As usual, the team with the most home runs win. The Braves cracked four home runs en route to a 9-2 shellacking of the Mets Sunday afternoon at Citi Feld. The two teams split their four-game series, with the Braves winning the last two.
Just like Tylor Megill did on Saturday, David Peterson cruised thru the first 10 batters and then fell apart. Peterson struck out five of the first nine batters he faced. But then he crumbled in the fourth inning, with the big blow being a three-run homer on a pitch that was middle-middle.
Peterson finished with 4 ER in 5 IP and saw his ERA rise to 3.52, still comfortably below his 4.79 FIP.
The Mets had chances in the first five innings but despite that, they were blanked until the eighth inning, when Pete Alonso crushed a two-run homer, to snap a 20-inning scoreless streak. But it was too little, too late. The best you could say is that they weren’t shut out for the second-straight day.
Again, Alonso strikes when the Mets are way ahead or way behind. If you want the big money, then you have to produce in the big situations. Usually, he doesn’t.
KGR late in the game made the point that when you have good pitching (like the Braves do), you have a chance every game. The Braves had three chances to win this weekend and took two of them. The Mets had two chances and took both. Problem is, what about the other two games in which they didn’t even compete?
Stanek gave up some impressive blasts, but that game was over already. Peterson and Megill: either give them the Jon Niese treatment where one starts and only goes three or four before he gets shelled, or take them out of the rotation completely. Put Butto in and give various kids shots to see who will run with the opportunity. These guys don’t have any command and their implosion is always likely.
Gut Reaction: Peterson implode in the 4th inning but in his 10 starts he has 4 quality starts. He is not consistent and today was the epitome of his inconsistency.
The Winker trade was timed perfectly because this week Iglesias cooled down. Now Winker and McNeil (2B) can start against RHP.
Because they were down 4-0 , Stanek will get a Mulligan. Let’s win the next series against the Twins.
An extremely disappointing end to the series, although somewhat predictable. Megill looking OK one time through the order was expected and Petersen’s crash a little less so. The Mets cannot hope for anything positive if these two make up 40% of the rotation.
In a world where the Mets are averaging 6-8 runs a game, maybe they can be hidden, but sooner or later they get exposed. That’s where they both are now.
I think what gripes me the most is the apparent nonchalance about their performance. There’s no bulldog in either of them. I wonder if that’s the feedback they are getting from Hefner.
I don’t want to see Megill start another game in the bigs. I would love to see them both packaged in a deal but I can’t imagine they’d bring much value.
There are times when the Mets are winning series after series and we kid ourselves that next they’re gonna catch the Phillies and win the division. I will stick with my preseason 88 game prediction and I will away hate to lose any games. And I hate losing games to the Braves. And dArnaud always hits against the Mets for some odd reason. Quintana to win the first game against the Twinkies tomorrow.
Did the Mets’ season hit it’s pinnacle on the final pitch Senga threw? Hopefully not. Megill and Peterson are serviceable against the lower half teams, but more like pen depth a la a playoff series against the better clubs. They clearly need a starter but it still doesn’t make sense to pay the price in prospect capital.
TexasGusCC is on the right track. Peterson & Megill should not be in the rotation. Long relief for both of them. And despite his stellar performance in long relief, Butto should be put back in the rotation. If the Mets can’t land a decent starting pitcher in the next 48 hours, then we’ll have a rotation of Severino. Quintana, Manea, Butto and…….Luchessi(?).
and…. Hamel. I’m done with both of them. Unless, they each pitch three innings. Players that pee the bed in big spots aren’t worth holding onto.