Most times a 6-0 loss is easy to write off as just one of those games. But this one sticks in my craw for multiple reasons. Regardless, it was a bad start to the three-game series in Seattle Friday night.
Jose Quintana started and despite what his final line looks like, he pitched a good game. He made one bad pitch that was hit for a two-run homer. He should have finished with 7 IP and 2 ER. But he gave up three runs in his final partial inning, which came on a walk and two incredibly soft singles. The second one was the one than really rankled. With runners on second and third and two outs, second baseman Jeff McNeil was positioned near the second-base bag, as if he was getting ready to turn a double play. And a bleeder got passed him that if he was positioned normally would have been an easy out. That turned a two-run deficit to a four-run lead for the Mariners.
But that pales to what came next.
Carlos Mendoza put in Adam Ottavino to replace Quintana. If you were going to pick the absolute-worst case for Ottavino to enter a game, it would be with a runner on base when he pitched the night before. And the runner stole a base. And after a walk, they executed a double steal. A single scored two runs to completely ice the game.
Phil Maton had four days off since he last pitched. Why on earth didn’t Mendoza use him, instead? Alex Young had three days off – why not use him? Huascar Brazoban had two days off and either he or Ryne Stanek and his 98-mph fastball would have been a better choice to try and control the running game.
It felt like Mendoza was setting up Ottavino to fail to justify cutting him when Reed Garrett returns. It was shameful.
It didn’t make it into the GR because I was so steamed by what happened in the 7th inning but it should be noted that the home plate umpire was bad. How bad? Normally reserved Pete Alonso got in his grill about strike calls, causing Mendoza to run out of the dugout to keep Alonso from being ejected.
Gut Reaction: the Mets had a few hits but they couldn’t bunch them together.
McNeil’s positioning didn’t make sense. Ottavino shouldn’t have been pitching. There were better options. Mendoza has to do better in his Bullpen management. It didn’t make a difference because they didn’t string hits and they were going to lose anyway. Let’s win today.
Didn’t watch the game; instead chose sleep!
Did anyone ask Mendoza after the game about McNeil’s positioning or the relief-pitcher choices?
It was exceedingly clear to me, a baseball non-professional, that Quintana’s 100th pitch would be his last
Thus, I assume that Quintana could have drawn the same inference
So why did Quintana give a tiny weak-hitting SS anything other than a borderline strike?