After an incendiary series in Chicago, the first thing the Mets needed was a win. The second was a low key, low scoring affair. They got the second. Rafael Montero pitched like a July 4th bottle rocket: spectacular, but in a short burst. He could only last four-and-two-thirds innings, allowing seven hits, walking three, striking [...]
Well, here we are. This awful season is nearly finished and won’t be lamented. Just 18 games left and the Mets cannot finish over .500. That was made official last night, with their eighty-second loss of 2017, a craven 17-5 debacle in Chicago. It would appear they’re back where they started. We all know the [...]
A wild afternoon of big comebacks and blown leads ended in frustration -- and how many times have we said that this year -- for the Mets and Jacob deGrom. deGrom was hurt by a bad combination right from the start: two singles that eluded fielders and a tight strike zone by rookie home plate [...]
You know, in baseball, when you score a couple of runs to take a lead, it's imperative that you keep the other guys off the board in their at bat, preferably in order -- what they call a "clean inning" nowadays. Well, the Mets took a lead and followed that with a disgustingly dirty, shabby [...]
The Mets used three long balls and some surprisingly clutch defense to squeeze out an improbable win in Washington. Once again, the Nationals put an irregular lineup on the field, including a very raw rookie starting pitcher. Erick Fedde started shakily. In the top of the first, Brandon Nimmo reached on a sharp grounder that [...]
The not-really-the-Mets beat the not-really-the-Nationals in a game that featured outstanding pitching, stout defense, timely hitting and another catastrophic injury. More on that in a bit. Both teams fielded lineups that would be better suited to Spring Training or mid-September, rather than a regular season Friday night in late August. Both teams fielded those lineups [...]
In a season that most Met fans would like to forget, there are a couple of aspects that need a little bit of a recap. Steven Matz has had a miserable year. He started out on the DL right out of spring training. He made a few rehab starts – one of which was marvelous: [...]
You can't say the Mets didn't have their chances tonight. Unfortunately, they hardly took advantage as they left runners on base in six out of ten innings. It started with the very first batter. Brandon Nimmo led off the game against Taijuan Walker by hitting a twisting fly ball over the head of left fielder [...]
Well, at least they kept Stanton in the yard. That's about the best you can say about the Mets' desultory, deadly dull 3-1 loss to the Marlins. The offense was held completely in check by Miami lefty Justin Nicolino -- a pitcher on whom the Mets usually feast -- over the course of five innings. [...]
“Wait ‘til next year!” As I’m sure we’re all aware, that was the ancient rallying cry of the Brooklyn Dodger fan after yet another World Series loss to the Yankees. With the Mets being the spiritual brethren to those Dodger teams – with far, far less success, I’ll grant you – it’s been trotted out [...]
Sometimes, the package comes as advertised. Oftentimes, we baseball fans are promised terrific pitching matchups that turn out to be duds, with both starters gone by the fifth. When Jacob deGrom and the Mets took on the Yankees and Sonny Gray, we got what we paid for. Both pitchers brought their A game. Of course, [...]
Steven Matz pitched his best of the year and still couldn't win. Matz had averaged just three-and-a-third innings pitched over his last eleven starts, but tonight, he lasted two outs into the sixth, surrendering just four hits. Unfortunately, they all came in the fifth inning. Nursing a 1-0 lead, Matz allowed his first hit, a [...]