It’s hard to decide which one was more brutal – the Mets fielding in the 10th inning or their hitting throughout the game. Either way, they lost their fourth straight, with a 5-0 setback to the Tigers Monday night at Citi Field.
Mets got the first two batters on in the first inning, followed by a popup and a GDP.
Starling Marte led off the seventh with a single. He refused to attempt a steal and the rest of the team chose not to advance him off first base.
Brandon Nimmo led off the eight with a walk. But Nimmo refuses to steal and the next two batters struck out and the inning ended with an infield pop.
In the 10th inning, the zombie runner never moved off second base.
As for the 10th inning, defensive upgrade Joey Wendle made an error and Michael Tonkin got in the way of a sure double-play ball. It doesn’t sound bad but if you watched it, you know it was fugly.
There were two bright spots in the game for the Mets. Sean Manaea showed why he should have started before the fourth game as he threw six shutout innings and fanned eight. And the reason he didn’t allow a run was because Nimmo charged a ball and threw out a runner at the plate, with help by a nice tag from Francisco Alvarez.
It’s hard not to be distressed about the 0-4 start, especially with all four games at home. The offense has been MIA, with a total of two runs scored in three games and eight in all four. It’s like the entire team is waiting for J.D. Martinez to arrive before they start hitting.
Wow… another snooze fest…. Now this from our buddy Andy Martino:
“Needing a starter to replace Megill in the rotation, the Mets are canvassing external options, including veteran right-hander Julio Teheran, according to league sources.”
Let’s see: Butto and Lucchesi are in AAA, but we need a pitching version of DJ Stewart. This is why I wish the Mets would make up their minds: are we jumping in the pool or just testing the water with our foot all the time?
A game like tonight against possibly the best overall pitching staff IMHO in MLB, isn’t as bad if we were rebuilding. We see the positives, and want to fix the negatives. Baty got a hit, Manaea pitched great, Alvarez batted cleanup so that was a confidence booster for the kid, Nimmo finally drew a walk.
But, the Mets want to seek wildcard contention (first time in my life I’ve ever heard of a team openly not vie for a division before the season starts) and will continue the mirage. I want the kids, all of them, if they deserve it. Vientos did not deserve it, I have no issues. Butto does deserve it. He is 26 years old and deserves it! Enough BS with AAAA types. I was actually disappointed when Baty got pulled for a pinch runner. Let the kids play; he’s not even in scoring position and he is supposedly athletic….
On a different website earlier, someone mentioned that in 2005 they were twenty games under at the trade deadline. They traded everyone and brought up the kids: went 33-18 the rest of the way. This is looking eerily similar: no pulse.
Keeping the Teheran thing in context/perspective. Just because the Mets sign him does not mean he will jump into the rotation ahead of Butto/Lucchesi. The fact that he opted out in Baltimore does not mean he requires a roster spot with the Mets from Day 1. He hasn’t pitched in about two weeks, and he’d need at least a tune-up or two in the minors. The Mets would also want to get a good look at him before deciding where he goes. He’ll probably agree to a minor league assignment with a new opt-out date like Gary Sanchez did. If that date arrives and the Mets don’t think he’s the best option, they can tell him and let him make his decision.
Even with that perspective, the Mets’ on-going pursuit of Julio Teheran is perplexing. The guy hasn’t had a FIP below 4.66 in the majors since 2016. He hasn’t done anything noteworthy since Covid.
I’d rather that they sign 44-year-old Rich Hill
I’d agree with you there. I just think the extent and frequency with which any Mets’ “talks” are overplayed by the press leaves them warranting no concern until they get close to fruition.
According to Martino, he refuses to go to the minors for any reason.
I hadn’t seen that anywhere. But if thats the case, then yeah, it all makes no sense. That said, he Mets have talked with him, not signed him. They checked in and kicked the tires on a lot of free agents this off season. The nature of all of those talks was overstated by the press. If this happens, I’ll get ticked off then. I’m not concerning myself with ghost stories.
Okay, now its official…. now I’m bothered by it. And at $2.5 mil plus incentives, over $5M with penalties.
Not much to say beyond the Captain Obvious statement that it’s hard to win when you score zero runs.
Funny how they seemed to face a Cy Young candidate in each of the first four games. Oh wait, that wasn’t it. They came out of the gate like a horse with a bad foot. Marte and Nimmo should try and swipe a bag sometime this month. Puts pressure on the opposing pitcher if there is a running game. The Brewers had no issue running. Manaea was better than advertised which was great. Most of the relief pitching was also strong. But spot on that you can’t win if you don’t score runs. Butto should already be making the trip from Syracuse to Queens even if it’s one missed start by Megill. Don’t understand McNeil not hitting because it is an even numbered year. Can’t blame Mendoza yet but does Vegas have an over/under on how long he lasts? Even long term contracts with managers can backfire. Should have kept Buck and tried to get him some talent. Instead we picked up a CF who can’t hit and kept a backup catcher with the same affliction. Okay just 4 games in so I’ll stop whining, and you got to love Keith for saying watch out when they break out. Game five here we come.