The Mets’ offense consisted mainly of the first seven batters of the game. They then put it on the fragile shoulders of Steven Matz. On this night, the shoulders were strong.
Curtis Granderson led off the ballgame with a nine pitch walk against lefty Jeff Locke. Asdrubal Cabrera followed that up with a four pitch home run to deep left field. Yoenis Cespedes hit along fly to center that was tracked down by Christian Yelich. Jay Bruce served a single into short right center. After Wilmer Flores popped out to second baseman Dee Gordon, Travis d’Arnaud kept the inning going by drawing a walk. Jose Reyes sliced a sharp single to left and as Bruce scored, d’Arnaud took a wide turn around second and was tagged out by Gordon. Locke threw 32 pitches in the inning and it looked like his night would end early. It didn’t.
Matz took the mound and basically threw M & M’s at the Marlins all night long. He scattered six singles through seven innings, striking out four, and when there was any hint of trouble, he was bailed out by some rare stellar defense by the New York infield. In the third, shortstop J. T. (“don’t call me ‘Tom'”) Riddle led off with an infield single. Locke couldn’t get a bunt down, but Gordon got a base hit up the middle bringing up the ever-dangerous Giancarlo Stanton. He hit a 2-0 pitch smash to Reyes who turned it over to Cabrera to end the inning. In the sixth, Stanton singled leading off, but Yelich hit a one-hopper to Cabrera who turned it over to Reyes to snuff the threat.
Meanwhile the Mets couldn’t unlock any more runs until the Marlins changed pitchers. Dustin McGowan had come in to quell a mini-threat in the sixth and stayed on to start the seventh. It may not have been the best Miami move. d’Arnaud led off with a ringing double over Yelich’s head. Reyes hit a single off the mound and McGowan’s mitt and d’Arnaud had to hold at third. T. J. Rivera hit a grounder to Riddle that was just slow enough to allow d’Arnaud to score and avoid the double play. Matz then dropped down a bunt, but that proved a waste of an out when Granderson hit a bomb to right center off new pitcher Justin Nicolino. The Mets added a couple of Pythagorean run in the eighth off reliever Junichi Tazawa, when Flores led off with a 13-pitch walk and Reyes hit a one-out double down the right field line, Flores holding at third. Brandon Nimmo pinch-hit for Matz with two out and roped a single up the middle, scoring both.
Josh Edgin and Chasen Bradford breezed through the Marlins lineup in the eighth and ninth, respectively, and the Mets and Matz had a rare tidy win.
The Mets will try to take the series tomorrow, sending Seth Lugo to mound to face Jose Urena.
Steve Matz has pitched in 4 games. Three have been quality starts and all four have been six innings or more. He is just what the pitching staff needed and last night was another good performance. He has to show durability and he has the rest of the season to do that.
Granderson has been on fire. It allows Alderson to work out the best deadline deal for either Granderson, Bruce or Duda. It would be surprising if none of them are moved and the opportunity to get a prospect is bypassed.
Good comment!
Following your line of thinking on Granderson, Bruce and Duda, I would like to add that Cabrera at 2B and Reyes (finally over .200) are also being showcased for possible moves. I, too, would find it surprising if all of the above are still with the team after the trade deadline. Depending on the offer(s), no one on this team should be untouchable.
Granderson has 28 XBH in his last 153 ABs. My prediction on last night’s podcast was that not only does Granny not get traded but that the Mets end up re-signing him to a two-year deal.
An 8-0 lead would have been a good time for Neil Ramirez.