After being MIA for most of the season, the Mets’ offense staked Joey Lucchesi to a 5-2 lead. But Lucchesi gave it right back and the Mets ended up on the short end of a 6-5 score to the Cardinals Monday night in St. Louis.
The Mets scored two runs in the second inning, thanks to a HBP and a walk with the bases loaded. They tacked on three more in the third, two of those coming on a HR by Kevin Pillar. But they were held scoreless the final six innings of the game.
Meanwhile, Lucchesi gave up solo runs in both the first and second innings and then fell completely apart in the third. After opening the inning by retiring the first two batters, he allowed five straight hits, including a three-run homer by Nolan Arenado. After an RBI double, Lucchesi was mercifully pulled.
The bullpen did its job, as Robert Gsellman, Sean Reid-Foley and Jacob Barnes combined for 5.1 scoreless innings. Lucchesi now has a 10.13 ERA and you have to wonder if he’ll make another start any time soon. Ideally, Carlos Carrasco will be ready but if he’s still further away, it wouldn’t be a shock if Gsellman got another start.
Well, the first shoe fell after the game and kicked the hitting coaches out the door. Hard to understand why the hitting coaches got the boot when the offense just started hitting, but call it the initial shot to the bench of the Mets. Today was Rojas’ warning but it would be best to not drag our feet on this issue and stop pretending that a coach that went from quality control to manager without even having MLB coaching experience is going to suddenly be the guiding light.
As for the game, this should be a hard fought four game series, but that’s only if the Mets get good pitching because the Cardinals will.
Davis’ hitting philosophy was at odds with what this front office wants. It’s a little bit surprising to me that Davis wasn’t let go at the initial press conference when Brodie was.
My take on this move is 5% scapegoating and 95% getting this administration’s guys into a more prominent/visible role.
As for Rojas, I can’t imagine that he doesn’t last the season. How long did Alderson keep TC around?
Exactly right, Gus. I’m not sure how this goes with other franchises, but with Mets, this usually serves as a “you’re on notice” to the manager. Rojas may be a nice guy and respected by his players but he looks like he’s in over his head to me. Some bad decisions may not have been his though. Was it his call to start the 2-pitch lefty against an all-righty lineup last night? Was it his call to bench Dom Smith in the opener? Was it his call to bring in a sore Diaz with a four run lead? Rojas is most likely not setting the rotation or possibly even the lineup, but is he making the calls on who comes in from the bullpen and who pinch hits? I assume there’s some sort of mandate to be extra cautious with SP usage and that Rojas isn’t the one pulling starters an inning too soon.
Bottom line though is this team’s early struggles are 99% due to dead bats, not decision making.
When your number 2 hitter makes four or five outs a game of the 27 outs allotted, several are to blame.
Foremost is Lindor who can’t hit.
Chili Davis is suspect because so many players have looked so bad this season for so long. Conforto, McNeil, Lindor, Smith, McCann… really? All of them so bad for far too many games. Chili must suck at being a hitting coach… there is no other explanation.
And Rojas, of course. Perhaps you save your lineup and take pressure off the new shortstop by moving him out of the 2 hole. Lindor kills all rallies, strands bases full of potential runs, and he sinks lower with each at bat… and still he hits number 2? No explanation.
Three bad grades.
Monday’s game was a particularly weak one for SNY. Keith was of particularly low energy, at times possibly nodding off. He called Nido Nimmo at least once, had little to say about anything other than was right in front of him. Uttered “how long will we be here” when the lights went out, talked more about the baby in the first row than of the game itself.
Gary, who usually prods Keith into saying something relevant, was also less active than normal. He seems far more energized working with Ron, with whom he engages about the finer points of the game far more readily than he does with Keith, who tends to repeat the same insights and the same banal regrets about “today’s game”.
We probably all like Keith, but one has to admit the game has zoomed past the old guy who seems much more intent on having dinner, ice cream, or staying home with his cat. Might be time to bring on David Wright… find someone willing to express insightful angles and fewer, predictable observations.
Gut Reaction: Lucchesi has pitched himself into the bottom of the depth chart . He was a serviceable fifth starter in San Diego. It surprises me. Lindor needs to bat lower in the order until he finds his stroke, maybe 6th. Rojas doesn’t agree though. Gsellman and Reid-Foley deserve more innings when the innings are low pressure and try to avoid using the primary relievers in low pressure situations.
Obviously from the quotes, Davis wasn’t buying into the franchise hitting philosophy. I wonder why Donnie Stephenson didn’t get the job? Or did he?