Marcus Stroman didn’t have it, the Mets bats didn’t have it and the end result was a 7-1 defeat Saturday afternoon at Citi Field.
Stroman allowed an unearned run in the first inning thanks to an error by Michael Conforto that turned a leadoff single into a runner on third base. Conforto didn’t get charged with an error in the second inning but made another poor throw to the plate on a hit by the pitcher to shallow right field.
Meanwhile, Stroman wasn’t pleased at all with the calls from the rookie ump behind the plate, who seemed to be a ringing endorsement for fast tracking the robot umps. He ended up giving up five runs, four earned, in four innings and took his first loss of the year.
Luis Rojas called on Stephen Tarpley to replace Stroman. If you liked Robert Carson, you’ll love Tarpley. He threw 15 pitches and managed to amass just four strikes. Tarpley faced four batters and allowed one hit, two walks and he hit a batter before being removed.
After Tarpley, Mets relievers had a good day. Robert Gsellman, Jacob Barnes and Jeurys Familia combined for five scoreless innings, with Gsellman giving three of them.
Conforto homered off the netting on the right field foul pole for the Mets’ only run.
Sandy was very pleased with the depth he had accumulated over the winter with pieces like Tarpley. But depth is more than guys with options that can go back and forth to AAA. They have to be viable options – not just a body.
It wasn’t just Sandy – most in the mainstream media were tripping over themselves congratulating the Mets on their depth. Here’s what I wrote in February in an article entitled, “Pumping the brakes on enthusiasm for the Mets’ 40-man roster depth:”
Previously, we knew 40-man roster stalwarts like Bashlor and Sewald were not major league quality because we had seen them perform in the majors. But what does the average fan know about players like Jacob Barnes or Yennsy Diaz or Sean Reid-Foley? Are these types of players really an upgrade from The Bashlor Bunch or are they merely enjoying a honeymoon phase because they were acquired from outside the organization? Will we come to look at these guys the way we look at some recent additions to the 25-man roster, players like Adrian Hernandez and James Loney, ones who were, um, allegedly appealing because they were good in another organization three years ago?
The reality is that most of these depth guys are available for a reason and the reason isn’t because they made a pass at the owner’s wife. Let’s look at the MLB numbers of some guys currently on the 40-man
Yamomoto – 90 IP, 6.20 ERA, 19 HR
Tarpley – 44.2 IP, 6.55 ERA, 1.791 WHIP
Jose Martinez – Veteran had a .561 OPS last year and he’s not in the majors for his defense
Albert Almora – In his last 876 PA, has a 76 OPS+
The Mets realized that they were thin with upper level pitching and made a decent attempt at upgrading the depth. No doubt they swapped out some AAAA guys for some other AAAA guys, as importing quality young pitching with options is no easy task.
Those 25 man roster pitching spots will get very competitive real soon, barring other injuries. Carrasco and Smith are not far away, and Smith looks like a higher caliber up and down guy. When Lugo returns, it will get tighter in the pen. Hopefully, the resumption of minor league ball will give more clarity to the fill in options. Syndergaard may be 5-6 weeks away, and if everyone else stays healthy, the Mets will have a very strong corps of pitchers.
Gut Reaction: No momentum. No hitting with RISP. Shake up the batting order. Maybe Nimmo, Alsonso, Lindor, Davis….do something to change the rut that they are in with RISP.
Today, maybe start Villar (.474 BA vs Corbin) instead McNeil (.188 vs Corbin) and give Pillar (or Almora) the start in CF.
Sure, but I wouldn’t sit Nimmo. I’d sit Conforto or Smith, preferably Conforto right now.
Looks like they heard you – nice call!
Wouldn’t it be nice to see a hit and run? How about dropping Nimmo into the third spot to get someone hot into the middle of the order? It makes no sense to me how Mets management sits on its hands and just waits for something to happen.
An old Greek saying goes, ‘a good captain shows himself during the storm.’ I understand that players need to perform, but if a manager isn’t willing to shake things up and try to get something going, then is his only job to change the pitcher?
As for the RISP production, if the guys are stinging the ball but it’s not falling, you just have to keep trying. If on the other hand the contact is soft or non-existent (strikeout), then management needs to take heed of who is hitting and who is not. I don’t care about solo homeruns because a sac fly scores as many runs. I care about execution and putting wood to rawhide with authority.
I read an article about a week ago – somewhere – that contact pitchers like Stroman would eventually have a hard time because at some point that contact will start finding open field. He’s still a good pitcher, just needs players behind him to do their jobs correctly.
I didn’t think Stroman was particularly bad yesterday… but he is a contact pitcher and needs to get ahead in the count. The umpire was indeed squeezing him and so he fell behind and his game got compromised. He was super sharp in the previous game, and he has to get back to that condition. Even his fastball yesterday did not have the jump it had the previous start.
The Mets outfield is starting to show the cracks. Nimmo bangs a ball off his mitt and Smith the same the very next day… both balls should be outs. Smith another off his glove retreating into the corner… geeesh. Then Conforto… what’s with his throwing? A week ago he completely bombs an easy throw home from short right and again yesterday… I mean a ML right fielder in his prime years should unload on throws like that… the guy tiptoes around… watch some film on Johnny Callison… Even Pillar, supposedly a defensive stalwart, looking tentative and shaky. A team liability for sure.