Going into today, the New York Mets were 2-10 in Sunday home games this season. Giancarlo Stanton and his Miami Marlins ensured that record would not improve. The Mets suffered yet another loss this Sunday, falling to the Marlins 6-4. Misplayed defense and squandered offensive opportunities led to the loss. On the mound, Jacob deGrom allowed five earned runs over 6.1 innings. He walked none and struck out eight.
Three of the runs he allowed probably should not have happened though. In the seventh inning, with a man on first, Adam Conley dropped a bunt down in an attempt to move Miguel Rojas over from first. Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud could have went to second, possibly starting a double play, but instead chose to throw to first. On the next play, Dee Gordon grounded a ball to rookie Amed Rosario, and was safe at first after Rosario took his time with the throw. Stanton batted next, and blasted a three-run homerun. My Gut Reaction is that Rosario will learn from this, and will be more urgent with his throws. In the same inning, Yoenis Cespedes dropped a fly ball, leading to another run. To say the defense lost the game would be an understatement.
On the offensive side of the ball, Cespedes delivered a solo home run in the first. They wouldn’t muster much until the eighth inning, when they rallied for three runs. Cespedes also hit a double, as did Brandon Nimmo. Gavin Cecchini, Rosario and d’Arnaud also produced hits today, d’Arnaud with two hits. The bullpen continued their strong work, and their unearned run streak is up to fifteen innings. The Mets welcome the Arizona Diamondbacks tomorrow at 7:10, when Robert Gsellman will take the hill.
It is better that Rosario made his mistake in August 2017 when the games don’t matter. He should learn from this mistake. Cespedes has no excuse for his mistake. As a team leader he should be setting an example for these newer players. Cespedes has already led this team offensively to a World Series and playoff game but his biggest challenge maybe teaching this team to play hard and with pride during a losing season. If he does that then he could enhance his Met legacy.
Remember when earlier this year we commented on how Jose Reyes didn’t leave the ondeck circle to motion to Jay Bruce to slide at home? And another time Walker didn’t do the same when deGrom was running? Seems that all year the Mets as a team don’t seem to have a focus. Whether it’s Cespedes today or hearing Howie Rose yesterday commenting on Cespedes running down the line on his grounding into a double play when Rose said, “It didn’t seem like Cespedes was running as hard as we have seen him run at other times”, or Rene Rivera not shifting his body much but only reaching with the glove and allowing wild pitches and passed balls, or even Bruce not running to a foul pop that the wind blew back fair, this team hasn’t had “its head in the game” all year.
It is a long, hard season from a mental standpoint and a deceptively simple game. Every team will have these mental lapses and we should be cautious about making huge conclusions based on isolated incidents.
However:
* Yes, on Rosario learning now. He’s got that glove tapping habit and it needs to go away.
* I thought Bruce played hard all season.
* Catching is just really, really hard.
* Cespedes, shrug on individual plays. But I agree that how he comports himself overall does matter and makes a statement. At same time, not the guy that anybody should be looking to for cues. He’s the thoroughbred in the barn; guys like Nimmo, etc., need to look elsewhere.
* I’ve not been at all impressed by Jose Reyes this season. He needs to go away.
* Felt same way about Neil Walker, who is a good player, but. I’m tired of the “not too high, not too low” guys. I mean, I get it: long season, need to be consistent. But some of these players are as steady as a flatline, Medic! Paddles, now!
* I think team needs to make a cultural shift. Manager must go, coaches must go, wish the GM would go, and a number of new players must be brought into the organization.
* And yes, at the end of the day, these little things are only little things. Without the pitching, the defense, the hitting, none of it matters. Winning teams always look and behave better than losing teams. Not sure if it’s cause-and-effect so much as the nature of the game.
Jim, I agree with everything you said and even the line that says catching is really, really hard. But, when it’s made harder by lazy fundamentals and that is allowed, that’s a problem.
My comment was not to point out certain individuals, as I’m sure there were more examples, it rather as you wrote show a pattern throughout the year of ineffective leadership.
Winning teams look good because they don’t jog after fly balls, they slide over and block balls in the dirt, they run out grounders without taking anything for granted, they run down to first on strike three in the dirt to force the opponent to make a play, and they know the speed of a batter before the ball is hit to them. In other words, they consistently “look good” because they consistently play good baseball. Sure, from time to time they will make bad plays, but over the course of 162 games for good teams, that is the exception, not the rule.
No more complicated than that.
Perfectly said Pete.