The Braves used a three-run sixth inning to break a tie and went on to defeat the Mets, 7-2, on Wednesday night and take the rubber game of their three-game series. With the loss, combined with a doubleheader sweep by the Nationals, dropped the Mets to fourth place in the NL East.
The Mets ran into two outs on the bases while the Braves cracked two 2-run homers. Freddie Freeman delivered his blast in the first inning and Josh Donaldson hit the tie-breaker in the sixth. Both came off Steven Matz, who seemed to lose his cool too much in the sixth, especially when Freeman reached base on a ball that a more experienced left fielder probably would have caught. That came immediately before Donaldson’s blast.
The first baserunning out for the Mets came when Amed Rosario tried to turn his RBI double into a triple. The second one might have been even more damaging, as the third base coach waved home J.D. Davis on a play where he had no chance of scoring. The throw to the plate arrived when Davis was about half way home. Davis gave a great effort to try to avoid the tag, as he hurdled over the catcher. But Tyler Flowers tagged him on the knee. The Mets challenged the call, a move so clearly wrong that Gary and Ron in the booth were shaking their heads over why they bothered. Instead of having the bases loaded and one out, there were runners on the corners with two outs. Rosario whiffed to end the inning.
The Mets tallied nine hits, with Jeff McNeil, Wilson Ramos and Rosario getting two apiece, and added two walks but could only plate two runs.
It is to bad – we have the talent to at least be respectable. For two years the bullpen has been a shambles because of total mismanagement. I’ve been a fan for 50 years but the last few have been real disasters with terrible signings, way to many injuries and underperforming players. I’ll die a Met fan but I think we need new owners, definitely a new manager and players that care. Being average seems to be the culture of the total organization. Maybe 2020 will be our year.
A few things stood out for me in this game. 1) Matz’ control was off. 2) we wasted too many scoring opportunities between the base running blunders and the lack of clutch hits. 4th place. Sheesh.
matz was supposedly fine the first five innings but really he was lucky. He got some big outs in jams but I don’t think he was all that good and then he showed up his teammate, who granted should have caught the ball but after that Matz got crushed and that’s on Matz and nobody else. Matz has a earned runs average over 4 and continues to give up tons and tons of homers and has whether the ball is juiced or not. I know some still for some reason hold onto hope for him to be a top of the rotation guy, but really he’s a mediocre back end of the rotation guy.
Flexen looked great and has looked like he could’ve a solid piece for the bullpen outside of one bad slider in his two outings and his stiff played up huge. Nogosek gave up soft contact and really should have let Ramos field the grounder. No idea why Mickey went lefty righty down three runs just let the kid try to finish the inning, goodness.
The secondary lead by Davis was dreadful as was the send by the third base coach. Good games from McNeil and Rosario(before he was double switched out), and not much else from the offense.
At some point the team is who they are. This is the new Mets, same as the old Mets. Treading water in purgatory is their way of pretending to go for it. It never changes, and the outcomes almost never change.
Got reaction: poor decisions that were based on a feeling of panic. Rosario trying to stretch a triple with none out, the third base coach sending the runner and saying he do it again, Matz showing up his left fielder and then letting his emotions get the best of him and finally Callaway removing his best reliever in the minors this year because he dropped a ball was that called a hit and he was born right-handed. It would have been better do leave him in and make him accountable for his situation. It was 5 to 2 and if he would have gotten out of it himself it would have been a confident booster. The manager and his staff call this “panic” other words like “aggressive” and “urgent.” In my dictionary it’s called panic.
The Mets left Atlanta in 4th place and lost ground again. The seasoned is slipping away but the schedule allows them to get back into it. Split with the Cubs, win the two series from the Phillies and then sweep the Braves at home. Unfortunately I don’t have the confidence in the inexperienced manager and his staff to achieve this daunting task. All I can do is root for them and grasp at the hope that the season doesn’t end at the All-Star break.
The Mets finished in 4th Place last year. Vegas had the tabbed for fourth place this year. They are now in 4th place again, dropping to 0-6 in rubber games on the road this season. Matz and Wheeler have demonstrated mediocrity over the majority of their careers. The Mets have a bottom two bullpen, bottom two defense, and have to be bottom five in baserunning with the outs they needlessly give away. This is just too much to overcome for the positives like Alonso and McNeil. The Braves are much better than the Mets, and are positioned to be much better for the foreseeable future.
The Mets have staked their longest hopes on Pitching, from the time that Sandy Alderson took the Helm. Bad Luck…Bad Planning????? The Fact is that the Plan for a Dominant Starting Staff has not come together often enough over the past 4-6 years. The Projected “Top” for their collection of Starters has come up dramaticially short. They’re mostly healthy…and they’re mostly “Mneh”.
Their Bullpen plans are in an absolute shambles—some of that is bad health and bad breaks.
Whatever else might be questioned as far as Roster Building Decisions and In Game Tactics, The Pitching People have Pitched so Poorly that all other considerations are absolutely moot.
It’s time to see whether Management has the capacity to measure and decide on building forward. There is no piece to add…there is no time to waste. List your Keepers….take your lumps….build some talent… Trade Out of 2019.
Brian the picture you had with your post said it all for us long suffering Met fans. You almost didn’t need to write anything. Agree with all comments made. If the 3B coach actually said he would send the runner in a similar situation then he should be on the chopping block. Ricky Henderson in his prime would not have scored on that play. On to Wrigley. How many days till NFL players report??
Kevin Kernan in the Post
“That is what makes them the Mets. The roster is not overflowing with big-time talent, they try to take the cheaper way out and convert players to positions they are not that familiar with and in essence set the players and the team up for failure.
Failure can be measured in many ways. Start with not having won a road series since April 1-3.”
There is a lot of collateral implications there. This team is wildly imbalanced and *cannot* win big time. Being perfectly clear here: the team does not have anywhere near enough talent, complementary talent, and balance across the 40 man roster to survive a grueling season. For years Ive talked about the Jeckyll and Hyde Mets…this is who they are. But the lack of a properly constructed roster staffed with every day major leaguers at the minimum will prevent this team from success. Its not that they need to tweak the team with a new pen arm and a righty power bat (the annual concoction everyone thinks will heal the team) in order to have a chance at the post season. This team has no capability of sustained winning because other team easily expose and exploit the roster weaknesses. If Alonso and Diaz have taught us anything its that a pen arm and a right blaster still aint enough.
Defense matters.
Base running matters.
Starting pitching matters.
Relief pitching matters.
Offense matters.
It all matters.
Syndergaard, Matz and Wheeler have not performed as three of the big four. All have been semi-decent or mediocre at best.
Rosario proves day in and day out with his multiple weaknesses in the field, hitting, base running and most importantly decision making that he is a detriment to the team.
Being a seller is creeping up on us again and here we go again with the same results as last year with Callaway at the helm.
But Mike, its not only the same as last year. Just look at the record (and remember the hype) year after year in recent memory (say Alderson years). Its the same nearly every season. This is not a Mickey issue (well partly it is, but read back through the “I hate TC” comments for 7 years. Nothing changes but the names. And the only names that dont change are ownership. Its the least common denominator.
Exactly when did we ever actually witness “5 aces” even though we heard about it for ages? Never.
When have fans complained the skipper was out of touch and could not manage a pen? Every season.
When have we been told by the FO in the winter and spring that the team has 90 win potential and definitely post season? Almost every season.
When have we had issues in hammering square pegs in round holes to get players on the field? Damn near every year.
When has the left side of the IF been an issue? Since years ago.
Who was the last every day major leaguer to play CF? That would be Angel Pagan
Who was the last real every day major league catcher?
How often has the pen been an issue?
I often disagree with you Chris F, but I agree with every statement you make in this post. I also liked your post earlier this week about taking joy from the smaller positives, such as JDG’s CY last year or the development of Smith, McNeil, and Alonso this year.
Talent and square pegs in round holes are issues but playing baseball that would be lambasted in little league is unacceptable. How many times does a dumb player have to make the first or third out at third base without consequences? Everyone makes mistakes, I get it, but there are just way too many. The OF missed the cutoff make half the time. These are inexcusable under any circumstances. Why does this continue in every single game? The opponents don’t do this at the same rate.
The Calculus has Been Pitching and “Patching”, with a Deadline Fill of needs. Reality is that mid-level pitching would have delivered 4 more wins—they’d be 4 games out with possibilities—It’s the Pitching, Stupid!