Curtis Granderson could not have picked a better night to stroke his 300th career home run. With the game tied 4-4 in the eight, Granderson cracked a line drive over the right field wall to give the Mets a 5-4 edge over the Chicago Cubs. It was a comeback effort all night for the Mets, who were down the whole game until Granderson’s strike. The flood gates opened soon after, with Lucas Duda contributing a three-run home run a few at bats later. The final score ended at 9-4. Also contributing to the driving in runs tonight was Juan Lagares with a triple and single, TJ Rivera with a single, and even Steven Matz with a pinch hit single. Yoenis Cespedes also had a pinch hit single.
Matt Harvey had quite an odd start in tonight’s game. There was a notable lack of velocity to his fastball, which garnered attention from not only the broadcasters but Terry Collins alike. After giving up four runs on three home runs, Harvey was pulled after four innings. Surely we will find the cause for Harvey’s lack of velocity later on.
The bullpen provided a solid game for the Mets, putting up zeroes across the board. The combination of Paul Sewald, Fernando Salas, Jerry Blevins, and Addison Reed gave the Mets the opportunity to win this game. My gut reaction is that the bullpen will continue to be strong, especially after an outing like tonight’s.
The injury bug continued to bite the Mets, as Neil Walker suffered a left leg injury running to first on a bunted ball. He will have an MRI tomorrow.
The Mets are back in action tomorrow night against the rival Washington Nationals. Robert Gsellman takes the hill against Gio Gonzales in the first game of a four game series.
I really like seeing Juan Lagares getting more game time, on the field, at bat and on the bases, the triple was a beauty
Certainly an entertaining game. Not only did it feature a great comeback, an historic home run, and some great performances, but also a mysterious injury and a head scratching coaching decision. Vintage Mets.
A very nice start to the tough 11-game stretch, as the Mets won the first series. Now on to the Nationals, who come in having lost 5 of their last 6 games. Can’t blame the bullpen for this last one, although they gave up 5 runs in the previous loss. Mets won 2 of 3 in Washington last time they met. It would be nice if they could win 3 of 4 this time.
Now is a great time to face the Nationals amd gain ground, with the Nationals struggling of late.
It sure was a great game for a Mets fan to enjoy, except this fan missed the game. But in the post-game news conferences, some very concerning things came out:
– Harvey will have his arm looked at as it feels “unresponsive” and “dead”.
– Walker’s injury seems serious and the Mets are concerned.
If Walker is out for an extended period, Flores to 2B, Rosario at SS, and Cabrera/Reyes at 3B would be just what the doctor ordered. But, if Walker will only be out a short while, plug-in Rivera and ride it out.
While it would be awesome to finally see the Rosario call up, Gavin Cecchini is on his way from Vegas, where he has been playing second base.
Granderson is a gamer and his 300th home run was well timed. In his last 26 games he has 5 HR, 325/442/623/1.065 and he plays all outfield positions, bats any where in the order, and is the consummate professional. I appreciate him.
Meanwhile, the Walker injury could be a real blow. In his last 24 games he has 8 HR, 296/394/531/924. Flores is going to have to fill his void in the batting order and that will be a good test to see if he is a player that can be depended on. Regarding Harvey, maybe he should be considered for the bullpen as the long man although that may be too difficult to manage.
It is maddening to watch your closer pitch the 9th inning with a five run lead and the first place team coming into town for the next four games.
Bring on the Nats and lets see what the Mets are made of.
Granderson has something left in his tank—Reyes does not….sadly. He’s one of my all-time favorite Mets.
Harvey…Mid Season Dead Arm?…or Dead Arm?
I love the reaction of The Booth to the Team Structure—they have left Terry’s Roster Short-Sheeted throughout his tenure…I’m surprised to see it now when they’re supposed to contend. It’s a very poor signal to the team.
+1
Theo Epstein: “Perhaps he could have benefited with more seasoning in Triple-A, but we were very confident that Ian Happ would produce better than the player he would be replacing on our roster. So we made the decision to promote him and look forward to Ian becoming a permanent fixture in our lineup. He will make our team better.”
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I don’t dis Alderson just because…
Cubs won’t take winning for granted; Mets would like it, but only if it fits their template.
There is no mistaking that Theo/Jed run a very different ship than Alderson. Sandy will never do that. We need to accept that.
Wait, I just realized something:
If Reyes gets hurt, then Flores is next. Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!