Amed Rosario hit two triples! Wilmer Flores and Jose Reyes each got on base twice! PJ Conlon and Tyler Bashlor combined to allow just one run over 4.1 relief innings! The Mets made no errors and even turned a few highlight plays in the field! Dom Smith got a hit! But, um, yeah, we lost again.
The Mets trotted out career minor leaguer Drew Gagnon to make the start. Unimpressive in three AAA stints, the 28-year-old rookie gave us a pretty good idea why. A below average fastball mixed with belt high changeups led to six earned runs in less than five innings. Mickey Callaway seems pleased that he only allowed one walk, but that can be better attributed to how hittable his pitches were than his impeccable control. Met killer Maikel Franco hit a three run home run to break it open in the second inning and Gagnon allowed two more runs in the third inning to put the game out of reach early.
The Mets couldn’t do much against rookie Enyel De Los Santos but did put some runs on the board against the Phillies bullpen. Of course, they demonstrated their affinity for stranding runners as their 10 base runners and three extra base hits only amounted to three runs. And the evening wouldn’t be complete without another injury. Mets 2018 MVP Asdrubal Cabrera exited the game with an apparent elbow injury. Hopefully he doesn’t join the growing list of veterans on the disabled list. As it is, the active roster is beginning to resemble an expansion team with a mix of hasbeens and non-prospects. Some of the currently active players not only weren’t on the opening day 40-man roster, but they weren’t even in spring training. And by the time Noah Syndergaard, Jason Vargas, Jay Bruce and Yoenis Cespedes return to the team, Cabrera, Jeurys Familia and others will have been traded away so get used to watching a bunch of nobodies for the rest of the year. Ace Jacob deGrom will attempt to stop the bleeding and secure a series split tomorrow. Maybe the Mets can muster some run support against righty Vince Velasquez.
That is a very good description. They do look like an expansion team.
The more I see and think about it, the more it feels like they need a complete rebuild.
Where to begin, without rehashing the same old day to day bellyaching? Do, each team sent an MLB first timer to the mound. The Met pitcher got hammered and the 22 year old opponent in his third organization dominated the Met line up.
Two other items 1. Please deal Cabby before he gets hurt and 2. Mr. Rosario had a nice game at the dish but he needs to show consistent and significant improvement, especially on defense, in the 2nd half. He should play every single inning of the remaining games at SS barring an injury or life event.
On the NYPost’s website, Ken Davidoff discusses Rosario’s improvements as the year has gone on, including his offensive and defensive improvements since the two mental days off he had last month. So, that’s nice to hear.
Also, he discusses the Callaway situation and how Callaway is being ragged for making a move that worked, as he outfoxed Kapler into keeping a .300 hitter against lefties on the bench and sending up a .179 hitter simply because he was a righty.
We all know that fans are blind to logic and don’t have a grip on patience. However, as I wrote yesterday, this team sums up to average when completely healthy, so with the issues at hand, way below average is the expectation – and that’s where they are.
This is a lost season. The young guys should be playing full time for the rest of the year in order to develop even if they stink. We need to see what we have for the future.
Out with the old, in with the new, here comes the trade deadline.