The Mets beat the Braves 3-2 to capture their tenth straight victory, running their 2015 home record to 9-0.
After a thirty-minute rain delay, the quest to keep the streak alive began with a flourish, then wilted. John Mayberry, Jr. , inserted into the leadoff spot because he devours Braves starter Eric Stults, started the game with a long triple to left. Uncharacteristically for this season, though, the Mets failed to cash in the run. The game stayed scoreless into the second, when a one-out double by A.J. Pierzynski and a single by Andrelton Simmons produced a 1-0 Atlanta lead on a very close play at the plate. Terry Collins continued his run of bad luck in replay challenges and the call stood. In the bottom half, the Mets scratched out the tying run on a double by Eric Campbell and a Wilmer Flores base hit.
At that point, the Mets’ offense became stultified, as Stults retired 12 consecutive New York hitters from the third to the sixth, broken up only by a Lucas Duda base hit.
The Braves had again threatened in the fourth, getting runners to first and second with one out, but Mets starter Dillon Gee started an acrobatic double play to snuff the rally. Eric Young, Jr. led off the fifth with a triple to right that appeared catchable if the right fielder were Curtis Granderson, rather than Mayberry. Alberto Callaspo then hit a sacrifice fly to Juan Lagares in center to give the Braves the lead once again.
The Mets’ defense then took over. Campbell made a nifty catch on a foul pop in the sixth, and Lagares made a beautiful over the head catch to begin the seventh, robbing Jace Peterson of extra bases. Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzales pulled Stults to start the seventh, bringing in young Cody Martin. With one out, Flores greeted him with a laser-beam into the left field stands and the game was tied again. It’s worth noting that that was Flores’s tenth career home run and nine of them have come in the fifth inning or later.
In the top of the eighth, Collins brought Sean Gilmartin in to face the top of the Braves’ order. After retiring Young on a foul pop to first and Nick Markakis on a fly to left, he issued back-to-back walks to Freddy Freeman and Pierzynski. Thinking hard, Collins trotted Buddy Carlyle out to face pinch-hitter Jonny Gomes, who promptly popped out to third. As a side note, noted Met-killer Freeman has started the 2015 in a 2-for-19 funk against New York.
The bottom of the eighth saw Granderson pinch-hit for Mayberry against Jim Johnson and work out a walk after being down 0-2. Collins had Granderson running on a 1-1 pitch to Lagares, who squirted a ball into the vacated second base hole for a single. With runners at first and third, Duda hit a bullet to his opposite field to give the Mets their 3-2 lead. After a double-play grounder by Michael Cuddyer, Johnson walked Campbell and Kevin Plawecki. Gonzales changed pitchers again, Brandon Cuniff replacing Johnson. Cuniff induced an inning-ending ground out by Flores.
In the ninth, Jeurys Familia got Simmons on a broken bat come-backer, Peterson on a hot smash to Flores and struck out pinch hitter Chris Johnson.
Nothing like a semi-tidy, double-comeback win to keep a streak alive.
The way Simmons hits against the Mets, we are wondering why he’s hitting eighth.
Also, Juan Lagares is unreal. Was it better than Mays? Was it better then Edmunds? I don’t think so, but it’s in the conversation.
It was a great catch and deserves all the accolades it gets.
Is it permissible to talk about his two poor throws to the plate? Both were from shallow center field. The first one bounced and the second one was way too far up the line. You can argue that it would have taken a perfect throw on the second one to get the out but a throw in the air and that first run doesn’t score.
Brian, last night I as up late and wanted to hear the Braves broadcasters’ call of that catch, since I have MLB.tv. They called it a great catch in a octive that wouldn’t wake a sleeping security guard. They then said that he doesn’t have a golden arm but does have a golden glove. I hope he throws out two today!
I really despise their announcers as far back as my memory goes, and it goes way far back. I think onto the days when I had wireless cable antenna on my roof and saw their games on TBS.
Joe Simpson is terrible. Chip Caray seems to be at the level of his partner. I thought he was pretty good when he was in Chicago but he had Steve Stone then. Now teamed with Simpson he seems poor. I like his voice but he doesn’t seem as prepared as he should.
It would be hard to find three broadcasters as diverse as Harry, Skip and Chip Caray. Harry is probably my favorite broadcaster of all time. I hated Skip when I was first heard him but I really think he was an acquired taste. He didn’t have his father’s keen sense of the game but his droll sense of humor made up for some of it. Chip has the golden voice that neither his father or grandfather had. If we could combine Chip’s voice, Skip’s sense of humor and Harry’s passion and knowledge of the game — that would be ideal.
The arm does not appear to be fully healthy. Not where it was pre-injury.
This team is absolutely on fire! I’ve not been this excited for the Mets since 2012, and I haven’t had this much faith in a team since 2007. It’s extremely early, but they just seem more determined then ever. I’m not sure where/when they will break the streak, but I’m sure this team will do everything they can to prevent that event.
Lets go Mets!
It’s great how they are winning. Different players step up every night. Players pick up other players after mistakes or bad innings. When one player goes a few games without hitting, his teammates take up the slack. That’s how winning teams stay successful. This has been an awesome start to a season!
Don’t look now, but The Wilmer Flores Project is working.
One thing that made me optimistic going into the season was the length of the lineup, Cuddyer replacing Chris Young, Flores replacing Tejada. Eight tough outs. And it’s really played out that way so far, with really no one except for Duda hitting particularly well.
Murphy has been awful, Lagares has been lost, Cuddyer has been fortunate (not really hitting the ball hard), Granderson doesn’t want to swing, etc. It makes you think they could raise it a notch just by becoming more functional.
However, losing Wright and d’Arnaud may effect the power department. Despite another solid effort from Campbell, I thought they missed David against the lefty last night. Team is faring well by doing all the little things, but there’s nothing like some big things to make a real difference.
As some of you know, I like Dillon Gee and think he’s gotten a bad rap. Saw a note from Michael Baron that since mid-May of 2013, his ERA is at 3.60. The consecutive streak shows that he’s a classic innings eater, a back end of the rotation. I think he’s been harmed by the injuries, obscuring his value. His he great? No. Is Montero an upgrade? I honestly don’t know, but I guess I have more doubts about Montero than others.
Nine players have amassed at least 29 PA and six of those have an OBP of .345 or greater. How wonderful it would be if that continued all season! The three that don’t are Lagares, Murphy and Flores.
With Lagares you get defense and with Flores right now you’re getting power. Murphy is the one that’s hurting them the most currently.
Can Flores continue to provide power and will Murphy start to deliver something? Those are the two big questions going forward, especially with such an easy solution as inserting The Dilson at 2B if Murphy continues to struggle.
Not to jump ahead, but I’m looking forward to the compare and contrast between the Mets & Yankees shortstops. Of course, I remember the heated debates on AOL message boards in 1995 about who was better: Rey Ordonez or Derek Jeter. Yes, heated; a lot of Mets fans believed that Rey was superior because he saved a million runs a year. Delusional, of course.
I never wanted anything to do with Gregorius, because I didn’t think he could hit. But certainly has a fine glove. The Mets went in exactly the opposite direction. Flores can’t really make any of the difficult plays at SS, but the bat plays.
Very interesting to watch how this plays out over weeks, months, years.
Oh, about Wilmer’s swing: The strangest aspect, visually, besides the upright stance, is his lack of a finish in an age when nearly everybody completes their swing with hands high above the shoulder. Big torque. My son said, “Yeah, that’s how Utley does it.” I don’t know that I ever noticed.
Sandyman has made his mark !
All he has done is restock this farm system to the point that the Mets have talent upon talent to help the big club and also to continue to develop (Conforto, Nimmo, Matz, Syndergaard, Reynolds) at the minors level.
I think to have Gee in the 5th spot in the rotation is a blessing, no need to trade him for beans, (we already have good talent in the minors vs what we can get for him) when he can take on the opponent’s 5th starter and win most times…
Sandy, you have shut up my pie hole. I was your biggest critic for not making trades for vets, signing more FA’s, etc. Your plan is working and looks like the right long term.
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Last one: Am I missing something? Mets concerned about Matt Harvey’s innings count, trying to figure out ways to manage those numbers, yet they are going to send him out to pitch on a mild ankle sprain?
This news comes after he pitches with flu-like symptoms? I mean, okay, but after 6 innings he was up 7-1 and TC sent him out for 7th?
It’s April, guys. I think of that classic story about the cascade injuries. The pitcher with the broken toe who altered his delivery and ultimately blew out his elbow. Worrying.