A lot of things went wrong for the Mets on Thursday. But J.D. Davis hit a homer in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game and Pete Alonso hit a walkoff homer in the 10th to lift the Mets to a 9-7 win over the Yankees and a split of the six-game series which were all wacky games.
The first thing that went wrong was that the Mets started Robert Gsellman. Why a guy who followed up a 5.29 ERA as a starting pitcher with a 4.45 ERA in 120 games as a reliever was ever allowed back as a starter in the first place is kind of mystifying. That said pitcher was allowed to make four starts in 38 games during a 60-game season is kind of criminal. The real question is if Luis Rojas or Brodie Van Wagenen should be brought up on charges.
After a 10-pitch first inning, Gsellman couldn’t even get out of the second inning, leaving with four runs in and the bases loaded. Chasen Shreve got the final out of the inning to prevent even more damage from Gsellman. In four starts, he’s allowed 9 ER in 9.1 IP. Surely, they won’t give him a fifth start. Please tell me they won’t give him a fifth start.
While Shreve held the fort with 2.1 hitless innings and Jeurys Familia added two perfect frames, the Mets battled back to tie the score. Todd Frazier belted a solo homer in the second and the Mets ripped off four-straight two-out hits in the fourth to produce three runs.
Then more bad stuff.
Miguel Castro got hurt by walks and gave up two runs and Justin Wilson allowed another to push the deficit back up to three. The Mets put two runners on base in the eighth inning with one out. And Alonso, who had a rough day both at the plate (until the 10th) and in the field made the second out of the inning. With weak-hitting Jake Marisnick coming to the plate, it appeared all hope was lost.
But Marisnick got credited with an infield single when Dominic Smith beat the throw to second base, loading the bases for Amed Rosario. And Rosario delivered a two-run single to bring the Mets within a run.
After Edwin Diaz pitched a scoreless ninth inning, the Mets started off the bottom of the frame with a walk by Jeff McNeil. Billy Hamilton came on to pinch run and attempted to steal second. But he left early and Aroldis Chapman threw to first base. Hamilton appeared to beat the relay throw to second but it didn’t matter, as the first base umpire ruled it a balk.
Then Hamilton decided to steal third base and ended up making the first out of the inning when he got thrown out. Things seemed pretty bleak at that point. But Davis responded with a blast to center field to tie the game, getting revenge from the last series when Chapman plunked him with a pitch.
The Yankees committed a baserunning blunder of their own in the 10th inning, as the Mickey Mouse runner on second base to start the inning got doubled up on a fly ball to Michael Conforto. Alonso led off the bottom of the 10th with a homer to left, snapping a 4-42 streak and giving the Mets the win.
Isn’t there a law that you never make the first or third out at third base? Gsellman Is not unlike most other MLB pitchers as he also feels that he should be a starter while his history shows that he is better in the bullpen. He will probably be traded this winter by Brodie for a backup catcher for the Cyclones next year.
Gsellman is a non-tender candidate.
He was awarded $1.225 million for 2020 in his first year of arbitration. He currently sits with a 0.0 fWAR – can’t believe it’s not in negative numbers – so why the Mets would pay 3X the minimum salary for a replacement-level player is beyond me.
If BVW could get a live body or cash for him, he should make the deal.
The way I remember it (from when Red Barber was a Dodger announcer) was: “Never make the first out at home nor the last at third.”
Makes sense to me.
Gut Reaction: The Mets stole a game even when they were caught stealing.
Billy Hamilton is a nice luxury with a 28 man active roster but he is literally running himself off the roster.
Gsellman is ranked 8th in ERA of the ten starters that started a game this year and ranked 9th on WHIP. He should be demoted to the bullpen and should not start again.
Shreve should get more high leverage situations. He has earned it. 2.04 ERA, 0.79 WHIP
It was a nice revenge homer by JD and a redemptive homer by Alonso.