at the plate — actually a bad call that was held up by a bad replay call.
After the Mets added an insurance run in the sixth, things got weirder in the seventh. With Jim Henderson on in relief of Harvey, Bethancourt hit a hard smash to Flores at second base, which seemed to bounce off Flores’s toe. Bethancourt wound up on second with what was generously scored as a double. After a flyout by Rosales which moved Bethancourt to third, he scored on a balk when Henderson caught a spike mid-delivery and never released the ball. But the game really got fun in the bottom of the eighth.
Jerry Blevins came on to get the lefty-hitting Jay, but gave up a single on an 0-2 pitch. Addison Reed was brought in to face Will Myers and Matt Kemp, and ended up with two singles on his ledger. Bases loaded, no out and Terry Collins wagged in Antonio Bastardo. Bastardo, he of shaky control, earned his Mets bona fides this day. He struck out pinch hitter Derek Norris, got Upton to pop to first and struck out Ramirez to preserve the once-fragile lead. That lead was socked away when Jeurys Familia came on and induced Bethancourt to ground out, struck out Rosales and got pinch-hitter Jose Pirela on a terrific diving stop by Campbell to end things.
Oh, and in a semi-related item, The Chicago Cubs completed a four-game sweep of the Washington Nationals, so the Mets will head to Los Angeles as a first place team.
You stay classy, San Diego…
I don’t think Wilmer can continue to play many more games like this and get sent down. He looks dazed & confused & lacking all energy.
Wow, I left when it was 3-0 Mets. I was expecting it to be a laugher. But any win where no one got hurt is a good win.
Talk to me about Wilmer? And Campbell at third base.
Neil Walker sat because he beat up his own shins with foul balls last night.
David Wright got the ol’ day-game-after-night-game treatment.
I personally like Wilmer, I root for him, and I think he has ability. But the way that he has played in this role . . . well, it’s hard to do much worse. The demeanor, the body language, is all wrong. I caught very little of yesterday’s game. In the top of the 9th, Mets up 4-3, he came up after the pitcher had thrown 8 balls in a row. Two outs, two on. As a hitter in that spot, you are looking for a fastball down Broadway. Wilmer got one in his wheelhouse . . . and took it for a strike. It was the play of a hitter struggling with his confidence. He popped out weakly to 1B . . . but the 1B lost it in the sun. No worries, he made out on the next pitch. Bottom of 9th, first batter, he fields a bat near the bag and throws it in the dirt. Nice play by Duda on the scoop. From what I see, this is typical of the way he’s been playing. Again, I think there’s talent there, but I do wonder if he’s cut out for this role, especially defensively. He either needs to turn it around, or the club needs to make an upgrade. At this point, I still think you give him the opportunity to play through it. But the clock is ticking. I’d consider flip-flopping him with T.J. Rivera.
Flores in his career is a slightly below average offensive player who on paper has slightly below average defensive metrics but very below “eye test” defensive ability. No range and an innacurate arm. He is not embracing this role. I agree with JP that the Mets should give him more time because he is out of options, he was a starter last year and the team is winning now and the chemistry is good. Wilmer needs to get better though.
Even worse, the play that led to their 3rd run (really tying run as the Wilpon’s must have paid off the replay umps on the slide at home) was inexcusable. He misplayed a grounder that careened off of him then stood and watched the ball go into center field…so the runner just blazed right to second base while he was standing there looking punch drunk.
One side thought. On the play at the plate he made a nice but weak throw, and I noticed he threw overhand rather than side arm…perhaps he should do that more often.
JP— my reaction to Wilmer’s AB…Exactly!!!
2 out….runner on 2nd—2 straight walks—and he goes up there with the attitude that he’s gonna make the pitcher throw a strike!!!????? He should have been up with the thought that the guy is going to throw a strike…after walking 2 straight.
Talk about “Hunting Fastballs” !!! This is the stuff that disappears in the Stat Line…. but big hitters need to be Predators!!! He needed to be Zoned Fastball…and ready to attack.
I really hated that ab…and I mentioned it as worthy of further conversation in the Game Chatter.
Thanks for your comments on it!
Flores is unacceptable in all phases of the game. I said at the start of the season, I’ll take Campbell at 3B all day every day over Flores, who is a liability even at 2b now
First Place! That sounds so good to me . There were contributions from some unlikely sources. Campbell with an RBI and defensive gem to end the game and the forgotten man in the pen, Bastardo, closing the door shut in a gem of a relief appearence. It takes 25 men to win and two stepped forward today.
Plawecki got another double and that is a good sign too. Cespedes is the right handed bat that fits perfectly in the middle of the order. LGM
NY Mets and 1st place in the NL East. Brings happiness to me, way over here in New Zealand.
With NYC roots, and fine memories of Tom & Jerry, and Ken, Buddy, and Ed. Cleon, Agee, Shamsky. With great mid year pick up od Don Clendenon. And a pretty fine relief core.
I’m just happy they got out of SD with a split. I always end up annoyed during a series at San Diego…
and John Jay was a pain all-series long.
Thanks folks for all the positive comments! On to LA and the good pitching staff.