Sandy Alderson is going to have to take a hard look at his “defense doesn’t matter” attitude. The Mets need middle infielders who can, well, middle infield if they’re to have any hope of going far into the playoffs.
The gut reaction tonight is revulsion.
Jacob deGrom started out blazing, going through the entire Washington lineup in order over the first three innings. The Mets broke out with two runs in the second inning off Stephen Strasburg. Consecutive doubles by Wilmer Flores and Kevin Plawecki, followed by a Curtis Granderson single with two outs did the trick. But the fourth inning is when it all came apart.
deGrom walked Denard Span leading off, giving the Nats their first baserunner. Yunel Escobar then hit a room service double play ball that Flores fielded, then dropped as he tried to make the scoop to second, and everybody was safe. You cannot give a potent lineup like the Nats’ — they scored 26 runs over the span of their previous two games — any kind of opportunity, for they won’t wait too long to take advantage. And they didn’t. Jayson Werth hit an RBI single up the middle and after a walk to Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman skied a sacrifice fly to center and the game was suddenly tied. Wilson Ramos followed with an RBI groundout and the game was untied for good.
The Nats tacked on a couple of runs in the sixth on some weakly hit balls and put the game away in the ninth. The lone highlight for the Mets after the second inning was Juan Lagares’s terrific catch-and-throw to nail Zimmerman at the plate to end the sixth. The Mets hit quite a few balls on the button, but they seemed to head right at fielders like Werth and Harper.
This is the Mets’ first three-game losing streak and their first home loss. Tomorrow is Harvey Day. Time for the stopper to make a stop.
Charlie, after the three run fourth, I shut off the television and got on with the rest of my night. Even if they won, which would have been great, this is what I have seen this past week:
1. Flores has made multiple errors causing multiple runs to score because he doesn’t look the ball into his glove. Now, I was a huge Flores supporter, but that was with the premise that he makes the routine plays. The sidearm throws and the lack of focus on each play makes him a substandard player because his offense would have to be Tulo type to make up for the defense and it is not.
2. Murphy had his moments this past week as well, but it seems that between the two middle infielders, they are making 75% of the mistakes. That’s too much. I would sit down to talk to them and emphasize focus. If they cannot adapt, trade Murphy for a couple of kids and send Flores down to learn how to field a grounder and throw to first. Leave him there all year so he appreciates being in the majors. Bring up Reynolds and Herrera let it be known that sloppy play will not be tolerated.
3. This three game losing streak started with a smug manager putting out a joke of a lineup where he sat out two starters and had Tejada hitting sixth. This team doesn’t have the bench to do that. If Wright and TDA were healthy, possibly. But now, you are missing four of your starters essentially. How do you think morale will be when the rest of the team sees that kind of lineup? If you win that game, it will be said that you stole one. Why? Because your lineup made winning more difficult, and that’s not the manager’s job!
Now, we have a three game losing streak and a strong Nationals team that has started its roll. I wouldn’t give the Flores experiment much longer if he isn’t performing. It’s not the fault of the rest of the squad. Winning is hard enough as it is.
There’s my gut reaction!
Hello Dilson Herrera.
Is that the end of Murphy?
For now, he may just move to third base until Wright gets back in about a week or so. After that…
Ah right, forgot about that possibility. Though i’m not exactly sure why as Campbell hasn’t played that poorly.
My piece asking whether the Mets could win with 4’s at 2b and SS is looking more and more prescient.
It’s interesting that Murphy is the one being displaced when I really feel that Flores is the major culprit in the defensive mess. Of course, Herrera is available to be an upgrade at 2b, at least defensively if not both ways. Murphy will outhit Soupy Campbell until the captain returns.
But whether it is Reynolds or a trade I think the team will limp along on defense until Alderson gets Flores off the shortstop position.
Larry, I thought this same issue last night. At first, I would say Murphy working next to Reynolds is better than Herrera working next to Flores. But, I wonder if Alderson is just trying to give Flores a couple of weeks more? Now, while I still want to give Flores a little more rope, we have reached the end of it and any more lack of focus of the ball into the glove or those sidearm throws, it’s Vegas for him to help learn how to pay attention all the time.
Telling was that when Backman pulled Herrera off the field during the game, he put Tovar at SS and slid Reynolds over to 2B.
When Wright first went down, I thought Murphy should shift to 3B. Bring up Reynolds. But Herrera is also the same mindset. So, better late than never, I suppose.
Flores could have been a 3B or a 2B, and now it looks like he’ll soon be a nothing.
I have no idea how they will handle this going forward, once Wright returns. When people describe what they (think they) want in a SS, it sure sounds like Ruben Tejada.
Kind of a mess right now. Maybe it’s just a bumpy patch, but it sure seems like have a combination of below-average defenders at both SS & 2B is a problem.
It all started with the rubber game in Miami. It was a watershed loss. Losing is now in their heads. The old ways of scoring in the first couple innings and then being beat up down the line is an old familiar tune. And we have the surging Nats for 4. Theres little room for error, although errors are what we make a lot of. As was predicted and talked about endlessly, the middle infield cannot do the job. Defense does matter. We also know the pen still is a disaster. No news there either.
I didn’t get to ask you this last night, but what would the team have to do over the rest of the series or week to allay your paranoia? 2 of 3 from the nats? Sweep? 3-3 against the nats and O’s?
a split with the Nats (2-2) and a resounding sweep of the Os (2-0).
This is a big series for the Mets no doubt. They are hurt, and are struggling to get consistent hitting and fielding, and even the pitching has been up and down a bit. Splitting the series with the Nats would probably be the best realistic option right now.
The Flores experiment has maybe another month left in it, and if he doesn’t show some drastic improvement, or juggernaut-like offense to make up for his defensive failings, he won’t be on this team come June.
All winter when asked about Flores I would mention Murphy. It was not just that we were going zero defense at shortstop, we were pairing him with a zero glove at second. We have seen this craziness before, when this administration not only played Lucas Duda in left field, but paired him with Jordany Valdespin.
I don’t understand it at all, but have hoped these guys know something I do not.
Far from impossible, but so far I still can’t see it.
I’m honestly not so sure this move was dictated by defense. Herrera was hitting great, and Wright seems more than a week away. I think this move was a move to get another bat in the lineup as much as anything else.
In my very last post on 2 Guys Mets, I discussed Flores and Brian was kind enough to link it over here at Mets360.
At the time, in meaningless games, Flores was shifted to second and Tejada was playing second. My point of view at the time was that there was no good baseball reason for that, and that one possible conclusion was that the easiest way to sell Flores to a naive public as a shortstop was not to let anyone see him play there.
Well now the cat is out of the bag.
In the end, still 15-7, nothing to sneeze at. Shortstop is a mess, but that is not a new situation. If this team was going to win this year it was always going to be despite the shortstop position. Nothing has changed except that we have lost a few games.
I’m more worried about the bullpen, which looked like more of a strength when the season started and has now incurred a lot of injuries.
Let’s Go Mets!
I believe the Herrera move is mostly motivated by a need to add some offense and stop “the bleeding”. I don’t believe it is in any way related to Flores D-ficiencies.
Surplus Benefit—you get to “showcase” Murph as a 3bman.
Exactly what I thought Eraff! No one is buying Daniel Murphy, the second sacker. But, Murphy at third might get you a nibble. That’s an added benefit to this move.
OT: I noticed MDD had only two at bats for the Nationals and four games appeared total, for almost a month, before he got sent down. While I feel for MDD and wanted the guy to play more, I appreciate managers that don’t feel they need to keep everybody happy.