On a night when home runs were to the fore, the Mets couldn’t manage one when they needed it.

Jacob deGrom and Masahiro Tanaka hooked up in a classic pitching duel, getting strikeouts and double plays just when they needed them. It was a play that wasn’t made that proved to be the Mets’ undoing. Brandon Nimmo had given the Mets a 1-0 lead on a homer on the second pitch he saw in the first. deGrom made that run stand up until the sixth. Miguel Andujar led off with a wicked ground ball that Adrian Gonzalez scooped up and threw backhanded to deGrom racing to cover the bag. Tanaka then hit a similar ball that handcuffed Gonzalez and he couldn’t make the play. Gleyber Torres roped a base hit up the middle and Brett Gardner walked. The massive Aaron Judge hit a fly to medium right. Jay Bruce made the catch, but threw weakly on the run to the plate and Tanaka scored easily. Greg Bird struck out to end the inning tied 1-1.

deGrom sailed through the seventh, but in the eighth, that gopher got hungry. With two outs, Torres singled again and Gardner hit ball into the netting that covers the bullpen in center. The next sound you heard was every Met fan changing the channel. In the ninth, Giancarlo Stanton hit his requisite Citi Field homer, making the score 4-1.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Mets toyed with the idea of a rally, but just couldn’t pull it off. Nimmo was hit in the arm by a 96 MPH fastball from Aroldis Chapman and sprinted down to first. Adrubal Cabrera dribbled a grounder that Andujar couldn’t handle and the tying run came to the plate in the form of Michael Conforto. On a 1-2 pitch, Conforto hit a flyball off the end of the bat to Gardner in center. Todd Frazier hit a wicked shot toward the third base line, but Andujar smothered it and got the force on Cabrera. Jay Bruce then swung at the first pitch flied out to right to end the night.

It’s Steven Matz vs. Domingo German tomorrow night.

15 comments on “Gut Reaction: Yankees 4, Mets 1 (6/8/18)

  • David Klein

    I believe fundamentally the Mets are the worst team in the majors right now. Can we send Bruce and Gonzalez to the glue factory already? The postgame show is bashing Conforto, who granted has not been good but he’s a kid and an easy target and before I changed the channel nothing on Bruce, who has been utter Dog crap? Johnny Damon probably laughed at that throw, my god.

    DeGrom was wonderful and made just one bad pitch and really one bad pitch shouldn’t lose you a game but this is the Mets and there is no hope right now.

    It is beyond annoying that between all the sluggers and young stars that the Yankees that they also have a very underrated player like Gardner, who has had a terrific career. I would be happy if Nimmo has the type of career that Gardner has had.

    Not sure what Callaway was thinking going with Sewald over Gsellman vs the middle of the order but the result was predictable.

    There are 100 plus games left in the year, the horror, the horror.

  • Michael

    What an offense! Cespedes is a porcelain doll. Conforto has regressed terribly. Bruce not only can’t hit but his defense is awful. Combined ages of first and third is approaching 75. Rosario swings at every thing. Cabrera is finally showing his age. And our catchers are producing nothing.
    Bruce has 3 rbis over the last 5 weeks and 2 of those came on one of his 3 dingers this year.
    I am not watching the remaining 2 games of this series. A joke.

  • MattyMets
    • MattyMets

      I guess emojis don’t work in this forum. That was puke face, thumbs down, pile of crap.

  • Mike Walczak

    It’s time to chuck the GM. He has put together a joke of a team. Bruce, Reyes, Gonzalez, Vargas, what a bunch of junk.

    Who’s next? Hanley Ramirez?

    deGrom has been a stud. Maybe it’s best if he gets traded so he can get some wins and play for a winner. This team isn’t going to win for a long time.

    It will be interesting to see how Alderson reacts of they do an ohfor against the Yankees.

    The Yankees are going to be top dogs for the next five years, while we dont have much to look forward too. We have deGrom for two more years and Syndergaard for three. May as well get something of value while we can.

  • Mike Walczak

    Put deGrom on the market and let the Yankees and Red Sox bid up the price. Could be interesting to see what the offers would be. Wouldn’t mind having Andujar or Devers playing third.

    • Chris B

      A package revolving around Torres is the only reasonable return if DeGrom goes to the Yanks. But it’s silly to think he’ll get traded with three years of control.

  • TexasGusCC

    People, people, r e l a x. Sandy knows what he’s doing. Bruce is going to have a hot streak at some point, and by golly he won’t sit until we see it. He’s a proven veteran and the back of his baseball card shows us the homeruns and RBIs. Seriously though, I don’t want to say he’s going through the motions, because it can appear that way, but has he taken extra BP or something else to break through?

    Also, James Loney II will be a steady force of .250 BA with no power and a steady source of smooth scoops at first.

    I think it’s time to play Joey Bats and let the guy have half the chance the stiffs are getting. Also, why isn’t Dom Smith in the majors?

    • David Klein

      Dom Smith has a sub 400 slugging percentage and two homers this year in Vegas, he’s been brutal.

      • Mike Walczak

        Maybe Dom needs to get fat again.

      • TexasGusCC

        I know, but so what? Last year, he was supposed to have no power but he did very well and had a rediculous .218 BABIP. That’s a ton of bad luck. He has mastered AAA, and how much better is Gonzalez anyway, while we get to see what the kid has. My opinion…

  • Pete in Iowa

    Nice throw Jay. No wonder he gave way to Guillorme last week against the Cubs.
    Totally brutal.
    I keep wondering when the low point will come, but as of now, it’s nowhere in sight.

    • Chris F

      Low point will be the ASB. By then the season will really be over. We come to terms with deGrom being the only all star, and then we can shed useable pieces, DFA worthless ones, and *hopefully* get all the kids up.

      Round 2 of sadness will come, when we realize the talent coming up is also not special.

  • Chris B

    Conforto and Bruce are professional hitters who will get hot once the protection of Cespedes returns.

    • TexasGusCC

      Professional hitters don’t need protection. Show me the protection Posey has, or Freddie Freeman.

      Their track record shows that Bruce is a low average all or nothing stiff and Conforto has potential, but as Keith Hernandez says, “potential means you haven’t done it yet”.

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