Game recap May 28: Visions of ’86 (we’re going to pretend the rest didn’t happen)

What Happened, In Two Sentences

Noah Syndergaard was ejected without warning for throwing behind Chase Utley in the third inning. Utley retaliated with two home runs – including a grand slam – as the Dodgers won 9-1.

Mets Finally Retaliate Against Utley

After Chase Utley slid past the base and broke Ruben Tejada’s leg in last year’s playoffs, people wondered when the Mets would retaliate against Utley. The Dodgers used Utley as a pinch hitter for the rest of the playoffs and to start the 2016 season series. Jacob deGrom didn’t retaliate in Los Angeles. Neither did Syndergaard the next night. Instead of asking when, Mets fans started asking if the team would retaliate. Then came Saturday, the on-field reunion for the 1986 World Series championship team. Citi Field rocked with chants of “Utley sucks!” once again as he stepped in to lead off the game. Some fans were clearly hoping for a throwback approach to Utley and Syndergaard came out firing a series of 99-100 mph fastballs and hard sliders. It looked like he was going to “retaliate” by overpowering the Dodgers. Then he started Utley’s second at bat with a 99 mile per hour fastball behind the butt.

Syndergaard was immediately ejected by home plate umpire Adam Hamari. Terry Collins bolted out of the dugout to argue and was ejected himself. People will certainly debate whether or not Syndergaard’s pitch and ejection were warranted. It’s not clear whether the Mets received a special pregame warning about throwing at Utley or whether Hamari was using his jurisdiction more aggressively than most baseball umpires.

Still a Game to Play

Syndergaard was ejected with one out and no score in the third inning. After all the emotions of the 1986 reunion and then the ejection, the Mets had to find a way to keep the crowd in the game. But first they had to find a pitcher. Collins’ long argument helped buy enough time for Logan Verrett to warm up. He stepped in to a 1-0 count and threw three strikes past Utley, then retired Corey Seager to end the inning. The umpires warned Dodgers’ starter Kenta Maeda before the bottom of the inning. He had a quick inning striking out Verrett and then getting two groundouts. Los Angeles came close to getting action on the scoreboard in the fourth inning as former Met Justin Turner hit a leadoff double and advanced to third. Verrett made a snap throw back to third on a comebacker to catch Turner in a rundown. Joc Pederson then lined out to Neil Walker who was playing in short right field on a shift (Walker had several great defensive plays from this position).

Utley Gets His Revenge

When Utley came up for his next at bat in the sixth inning, everyone wondered what would happen: Would Verrett finish the job and actually hit Utley? This time Utley did the hitting, driving the first pitch over the right-center field wall for the first run of the game. Verrett was in his fourth inning of relief and the Dodgers began to tee off on location mistakes. Yasiel Puig (entering after a back injury to Trayce Thompson) hit a single and then got in a rundown to help Adrian Gonzalez chug around the bases for the Dodgers’ second run.

The Mets turned to Antonio Bastardo for the seventh inning and it quickly got out of hand. Pederson hit a leadoff double. Howie Kendrick singled and stole second after being completely ignored. Yasmani Grandal walked. Hansel Robles came in to strike out Kiké Hernandez. Utley stepped up to the plate. Before the first Dodgers-Mets game of the season we offered many options for the biggest Mets villain. Utley did his best to try and end the debate about Mets history’s greatest monster, hitting a grand slam to make it 6-0. The sellout crowd was completely deflated by the stoic Utley and the Mets largely went through the motions for the rest of the game. Los Angeles hit two more home runs against Robles in the eighth and one against Jim Herderson in the ninth, becoming the second team to ever hit five home runs in Citi Field. Juan Lagares provided the Mets one bright spot in the eighth with a pinch-hit home run.

Mets Baffled by Maeda

After one inning, it looked like Maeda would be the pitcher leaving the game early. Michael Conforto hit a line drive up the middle and Maeda put his pitching hand down instinctually to protect himself. It bounced hard off the back of his hand for an infield hit, but the pitcher stayed in the game for 75 pitches, going just long enough to qualify for a win. The Mets couldn’t manage another hit as the Japanese right-hander kept throwing first pitch curveballs that dropped in to the strike zone. Curtis Granderson and Conforto both hit balls sharply off of Adam Liberatore in the sixth but couldn’t get them to fall.

Trade For James Loney

The Mets traded for veteran first baseman James Loney before yesterday’s game, giving cash to San Diego. Loney had an opt-out clause in his contract if the Padres didn’t promote him to the majors by June 1. The Rays are still paying most of Loney’s salary after releasing him at the end of Spring Training, making it a “nothing to lose” trade for the Mets. Loney and Wilmer Flores will probably platoon at first base while Lucas Duda is out. On more on what Loney could bring to the Mets, see fearless leader Bryan Grosnick’s in-depth piece from earlier this week.

What’s Next?

The Mets play Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN2, with Bartolo Colon facing Clayton Kershaw.

Photo credit: Andy Marlin – USA Today Sports