Double your pleasure, double your fun.
The Mets came into tonight’s game twelfth in the National League in doubles, having only hit 34. They hit more than a quarter of that against the Braves. Here was the story to this game: the Mets hit nine doubles and went 12-for-20 with runners in scoring position. That doesn’t happen too often around here. They were able to outhit a shaky outing by Jacob deGrom and some sheer boneheadedness on the bases.
As they have the last three nights, the Mets got started right away. Consecutive doubles — naturally — by Michael Conforto and Asdrubal Cabrera gave the Mets a quick 1-0 lead against the buddha, Bartolo Colon. Jay Bruce walked and Neil Walker followed with — what else? — a double, chasing home another run. Curtis Granderson popped out to short and Jose Reyes did the same, but Walker lost track of the outs and was running on contact. Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson doubled him off with ease. deGrom had a clean first inning and gave up only a looping base hit to Tyler Flowers in the second. The Mets stretched their lead to 5-0 in the third when Cabrera was hit by a pitch leading off. After an out, Walker drew a pass, Granderson hit a double and both Reyes and Rene Rivera singled. T. J. Rivera then hit a fly ball to right. Reyes broke toward third, but when Nick Markakis made the catch, he moseyed his way back to second. Swanson chased him down and put the tag on before he could get back to the bag and another bigger inning was scuttled. The Braves plated their first run in the bottom half on a Swanson walk and two-out singles by Adonis Garcia and Freddy Freeman. At this point, where deGrom should have been cruising, he looked anything but comfortable. In the bottom of the fourth, he gave up a leadoff base hit to Markakis, another single to Flowers and got Jace Peterson to hit into a big double play. But two-out situations were not deGrom’s friend tonight. He walked Swanson for the second time and gave up a long triple to pinch-hitter Emilio Bonifacio and this game was a disturbing 5-3. The Mets gave themselves some breathing room, though, in the fifth, scoring four runs off hapless reliever Josh Collmenter, with three singles, two doubles and a sacrifice fly by Reyes. But the Braves just would not go away, getting two of those runs back in the bottom of the fifth, again with two outs. Matt Kemp singled, Flowers walked and Peterson hit a double and suddenly, it was back to 9-5. It was here that the Mets’ bullpen decided to assert itself.
Josh Edgin pitched a 1-2-3 sixth. Addison Reed pitched a 1-2-3 seventh, Collins wisely waving him in to face the middle of the Atlanta order. Fernando Salas had kind of a rough go in the eighth, but by then, it didn’t matter. The Mets batted around in the top of the eighth, with a bunch of singles, doubles and walks, plating seven runs against Eric O’Flaherty and Matt Wisler. Josh Smoker pitched a shutdown ninth and an uncomfortable, sloppy, lopsided win was in the books.
The Mets will send Zack Wheeler to the mound tomorrow, looking to take three-of-four from their ancient foes.
Prosperity seems to disagree with this team. While scoring 16 runs, they still manage to look bad because their heads aren’t in the game. In the first month, it seems Reyes has been king of the mental error – whether it’s passive defense or some head scratching offensive play – But we all know that Collins never takes inventory of the team.
Tomorrow the Georgia native looks to have a good showing, and the bullpen needs at least seven innings because we know Montero won’t last too long on Friday. Funny reading the article on the Vegas-Tacoma game lists Montero as the starter Thursday night in Vegas.
How many frequent flyer miles you guys think Gilmartin has so far? Flores deserves a chance to show himself. A couple of weeks of consistent playing time should give him the chance to show that he is the better solution right now than what the Mets are trying at 3B.
“the bullpen needs at least seven innings”
Gus, you are a comic.
“he is the better solution right now than what the Mets are trying at 3B.”
unless it was me at 3B that could never be true. Flores is incapable of playing 3B.
On one hand I agree with TexasGusCC about Reyes. However he is starting to hit and the Mets deep down, in my opinion, want him to leadoff and move conforto to the 3 hole.
Gut Reaction: Bats are waking up and we’ve seen in the past that this team can hit well in streaks. Perhaps the bats can carry for 2 months until Lugo, Matz come back and Harvey builds strength.
Then pitching wins it until Noah comes back.
Ambitious? Probably.
Last year, 87 wins got them to Game 163.
The Mets are a good team. They need to scratch and claw and play hard — really hard — to get to .500. They need to put up solid weeks, solid months.
It will be messy and ugly and disappointing at times.
And the hope is that at the end of July the rotation is healthy and fully-functioning with Noah, Jake, Matt, and Matz (assuming a Wheeler shut down around that time). Maybe a fortified bullpen.
Then with some luck, they win that stupid “play-in” game.
It’s all still possible, though the flaws that have existed all along are more obvious than ever.
It’s reasonable to hope.
Even the NL East is not over yet. Though, well . . .
Looking at the rampant mediocrity which is currently the National League, it seems very likely 83 or 84 wins may well be good enough to get to Game 163 this year.
Unless of course one believes the Rockies and D’Backs are legit.
I neglected to mention: 16 runs, 0 homers.
Seventh game in a row where they scored at least five runs. And four more shutout innings from the bullpen. Robles, Blevins and Familia rested for Thursday. Maybe Zack Wheeler can give six innings.
In the chatter we determined that Flores was 3-32 against pitchers not named Wei-Yin Chen this season.
He’s overdue. He’s going to be a bigger beast in May than he was last June. You will be a believer. Chris too. But as for Name…
I enjoyed this game, even though the starter could only pitch five innings and the two bonehead plays at second base. 16-5 will do that for me. 4-2 on this road trip with a chance at being 3 of 4 at Suntrust Park and set a tone for the new stadium.
Reed and Collins had a “discussion” after the 7th inning where it is surmised that Reed didn’t like being used in the 7th. I would agree with TC that Reed facing the heart of the Atlanta order was a good choice in a close game but with a four run lead, Reed never should have been in the game in the first place.
Smoker pitched well last night but sending Gilmartin down when the team needs a stretched out pitcher that can offer multiple innings (even if they are sub optimal) is confusing to me.
The Rivera Twins had a nice game also.
I believe in the long man concept whole-heartedly. But you need an actual pitcher who can do it.
When Noah could only throw one inning, it was Gilmartin’s moment and he failed to give the club three full innings. He has been terrible-abysmal for over a year.
The habit of going back to the same players, over and over, feels lazy.
Gilmartin is no Darren Oliver.
BTW, Jake didn’t look right to me.
Win aside, the baserunning gaffs by Walker and Reyes made me angry…and even more concerned about the engagement of this Roster.
Even the un-talented early Collins teams played competitively to their talent level, and the last two seasons have been noteworthy almost only because of the tenacity and full engagement of all the players.
There are several players in “Walk Years”, including Reyes and Walker. I rang my first alarm a short time ago when the team played lifelessly after a day off….. I am ringing the alarm again…Louder!!!
With Wheeler, who has problems going deep into games, and Monterey, who just has problems, pitching on Thursday and Friday, the Mets might need a new long man (men?). Perhaps Robles. What about Tyler Pill?