They barely needed to show up.
This was the day that Jacob deGrom was to make his “recovery start,” the start that would salve all the unease in Mets fans’ minds, the start that would make everyone say, “Hey, Jake’s back! Everything’s going to be OK!” Of course, Jake is not back, having gone on the Injured List on Friday with a “barking elbow,” and may or may not have an MRI on Monday — there are conflicting reports — which everyone hopes will reveal no structural damage. Instead, we got Chris Flexen. Given his track record, the offense would simply have to outhit him, a tall order since he’d be opposed by Miles Mikolas. That did not happen.
The Cardinals opened the scoring in the second when Jose Martinez singled with one out and old buddy Yadier Molina did the same. Dexter Fowler’s slow roller to Robinson Cano at second advanced them. Kolten Wong was intentionally passed to get to Mikolas. On the first pitch to him, catcher Wilson Ramos had a slider squirt between his legs for the first run. Mikolas poked a hit up the middle and two more crossed. After a walk to Matt Carpenter, Paul Goldschmidt flew out to right to finally end that part. Through three innings, all the Mets’ offense had to show was two walks — though St. Louis shortstop Paul DeJong robbed hits from Amed Rosario and Pete Alonso. It would get worse for Flexen.
DeJong led off the third with a hard double to left and Marcell Ozuna walked. Martinez roped a single to center and the Cards led it 4-0. Molina flied out to deep center to plate Ozuna. Fowler flew out to left — Jeff McNeil fighting the sun — and Wong lined right to Nimmo. Cano finally got the Mets’ first hit to start the fourth, but was left stranded when Michael Conforto popped out to DeJong, Wong stole a base hit from Ramos and McNeil flew out to right. That was their best scoring chance, until the top of the seventh. But the Cardinals weren’t quite finished with Flexen just yet.
Ozuna led off the fifth with a walk and stole second when Flexen failed to step off on the early jump. Martinez lined a ball off Flexen’s hip that moved Ozuna to third. He’d score when Molina snaked a single through the drawn-in infield. That ended Flexen’s day. Luis Avilan came in and got Fowler to hit into a force and Wong to fly out to center. He couldn’t get through the sixth, though. Mikolas struck out leading off and Carpenter drew a walk. After Goldschmidt struck out, DeJong boomed a double over Brandon Nimmo’s head in center. Jacob Rhame came in and walked Ozuna and gave up a loud double off the top of the left field fence by Martinez, scoring two more.
At long last, the Mets got to Mikolas in the seventh. With one out, McNeil legged out an infield hit, Rosario followed with a triple and J.D. Davis grounded out to score Rosario. They got another injury scare, though, when a Mikolas fastball clipped Alonso’s right hand on a swing in the eighth. Just for the heck of it, Goldschmidt drilled a homer to left off Paul Sewald to lead off the bottom half of the inning.
Flexen will presumably find himself back on the Syracuse Shuttle tonight. We expect better from Noah Syndergaard tomorrow afternoon, when he squares off against Dakota Hudson.
“It is far too early to hit “Panic” on the Mets rotation.”
Oh, really?
The season is just 1/8th over, but I could see us settling into 4th place again by the time May rolls around. As in seasons past, we are getting the predicted worse case scenarios from our bullpen, and now; our starters. Not even 20 games in, and we are shuttling warm bodies from Syracuse to put on the mound. I also see nothing positive occurring with the return of either Frazier and Lowrie from the IL; they’ll just take playing time from the future in the form of McNeil and Alonso. My dread of Cano on 2B is also coming true; money wasted which should have addressed our other needs like a deeper staff.
This roster is flawed, the pitching is weak, and Calloway isn’t a big league manager. Good thing I’ll be out of country for a couple of months during the season, I just can’t see me taking time viewing this team.
Would you have rather spent the money and years on Kimbrel than on Cano and not have a stud like Diaz?
That’s only part of the equation.
McNeil would be the starting 2B and we wouldn’t have to worry every time a ball was hit to LF.
In this time when we’re looking for a depth starter, we would have the option for Justin Dunn.
And a few years down the road, we would have the stud CF we crave with Jarred Kelenic. After a brutal start, he’s up to an .858 OPS.
So, yeah, all things considering – I would rather have Kimbrel.
If it were an option, we’d have been better served forfeiting this game – no risk of injury, no wasted pitchers, and a day off for everybody.
Speaking of wasted pitchers, I still feel pretty good about the core of our bullpen. The primary 5 guys are all good or at least can be, but it takes more than that, especially with our rotation floundering. That second tier group that includes Avilan and all the guys shuttling back and forth have been absolutely putrid. Like batting practice. Still awaiting their tuen in Syracuse are Zamora, Bashlor, Hanhold and Santiago. Somebody has to step up or we’ll need to make a move.
Matt, turn that frown upside down. Let me handle this.
And the next contestant on the Price Is Right? Come on down Daniel Zamora!!!!
Today is 20 April.
In the off-season I must have read in 10 different places about what a coup it was to nab Avilan on the cheap. So far he looks like garbage. And the last spot in the bullpen has been a total disaster. May as well let the batting practice pitcher have a turn. As Gary Cohen pointed out, the bullpen is holding leads but when they enter the game down a few runs they never give the team a chance. 0-4 always turns into 0-8.
The deeply troubling part of this: 0-4 always turns into 0-8
is the 0-4. The Mets have the worst ERA for SP in baseball I believe. I think the pen was way over hyped, but the SP depth ranks as a critical concern. Its not like deGrom and Syndergaard starts end in wins every time.
Overall we have -17 run differential, and a positive record…but thats very hard to sustain.
Gut Reaction: BVW stop and think.(you too Fred and Jeffey) You have a good team that can and should win the division. Why are you happy when the 5th starter occasionally pitches a good four inning game? The reality is that Vargas is your mop up man, that your Syracuse starters are not MLB ready and Keuchel should be your 4th starter.
A .556 winning percentage should winning the division. That is only one game over .500 for every 20 played. Eleven wins to nine losses. The Mets are going to lose a lot of games so tame the criticism and enjoy the accomplishments. LGM