You could kind of tell, y’know? When he went 3-2 on the leadoff hitter, you might have gotten an idea. A delayed start on a chilly night, coming off an historically good performance, with an extra day of rest… A number of factors conspired to have Jacob deGrom deliver a sub-par outing against the Minnesota Twins in the first game of their abbreviated interleague series. deGrom would strike out that hitter — Max Kepler — but he would continue to run deep counts most of the night.

He got through that first inning, surrendering only a bunt single by Jorge Polanco. He would not be so fortunate in the second. Catcher Mitch Garver punished a hanging slider on an 0-1 pitch to give the Twins an early lead. Clearly lacking his “out” pitch on this night, deGrom wound up throwing 31 pitches in that second inning. He walked Marwin Gonzalez on a 3-2 pitch, got Jonathan Schoop to pop up (3-2), had Byron Buxton ground into a force play (3-2) and struck out pitcher Kyle Gibson (3-2). The Mets, though, would pull even in the bottom half. Michael Conforto pulled a double inside the first base bag and J.D. Davis walked. After Jeff McNeil struck out, Amed Rosario scalded a shot into left field for a double, scoring Conforto with Davis holding on at third. This would prove key. Travis d’Arnaud, making his first big-league start of the year, struck out on a slider right down the middle and deGrom grounded out to first. d’Arnaud’s woes would continue in the third. With one out, Polanco rapped a triple to right center. With Willians Astudillo at bat, deGrom buried a changeup that squirted past the catcher and the Twins had the lead again. But the fun was just beginning. Astudillo would end up shooting a single to left field. Eddie Rosario took a 2-2 pitch over the right field wall, thus relieving deGrom of all his burdensome streaks and giving the Twins a 4-1 lead. It would become 5-1 when Garver drove a lifeless fastball into the left field stands.

As it turns out, there was still a lot of game left, after all. Brandon Nimmo tried to ignite a reflexive comeback leading off the third, sending a booming home run to left center. After Pete Alonso struck out and Robinson Cano grounded out into the shift, Michael Conforto homered in his third consecutive game — a monster shot into the right field seats — making it 5-3. Davis struck out to end the frame.

The Twins padded their lead, though. Buxton hit deGrom’s first pitch of the third into the left field corner for a double and was bunted to third by Gibson. Kepler then ripped a — what else? — 3-2 pitch through the drawn in infield. deGrom was able to stem that tide, with d’Arnaud gunning down Kepler trying to steal to end the inning, but his pitch count rose to 97, more than enough on a damp April evening. Seth Lugo would take over in the fifth.

The Mets missed a golden opportunity to make some hay. Nimmo would start the bottom of the fifth with a base hit that somehow rolled all the way to the left field wall. After Alonso was robbed of a hit by Gonzalez at third and Cano popped up, Conforto and Davis both walked. That was it for Gibson, who would not qualify for the win after all. Trevor Hildenberger came on to face McNeil, representing the go-ahead run. McNeil worked the count to 2-2 and lofted a fly to left. Eddie Rosario galloped in and then had to gallop out again to make the catch. Schoop woulld make the Mets pay for it with a long homer into the left field stands off Lugo.

Trevor May replaced Hildenberger and retired the Mets easily in the sixth. Luis Avilan succeeded Lugo in the seventh, surrendering only a two-out walk to Eddie Rosario and a single to Garver. Twins lefthander Adelberto Mejia gave up an opposite field home run to Alonso with one out in the eighth, and walked Cano, giving the Mets a small measure of hope. With Conforto hitting, Mejia uncorked a wild pitch, moving Cano to second. Conforto then hit a disheartening popup to right field. With Davis, destroyer of lefties, due up, Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli waved in his closer — still in the seventh, mind you — Blake Parker. Davis would ground out to short. Robert Gsellman gave up the Twins’ eighth run when Buxton roped a double to right center and Ehire Adrianza’s hot grounder scooted under Alonso’s glove at first, his first MLB error. Polanco followed that up with with Minnesota’s fifth home run of the night, a long shot over the wall in right center, making it 10-4. Jason Vargas came in for his first relief appearance in, literally, ten years and gave up double to Eddie Rosario, a single to Garver and another single to pinch hitter Jason Castro to plate the Twins’ eleventh run. Schoop then hit another tracer into the stands and Minnesota suddenly had a ten-run lead. The ninth came and the Mets got a leadoff walk from Nimmo and another home run from Alonso off Chase DeJong. Cano singled, Conforto walked, Davis singled and McNeil walked for the easy RBI and d’Arnaud had run-scoring ground out, but finally, this endless, horrid game would mercifully end.

Hey, it happens.

Noah Syndergaard will face Jake Odorizzi in the series finale, 7:10 tomorrow at Citi Field.

12 comments on “Gut Reaction: Twins 14, Mets 8 and (4/9/19)

  • Eraff

    Degrom Starts…Mets Score 8…Lose….go figure!

  • Eraff

    PS./..d’Arnaud: He looked good throwing the Ball. Obviously, He had been throwing in pain for a long while…with a bad hitch and bad results. He can be very valuable. The Mets have a very good situation at Catcher!

    • Bob P

      I agree. I think once he shakes the rust off he could have a good year in a backup role and be great insurance in case of an injury to Ramos.

  • NYM6986

    As a Met fan you always need to look for that silver lining. Our offense can certainly put numbers on the board so that is encouraging. Expecting deGrom to be Bob Gibson every time out puts a lot of pressure on him but I’d expect a return to form next time out. HRs from Alonso and Conforto continue to help keep them in games and two hits including a HR from Nimmo is big as he is still our best lead off hitter when on track. I see Lowrie playing third and batting second if he ever comes back with Alonso moving to the 5 hole. Still not a fan of TDa but the fact that he threw a runner out trying to steal is cause for excitement. Then there’s Vargas who we have ruled out as a reliever. There must be some team out there who will take him if we eat some salary. On to Thor and a split with the Twinkees.

  • Metsense

    My Gut reaction :shithappens!
    Who would have thought that TDA would throw better then deGrom last night?
    Nimmo is coming around and that’s a good sign.
    I’m excited about Alonso and Conforto because , “why not “?
    So how are they going to skip Vargas the next time around?
    Do the Mets and Twins ever play in good weather? Citi Field look like it was in Minnesota last night.
    I Imagine (dragons) Thor will bring the Thunder tonight LGM

    • Brian Joura

      I laughed at your second sentence!

  • Pete from NJ

    My gut reaction: the bullpen “is in shambles” and it’s still not mid April yet. I’m dramatic? Maybe.

    Let me explain. The manager takes out Justin Wilson after a walk and a bunt single against Atlanta. Familia comes in and has to pitch 1/1/3 innings losing him for the next game. Results happen to be poor on all ends.

    Next day Wheeler gets to pitch through a tough situation because of the manager is compensating from his previous error in pulling Wilson. Results happen to be poor on all ends.

    So what am I trying to say? Calloway’s bullpen management is questionable. Until he gets this right in overuse and correct placements, pitching and not hitting will be a problem.

  • David Klein

    Nimmo might be back and Conforto and Alonso are monsters. McNeil probably had his worst game of his major league career as his bases loaded at bat mid game was the biggest at bat of the game and he couldn’t come through. The fans blaming Travis for Jake’s dreadful start are fools.

  • José

    Problem: Bullpen possibly “in shambles”
    Answer: Kimbrel

    Problem: High expectations lead to too much pressure on Big 3 in rotation
    Answer: Keuchel

    Problem: Calloway is showing signs of not being the genius many had hoped
    Answer: Exhume corpse of Collins?

    • Brian Joura

      Dear God – no on that last one! Never go for a solution that’s worse than the problem

    • TexasGusCC

      Answer: Joe Girardi

  • Bloom

    Even Bob Gibson’s streak ended at 26 so…time to start a new one.

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