The Mets went 1-13 with RISP and carrying multiple lefty relievers that the manager has zero faith in led to using 36-year-old Adam Ottavino in back-to-back games, with Ottavino surrendering a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth, sending the Marlins to a 3-2 win Sunday afternoon in Miami.
The Mets had golden chances to score in both the first and second innings, getting leadoff doubles in both frames. But they set the tone for the rest of the game, as they went 0-6 with RISP.
The Mets finally broke thru in the third inning, as Brandon Nimmo hit a leadoff homer. Starling Marte then doubled and one out later Pete Alonso hit a bloop RBI double that barely reached the outfield grass in shallow right field.
David Peterson pitched a good game but he allowed the tying run to score. He finished with a no decision, going 7 IP, 2 ER, 0 BB and 8 Ks. Tommy Hunter pitched a scoreless eighth and Buck Showalter, with the option to bring in either the lefties or a rested Adonis Medina, who had the previous four days off, but opted to bring in Ottavino.
The first two batters Ottavino faced hit the ball very hard but they found gloves. He wasn’t so lucky with the backup catcher, who hit a ball 419 feet to left field to end the game.
For whatever reason, Showalter has faith in Colin Holderman but not Medina. Outside of the one bad outing in Colarado, Medina has pitched in seven games and in 12.2 IP, he’s allowed 2 ER. If he had more faith in Hunter, he should have used Medina in the eighth and Hunter in the ninth.
For the most part, Showalter has done a good job giving relievers days off. He didn’t in this case and paid the price. Maybe Medina would have given up a run, too. But it would have been preferable to get him in the game and develop confidence than put Ottavino in a bad spot.
Gut Reaction: Peterson has a really good game. He didn’t walk anybody and give the team length with 7 innings on 104 pitches. Still, it was a disappointing loss.
Nimmo is hot with a 942 OPS in the last 7 games and a 890 OPS in the last 15 games. He leads all NL CF in OPS, wRC+, runs, avg, OBP and WAR. He is a true All-Star.
A split with the Astros had put this tough June to bed. LGM
You may feel Medina was a better choice, but that’s hindsight. Ottovino has pitched in back to back games before and even three in a row, but that third one killed him. As for two in a row, I have no problem with that.
The other team plays to win too, and if all the Mets losses are games the other team had to fight tooth and nail to win, we should be happy.
It was written after the game so technically it’s true that it’s hindsight.
How about this: In every game that Buck has a righty reliever available who hasn’t pitched the night before, I’d prefer that righty be used in a game before both Lugo and Ottavino if those two pitched the previous day. That’s a hard and fast rule. With Smith, it’s really a day-to-day decision.
Fair enough. Everyone has a preference. I think Buck has a little Terry Collins in him in that his circle of trust cannot embrace an unknown quantity too quickly.
Too bad the game was on Peacock, so I didn’t get to watch.
I wish that there was some news on locking up Nimmo, Diaz, Alonso, and even Bassitt. Hopefully, negotiations are happening!