Marcus Stroman pitched six shutout innings in the nightcap to lead the Mets to a 4-0 win and a sweep of the doubleheader over the Phillies Tuesday night at Citi Field. With the wins, the Mets improved to 4-3 and moved percentage points ahead of the Phillies for first place in the NL East.
Stroman, who was annoyed when the Mets decided to start Sunday’s game in the rain, fearing that it was going to cost him a turn in the rotation, came back on one day’s rest and pitched marvelously, even if not in his typical ground ball fashion. He was on pace to pitch the seventh inning but he drew a walk during a Mets’ rally in the bottom of the sixth, spent a fare amount of time on the bases and did not get a chance for the complete game. But a 0.75 ERA after two games (12 IP, 1 ER) is a great start to the season.
Brandon Nimmo was the offensive star in the second game, as he delivered three hits and three RBIs. Jonathan Villar, who drove home the game-winning run in the opener, got the first RBI in the nightcap with a double. And Tomas Nido hit a triple. No, really, he did, in the sixth inning. He came in to score on a Nimmo single for an insurance run.
Jeurys Familia came on to close out the game in the seventh. He allowed two baserunners but got out of the inning without allowing a run.
In the opener, the Mets jumped out on top early, thanks to a 2-run homer by Dominic Smith. But the Phillies chipped away and both tied the game and went ahead on infield singles, the latter coming in the eighth inning. It looked like the Mets were going to lose a tough one but Pete Alonso tied the game with an RBI single and then with the bases loaded, Villar cracked a line drive to the opposite field over a shallow outfield for the game-winner.
Taijuan Walker started the opener and produced a ton of strikeouts but left before qualifying for the win. He had 8 Ks in 4.1 IP. The Phillies tied the game against Miguel Castro. While the RBI was cheap, the run that scored got on base with a leadoff walk.
Edwin Diaz had a 1-2-3 seventh inning and the Mets had a chance to win the game, as they put their first two runners on in the bottom of the seventh. But the top of the order couldn’t bring in the run, forcing extra innings and the Mickey Mouse runner on second.
The Phillies took the lead thanks to a passed ball and an infield single. But the Mets rallied for two in the bottom of the frame to come out on top.
So, after a start to this season which couldn’t be described as anything better than “uninspiring”, the Metsies sweep a twinbill and appropriate first place in the NLE.
Could 2021 truly be the year of The Mets?
I’m very surprised that all you did was mention it, but I was listening while at work and in the bottom of the last inning, in a tied game, you get the first two guys on… what do you do? Do you play for one run to win the game, or do you play for the big inning? Sure, Nimmo was the hitter, but so what? Are the guys behind him scrubs? Nimms strikes out, not advancing the runners. Inexcusable. Stupid. Then the next two guys go out in order. When a good hitter makes an out 70% of the time, it makes sense to get a guy over anyway and try to win the game with an out? Isn’t it easier? Had the Mets lost that game in extras, it would have been terrible. Luckily the Mets overcame the brain fart.
This isn’t picking on Rojas. I don’t care if Girardi was the manager or Miller Huggins, what a stupid move. You need one scratch run to win the game…
Gus . .seems obvious to me. That 7th inning was painful. All these guys need to learn how to bunt. And hit behind the runner(s). Or get the runners moving . . or hit and run . .
Has any reliever had so many dinky soft contact base hits against as Familia. Fortunately it didn’t cost him yesterday but he seems to get burned by 2 of those per outing. He looked sharp yesterday. 11 of 13 pitches for strikes I think.
Manager mistakes, poor defense, erratic bullpen performance, terrible clutch hitting, etc. are all fixed by one thing – win the game. It’s simply amazing how much less those issues bother me following a win, and even less so following a rare DH win.
Imagine what a fast start into mid-May will do for our collective blood pressure levels. We can only imagine.
And a call out to little Marcus, who is off to a tremendous start.
TJ, we all are glad for the W’s, but looking forward you can’t continue to expect to win in spite of your mistakes.
We’re you comfortable letting Nimmo swing away watching the game at that moment?
If ever there was a time to bunt, that was it. Not that it would have been the same outcome, but the next two batters didn’t exactly do much anyway…
Of course, the issues I listed are not recommended as the norm, sooner or later it will impact the record. But, baseball is a funny game someone once said, and I’ve always been in the camp of an ugly win being better than a pretty loss.
As I said yesterday at the time, Nimmo has to bunt. A runner on third with one out and Lindor up… that’s what you’re after. Rojas is plain dumb for not seeing that… I frankly do not care what analytics says… get that runner to third!
The thing we all dal with is perhaps too much focus on our own little disaster called the Mets. Truth is, every team makes mistakes, every team brings in the wrong relief pitcher, every team misjudges something every game. The really good teams make fewer mistakes, and have better players to salve over those wounds. Mets have to be more opportunistic this season than they have been in the past.
Wobbit, I really disagree with you on his post. To me, a mistake is a pitch that wasn’t located properly, or maybe bringing in a pitcher that just didn’t have it that day. Those things happen. The simplicity of that strategy isn’t a mistake, it’s a crime. It was so obvious. You bunt him over and Lindor is up. They’re going to probably walk him to set up a double play – but you hope he hits – and Dom Smith is up after him, who had a homerun and is swinging well. I couldn’t believe it.
I’m switching over to Brian’s post now.
Don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I’m starting to think that when Carrasco and Syndergaard come back, we could have one of the best rotations in the league.
As for the bullpen, why did we tender Gsellman if he’s just going to collect dust? He’s like that old shirt in your closet you haven’t worn in years and probably never will again but you just can’t bear to get rid of it.
Lol
Yea, we haven’t had any 11 run leads yet .. they’ll come and he’ll get his time. 🙂
Like most of you, I was mortified when they didn’t bunt Nimmo. It seems the 70’s & 80’s brand of National League ball I grew up with is truly dead. Worse, I’m not sure we can pin this on Rojas. It’s very possible that this is an organizational strategy handed down from the FO. Either way, it’s hard to accept.