The Yankees captured Game 1 of the 2017 Subway Series with a 4-2 win over the Mets Monday night in the Bronx.
This game had a little bit of everything. There was a surprisingly strong outing from Rafael Montero, shut down relief pitching for the Yankees, five solo homers and a run scored on a sacrifce fly to short left thanks to aggressive baserunning.
Montero did what we’ve been asking him to do since 2014 – pitch inside. And the results were encouraging. Against a Yankees team that is second in the AL with 5.16 runs per game, Montero attacked inside and cruised through the first three innings. Keith Hernandez noted that the Yankees hitters were frustrated with the amount of inside pitches.
Two walks led to a run in the fourth inning against Montero. With the bases loaded, he induced a pop to shallow left but Aaron Hicks decided to test the arm of Yoenis Cespedes, who threw the ball slightly off target. Hicks was able to slide past the diving tag of Rene Rivera.
The other run allowed by Montero came on a homer to Aaron Judge, who took a thigh-high pitch on the outside half to right field. Montero finished with 6 IP, 2 ER, 2 BB and 6 Ks.
The Yankees hit two solo homers in the eighth inning for the win. Rivera called for an inside pitch but Hansel Robles missed badly and the ball was deposited for a homer by Hicks. Gary Sanchez also went deep against Erik Goeddel.
Curtis Granderson and Cespedes hit solo shots for the Mets in the third inning for the club’s only runs. The Yankees got 4.2 scoreless innings from their bullpen, with eight strikeouts (including a gift to end the game), to clinch the win.
Unsurprisingly, Curtis Granderson is gathering trade proposals. It is shocking it took so long to see how good he has been, but now they are coming around. He deserves credit both for his on field performance and off field support of the youngsters.
Montero was tremendously impressive…. He attacked In, In, In…he Elevated…. he executed his Secondary Pitches. Whatever the route to this new “personality”, I hope it’s something he can capture and bring forward.
Montero was good last night and had a Quality Start. Where is he in regard to 2018? He is out of options so he will have to make and stick with team in 2018. His arm is too “live” to be passed up by another team on a send down in 2018. They should look to move him now when some playoff contending teams may bite and at least get back an A league pitcher with potential. If they wait to trade him this winter, every team will wait for him to get cut in the spring and claim him for nothing.
Granderson has been a good player and his stock is going up. Hopefully the Mets could move him to allow Lagares/Nimmo the playing time as neither player looks like they can fill the 2018 starting center field spot at this point.
Definitely need to see Nimmo/Lagares play more.
I don’t believe that would be a satisfactory solution to CF for a championship contender. Or honestly, any ML team.
Before they part ways with Nimmo, they need to see him play on some kind of consistent basis. Kid has been given no real opportunity to succeed at ML level. At same time, it’s not a birthright.
With Lagares, Mets either eat a ton of salary and give him away, or keep him as a useful 5th outfielder. Might as well keep him, I guess.
I like Montero and I still think his best chance for success comes with another team. But I don’t see how a playoff contending team can gamble on him at this point.
But I don’t see how a playoff contending team hasn’t pulled the trigger on Granderson, so what do I know…
I’m seeking clarification here, regarding Montero’s chance of success being better with another organization.
Two things:
1) The Mets have surely given him many chances to succeed, the same way they have with many other pitchers; in terms of opportunity, the Mets have not held him back;
2) So your comment only makes sense to me because, based on other statements over the years, you feel he’s been misused by Sandy Alderson’s organization. Poorly coached, mistreated, ill-advised, something. Or do you think he simply needs to go to a team without playoff aspirations? Would his chances be better in Boston? And if so, why?
In theory, I agree that some players might find themselves in bad situations, but usually that’s about opportunity. Or about perspective: For Shawn Green in Toronto, and John Olerud in Toronto, it was about management’s view of the player. What’s the problem, in your view, with the Mets and Montero?
There are at least six starting pitchers that the Mets would prefer to use instead of Montero and seven/eight if you count Gsellman and/or Flexen. Maybe Montero has a leg up on those last two being out of options but assuming everyone is healthy that’s still a bullpen assignment in 2018, waiting for the inevitable injury or five. And that’s if the team doesn’t sign a starter in the offseason. If you believe he’s a starting pitcher, it’s better to go to an organization that will let you start and not wait for a bunch of injuries.
Last night was Montero’s 22nd start in the majors and the first time that they consistently called pitches besides low and away. It was obvious to me that they were hurting him with their pitch calling back in 2014, as I said here – https://mets360.com/?p=23160. So, they’ve wasted nearly three years of him, with nothing but horrible results because they insisted that he pitch to one spot only. We don’t know who calls the pitches. But the Mets have utilized a bunch of different catchers in that span but the same manager and pitching coach. It seems many people think Montero calls his own pitches, which makes no sense to me.
Is it the start of a new pattern? Man, let’s hope so. Even if it is, and he has similar success to last night for the rest of the season, which is miles from a sure thing, it still seems like an uphill climb for a rotation spot on Opening Day 2018.
The Mets kicked in almost $1.8 million in the Walker trade. Not to garner a good prospect in return, but simply to execute a deal and save an additional $3 million. Which, hey, I’m all for draining the swamp.
The Brewers began the season with the lowest payroll in baseball at $60 million.
If Mets were interested in getting a quality prospect in return, they would have kicked in more money to a cash-strapped team.
Remember when Parnell and Wright dumped Syndergaard’s clubhouse meal during Spring Training?
I don’t think anybody will try that with D. Smith.
As a longstanding rule, which calcified during the time of since Jason Tyner, I have no use for players who can’t get XBH. I can live with a low amount of homers, but at least show me you can drive a ball into the gap — or score a runner from 2B on a single.
But I can’t fail to notice what Luis Guillorme has accomplished in AA this season. He’s a guy with a great glove who, to date, has shown an uncanny knack for getting on base, earning walks.
My core belief is those walks dry up at the ML level when a batter holds no threat to do any damage. His OBP is up to .380 and it has made me wonder if maybe this glove/good guy could make it as a utility player for the Mets.
And then I think: Nope. He’s a career .330 SLG and that just doesn’t fly.
If he had speed, if he stole bases, he could have been a Luis Castillo. And the answer at leadoff. Too bad. Everything you hear about this individual is that he’s a leader, a respected player. But I think he’s jumping as high as he can to bump his head on a very low ceiling. My sympathies.
Cespedes seemed surprised that Hicks took off for the plate and was a beat slow in getting rid of the ball. He also failed to even attempt to run to first after flailing away at a pitch of about 56 feet which was at least 2 ft. outside.
Cabrerra showed no inclination whatsoever to hustle (or even run for that matter) to first on a very wild ball four. He was also slow in getting to Gardner’s ground and then tried to glove it and throw it rather than trying to flip it with a scoop.
And these are two guys for Rosario (and I suppose Smith as well) to watch and learn from? Seems like a recipe for disaster.
BTW, the final pitch of the game wasn’t even close to being a strike. Way outside. MLB must find a way to correct the two dozen or so blown ball and strike calls in every game. It is really bad.
Pet peeve: I was taught that in a tag situation that outfielder should, when possible, strive to position himself so that he is behind the ball, momentum moving forward as he catches the ball, with his glove directly over his throwing shoulder.
That’s the textbook.
Most outfielders don’t do that, with most catching the ball on their glove side then bringing it all the way across the body — a sideways movement, not a forward one — and then throwing the ball as hard as they can.
Oh well.
I think with guys like Cespedes, you have to take the whole player. I personally think that a man with his history of leg injuries should “coast” from time to time. Foolishly busting all out on every play may satisfy some fans, but he’s a guy who has to pick his spots. You have to accept the whole package or, I guess, not. Strawberry got many of the same type of complaints. He was no Wally Backman. Which, all things considered, was a good thing.
The last call was a bad one. Stuff happens. Baseball has to stop trying to correct every little thing. In order to win it’s fine with me if you have to handle some bad breaks. Overcome them.
And they need to correct the big thing — that the product has become boring and overly long with too little action.
Many of the things brought into play by analysis have combined to make for a lousier game: strike outs are fine, long counts are good, defense doesn’t matter, speed is overrated, stolen bases are overrated, bunts are dumb, specialized roles in bullpen created advantages, etc.
None of them are “wrong,” but all of them — each one — contributes to a slower, emptier viewing experience. Add instant replay and you’ve got a game that is dying on the vine.
Need to expand the strike zone—it will take away some long balls—force batters to swing and put the ball in play.