Despite a passionate showing of emotion from manager Mickey Callaway, the Mets were unable to sustain the momentum, as they lost to the Braves 8-2.
The evening started out with Zack Wheeler dueling against Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz. Throughout the night Wheeler found himself in situations where he had to pitch his way out of jams. Early in the game, Wheeler was able to do so, and through the first five innings his only mistake was a pitch he left up against Freddy Freeman that was launched for a home run. The sixth inning was where everything began to melt for the Mets, and Wheeler’s stat line became ugly because of it.
Over 5.2 innings, Wheeler struck out two and walked four while giving up six earned runs. Wheeler was left in even through his struggles. This may be due to the fact that Callaway was ejected in the top of the inning, which could have thrown a wrench in the plans of the night. Callaway was ejected for arguing balls and strikes while Jay Bruce was at the plate for the Mets.
Maybe seeing his manager get passionate inspired Bruce, because in the same at-bat, he launched a double to drive in two runs and give the Mets a 2-1 lead at the time. As it has been for the majority of this streak of extremely poor play by the Mets, they limited their scoring to only one inning. My Gut Reaction is that this team will not be able to break out of their slump until they learn to spread their run production out over more than one inning. Of course, to be able to spread the runs, you need to be able to score them first.
The rest of the Mets offense was stagnant for the entirety of the night, as a team they only amassed three hits. Besides Bruce’s double, Devin Mesoraco and Dom Smith each smacked a single in the ballgame.
Paul Sewald came in for 1.1 innings of relief, and allowed 2 earned runs over that span of time. Jacob Rhame came in for a solid bottom of the eighth inning, striking out one.
Following the loss, the Mets have dropped eight of their 11 games to the Braves this season, and their overall record drops to 28-35. They will have to bounce back quickly tomorrow, and they have just the man in line to do so. Jacob deGrom will take the mound for the Mets at 12:10 tomorrow, as he takes on Mike Soroka at SunTrust Park.
Wheeler wasn’t great but wasn’t anywhere near as bad as line suggests. If Cabrera catches Mesoraco’s strong throw then Wheeler finishes his outing with a quality start. Eiland and the bench coach really hung Wheeler out to dry by keeping him in for two too many batters when Wheeler was done, terrible job by the coaching staff.
On a day when Alderson took responsibility for what everyone blames him, Callaway showed us what the real problem is: There are no leaders in the coaching staff and no previous managerial experience to guide the rookie manager. When Wheeler was teetering, ESPN was showing DiScarcina and Eiland talking and going on the top step and coming off it; they were indecisive. Eiland had just visited a tiring Wheeler and decided to leave him in.
Callaway got thrown out arguing that Nimmo didn’t lean into the plate when a pitch from the lefty hit him but the home plate umpire wouldn’t give him first base. Nimmo walked on the next pitch anyway, but Callaway had enough of his guys not getting any breaks. Then, following an error by Swanson off Cabrera’s bat, Bruce hit a fastball down the pipe into left center field for a ground rule double. He should have hit that pitch to the moon.
I was hoping for a pinch runner for the gimpy Cabrera at that point since it was the sixth inning, but no such luck. Then, Cabrera cost them the game by not only getting caught off third on a grounder down the line to the third baseman where he tagged Cabrera and threw to first for a double play, but Cabrera dropped a sure caught stealing throw from Mesoraco on Enciarte prolonging the inning and setting things up for the grand slam.
Extra outs + bad base running + out talented = A wipeout loss.
Wheeler pitched pretty well…and then he failed to get an out when he and his team needed it— that’s baseball. He has looked better and better over the past 3-5 starts… increased velocity and much more aggressive.
I’m becoming hopeful at the prospect that they may establish “something”… a Starting Rotation for 2019?
It’s a re-build if you have nothing in place to carry to the next year. Although they’re losing, they provide some hope that they are establishing 3-5 productive pitchers…. add a young core of Conforto and Rosario and Nimmo and you would have something to build and augment.
If it cannot be about “Pennant”, 2018 can set the table for a 2-3 year success.
Sewald is following Salas’s last year’s season arc to a tee. Started off really strong, relied heavily, and then just falls apart due to overuse/fatigue/exposed
He had a 1.98 ERA in 13.2 IP in April but since May it’s been 6.65 in 23 IP. Kind of a microcosm of the entire Mets bullpen.
I think we need to phantom DL him or just DL him with arm fatigue so he can take 2 weeks off for rest and recover.
Also Wheeler continues to live a charmed life. Despite stinking it up for over a year now, he continues to receive all love and no criticism because people “see” something in him despite all the damning evidence against him. I don’t get it
Correction. Callaway was ejected for arguing with the home plate ump’s call that Nimmo did not make an attempt to avoid HBP and counted it as a ball. Given that it was a wild curveball, I thought this was a lousy call. How many times have we seen Utley lean into a pitch and get away with it?
With the previous day off, DiSarcina could have gone with Gsellman, Swarzak or even Blevins – all better options then the struggling Sewald. With the bases loaded how do you throw a 90mph fastball right down the middle? We already have one Hansel Robles. We don’t need another, Mr Sewald.
I respectfully disagree with the author that the only mistake Wheeler made was to Freeman. In two instances with Enciarte he had two strikes on him only to throw a way too hittable pitch for RBI bloopers to left. The second one was especially crushing — 0 and 2 and if he gets the out it’s 2-2 going to the seventh. Quite simply, poor situational pitching both times.
Once again the home plate umpire was atrocious. Not only was the call on Nimmo obscenely ridiculous, obvious balls and strikes were missed from the first inning throughout the entire game.
On replay glance, I was ok with the Nimmo Call. Stand there and get Plunked and you’re probably ok…but when you obviously do an Elbow Bunt, you take the plunk and you don’t get to go to 1st base.