As someone who hadn’t watched the 2016 Reds before this series, I assumed they were a bad baseball team because they lacked talent. The matchup between hitters and pitchers is so individualistic that the whole is usually close to the sum of the parts (plus or minus luck). Players get years of professional instruction before […]
Category: Articles
Sweet Surrender?
Flashback to opening week: Ecstasy! The Mets have Duda, Wright, and a shiny new second baseman who doesn’t field like a Little Leaguer in the infield. Their starting aces—deGrom, Syndergaard, Harvey and Matz—are almost universally revered throughout baseball. The return of Zach Wheeler is imminent, or at least Zach Wheeler has been sighted more times […]
Game Recap September 6: Mets Continue Power Surge, Bullpen Bails Out Montero
The Mets hit four home runs and were backed by 4.2 innings of scoreless relief, defeating the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 on Tuesday night for their fourth straight win. Playing in front of a sparse crowd at Great American Ball Park, New York (73-66) remained one game behind in the NL Wild Card race following the […]
Let’s Go -Insert Opponents of the Cardinals and Giants here-!
So, the Mets aren’t dead yet. I, for one, was too quick to give the 2016 team its last rites before prematurely shoveling them onto the wheelbarrow of the departed. The Mets have now won 12 of their last 16 games, and they sit one game behind the Cardinals for the second Wild Card spot […]
Game recap September 5: We’ll sleep when we’re dead
In a sentence: The split-squad road team pulled off an improbably win after an all-nighter and took the first game of the series from the Reds 5-0. The good: The Mets weren’t supposed to win this game. It was the day game after a night game, hungover on celebratory champagne with your starters rehabbing strained hamstrings […]
Game recap September 4: I’ll be there for you
After splitting the first two games of their three game set, the Mets and Nationals squared off on ESPN (collective sigh) in the finale. Seth Lugo, owner of the best curveball spin rate in baseball and a 3.12 FIP through three major league starts, was opposed by young Nationals flamethrower Reynaldo Lopez. Though the division […]
Game recap September 3: Russian roulette
Since the Mets called up three more hitters than Las Vegas, it made me think of how much Terry Collins gambles every time he fills out the lineup card. Will Yoenis Cespedes be healthy enough to play? He gets in. But what about the other outfield positions? Jay Bruce did well before the trade. Michael […]
Game recap September 2: If the Mets lose but don’t lose any ground, does it still count? (Yes.)
Matt Harvey had Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and is done for the season. Zack Wheeler has had multiple setbacks and is done for the season. Steven Matz has a barking shoulder and a bone spur in his elbow and is possibly done for the season. Jacob deGrom has elbow inflammation and will miss another start. Noah […]
Kelly Johnson Takes A Cue From Daniel Murphy (and Kevin Long)
When the New York Mets re-acquired Kelly Johnson back in June, I didn’t think much of the move, honestly. Yes, bringing Johnson back—after the trade for both he and Juan Uribe in 2015 marked the beginning of the Mets’ remarkable turnaround and subsequent run to the World Series—was both nostalgic and fun. But the veteran […]
How Not To Bunt (A Run Expectancy Tale)
As a baseball fan, it comes naturally to second guess the decisions made by the manager. As a Mets fan dealing with Terry Collins this year … let’s just say there have been too many of these opportunities this season. Whether it was his handling of the lineup (starting Justin Ruggiano and Ty Kelly over […]