If you like uninspired baseball, you’ve loved the past two games. The Mets were shut out for eight innings before losing by a 9-2 margin to the Royals. Kansas City, a team 40-games under .500, sweeps the three-game series.
The Mets stacked their lineup with lefty hitters (note: Daniel Vogelbach did not play), with seven LHB in the lineup. Those seven lefties went 0-20 against the Royals starter. The only three hits against Brady Singer came from two singles by Pete Alonso and another by Mark Vientos. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the Mets did not draw a walk against Singer.
Carlos Carrasco’s final line looks ugly but he pitched better than that. He gave up a run in the first inning but with a better right fielder, he probably ends up with a zero. Carrasco allowed a scratch run in the third and then followed that up with a gopher ball.
But the next three innings he was sharp. Carrasco finished the sixth inning with just 70 pitches. He came back for the seventh, allowed a hard-hit ball to Brett Baty that wound up being scored a hit, a single to center, a visit from the pitching coach and then a 3-run homer.
The Royals tacked on two more runs in the eighth inning, allowing the Mets to use a position player, Danny Mendick, to finish up.
Francisco Lindor hit a two-out homer in the ninth inning for the Mets’ only runs. That broke a 17.2 inning scoreless streak for the Mets.
Cqrrasco seems to have had much misfortune this year on bleeders and bloops. This follows a first half from last year that was similar until his fortunes turned and he was better in the second half. Who is Carlos Carrasco and how can he not strike out a single batter in seven innings?
Hitting,this team can’t hit.
Gut Reaction: it was an embarrassing sweep.
Carrasco is winding down his career. He he gave up six runs in six innings. He didn’t retire any batters in the 7th inning.
It was a surprise that Vientos played over Vogelbach. Vientos has a .795 OPS since his recent call up.
Baty doesn’t field well and his hitting is less than sufficient.
Mendick moved ahead of Josh Walker in the bullpen pecking order.
Im really trying to make clear the Mets have a Baty problem. I hope they can do something about it.
Can’t field, cant throw, cant hit. I’d send him back next year to AAA to see f he really *wants* to be a major leaguer. Right now, it doesnt look like it.
Cohen really needs to look at 3B options in FA, if hes looking to be over .500 in 24 and gaming for the postseason in 25 and beyond. I
I hate to compare, but at least want to acknowledge that Mike Schmidt absolutely sucked his first year. Couldn’t hit and couldn’t field. If Baty has talent, stay with him; he will figure it out. I’ve said that players say that from their first year to their second year they’ve done their most growing as they have learned the pace, the travel, and the pressure of being a big leaguer.
Look at what Davis is doing in SF (and remember Showalter wouldn’t play him necessitating the Ruf and Vogelbach trades) and some other guy named Flores who has a .905 OPS across the diamond from Davis. That name Flores sounds familiar…
In 2024, if the Mets fielded a starting team that everybody is above average hitting then I could see sticking with Baty. The the 2022 version of the Mets had McCann and Nido dragging them down but everybody else was above average. Baty need to improve significantly this season to hope and think that Baty is a major leaguer in 2024 . Hope is not a strategy.
Mike Schmidt, please. I mean sure and all, but thats heaping a lot on Baty. Right now every aspect of the game is happening too fast for him. The game speed between AA and the pros must be shocking him. He’s late swinging on the FB, he cant see the curve/slider, hes rushed throwing, and he misses balls fielding.
I maintain his minimal AAA experience is a detriment. He made the magical AA—>MLB jump essentially. And he wasn’t ready for it.