You get a sense sometimes, or, at least, I do, that things won’t get better. That this bad weather or bad mood or string of bad luck will never end. That you’re stuck in this state of despair forever.
The Mets felt like that. Everything had gone wrong: the slumps and the injuries were relentless and showed no sign of improvement. In fact, things were only getting worse by the day. Jose Reyes couldn’t hit the ball off a tee if he tried. Yoenis Cespedes was lost to the hamstring gods. Rafael Montero had somehow become the team’s sixth starter. They’d lost six straight and found themselves at the bottom of the NL East, 7.5 games behind the Nationals with a few days until May.
Then the sun came out on Friday for the first time in a week and suddenly baseball was good again. The Mets did what they needed to do: they won, beating the Nationals 7-5. Because the streak always breaks.
The good
On Opening Day, I predicted that Jacob deGrom was going to give Noah Syndergaard a run for his money as team Cy Young. He’s still been better than expected. With the team in sore need of a big outing from the floppy-haired No. 2, deGrom delivered, throwing seven innings of six-hit, three-run ball, including two home runs to Ryan Zimmerman. He also became the second Mets pitcher in 25 years to record at least 10 strikeouts in three consecutive starts, following just David Cone. It’s almost like Jacob deGrom is good at baseball.
Travis d’Arnaud, perhaps even more importantly, is proving he belongs. The forever-injured catcher, who has managed to stay relatively healthy in this young season, recorded his first career multi-home run game, driving in five runs and tying his RBI total for 2016. It’s almost like Travis d’Arnaud is good at baseball.
Remember when I talked earlier about a string of bad luck? Closer Josh Edgin is a flash of good luck. Josh Edgin being the only man in baseball who can get Bryce Harper out is an illusion, a trick of light. Eventually, that streak, too, will break. But for now, you take the double plays where you can get them. It’s almost like…no, I can’t go there. I won’t go there.
The bad
While Reyes at least shows signs of a turnaround, Curtis Granderson can’t seem to find the light. The right fielder-turned-center fielder-turned right-fielder again is now just 1-for-22 since last Friday.
Addison Reed, meanwhile, seems to have forgotten that he’s turned around his entire career with the Mets. Returned to his role as the eighth-inning guy after three weeks closing, Reed has already given up three home runs this year; he allowed just four last season. Normally, his three-hit outing would be categorized as ugly. But…
The ugly
Jeurys Familia returned from his 15-game suspension and no longer knows how to record outs. In four total innings this season, Familia has allowed four hits and six walks, hardly a recipe for success. If ever there was a time to panic, it’s when your closer is being replaced by Josh Edgin.
Photo credit: Brad Mills – USA Today Sports