The Mets tonight got a “good enough” pitching performance from Chris Flexen, throwing 104 pitches and going six innings while giving up just two runs that unfortunately included 4 walks. However, he was able to control the Diamondbacks whenever he got into trouble and that’s the bottom line.
In the opening inning, after Flexen walked the first two batters of the game, he almost got out of it but couldn’t put away JD Martinez and when Martinez poked a low and away slider into right center, the D’Backs got out in front. Flexen didn’t even try to move Martinez off the plate and Ron Darling was lamenting the fact that Mets pitchers just don’t throw inside even to set up the outside stuff. However, with Brandon Nimmo doubling to lead off the Mets first inning and taking third on a passed ball, he was singled in by Michael Conforto and we were tied.
Things stayed tied through the third inning as the D’Backs threatened by putting to men on via a walk and a double off the right field wall, but were kept from scoring when Travis d’Arnaud was able to scoop out a low throw by Wilmer Flores and apply the tag on David Peralta to keep it tied.
In the fourth, the Mets went ahead for good by allowing Zack Godley to give it to them. Dominic Smith led off with a walk, d’Arnaud walked, and Amed Rosario singled in Smith. Juan Lagares killed the momentum by hitting the first of two double plays he hit into.
So, going into the fifth with a 2-1 deficit, the D’Backs went on the offense and starting with a bullet single off Rosario’s glove, then after a walk, Paul Goldschmidt hit a hard one hopper to Rosario’s glove side and for the third time in the game, the ball went off Rosario’s glove and now the bases were loaded. Lagares atoned for his offense by fielding a flyball to medium depth centerfield and while perfectly getting behind the flyball to gather momentum, threw a dart to the plate to get Peralta trying to score and end the inning. In the bottom of the fifth, the Mets added on when Nimmo walked for the second time and after a groundout, scored on a single by Conforto.
Leading off the sixth, Chris Iannetta homered to cut the Mets lead to 3-2, so, leading off the Mets’ sixth, Smith did likewise to put back up to two runs. Again the Mets had an opportunity to keep scoring after singles by d’Arnaud and Rosario, but Lagares hit into the second double play of his batting log. With a man now on third and two outs, Terry Collins sent Yoenis Cespedes up with two bases open and Torey Lovello ordered him walked, a move Ron Darling in the booth foresaw before Cespedes even picked up a bat, thus wasting him. Nimmo walked for the third time in the game, but this time against a lefty, but Adrubal Cabrera struck out and that was that.
In the seventh, Jerry Blevins came in and as has been his pattern lately, things got ugly quickly. A lead-off single and a HBP brought up Mike Lamb with no one out. He hit a hard shot grounder that Smith smoothly moved over into the hole to glove and go to second for one and.. and no one covered first. With Goldschmidt coming up, Collins brought in Paul Sewald and with ice water in his veins that he has shown to have, he struck out Goldschmidt and got Martinez on a ground out. No damage, whew.
The D’Backs didn’t threaten again as Sewald got them 1-2-3 in the eighth and Ramos locked downt eh ninth, but d’Arnaud was robbed of a homerun in the eighth by AJ Polluck and so the final score was 4-2. Tomorrow is an early start of 12 EST, be ready. It’s Montero Day!
Flexen is a Bulldog! He turned 23 a month ago, and he has almost als many MLB innings as AA innings.
He’s struggling with walks, which wasn’t a problem for him in MILB. He’s getting very lucky, but he’s also beginning to be very good in some spots. He had at least a couple Out Pitch Sliders, one of them to a Paul Goldschmidt with runners on base.
Flexen pitched well. Nimmo is maintaining his OBA and did score twice when knocked in twice by Conforto. That is the job of the lead off man and the three hole hitter so it is good to see it executed. Powerless Smith has three home runs. Rosario with two hits also. Sewald got some tough outs. It was a good night and nice win.
We had three of Alderson’s first-round picks in the game last night and they all contributed. At this point let’s make it four by getting Cecchini in the game and benching Cabrera.
At this point, I still don’t know what to think about Nimmo. The double was certainly encouraging and reaching base four times was great. I’d rather see him in the lineup than Lagares.
I like Nimmo. I believe he can add more power just by being more aggressive and “Taking his shots” in Hitter’s Counts.
Generally, a guy who can manage ab’s and recognize pitches should be able to drive more contact than he does, and that’s always been the odd thing about him….the Strike outs. If he adds some situational recognition, he should be in better position to make hard contact, and add power.