The Mets’ eight game winning streak came to an end with a 9-3 setback to the Marlins Tuesday night. With a win by the Nationals, the magic number remains at 10.
- Jacob deGrom had another disappointing outing, as he allowed 10 hits and 6 runs in 5 IP. Is it just that the Marlins have his number this year or is this an indication he’s getting tired? Just to be on the safe side, let’s hope the Mets get him extra time off before his next start.
- Ruben Tejada and Michael Conforto had two hits apiece to pace the Mets’ attack. Tejada saw his OPS pass the .700 mark (.704) while Conforto now checks in with a .925 mark.
- Dario Alvarez got to face three lefties in the ninth inning. All three got hits against him. The nameless one still has a shot to fill the crucial, critical, can’t live without it or we’ll be infested with locusts – LOOGY role in the playoffs. The nameless one also pitched tonight. Lefties only went 1-3 against him and he allowed an inherited runner to score. That performance puts him in the lead.
I’m trying to keep up with who the nameless one might be in the bullpen. Three guys on that relieving corp should not be there, and they all pitched tonight.
The second reliever used is the nameless one. I made a vow during one of the Game Chatters not to use his name for the rest of the season.
Irish guy…
If I had an ideal team that I could put together, I’d want a good lefty reliever in the pen. Maybe two. Some of my favorites in the past were named McGraw, Orosco, Cook, and Wagner.
Right now, it’s sort of funny that after the Mets’ long infatuation with the LOOGY role, they may be headed into the playoffs without one guy who could reliably pitch to a LH batter in a close game.
Blevins went down and after that, nothing.
At a certain point — the point we’re currently at — I think you just say screw it and go with righties. Hard to believe that Gilmartin is fit for that role, since he realy hasn’t been used that way all year.
If the club is really keen on it, they might explore Niese & Matz. I don’t think Niese is cut out for it; and I think Matz is more valuable as a starter.
Again, it’s just humorous that a team this fixated on “the lefty” should find themselves in this situation.
Maybe, just maybe, this situation will cure TC of the loogy disease. I doubt it. On a good front, it appears that there maybe a crack in the philosophical armor. It sounds like Reed is the 7th inning guy, which doesn’t sound like matchy matchy to me.
Tejada above .700 OPS justifies his presence in the two headed shortstop role. I am not concerned about the shortstop position in 2016 with those two. Cecchini will get a year at AAA in 2016 and if all goes as planned by 2017 Tejada could be traded in his last year of arbitration. Win, Win. Tejada has had a good year.
Common sense says that with three ” two way” closers at the back end that there is no need to have a LOOGY. A LOOGY would only screw up the established roles and if you havdn’t noticed, the Mets don’t have a LOOGY.
The Mets should be able to clinch early and be able to “gear down” all their starters in the last week of the season.
Metsense, I think an interesting debate centers around who starts against Kershaw: Flores or Tejada? And do you go with Lagares over Conforto?
B-R has a split of pitchers by “Power” “Average” and “Finesse” Based on K and B rates
Tejada has a .308/.405/.400 line against Power pitchers in 79 PA this year
Flores has a .267/.304/.314 line against Power pitchers in 113 PA this year
Lifetime, Flores has a .609 OPS against Power pitchers in 195 PA while Tejada has a .696 OPS in 416 PA.
In 17 career PA against Kershaw, Tejada has a .357/.471/.357 line
In 6 career PA against Kershaw, Flores has a .500/.500/.500 line
To me, Flores’ big advantage over Tejada is his ability to deliver power. He’s not done that against Kershaw in particular or power pitchers in general.
If you are saying that Flores is 3-6 against Kershaw, that’s pretty noteworthy.
My inclination is to go with the superior defense in this matchup, but I don’t think this is an easy decision.
BTW, that game last night felt like it went off the rails in the very first inning when d’Arnaud popped up, first pitch, with the bases drunk and one out. Koehler was staggered, on the ropes, and nothing. It was one of those lousy harbingers we fans know so well.
Yes, he is 3-6 but I doubt that’s noteworthy at all, assuming you’re not being sarcastic.
No, I think he’s been successful against Kershaw in a small sample size.
I should maybe add that I don’t get into the “power pitcher” vs. “finesse pitcher” breakdown stats, which just don’t register with me, far too generalized, vague.
In the end, I think you go with a feeling about how they’ve been playing of late.
I (apparently) never tire of pointing out that the 1994 Montreal Expos had the best record in baseball when the labor shutdown occurred, yet they had no lefthanded reliever. They got something like four innings from a couple of lefthanded call-up’s, and that was it for the entire season. Their winning percentage at season’s end was .649.
Not to say it’s preferable to go without a lefthanded specialist. Simply that an effective pitcher can be preferable to one that is merely lefthanded; or else maybe I’d still be pitching.
This may seem anathema to even dare post, given the love fest over the extremely hot Cespedes for the Rest of Us since he joined the Metsie but last night may have given a touch of insight into the reason why one player with such extreme levels of talent has played for 4 teams in 2 years.
Cespedes is the proverbial 5 tool guy who can do it all. The one lacking element may be his lack of humility. This is virtually meaningless to the statistical minded, but even as Keith pointed out recently, “clubhouse guys” matter.
When one lacks any sense of grounding, the following is a risk: The player has a set back or two and suddenly, “wheels come off” for him mentally, and it is hard enough to take a few bad at-bats into the field (or vice versa) but if this challenge is accompanied by a massive ego, it can work against the player.
Cespedes is having a career year, which is sometimes the case with unrestricted free agency looming. He is above all of his career averages and up till last night, has had an absolute love affair with the Mets. Yet, it is when the love affair is tested that maturity matters. Guys who pout may not run out pop ups, boldly snare a ball bare-handed in a show off capacity, do the extreme slot trot to show up a pitcher, only to get whizzed under the chin in a subsequent at bat.
The mental approach to the game with someone so talented can be the difference between hall of fame numbers or a solid career. Cespedes has the talent of HOF, but does he have the head to weather slumps? What if he fails to run out a ground ball and Terry Collins addresses him? He refused to listen in Boston and got under a few coaches’ skins.
I have been having a blast watching Cespedes having a blast and like everyone else here, am enjoying being 20 games over .500!
My enthusiasm was always a bit tempered from the quotes of local New England sports pages, from when Cespedes was there, as well as watching his body language. In his mind, he is “el hombre” and thus far, his stats bear this out, and his hot campaign has come at the perfect time, but can it last?
How will Cespedes handle the inevitable slump, should NY fans express even the slightest disapproval?
How will he handle any possible correction from TC?
How would he handle a very lucrative but “sane” contract, where, for instance, he is to travel with the team, and earn mega millions but not with bizarre diva-like extras that may antagonize team mates, or their wives?
It happens.
A line up with Cespedes at clean up, in 2016, surrounded by a healthy David Wright, Travis D and Michael Conforto is a beautiful compliment to a rotation of Harvey, DeGrom, Noah, and Zach Wheeler.
But, and here goes…
character matters.
Just ask Michael Conforto, as Cuddyer takes him under his tutoring; or
Greg Jefferies when youthful arrogance irritates veterans into not tutoring.
I hope Cespedes for the Rest of Us, hustles, bears up under inevitable Metsie world criticism, and gives us 5 or 6 years of 30+ home runs.
Gentlemen,
a lengthy contrarian post and not a single rebuke?
Am I alone in having some caution about a long term commitment to the NL’s hottest batter?
It’s just “some caution”, and not a call for not signing him. It is just that the love affair is so extreme, that it has to come back to earth at some point and I thought, for certain, I’d read some comments from some of you that sounded like:
“Yes, you are alone.”
“Are you off your meds?”
“Can’t you just enjoy anything with the Mets?”
“How many ex-wives do you support?”
“Didn’t mommy give you enough love growing up?”
and I expected one, maybe two at the most that said,
“Yeah, his arrogance might be an issue as he ages, but its worth paying for now”
and
“It’s not popular, but character does still matter, but just not enough to not sign him for…”
I was prepared for the final, “Yes, it is a lot of money, a lot of bending over backwards, too many years, but it is only money. They’re going to raise ticket prices whether they pay him or not, so let’s add his 30 HRs per year, his rifle arm, and put up with his machismo antics” of which I would have said, “good point.”
In spite of the lack of rebuke, I love this site. I am here most every day and enjoy the authors and especially enjoyed it during the “dark months” of Maine winter, with articles about the coming year.
I thought you were unfair and presumptive with the criticisms of Cespedes.
Hes awesome. I hope we sign him. The fit in Boston was bad, the clubhouse in Boston is bad, and the team in Boston is bad. As a result, the writers in Boston say what they will, but it has no bearing on the Mets.
There have been at least two great articles about Cespedes in recent days. Hes not a party guy. He initiated the contract redrawing to permit the Mets to bid. He likes down time away from the game to golf and fish. He’s not seen his family in years and trying to get them here. Is he flashy on the field? Yeah. We need that. Is he charismatic? Yeah. We need that too. Is he a potential monster in the line up that will cause fear across the league? Yeah. We most definitely need that.
As for me. Im all in.
Gee Pete, sorry I didn’t respond to piss you off. 🙂
Actually you presented a different side to the arguement and being from Maine you were making us aware of the Boston angle. I respect your posts in the past so I took the information and put it to the back of my mind. I see what you see but not to the negative extent or worry you do. I want to sign him for up to 7/154.