The Mets’ bullpen allowed five runs in the seventh inning and after taking the lead in the top of the inning, they ended up on the wrong end of a 6-4 score against the Braves Wednesday night in Atlanta.
Steven Matz was cruising, having retired the last 14 batters he faced. But Matz ran the bases in the seventh inning, which apparently made it worthwhile for Mickey Callaway to replace him, even though he had only thrown 79 pitches.
Callaway went to Seth Lugo, who did not have his good stuff. And the Braves put together a bunch of singles, only one of them truly hit hard.
But, unless Matz told Callaway that he was gassed, it’s hard to say this was a good move that just didn’t work. Lugo has only pitched three innings once this season, back on May 4. Was Callaway going to trust a one-run lead in the ninth to Edwin Diaz or Jeurys Familia? The move seemed myopic, at best.
The Mets staged a comeback in the ninth inning, scoring two runs and aided by an overturned call that left the bases loaded and one out. But Wilson Ramos and Michael Conforto struck out in back-to-back ABs to end the game.
And someone tell Pete Alonso that the second baseman is allowed to field ground balls, too.
Matz had about a 10 minute breather after scoring when they were tending to the catcher. No reason to lift him.
And we all enjoyed the fairy tale run they had but they played teams that had losing records during that time and got a lot of fans believing they were better than they are. Reality check! They’re not. Playing a team with a winning record shows us they’re very flawed and Callaway still doesn’t know what he’s doing. Unfortunately we’ll be settling back into fourth place soon. I loved seeing clips of the Mets beating teams and how packed Citi field was… I had goosebumps! I wish that would be a sight come October but…..
Well that game was something else with both bullpens blowing up but the Mets bullpen having its doors completely blown off while the Braves bullpen barely and I mean barely holding on. If Steven Matz got hurt on the bases well what can you do? You can’t beat on Callaway because he went to his best reliever but if Mickey pulled Matz for no real reason he’s a bloody fool. Matz pitched a terrific game keeping the Braves off balance with a steady diet of changeups, curves and sliders. He dominated even the tenuous top of the lineup.
Lugo got a little beat up but only one ball was hit over 90 mph off of him and Ramos not tagging Joyce out and Alonso once again for like the fourth time on a week running after the second baseman’s ball was once again costly. I’m not sure what Pete’s thinking but he’s gone after balls like that again and again lately and it cost them especially dearly today.
The Mets ninth inning might have gone differently if the ump didn’t make a terrible 2-0 strike call on Alonso that changed the course of Alonso’s at bat that said, Carmago gave them extra life and Ramos and Conforto had hideous at bats to end the game. Conforto between 2017-2018 put up a 112 wRC+ vs lefties but this year has been helpless vs lefties and even a give up at bat against them at times.
This road trip feels like the tipping point from wild card contention to oblivion with McNeil out.
There had to be a good reason why Matz was taken out. (I hope)
Atlanta is a really good young solid fundamentally sound team.
To my dismay, they will be a thorn in our side for the next five years.
I think Atlanta made a couple of outstanding defensive plays as well which didn’t help our cause as well: Albies up the middle and Freeman over the back.
Gut reaction: in any business a good manager observes his personnel and put them in a position to succeed. Rule book management is the safe way out but a good manager observes and nurtures his personnel to achieve lofty goals. A follower can follow the safe rules but a good leader takes the “perceived risk” and instead makes it a success.
Removing a dominant pitcher after 76 pitches just plays into the hands of the opposing team.
the Mets would have won this game if they had a decent manager and coaches on the base paths who knew how to coach. I could’ve done a decent job at manager. Callaway doesn’t know what he is doing at times. Callaway shouldn’t pull his pitchers when they’re doing a heck of a job getting batters out; no matter what the pitch count is. I’m sure that they didn’t pull pitchers like Walter Johnson and Whitey Ford, they have thrown doubleheaders. in the past. The Mets bullpen is horrible. Callaway has cost the Mets important games at times with his horrible decisions. Both Callaway and the general manager should both be fired at seasons end. Callaway should learn how to manage in situation positions. Callaway should learn how to make out a decent lineup with is best players in the lineup. He should teach them how to bunt and steal a base to get the runners over. All I see the Mets doing is trying for homeruns. you don’t win games that way. I can get a high school team that beat the Mets. The Mets owners should start spending their money and go out and get decent players who can hit and field the game . they shouldn’t waste their money on over the hill players whom can’t play anymore. The players that play ball today are selfish and over paid. They don’t play for the fun of the game like the players of yesterday like Hank Williams, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle. The members of the 69 Mets are better than the Mets today. The Mets should release players like Gsellsman, Bashor ,Ramos, Tejada, Rosario, Familia, Lagares,Frazier. Diaz. Guiliforme.