In a match up between hard-throwing number two starters Noah Syndergaard and Stephen Strasburg, it was the bullpens that determined the outcome of this game. The Mets relievers were mostly up to the task, but the Nats’ couldn’t get anyone out as the Mets tallied seven runs in the last two innings to turn a 4-4 tie into an 11-4 lead. Seth Lugo labored through the ninth, largely due to a botched double play and a bit of wildness of his own, but Edwin Diaz locked it down and the Mets held on to win 11-8.
Neither Syndergaard nor Strasburg pitched particularly well as each coughed up four runs over six innings. Neither starter was helped by a home plate umpire with a strike zone that seamed smaller than the catcher’s mitt. But the story of this game was the Mets offense which came through with big two-out hits and a lot of opposite field hitting. Jeff McNeil led the way with four hits and Pete Alonso had three himself. Michael Conforto and Wilson Ramos each contributed two hits and Dom Smith drove in two runs with a clutch single
The Mets jumped out to an early 3-0 lead courtesy of a two-RBI double by Wilson Ramos and an RBI triple by Jeff McNeil. The Nationals got on the board in the bottom of the first as a soft grounder from Juan Soto slipped through the right side to drive in a run. The Mets brought the score to 4-1 in the second courtesy of a booming Pete Alonso RBI double off the wall. In the third inning Syndergaard gave up a home run to rookie Victor Robles and another RBI single to Soto to cut the Mets lead to 4-3. He’d later surrender the lead in the sixth inning when Kurt Suzuki battled through a tough at bat, fouling off pitch after pitch until a sacrifice fly scored the tying run. Both starting pitchers exited after six innings with the score tied 4-4.
New Met Justin Wilson tossed a smooth 1-2-3 seventh inning and the Mets couldn’t muster a run of the Nationals’ new lefty reliever Tony Sipp so the score remained 4-4 after seven. That would change in the eighth innings as Nationals’ trotted out reliever Trevor Rosenthal. The hard-throwing righty surrendered four earned runs on three hits and a walk without recording an out (that gives him an ERA of infinity). The big blow was as a J.D. Davis bases loaded single that scored two. With the Mets up 6-4, Rosenthal balked in another run before giving way to Kyle Barraclough who promptly gave up a double to Pete Alonso to ratchet up the score to 8-4. Subsequent Washington relievers Matt Grace and Wander Suero didn’t fair much better. The Mets beat up on Suero in the ninth with McNeil driving in a run with a double and Smith knocking in two more with a single.
The bottom of the ninth was ugly and it’s easy to question why Mickey Callaway left Lugo in for the ninth to throw 40 pitches with a seven run lead but the important thing is the Mets have started off 2019 2-0 and have a chance to sweep their division rivals tomorrow with Zack Wheeler facing Patrick Corbin. Let’s go Mets!
It worked out just fine but I really don’t understand why they didn’t pinch run for Ramos in the 8th. The radio team was saying that Rosario couldn’t bunt him over because he would never make it. With him standing at 2B it would take an extra base hit to score Ramos. You’re tied 4-4, get the go ahead run and let the vaunted BP shut them down. Calloway said that a pinch runner matters only 5% of the time and he didn’t want to risk having his only other catcher injured and replaced by McNeil. What is the percentage of that happening?
So does that mean Callaway will never use the backup catcher mid game? Another bad decision by Callaway
I would love to know why Callaway left Lugo in the 9th as long as he did…did Rigglemen have any input to that decision? Did he even agree with it ?
That was a very poor decision…Lugo could have blown his arm out..I’m pissed
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I would have preferred he take him out as well so he could come back on Monday which is probably unlikely now, but blowing his arm out on 40 pitches is a bit of an overreaction in my opinion. Lugo has been a starter and gone multiple innings in relief many times. I agree he should have been taken out though.
Bob, any starter needs to be trained as one and Lugo hasn’t been stretched out for longevity. However, in this case Callaway was a pitcher and a very good pitching coach. It does appear illogical, I agree with you that this is an area he should know much better than us.
Re: Lugo. Lugo’s mess. He was already lost for today. Surely Callaway felt Lugo would get out of it. No need to burn Gsellman. And Lugo just couldnt make it happen. Great decision making? No. Options in that case are less than great. Worked out and Diaz wasnt killed doing it.
Bit mental note: I think the coronations of Syndergaard and Lugo are both premature, by a long shot. Jake is not “ahead” of Noah, he’s 10 country miles ahead of Syndergaard. Lugo is nothing special, just another guy in the pen.