The Marlins ended the Mets’ five-game winning streak with a 5-2 win Tuesday night at Citi Field.
- The return of Jose Reyes was a bust, as he went 0-4 with a strikeout from the leadoff spot.
- Each team hit two homers. Yoenis Cespedes and Alejandro De Aza hit solo shots for the Mets. Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run and a three-run blast for the Marlins. Stanton now has 24 lifetime homers against the Mets, the second-most he has hit against any club in his career.
- Steven Matz pitched seven solid innings, allowing just the two runs on Stanton’s first homer.
- Wilmer Flores played second base and batted cleanup. Like Reyes, he took the collar. Flores is expected to play 1B tomorrow and it will be interesting to see how often Terry Collins works to get him in the lineup going forward.
- Day game Wednesday, with a 1:10 start for the rubber game.
The Reyes promotion smells of Wilpon.
Why now? The team is on a five game winning streak with the incumbent producing and Reyes not really doing well in AA. Reminds us of the switch of Syndergaard’s start a few weeks back the day before his scheduled start, also a home game. There are some people that need to meddle in success.
I know, I know: It’s a business.
He had been just OK,” Collins said. “The 6-for-6 really got him going, and we’re all excited about it. But we’ve got another piece to the puzzle here. And this piece should help us. As you know, you can only play nine guys a night. So we’ll play the best nine guys we think will get the job done that night. The names may change from night to night, but they certainly all will get a chance to play.”
The Mets need a third baseman. Reyes is getting a chance like Loney did. If he doesn’t work out then they should try to trade at the deadline.
Flores summed it up, “We want to win”.
Stanton’s two home runs may be a turning point in the Marlin’s season. If he gets hot , and they get a starter, then the Marlins will be a serious playoff threat. A win this afternoon will keep them in check.
I think Flores struggled most (this season) while being shifted around.
I was hoping Reyes would sit still until he showed some hitting and defense in the minors and D Aza would be odd man out.; Sandy ego notwithstanding.
As was pointed out in chatter last night: this could very well be a Wilpon move for put people in seats and sell merch ahead of any baseball objectives. Reyes clearly not ready. Well behind on low 90s fastballs, weak contact. Its not a recipe for success. Id rather Flores be at 3B. Yes, I said that out loud. Actually, Id rather neither play 3B. This seems like a financial move, not a baseball move. I cant see how Reyes gets us closer to October. All things considered, EY Jr had all the speed we needed, cheap, and would be a bench guy without complaint. Instead Reyes comes in as a starter for a position hes never played, disrupts a suddenly in-sync offense, and takes the jersey number from a guy critical to our cause who waited to get it. Maybe TdA doesnt care, but Reyes is not coming in with a small footprint but his baseball skill presently look like a small impact.
Not a fan of the promotion – felt he needed to be tearing it up in the minors first.
I don’t think this is a move designed to put people in the seats. If it was, it was a dismal failure, as you have to go back 16 home games to find a game in Citi with a lower attendance.
Thought it was at least a little curious that they got Cabrera a day off before sending Reynolds out. Wonder who the next guy besides AC to play SS will be…
I don’t buy the “put people in the seats” theory. But to Brian’s point, the Tuesday night after the long weekend was not going to bring out a lot of fans anyway. We’re all tired and glad to be home.
I think the only way this fails is if the Mets organization allows it to fail.
And that’s the worry.
D’Arnaud comes back and bats 8th, with various (odd) reasons. Reyes comes back and is handed the leadoff spot? That’s strange and disruptive. He should have started in the 8-spot.
The Mets brought back Lee Mazzilli and he was a terrific addition to the ’86 team — because they used him correctly. They didn’t imagine that the previous five years hadn’t passed.
I think Jose Reyes can help the team, and I think he’s a real upgrade over Matt Reynolds. But TC needs to accurately read what he’s got to give and react accordingly. Which, of course, is what scares me, because the early indicators are worrying.
I agree with Metsense on the Reyes situation. Let’s give him a chance, just as was done with Loney. One game does not make Reyes a “bust.” I’ve seen enough of Flores at third to be convinced that his poor footwork and arm are not the recipe for success at this level. Reyes was a relatively cheap option. Let’s see what happens.
Agreed that he should get a chance to find himself, but not a lengthy time, since wins and losses do matter in a pennant race. As for him being an upgrade playing third over Flores, I doubt it. He is more athletic than Wilmer, but likely to be less comfortable in that spot on the diamond.
Those are casually held opinions. Here’s a firm opinion: Jose Reyes, today, is not a guy you move other players around to accommodate. Flores has hit pretty well the last month-plus, and Neil Walker has been one of the better players on this team.
I am not very happy with this development.