The Mets lost yet another game they should have won tonight, falling 7-5 to the Phillies. The gist of it is that the Mets wasted scoring opportunities, stranding nine base runners, including seven in scoring position. Yes, the Mets surrendered seven runs, but that’s to be expected when injuries and a lack of pitching depth have left this team turning to pitchers who don’t belong in the majors.
In the off-season, while General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen used every available resource to beef up the lineup and bench with probably too much depth, he largely ignored the rotation and instead crossed his fingers that the rotation would remain intact all year. Thus far, it largely has, but every minor injury and missed start has been like a forfeit with the likes of Wilmer Font, Walker Lockett, and Chris Flexen filling in on the mound. All three of these AAAA righties took a turn tonight and the results weren’t pretty.
Lockett got the start and wasn’t bad for five innings, holding the Phillies to just two solo home runs, but Mickey Callaway pushed his luck and let Lockett start the 6th inning, which of course proved to be the fatal mistake. Lockett put two runners on before Callaway pulled him in favor of Wilmer Font. To be fair, Font has been very good in relief. Tonight however, it was his turn to join the batting practice troop. The Mets 5-2 lead quickly turned into a 5-7 deficit as Lockett allowed both inherited runners to score and then coughed up two home runs. Naturally, one of them was hit by Mets nemesis Maikel Franco who hits seemingly half his home runs against us (4 out of 11 this year and 17 of 97 for his career). Font then lost his cool and hit Scott Kingery with a fastball in the shoulder. Phillies Manager Gabe Kapler then lost his cool and got himself tossed out of the game.
Flexen and Robert Gsellman combined for a scoreless 2.1 innings to keep the Mets in it, but we wasted another prime scoring opportunity in the eighth inning. The Mets early lead came courtesy of a 4-hit night by Jeff McNeil (including what looked like a home run but was ruled a ground rule double on fan interference) and solo home runs from Dominic Smith and Amed Rosario. Robinson Cano awoke from his slumber to deliver two hits, but not when it mattered most and he made an error in the field. Pete Alonso and Michael Conforto had plenty of chances to drive in he big runs, but didn’t have it in them tonight.
The good news? No one got hurt or ejected and Callaway didn’t curse at anyone during the post-game report. The series continues tomorrow night with the resurgent Jason Vargas vs. the struggling Nick Pivetta. The Met now sit a season low six games under .500, in fourth place and 9.5 games behind the first place Braves. Good grief.
In other news, Noah Syndergaard pitched five innings in a rehab start in Brooklyn and should be ready to go on Sunday. At least there’s that.
The Mets have a commanding 4 game lead in the loss column on the Marlins.
What are the odds that BVW sits with the 7 Line Army this Tuesday, as he promised?
Cano has that sweet swing where he just drops the bat head and hits it. That ground single goes in the hard hit pct.?
Anyone else wondering what BVW is going to do this winter for an encore?
I don’t think the other MLB teams know that when he said “come get us”, he was just kidding.
I wish the Wilpons had the guts to fire BvW now. I don’t know what he is owed but it can’t be much more than the average player salary of our esteemed bullpen. He’s done enough damage saddling us with Cano and the invisible Diaz while trading away our best prospect. Get somebody like Showalter in here to clean up this mess.
Michael, I concur, but… He just had an A+ draft (I expect Matthew Allan to enjoy his hot dogs next week and then sign on the dotted line after celebrating our nation’s birthday, a nation that gives him the chance at $2.5MM that he can’t be guaranteed again if he turns it down) and everyone thought this bullpen was good enough in March. The problems were injuries and a manager that thinks he’s managing the Mets on MLB The Show.
To me the only mistake BVW has made is an unforgivable one. Maybe to me it’s so big that I can’t see any others, but giving up what he did for a player the Mariners wanted to dump and they couldn’t trade him to anyone else but the Mets, makes all the other mistakes trivial. I’ve tried reasoning on it several times, but I just can’t get over it.
Gus,
Your comments at the top and just above are spot on. Thanks for saving me the keystrokes.
Barring a very very unlikely 14 of 17 type run, it’s winter time in Flushing.
TexasgusCC
Well said.
Gut reaction :when the Phillies win they have the Liberty Bell toll in center field.” For Whom the Bell Tolls, it tolls for thee and in this case the Mets.”
During this 28 game stretch the Mets had to win 8 games against the above 500 teams + 8 games against their division rivals, Phillies and Braves. At this juncture, the Mets have to run the table in order before the All-Star Game to accomplish that. If they lose just one game they should be sellers , evaluate the manager and his staff, evaluate the general manager and determine players should be kept for 2020.
Fonts pitch at the batter’s head was very disturbing to me as a fan. This is incident where the Mets showed their frustration and anger inappropriately. It’s obvious to me that they manager doesn’t have control of his players or himself.
The blame falls on the ownership for not hiring a seasoned GM or at least one with current analytical talent to restock the team with solid players and not an old Cano at a ton of cash and a Lowrie off a career year that he could likely never repeat. Calloway is pushing the buttons he has been given and while we all cringe at many of his moves, if he had some relievers with experience instead of always needing to catch lightening in a bottle with a minor league ready arm, we would be above 500. The lesson is that a few players on the other side of 30 makes sense, but not too many as they are injury prone. Can’t imagine what has happened to Rosario in the field but his bat is not making up for it. Our outfield defense is below average. All that being said, when we step back and admit that we never had a championship caliber team from the start, it has been a joy to watch Alonso, McNeil, Smith and Conforto who gets railed on but is having a good season. Even Ramos is delivering at the plate despite our hopes that he would be better defensively. Can you imagine the revolt we would have had splurging $300 million plus on Harper with the year he is having. A new day, another chance to jump out in front and hold our breath when they take our starter out. Let’s go Mets!
Broadie’s sympathies are with Broadie.
If losing continues, perhaps at the All Star break, Callaway’s job may end.
My open-ended question is how bad must 2019 be, (including downturn from here by Cano) in order to have Broadie terminated?
I understand why Wilpon bought into Broadie’s sakes pitches. Yet will it reach a breaking point?
I’m not optimistic that ownership will change.
The franchise needs a reset. I’d accept a change of GM & Manager —anything is better than status quo.
Broadie is poison. Callaway weak.
The franchise history and loyal fan base deserves a significant change.
We’ve long suffered losing —especially from young players who give it their all.
The Cano “style” harms team psychology and infuriates fans.
Alonso will confine to be plunked & pitched away so that Broadie can keep Cano in his “comfort zone.”
Disgraceful.
If the Mets get swept by the Phillies, perhaps, Callaway could be out now.
Cano looks like an old man on the field. He doesn’t run and he looks like a brick in the field. Worst, is that he really looks like he doesn’t want to play.
The Met defense is very poor. Worst in the majors in throwing out runners. Rosario is almost dead last in fielding amongst shortstops. We have no true center fielder.
Mets have some really good key players, but the rest could be jettisoned. Id like to have Kevin Kiermaier patrolling center field.
Lets make some trades and beef up the team for 2020.
Did any of you know that Cespedes has a brother who just left Cuba named Yoelkis. Maybe Yoelkis can take his brothers place.