The Mets put three crooked numbers on the board and Jacob deGrom continued his excellent string of pitching both here in 2018 and in day games in general, leading the Mets to an 8-0 win over the Reds Wednesday afternoon.

Coming into this game with three consecutive losses, deGrom allowed two weak hits in the first inning but pitched out of trouble. He built up a high pitch count early and was pulled after six shutout innings. But by that time the Mets had a 5-0 lead and there was no reason to go to the whip and look for another frame from their ace.

But even though deGrom registered 10 Ks and lowered his league-leading ERA to 1.77, the story of the game was the offensive outburst by the club. The Mets finished with eight hits and 11 walks, with Brandon Nimmo and Austin Jackson leading the way with three hits and three RBIs apiece. Nimmo’s hits were all doubles and two of the three by Jackson were two-baggers, too.

Seth Lugo, Jerry Blevins and Robert Gsellman closed out the game, each with a scoreless inning, to preserve the club’s eighth shutout of the season. After giving up runs in six straight games, Gsellman has a 2.40 ERA in his last 13 games. Prior to that six-game stretch, Gsellman had a 2.79 ERA in 32 games.

The only bad thing about today’s game was that both Jose Bautista and Wilmer Flores got starts. The two combined to go 0-7, albeit with three walks. Flores also had an error, as he dropped a foul pop. Bench ‘em or trade ‘em.

34 comments on “Gut Reaction: Mets 8, Reds 0 (8/8/18)

  • Madman

    If they can a series or two every 3-4 weeks they can avoid the 100 loss season.

  • Pete from NJ

    As far as “trade ’em” Jerry Blevins looks like a potential candidate. He seems to be in a groove so maybe his value has picked up a bit. Maybe the only value he has on the team is keeping Lugo and Gsellman off the mound so they’re not ground down into pulp.

    • TJ

      Pete,
      Blevins can still be dealt through 8/31 for salary relief, no, wait, I mean to bring back a non-ranked prospect that throws 95-97 and is intriguing (but can’t get out major leaguers consistently), um, no, not that, I mean to field a playoff team in 2019. Wait, wait, forget that. I’m getting too confused. Oh, just forget it; whatever Mickey says.

      • MattyMets

        TJ, exactly! If they can trade Blevins to save money on his remaining salary they will. I love Blevins but if he’s not in the plans for next year we may as well open up the pen to more opportunities for some of these project kids anyway. Besides, as I’ve written here before, Callaway doesn’t understand how to use him correctly anyway.

  • TexasGusCC

    Ok, since obviously this needs to be done on a regular basis regarding people’s view of Flores – I’m getting tired of being his lawyer and don’t really need to since all I wanted was for him to get a chance and he’s gotten it – but let’s review:
    – He’s a career 3-3 against Stephenson.
    – He’s hitting .375 his last 7 games.
    – In one of his at bats, Billy Hamilton robbed him of extra bases on a catch that had a 34% chance of getting caught and was given a Statcast rating of 4-Stars.
    – On his dropped pop up for an error, he was running right towards the railing of the dugout. Yes, he should’ve caught it, but DeGrom struck the guy out anyway.

    Who is Flores blocking on the MLB roster? He has been one of the best producers this year. Bench him if you have better options, but where are they?

    • Brian Joura

      I like how you try to make him irreplaceable by saying “MLB roster.” I am the great and powerful Oz! Pay no attention to those two first basemen behind the curtain wasting away in Triple-A…

      • TexasGusCC

        Brian, why isn’t Smith up? I don’t know, but I believe it has to do with his mental makeup. Just a dingbat that needs to mature on the field is what I’m thinking. His throwing to a base that has no one covering, catching the ball between his legs and the other crap won’t fly even in this joke of an organization.

        Alonso isn’t ready, we all know that. Not only will they not start his clock in a wasted season, but that glove needs work. Look at how the Cardinals are moving Jose Martinez to RF and even benching him due to his glove. And he can mash! So, Alonso needs seasoning. Probably after Super 2 next year. Give Syracuse a chance to get some attendance too!

        So, who’s Flores blocking again?

        • Brian Joura

          Your ability to ignore Flores’ faults and invent ones in others is truly impressive.

        • Chris F

          Gus, seriously, look at what you wrote…it is Flores!! I mean to pay millions of dollars for a guy who is that bad is a crime!

  • Bob S

    Hard to gauge against a team that is worse than we are. My proposal is that we trade all our nonpitchers to the reds for their starting 8. We could win a pennant with their hitting and our pitching Votto, Gennet, Suarez in our infield would be awesome……

    • TexasGusCC

      Oh Bob, don’t tease me….

    • Brian Joura

      Funny you say that Bob, if there wasn’t a 12:10 game today – I would have done a piece on that very subject. But I wasn’t going to be able to get it finished before 11 so…

      The Reds started 8-27 but they’re 42-38 in their last 80 games.

  • Pete from NJ

    If your Wilmer’s lawyer I can be his paralegal. He’s a pure hitter but of course not at 1st base where his not productive enough. I know-I know he’s scary at 3rd base or a bit more attractive at 2nd base but in those positions is where Wilmer’s bat is golden.

    Just think about it he was the team’s starting shortstop thrown out of position as a 22 year old. You can argue he failed at SS but he played a 150 games there.

    • Chris F

      Im gonna have both of you dis-barred.

      Flores cannot play anywhere on a baseball field where a glove is involved. And, he isnt all that much of a hitter.

      After his last base running “gaffe” if you will, where Votto cut him down by country mile, I recommended the best option he just be executed. He is absolutely in the wrong career pretending to be a baseball player.

      • TexasGusCC

        LOL, executed? Does he get one last request? Or maybe a last cigarette?

        His best hope is as an offensive second baseman in a lineup that lets him sixth. He will drive in a lot of runners because he maximizes contact, he will not make many errors but lacks range, and plays hard all the time. My prediction: the next Daniel Murphy playing on the Nationals, while the Nats re-sign Murphy and move him to first base. A Mets fan’s worst nightmare.

        • Chris F

          LOL! Flores is the poster child for a failing to turn DPs, no range, no arm, so-so hitting, AAAA, second baseman.

          Although Im not the least bit religious, I pray for Murphy at 1B and Flores at 2B. Turner will need to play between them on a shift for every batter…like a permanent hole, like the one in the Titanic, that needs plugged!!!

          I needed a laugh Gus!

      • Brian Joura

        Thanks for the laugh, Chris!

    • TexasGusCC

      Wow, a fellow member of the “I don’t hate Flores because he just isn’t pretty” fan club. Didn’t know there any others. Stop talking logic, no one here wants to hear it.

      • Mike Walczak

        You have to love Wilmer just as Rusty Staub was lived as a Met in his last season in 85. What is the difference between Rusty and Wilmer? Not Much.

        We have to let go of the emotional attachment. We may justify his performance by comparing him to what is on the team now, but is Wilmer part if a future contending Mets team ? Probably Not.

        Let’s face it, Wilmer is a DH. We need to let him follow his path to the AL.

        That being said, great win today. It feels good to spank another team.

  • TJ

    In fairness to Wilmer, I have seen many players worse than him. He actually has a career fWAR of 5.3, far out earning his actual pay. His main problem is that he is not an NL player, and in 2019 will have way more value in the league that plays adulterated ball. He also would have more value in a prior era, when benches actually had depth of position players and guys like Danny Heep, Rusty Staub, et. al had value as pinch hitting specialists. Should MLB ever do the “right” thing and expand game rosters to 27, require 14 to be positional, and eliminate the DH, Wilmer would have equal value in both leagues.

    • Chris F

      But a career bWAR of 0.9!

      • TexasGusCC

        Chris, have you ever, ever, seen an article in a major publication that references Baseball Reference? That’s just a website for MLB to not let Fangraphs get the entire love. The rest of the world refers to Fangraphs The Source for stats, which has Flores at 5.3 WAR, which makes more sense. Not earth shaking, but about a 1.8 WAR player over 600 at bats which is still better than Jay Bruce.

        • Brian Joura

          B-R predates FanGraphs by nearly five years. If you think more major publications cite FG over B-R, you’re mistaken.

          One of my pet peeves is when someone cites WAR and doesn’t tell you which version they’re using. And if you see this at a mainstream site, it’s almost always the B-R version they’re using. The first place I checked was ESPN and here you go:

          http://www.espn.com/mlb/war/leaders

          It was clear which version they were using with the column WAA and then they removed all doubt for everyone with a tiny note at the bottom about the source.

          And if you want to limit publication to newspapers, the numbers that cite B-R will only swell.

          • Mike Walczak

            WAR SHMAR – looking at analytical stats alone removed the sniff test and some of the fun of the game.

            You also have to look at the makeup of a roster to see where a player fits in and where the needs are.

            The makeup of a utility player will be different for the Astros vs the Mets.

            Sure, Wilmer can hit, but in the big picture, what would an updated scouting report say. Can’t run, defensive liability, no range, poor instincts, prone to mistakes. His limitations outweigh the good.

            On the Mets, he serves a purpose, but for a good team, he wouldn’t be on the roster.

            • Chris F

              Yup

        • MattyMets

          I’m in Gus’ court on the Wilmer issue. He can hit and with Wright and Ces injured and Frazier struggling he’s our best right handed bat. He comes through in the clutch again and again and despite his lack of speed, he does not hit into a lot of DPs. I agree that he has a lot of shortcomings that get exposed when he’s in the lineup every day. But if he’s platooning with Bruce or Smith at first and otherwise pinch hitting, DHing or occasionally filling in elsewhere, he’s a valuable player.

          • Chris F

            at 5M$?

          • Brian Joura

            Two things:

            1. Any diehard Wilmer fan can rattle off a half dozen clutch moments that Wilmer has had this year alone. The problem is that it’s remembering the hits and neglecting the misses. Fortunately this type of thing is tracked. Wilmer’s batting exploits alone – no fielding – has him with a 0.07 WPA, which as you probably guess is nothing special and leaves him just 0.02 ahead of Robert Gsellman’s hitting exploits this season. And as for being clutch, Flores currently has a (-0.26) score, which ranks, drum roll please, 39th on this un-clutch 2018 Mets team. In fact, Flores has posted a negative clutch score every single season in the majors. Now, this stat is notorious for its volatility, with most players being good some years and awful the others. To be in negative numbers six consecutive seasons may not be a record – but it sure is impressive. You know, in a negative way.

            2. If you want to keep Flores as a RH platoon bat, DH for games in AL park and PH deluxe — how much are you willing to pay for that role? He made $3.4 million this year, which I would say was on the high but sort of acceptable side for that type of 200-250 PA role. What do you think he’s going to get in his final year of arbitration this year? I’d expect it to be somewhere in the $5.5 million range – which I would say is way too much for that role. Guys were getting fewer dollars than that in free agency to be full-time starters at first base this past season. The Mets are already in trouble with wasted money on the roster. What’s the sense to overpay for a role guy?

            • TJ

              Brian, you nailed it. We tend to be a black or white culture. Regarding Wilmer, I am a solid gray. Can hit some, limited skills otherwise, likeable and easy to root for, good citizen, Belongs in limited role, not worth more than $3-$2.5 million, arb 3 makes him likely non-tender. Could wind up on Rays for $1.8 million in 2019. Will think of him fondly despite limitations…after all, he did make it to the show, make some lasting memories, and earn more by age 27 than I will in 3 lifetimes.

            • Chris F

              Mets Bingo Winner = Brian Joura!!!!

              Check: Any diehard Wilmer fan can rattle off a half dozen clutch moments

              Check: The problem is that it’s remembering the hits and neglecting the misses.

              Check: Flores has posted a negative clutch score every single season in the majors.

              Check: To be in negative numbers six consecutive seasons may not be a record – but it sure is impressive. You know, in a negative way.

              Check: how much are you willing to pay for that role?

              Check: Guys were getting fewer dollars than that in free agency to be full-time starters at first base this past season.

              Check: The Mets are already in trouble with wasted money on the roster.

              B I N G O !

  • MattyMets

    It was a beautiful summer day at Citi Field. Nice to see our ace get some overdue run support. He should have 18 wins and be the CY front runner.

  • Eraff

    I believe Wilmer is making 3-4 million dollars this season. I’m guessing he gets 5-6 million in arbitration. If he was not a Met, and available in FA, I would not sign him as a FA @ 5-6 million.

    I often think of Guys like Rusty Staub and Keith Hernandez when I see Wilmer run bases…. Guys like Rusty and Kieth were not blessed with great speed, and Rusty was certainly below average speed. Both of those guys were Great Baserunners…well positioned and great fielders….both great throwers.

    Wilmer is very slow…and he has very slow feet as well—it impacts everything he does, His bad decisions on the basepaths and in the field are killer. He throws poorly.

    With a bat in his hand, standing within the 12 square feet of the Batters Box…that’s where Wilmer has a skill. That skill is about a half a Gorilla short of ignoring everything that happens when he leaves that batters box.

    I love the guy…but, Goodbye!!!!

  • Madman

    Addition by subtraction sometimes works! Defense no longer seems to be a priority for many teams. I wonder if analytics support this. I remember when the maxim defense up the middle wins games was believed by GMs.

  • Eraff

    Let’s not oversell the importance of defense—this team is putrid because of it’s lack of Major League Bats this season. That said, A guy like Wilmer does every single facet of the game at low level….literally at any point that he does not have a bat in his hand. He’s a very negative player in the role(s) he can play on this team.

    I’d hate his game at 40/115/900ops…and I would accept it. He’s not 40/115/900ops

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