The Mets erased their recent three-game win streak by losing their third straight in Colorado, 6-4. The biggest problem in this game was not the six, but the four as the Mets grounded into five double plays, managing to squeeze just four runs out of 15 base runners.
The Mets jumped out to a quick lead on Todd Frazier‘s solo homerun, but then made an early hole for themselves as Steven Matz surrendered a three-run home run to Nolan Arenado in the first inning. The all-world Arenado added a two run-double in the second to pad the lead. Matz settled down from there, holding the Rockies scoreless through the next four innings. His line for the day was not pretty – 5.2 innings, five earned runs on eight hits (including three doubles and a homerun) and two walks to go with six strikeouts.
Matz left with the Mets down 5-1 and Brandon Nimmo helped close the gap a bit in the third with an RBI single. The score held at 5-2 as Tim Peterson pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, but Mickey Callaway decided to pull him in favor of Paul Sewald who quickly gave up a walk and a hit, before giving way to Jerry Blevins who allowed an inherited runner to score on a sacrifice fly. Blevins got two outs and Chris Flexen got the final out of the 8th inning. The Mets scored a run in the 8th on a Wilmer Flores sacrifice fly and another in the 9th when Kevin Plawecki tripled and came into score on a ground out.
The big story of this game was missed opportunities. Amed Rosario popped out with the based loaded in the third and he, Plawecki, Frazier, Flores and Devin Mesoraco all hit into double plays – several of them rally killers. The good news is that the bats seemed to wake up this week so guys are at least getting on base.
The Mets return to Citi Field tomorrow to begin a seven-game home stand against the Dodgers and Pirates. We have 23 games until the All-Star break and 19 of them are at home. Can we try to turn this ugly season around? A 17-6 record in that stretch would get us back over .500. Stranger things have happened in baseball.
I was gonna make a porn joke about all the double plays but I’ll refrain from that Anyway kudos to Matz for rebounding and keeping the Mets in the game after he was dreadful the first two innings. You know in most ballparks five plus innings and five runs allowed is a bad start but in Coors I’d count it as a quality start. Good games from Dom and Conforto they are both coming around and Conforto had an excellent road trip hope he carries it over at home.
17 and 6? The Mets are closer to last place than a WC. I’d be happy with 8 and 9. The bats will go back to sleep. The SP will be inconsistent. And the bullpen? Will still be an enigma. But you never know. So let them play the games and hope for the best.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/06/mets-to-select-drew-smith-kevin-kaczmarski.html Looking forward to seeing Smith and I’ve been very impressed with Tim Peterson and hope he gets put in high leverage spots soon.
Drew Smith and Kevin Kaczmarski are coming up. Sewald and Flexen are going down.
Jose Reyes may finally be getting the boot.
Reyes is going nowhere he will last all year here.
The deadest weight is Marcos Molina. Of only is his velocity down, he got demoted to AA and is still getting killed. If he isn’t the one taken off the 40-man, they are worse than clueless.
Chris Flexen is not a major league pitcher and I think we’ve all seen enough of H.R. (such fitting initials). Smith and Peterson it is.