The Mets defeated the Cubs tonight at Citi Field 4-3, and have taken the first three games of this four-game series.
- What is there to say about Bartolo Colon, really? I mean, besides the fact that he’s doing things we know he shouldn’t be able to do. He went six innings against the mighty Cubs lineup and came out having given up only two runs. He went off script a bit, striking out five while walking three, but was effective nonetheless. Of course, he (and the pitching in general) may have received some help by the home plate umpire…
- The Mets scored their runs on a bloop and a blast, though they occurred in separate innings. Neil Walker made up for an error in the top of the first by knocking a two-run homer in the bottom of the first. Then, after the Mets set the table for him (!), Travis d’Arnaud hit a bloop that fell into the Bermuda triangle and scored the Mets final two. It would be all they needed. They knocked Jake Arrieta out of the game after just 5.1 innings. Outstanding.
- All told, d’Arnaud went 2-3 with two RBIs. Hopefully he can keep it going, as he’s one of the most important cogs in this depleted lineup.
- The bullpen was great, minus Erik Goeddel giving up a solo homer. Addison Reed pitched 1.1 innings and struck out four batters (including Kris Bryant with the tying run on second in the bottom of the seventh) while Jeurys Familia locked down the ninth in a much quicker and less heart attack-inducing manner than earlier in the week.
Only saw the 9th but JF looked really good, even if that K to his first batter was a gift from the ump.
Mets got to the magical 4-run level and good things happened again.
I don’t want to get too carried away, but on the Walker homerun, Nimmo was running on the pitch. The offense looks better with a leadoff hitter who may walk and also may steal a base. Coincidence? Maybe. Finally a little energy? Definitely.
Edit: “Brandon coming in has been a nice spark,” Walker said
Glad to hear Neil agrees 😉
I’ll sure take what Nimmo has managed to do so far, but I wouldn’t get carried away with expectations for him just yet.
At Vegas this year, Nimmo had the following line against lefty’s in 83 Plate Appearances: .329/.378/.487.
In his combined 2013, 2014 and 2015 seasons, here’s what he managed against lefthanders, in 413 Plate Appearances: .236/.349/.293.
So the issue is, do you believe what Nimmo has done against the lefthanders in the PCL this year, of what he has done the previous three seasons? I would reluctantly add that the most impressive part of his stat line, his On Base Percentage, might prove vulnerable to major league left handed pitching.
Until I see more evidence to the contrary, I’m going to view Brandon as a leadoff type hitter against right handers only.
I hope that Nimmos recent results are in indication of development and “finishing”. Using his 19 year old season stats as a basis for his tendencies as a 22-23 y/o “finished prospect” doesn’t make sense
Early on in his climb, he was a guy who seemed to dictate ab’s and recognize pitches….. He has had some struggles with contact and establishing in game power.
Well, I chose a three year sample, Eraff, not just his Age Nineteen numbers. Yes, I too hope that he figured something out this year, and it might be so; his power numbers at Vegas do pleasantly surprise me.
The Mets drafted him with no demonstration, none at all, that he could hit a lefthander, and in fact even his bad-to-date numbers represent a big improvement from his first batting cage session against those of the sinister hand — make that the first session that I got to see. He could hardly make contact back then.
People do sometimes figure things out; maybe he has. We certainly shall see.
On the album, You Are Never Alone With A Schizophrenic by Mott the Hoople they sing,
“Is there life, is there life? Is there life after death? Do you believe? Oh yeah! ”
That sums up the Met season so far.
Nimmo has brought life to the team. Walker hits a homerun. Colon pitches good again. Reed sets up. Familia closes. TDA gets a two run flair single. Wait, a two run flair single with runners in scoring position, what is that? The Mets don’t get those to fall . They don’t get RISP hits. Hopefully they get a few more and a streak ensues. LGM
With Thor on the mound today we have a shot at a 4-game sweep of the Cubs. Who’d have thought?
That homeplate ump was wildly inconsistent. Colon only walked 3 because of him.
Time to swap d’Arnaud and Flores in the lineup?
Time to swap Reyes and Flores
One tangential comment about Addison Reed. If you recall, this was another “overpaid” reliever signing that had some experts shaking their heads.
Obviously, it’s worked out and that’s great.
One huge upside is that the Mets are not now in a position where they feel compelled to try to trade for a late-inning reliever. When you consider the price that teams are going to pony up for Chapman, for example, it’s just an added upside to signing a free agent reliever — even though it may not work out. No guarantees in life, or the bullpen.
On Nimmo:
I am glad to watch him make his debut and perform well, giddy with a sort of doofus-joy. Maybe this guy will be a player after all. It seems to hinge on two things: His ability to hit for some power, and his ability to stay on the field vs. LHP. There are reasons to hope.
However, the popular narrative going around is manufactured and a little ridiculous. How he’s given the team a shot in the arm, providing just what the Mets needed, and so on.
Oh, please.
He’s played seven games. The first four, he went 4-16 and the Mets lost every single game. The next three, he went 4-12 and the Mets won each time.
I do think that a young, joyful, excited player can be a fresh addition to any team. So, sure, he’s provided a “spark” or whatever. But he’s hardly been a missing piece. What Nimmo has given the team is a base-level competence that they’ve been lacking from too many spots in the order. Conforto’s brutal extended slump. The zero production out of the catcher position.
Different factors have come together in the last three games to help the Mets win. The writers want to tell a story that Nimmo has somehow been at the center of this revival. Well, that’s a nice story. But it’s mostly fiction.
Rooting for him, eyes wide open.
James,
I know this comes across as contrary, but you did read hat Neil Walker said, right?
Copied and pasted from ESPN.com.
Yes, I saw what he said. I assume Nimmo brought the same energy his first four games, and the Mets lost every one.