Game 1

The Good

Frankly, there wasn’t much good to talk about from Monday’s first game. Juan Lagares gave us a pleasant surprise with a perfect day at the plate, going three for three with a run scored. The former Gold Glove center fielder seems to be finishing 2017 strong, with seven hits in 15 at-bats over his last four games. Any signs of life from Lagares are a welcomed sight, as there is still a fair amount of uncertainty regarding how this outfield is going to look in 2018. Other than Yoenis Cespedes, the rest is up for grabs thanks to Michael Conforto’s injury and subsequent surgery. Many are still holding out hope that Lagares can be the player he was in 2014, although I wouldn’t put too much stock in a guy who tends to wind up on the disabled list as often as he does.

The entirety of the Mets offense was fueled by Tomas Nido in this contest. Nido, the 23-year-old catcher from Puerto Rico, cracked a double in the bottom of the seventh to drive in Phil Evans and Lagares. The extra-base hit was the first of Nido’s career and the RBIs were his second and third. Given the inconsistency the Mets have shouldered at the catcher position, it’s safe to assume that the job is open in 2018 and with a strong finish over the last week of regular season play, Nido may just do enough to toss his name in the ring and be a dark horse candidate to win the job next spring.

The Bad

Receiving the spot start for this afternoon’s game was Chris Flexen, who last started on Sept. 3. The 23-year-old started well, limiting the Braves to one run (an Ozzie Albies solo home run) over his first five innings, but eventually ran into trouble in the sixth. After loading the bases, Flexen was pulled in favor of Josh Smoker, who allowed all three runners to score. Flexen finished with an unimpressive line of three hits, three walks, four strikeouts, and four earned runs.

The Ugly

Yesterday was just one of those games where the performance of the bullpen left you with nauseous feeling. Josh Smoker’s box score line looks pretty clean, but he was fortunate in that the three runs he allowed were charged to the starter. Every reliever who followed surrendered at least one hit and earned run. In total, Erik Goeddel, Kevin McGowan, and Jacob Rhame surrendered six hits, five earned runs, and three walks. It’s hard to blame the bullpen for the loss today given the lack of offense and rough effort from Flexen, but they certainly ensured the Mets wouldn’t fight their way back into this one.

If reading this hasn’t caused you enough pain already, every player in the Braves starting lineup recorded a hit, including their starting pitcher, Lucas Sims. Sims, a rookie from Lawrenceville, Georgia, shut the Mets out through the first six innings of this afternoon’s game, so feel free to add him to the list of no-name pitchers to dominate the Mets.

Game 2

The Good

As demoralizing as Game 1 of this doubleheader was, the Amazins rallied back in the second game, avoiding becoming a season-worst 25 games under .500. Seth Lugo put forth one of his best efforts of 2017 and notched his seventh win on the season, a sentiment that is even more impressive when you recall the fact that he has been battling a partially torn UCL in his pitching elbow. Lugo shut the Braves out over his six innings, allowing only two hits and no walks while striking out seven.

Jerry Blevins and Chasen Bradford contributed accordingly, keeping the Braves off the board for a combined two innings. Under normal circumstances their effort may seem a bit pedestrian, but when you contrast them to how awful the bullpen was yesterday afternoon, it’s nice to see the relievers do their jobs correctly.

Travis d’Arnaud had a night to remember (only because there are not too many to be had these days), knocking two hits in three trips to the plate and walking once. Following Asdrubal Cabrera’s RBI groundout in the third, d’Arnaud was able to extend the lead to 2-0 when he singled to center field to score Lagares. Facing Jose Ramirez (not to be confused with Cleveland’s MVP candidate), d’Arnaud launched one over the left-center field fence to extend the Amazins’ lead to 3-0. This would prove to be the deciding run after the Braves etched across two runs in the ninth. Monday night’s effort is a momentary sigh of relief for d’Arnaud in the midst of another disappointing season. Sit back and smell the roses, Travis, because you very well may not be a starter anymore come spring training.

Brandon Nimmo and Matt Reynolds each had a solid night at the plate. Nimmo cracked two doubles and a single in four plate appearances and Reynolds singled twice. While Reynolds ultimately has cemented his fate as a utility-man, Brandon Nimmo is starting to open some eyes on whether he can be an everyday player. Last night’s effort raised his batting average to .274 and his OBP to a .393 clip. Numbers like that are at least worth the discussion of whether Nimmo could have a starting job in 2018.

The Bad

2017 is just not Jeurys Familia’s year. Between the blood clot issue and his struggles on the mound, you can count on the fact that he’s eager to start the 2018 season and wipe the slate clean. Monday night’s outing was a textbook example, as he came very close to blowing a three-run lead. Despite surrendering an RBI single to Jace Peterson and an RBI groundout to Matt Kemp, Familia avoided a complete meltdown en route to his fifth save of the season.

Despite a measured level of success with the Las Vegas 51s, Travis Taijeron has failed to get it going at the Major League level. An 0-3 effort tonight lowered his batting average to a crisp .159. Not that Taijeron factored into the Mets’ long term plans at all, but his September cup of coffee put him in a position where he had more to gain than to lose. Unfortunately, some players are just stuck in the purgatory that is being too good for Triple-A, not good enough for the MLB.

What’s Next

The Mets take on a familiar face in R.A. Dickey tonight with a resurgent Rafael Montero toeing the rubber at 7:10 p.m.

Photo credit: Andy Marlin – USA Today Sports

It goes without saying, but Montero is not a serious rotation candidate for next year, unless the Mets’ goal is to approach 95 losses again. Montero is out of options, and with the Mets having so many marginal or questionable pitchers already penciled in for next year, coupled with an impending 40-man roster crunch this offseason, it could make sense to finally pull the trigger and DFA Montero. And while it seems something the Mets wouldn’t do—if they haven’t DFA’d yet, why would they now?—it does appear to be a logical move at the very least, given that Montero’s absolute ceiling right now appears to be a unreliable swing-man with good stuff, but poor command.

Chris Flexen and Kevin McGowan had combined for three scoreless innings in relief of Montero. They were followed by Erik Goeddel, who got absolutely shelled in the eighth inning; he gave up four runs on three home runs while only recording one out. One of the dingers he served up was Giancarlo Stanton’s 56th of the season, as Stanton continues his chase of Roger Maris’ 61 homers for seventh place on the all-time list.

Tommy Milone finished off the eighth inning, pitching in what feels like his 500th consecutive game.

On offense, the Mets didn’t do much. They mustered just two runs, the first run coming on a Travis d’Arnaud single in the fifth, and the second on a Brandon Nimmo solo homer in the seventh, after which Nimmo still couldn’t keep that dorky smile off his face, even when losing 5-2 at the time. The homer brought his wRC+ up to 122 on the year. He’s been the only real positive to take out of the last two months of this dreadful season.

And, surprisingly enough, a 122 wRC+ is also what Kevin Plawecki has managed to do in 60 plate appearances since his recall last month. The 26-year-old backstop managed two more hits yesterday, solidifying his case to be in the catching mix come next spring.

OTHER NEWS OF THE DAY

Amed Rosario is still sick, though he was back in the clubhouse today. He blamed an undercooked meal for his stomach ailment.

Sandy Alderson said it was “highly unlikely” that Matt Harvey will be in a different uniform next season. The team plans to tender him a contract.

TOMORROW:

The season winds down as the Mets begin their final homestand of the 2017 season against the Nationals. Jacob deGrom starts for the Mets against a pitcher the Nationals have not determined yet. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m.

Photo credit: Jasen Vinlove – USA Today Sports

It’s been a while since I’ve written one of these. The distraction of starting a Ph.D. and moving back to my native NYC has been rather nice, giving me a multitude of excuses to duck out on watching a bad Mets team drag the corpse of their season across the finish line. It’s always worth it to tune in at the end of the season though, just to listen to GKR for a couple more hours before the long offseason begins.

To the game itself. Matt Harvey toed the mound as the Mets started a three-game set in Miami, their last trip south of Philadelphia for the season. Opposing him was Dan Straily, the Marlins’ return in the soon-to-be-infamous Luis Castillo trade with the Reds this past offseason. To make a bad game worse, Amed Rosario was scratched with an upset stomach, giving us an extra dose of a Cabrera-Reyes-Cecchini infield. This season really can’t end soon enough.

Game Recap

The Mets seemed primed to jump out to an early lead against Straily, with Nori Aoki singling and Jose Reyes walking to start the first inning. Both runners would be stranded, however, as Asdrubal Cabrera and Travis d’Arnaud struck out, sandwiching a line out from Dom Smith. That missed opportunity immediately became irksome, as a couple of soft ground ball hits and a line drive from Justin Bour drove in a run for the Marlins in the bottom half of the inning to put the Mets in an early 1-0 hole.

Harvey was able to dance around more trouble in the second, stranding two runners who reached on softly hit ground balls up the middle. He wasn’t as lucky in the third, however. Giancarlo Stanton started the inning with a three-pitch walk, and Bour followed two batters later with a screaming line drive double to put runners on a second and third with one out. A wild pitch to Brian Anderson pushed Stanton across the plate, and an intentional walk and another infield single loaded the bases for Dan Straily with two outs. Harvey was able to stop the damage, but was up to 54 pitches and seven hits allowed (four of them very soft, two of them extremely hard) through three innings.

After stranding a plethora of baserunners through the first three innings, the Mets finally generated a response in the top of the fourth. Brandon Nimmo worked a walk (what else is new) before Juan Lagares grounded into a fielder’s choice and stole second base, putting a runner on second with two outs. Gavin Cecchini followed that up with a ground ball single up the middle to drive in Lagares, cutting the Miami lead to 2-1.

Harvey and the Mets gave that run and more right back. Dee Gordon led off the bottom of the fourth with a bunt single, then stole second. Harvey then yanked a fastball into Tomas Talis, putting runners on first and second with none out for Stanton. I’m sure you’ve already guessed how that turned out, as Stanton vaporized a flat fastball in the middle of the plate for a three-run home run that landed in the back right of the home run monstrosity in center field. The homer was Stanton’s 55th on the season, and it gave the Marlins a 5-1 lead. It was also the longest home run at a 17 degree launch angle or lower ever tracked by Statcast, travelling 455 feet.

The fifth inning started just as poorly for Harvey, as he allowed a flair single to Ichiro Suzuki and a ground ball single to Mike Aviles. That would chase him from the game, as the pitcher who used to be the Mets’ next best hope lasted only 4+ innings, the seventh straight start in which he went five innings or fewer. He allowed 12 hits, and, while there was certainly some bad luck in there (three infield hits, two dribblers into the outfield, and a flair that dropped) he also gave up plenty of rockets. Harvey’s stuff is still flat and his command is still spotty. On the bright side, he seems to have recovered at least one of the ticks he lost, but that’s really reaching for positives.

Tommy Milone entered in relief and retired Christian Yelich (pinch hitting for Dan Straily) on a weak dribbler in front of home plate. Dee Gordon made that out irrelevant, lining a triple into the right-center field gap to push the Marlins lead to 7-1. All seven of those runs were charged to Harvey, ballooning his ERA on the season to an almost inconceivable 6.59.

Milone walked Tomas Telis before being replaced by Hansel Robles. Robles’s results weren’t any better, as he allowed RBI singles Stanton and Ozuna. Brian Anderson then lined the second two-run triple of the inning for the Marlins before scoring on an RBI single from Suzuki. Erik Goeddel entered and finally stopped the bleeding, but the Marlins had turned things into a laugher, leading 12-1.

The rest of the game was fairly mundane. Chris Flexen tossed a scoreless inning with two strikeouts in relief. Jacob Rhame gave up a home run on the second pitch he threw, walked a batter, and struck out one in an inning of work. Jaime Callahan added a clean inning in the eighth. Meanwhile, the Met offense didn’t score, going quietly into the night in a 13-1 loss. At 65-85, they remain in line for the fifth pick in the draft.

Thoughts from the Game

Time to twist the knife of a lost season and another brutal loss a bit more. Eleven years ago last night, Jose Reyes and David Wright danced in the clubhouse and smoke cigars on the field as they clinched the NL East title. I don’t mean to re-write the eulogy for the 2006 Mets for the three millionth time, but it’s a sobering reminder of how far away the current iteration of the Mets are from getting back to that level.

I also want to share a pessimistic bet I’ve made with a couple friends. Nori Aoki is a marginally useful extra outfielder, and honestly not the worst option as a reserve on a good team. He’s also performed quite well since joining the Mets on September 2, running a 119 wRC+ in his very brief tenure. However, it should be very clear that Nori Aoki has no business being a starting outfielder at this point of his career, and if the Mets try to sell him as such (or even as a short term replacement should Michael Conforto’s return from shoulder surgery be delayed at all) it will be an abject disaster for 2018.

Other Mets News

Noah Syndergaard pitched a simulated game in front of the major league coaches in Miami today, facing a handful of live hitters. There’s a chance Thor gets back in a major league game this season, even if it’s just as a reliever, but it’s nice to see the Mets being extra cautious with one of their players for once.

Photo credit: Steve Mitchell – USA Today Sports

Tuesday was a night to forget for the Amazins’, especially coming off their Monday night offensive explosion. After losing last night, the Mets have lost eight of their last 11 and 12 of their last 16 games at Citi Field. Overall, the game was just a disappointing mess. Here’s how it all shook out:

Not So deGrominant

Following the win last night, I think we all felt a series victory was imminent with Jacob deGrom on the hill. Prior to tonight’s effort, deGrom was 6-0 with a 2.10 ERA in his 10 career starts against the Phillies. Not to mention, the Mets won all 10 of those games. Well, with expectations high, the team received one of the worst outings of deGrom’s career. The de facto ace of this depleted Mets pitching staff surrendered a career high nine runs, six of which were earned, and 10 hits. deGrom got the hook after only 3.2 innings, making this the second shortest outing of the year. Putting aside deGrom’s prior success against Philadelphia, this all came as a surprise after the right-hander cruised through the first inning, striking out the side. However, the real knife twisting moment was when deGrom surrendered a two-run blast to Philly’s starting pitcher Ben Lively. Simply put, deGrom did not have his best stuff last night.

Ben Lively: The Latest in a Long Line of Met Killers

Imagine that I didn’t watch an inning of this game. If you asked me who the catalyst was behind last night’s impressive offensive performance, I probably would have guessed Odubel Herrera, Cesar Hernandez, Freddy Galvis, or maybe even top prospect J.P. Crawford, who debuted Tuesday. Never in a million years would I have predicted what came off the bat of Ben Lively. Lively broke a 1-1 tie in the second after singling home Hyun Soo Kim and J.P. Crawford on a single to center and then cemented himself as the next great Met killer after slugging a two-run bomb off of deGrom in the fourth. If that’s not enough for you, Lively also went out and tossed seven innings of one-run ball. Talk about a complete player. Last night, Ben Lively joined a prestigious fraternity of players who perform at superhuman levels against the Mets. I wish him nothing but injury-free bad luck and struggles on the mound.

Another Day Another Dom Struggle

With a playoff run essentially lost all season, the promotions of Amed Rosario and Dom Smith gave fans something to look forward to. These two would hopefully come to anchor the franchise the way David Wright and Jose Reyes did back in 2006. Granted, there’s no need to hit the panic button since these games are meaningless anyways, but it is always disconcerting to see a top prospect like Smith struggle early on. The first baseman lowered his batting average to .182 Tuesday after going 0-4 with a strikeout. To make matters worse, he committed a throwing error in the second that allowed the tying run to score. The good news is that Smith is in no danger of being sent down to the minors. The bad news is that it’s only because the minor league season is over.

Man I’m Glad I Called That Guy

Due to the entire outfield spontaneously combusting via trade or injury, the Mets were in need of a major league caliber outfielder to come in and fill the void. In a serendipitous turn of events, the team was able to sign Nori Aoki and slot him right into the lineup in Houston. In only four games with the Amazins’, Aoki is 6-for-17 with three RBIs and four run scored. I don’t want to get ahead of myself here, but Aoki could be an interesting piece among the 2018 Mets, providing major league proficient outfield depth. When you consider the uncertainty regarding the return of Michael Conforto, Aoki could become a low-risk/high-reward value chip to keep around the organization.

At Least the Bullpen Was Immaculate

deGrom may have been awful tonight, but his compatriots certainly weren’t. Josh Smoker, Jacob Rhame, Kevin McGowan, Erik Goeddel, and Jamie Callahan combined for an impressive bullpen effort, striking out seven in 6.1 scoreless frames. It’s especially encouraging to see success out of two of the arms acquired at the trade deadline in Rhame and Callahan.

Everything Else

Asdrubal Cabrera continued to swing the bat well out of the three hole, notching a single and a double in four at-bats. Travis d’Arnaud also recorded two hits last night, a single and an RBI double, scoring the Mets’ only run in the game. Brandon Nimmo drew two more walks, giving him eight in his last five games, a sign that is especially encouraging when considering that a major hole in Nimmo’s game was his plate discipline.

What’s Next

The Mets will cap off their series against the Phillies at Citi Field on Wednesday at 7 p.m. After Matt Harvey was pushed back, Nick Pivetta’s rubber game matchup will be…who knows.

Photo credit: Andy Marlin – USA Today Sports

The Reds notched a series win against the Mets for the first time in four years, as two teams going nowhere got there in an economical two hours and forty two minutes in the hyperbolically named Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.

Jose Reyes accounted for both Mets runs, driven in in the first and third off the bats of Asdrubal Cabrera and Brandon Nimmo, respectively. On the other side, Scooter Gennett had himself a day, with a two-run homer in the second and an RBI double in the fifth. Jacob deGrom–perhaps the only good thing the Mets have left in 2017–was understandably human, and even so delivered a borderline-quality start, allowing four runs (three earned) over six innings while striking out five, making him 14-8 on the season. His Reds counterpart Robert Stephenson (3-4) completed his first quality start of the season, allowing two runs and striking out seven in six innings of work.

Jeurys Familia started the seventh inning and surrendered a home run to Joey Votto. Jerry Blevins and Erik Goeddel also pitched, each also surrendered a run.

The not-very-Amazin’s head to Houston this weekend, where the games will matter far less than the fact that life will be returning to the beleaguered city; Friday’s game has been postponed due to the lingering effects of Hurricane Harvey, and the team will spend the off day participating in charity work before playing a doubleheader Saturday starting at 2:10 p.m. with the return of Matt Harvey (4-3), who will face Charlie Morton (10-6), and Seth Lugo (5-3) facing Brad Peacock (10-2) in the second game.

Photo credit: David Kohl – USA Today Sports

The Mets lost to the Diamondbacks on getaway day as they head off for a 10-game road trip to nowhere. That the road trip starts in Washington is painfully fitting; they can watch Daniel Murphy carve up his former team and, as he circles the bases, perhaps ask their old buddy what it feels like to play meaningful games.

But coming off the heels of an encouraging win behind a slew of rookies, Mets fans could have been forgiven for harboring some hope for the future. The bloom has come off the rose when it comes to the Rotation (that was supposed) to Beat All Rotations, but this week it was the offense’s turn to make fans dream of pennants to come with timely hitting and speed on the basepaths. Mets fans could also be forgiven for not letting down the guard, even for a second, lest the slings and arrows of fate catch them unaware.

The cynics were proven right. Michael Conforto, one of the more proven quantities in a lineup bound together with bubble gum, scotch tape, and more than a little misplaced hope, went down in the fifth inning, dislocating his left shoulder on a swing. As of this writing, the Mets had not announced whether Conforto would spend any time of the disabled list, nor had they put out a timetable for his return.

Other signs of hope, if you believe in such false gods, included Rafael Montero’s 5.1 innings, surrendering three earned runs and notching five strikeouts. His record is now 2-9, but it doesn’t matter. Nothing does. Arizona starter Robbie Ray went five innings surrendering one earned run and striking out nine, returning from a four-week layoff following a scary concussion sustained on a comebacker in St. Louis; it was a heartening triumph over adversity that helps make one forget that Sandy Alderson traded Curtis Granderson to Los Angeles for magic beans.

Yoenis Cespedes hit his 17th home run of the year. Erik Goeddel threw a baseball very hard. The Mets did manage to come within striking distance, mounting rallies in the seventh and ninth innings, but by then the Tigers-Yankees game had descended into a beanball war and the possibilities of this game, this season had deteriorated into nothingness, into sheer dust much like the dirt that caked on Michael Conforto’s jersey as he crumpled in pain and fell to the ground. Injuries players sustain while making daring catches, or even just celebrating big hits somehow seem more acceptable. Adding insult to injury, Conforto dislocated his shoulder whiffing, explosive kinetic energy expended to no actual effect; that must have made it hurt that much more.

The Mets take on the Nationals tonight at 7.05 p.m. Jacob deGrom (13-7) will be facing TBD. With apologies to the former Stetson shortstop, smart money is on the other guy.

Photo credit: Noah K. Murray – USA Today Sports

Nevertheless, as we continue to say goodbye to some of the veterans on this ballclub, the Mets still had a game to play last night. Hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first game of a four-game set, the Amazins dropped the effort by a score of 3-2 in 10 innings. At 54-69, the Mets staggered back to a whopping 20.5 games behind the division leading Nationals and 13 games out of the second Wild Card spot. Here’s what you need to know from Monday’s matchup.

Gsellman Shines

2017 has seemingly been a lost year for Robert Gsellman. His recent efforts have been mired in struggles which makes his performance tonight all the more encouraging. Against a solid Diamondbacks team that could very well be playoff bound, Gsellman posted a quality start effort. The right-hander surrendered one earned run in 6.1 innings, while striking out three. If Gsellman can pitch well throughout the remainder of the season, he has the chance to carve at a role on this pitching staff for what should be a competitive 2018.

Cespedes Finding His Rhythm

Like any player that spends a significant time on the disabled list, you can expect that their regular season numbers will not reflect their true value. Yoenis Cespedes has missed 46 of the Mets’ 123 games in 2017 and, at this point, we’re just looking for signs of life. Last night was a good reminder of how important he is to the ball club, notching three hits singles in five at-bats. Cespedes also drove in the game-tying run after knocking a bases loaded single to left. It very well could have been the go-ahead run, but David Peralta made a great throw to plate, nailing Asdrubal Cabrera on play that was challenged and upheld. Cespedes has already committing to switching up his offseason training program and becoming more flexible, so all we can hope for is for him to spend the next six weeks grinding out at-bats, notching hits, and continuing to make adjustments and get better.

A Franchise Player Right Under Our Noses

Yes, Dom Smith and Amed Rosario are on the Mets, so the future is now. But, I think we are guilty of the same mistake. While Rosario and Smith will hopefully be All-Stars one day, the next franchise player has been right under our noses the whole time. I have said this many times in prior recaps, but it’s amazing that Michael Conforto almost didn’t end up on the Opening Day roster. He has performed well beyond expectations and reaffirmed his status as a key building block in this organization’s future. Things looked pretty grim after he struggled so mightily in 2016, but he’s managed to find success as both a leadoff hitter and a middle of the order bat in 2017. Conforto notched his 27th home run tonight after a solo blast in the tenth. When you consider that he’s launched 27 bombs and driven in 66 runs in only 367 at-bats, it really makes you wonder what he has the potential to do over the course of a typical 600 at-bat season. With all that being said, he’s managed to transform himself into a remarkable defender, giving the Mets the opportunity to bring in another corner outfielder to bolster their lineup in the offseason. It’s very early to say, but Michael Conforto could very well succeed David Wright as the face of this franchise.

The Young Guns Struggle, But Not To Worry

As I mentioned right above this, with Rosario and Smith in the majors, the future is now. The problem is that the two young bucks have struggled out of the gate. Rosario and Smith both notched singles last night, raising their batting averages to .243 and .158 respectively. Some may panic, seeing these alarmingly low numbers, but the important thing is for these two guys to play every day. If the Mets want to compete in 2018, then Rosario and Smith need to get comfortable in the majors more than anything. Getting used to the big league stage and preparing for 2018 is the number one priority.

A Stellar Bullpen Performance (Can Only Last So Long)

Following a solid effort from their starter tonight, the Mets’ bullpen put forth a great effort to keep the game close and eventually tied. The problem is that they were just one inning too late to pull out a victory. Jerry Blevins, Paul Sewald, and A.J. Ramos combined for 2.2 scoreless frames with four strikeouts, sending the game tied into the 10th. Unfortunately, Erik Goeddel surrendered a go-ahead two-run homer to A.J. Pollock. It’s even more unfortunately, because Conforto homered to lead off the bottom of the inning, which presumably could have been a walkoff had the game remained tied. Putting aside Goeddel’s mistake, it’s great to see Blevins, Sewald, and Ramos pitch well as they all have the chance to be key pieces in the pen next season.

What’s Next?

The Mets will play the second game of a four-game set against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday. Patrick Corbin faces off against the recently recalled Tommy Milone in a battle of left-handed starters at Citi Field at 7:10 p.m.

Photo credit: Andy Marlin – USA Today Sports

There are usually two paths if the Mets aren’t able to score early, the first featuring a half-decent start and strong relief pitching with the second consisting of a brutal beatdown by the opposition in all aspects of the game.

Monday’s Subway Series opener at Yankee Stadium followed the first pathway, as Curtis Granderson and Yoenis Cespedes hit solo home runs off former Met Luis Cessa to give the Mets a 2-0 lead in the 3rd inning. Cessa, who went to the Tigers with Michael Fulmer in the deal that brought Cespedes to Flushing in 2015, pitched well and threw hard in his 4.1 innings before leaving with what appeared to be an arm injury.

Somewhat stunningly so, Rafael Montero also pitched well, only allowing two runs in six impressive innings. Spotted the early lead, Montero was on the verge of total collapse in the fourth when he loaded the bases with one out, but he coaxed a sacrifice fly from Gary Sanchez and got Chase Headley to fly out to escape more damage.

He wasn’t out of the woods, though, as Aaron Judge greeted him with his 36th homer of the season in the sixth to the tie the game at 2. Montero was able to get the next three batters out to finish off one of his best starts as a Met. The key for him has always been to keep his cool when in bad situations, and not being able to do just that has resulted in his rough season. Monday was a solid step forward, even though he coughed up the lead.

After Hansel Robles managed to barely eke through his usual high-wire act of a seventh inning, he was left in to start the eighth by Terry Collins, which predictably blew up right in TC’s face, to the surprise of no one. He grooved a pitch to Aaron Hicks, who promptly deposited it in the right field seats to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead. Did Hansel point skyward as Hicks’ homer soared far over the fence? Why yes, yes he did.

Two batters later, Erik Goeddel gave up a bomb to Sanchez to officially put a cap on this one. Dominic Smith reached base with an infield single in the 9th against Dellin Betances to bring up Amed Rosario as the tying run. He struck out on three pitches.

Will the offense reveal itself?

Not really a banner night for the Mets’ hitters. The Granderson and Cespedes home runs were the road team’s only extra base hits of the night, as the rest of the lineup scattered four hits and three walks. Granted, the lineup without Neil Walker, Jay Bruce and Lucas Duda is a little lacking but the Mets who were in the lineup on Monday didn’t put up much of a fight.

The main issue was that guys just kept swinging right through the hard fastballs of Cessa, Chad Green and Betances and over the curveballs of David Robertson. Rosario continues to struggle with the strike zone and with Smith still getting acclimated to big-league pitching, the Mets just don’t have a very deep lineup right now. The rare good news is that Green through 45 pitches and might not be available for the next few days.

A silver lining, kind of

After his loss against the Rangers last week, Terry Collins had this to say about Montero: “We don’t have a lot of options right now. And if we can’t come up with an option, he’s going to go back out.” Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Montero at least earned another start with his performance in the Bronx, but that’s probably more due to the current state of the Mets’ pitching staff than Montero himself. Still, though, his talent is undeniable. The 95+ mph fastball and sharp slider (at times) definitely plays in the majors, especially because his heater — when on — seems to have deceptive movement on it that puzzles hitters. His issue is keeping positive momentum going, which means how he pitches this weekend against the Marlins will tell us if Monday was a fluke or legitimate progress.

Patience, young Jedi

Through 13 games (for Rosario) and four games (for Smith), the Mets’ rookies haven’t exactly been lighting the world on fire. Amed’s problem is obviously his preponderance of strikeouts and, conversely, his lack of walks. In 44 plate appearances, the Mets’ top prospect has struck out 12 times and walked none. Obviously, that won’t keep up and it’s silly to make any legitimate determinations based off such a small sample size. It’s simply worth nothing.

For Smith, with even less plate appearances — just 14 — what’s apparent is that he has a very good command of the strike zone. Whether it’s laying off balls or just fouling back tough pitches, he has an approach that goes well beyond his 22 years. He basically hasn’t hit anything hard in the air yet and most of his contact has been up the middle and on the ground. Like Rosario was in his first two series in Denver and at home against the Dodgers, Smith is still getting his feet under him. Put the pitchforks down.

Looking ahead

Tuesday brings one of the better pitching matchups the Mets have been a part of this season, as Jacob deGrom returns to the site of his MLB debut to face off against new Yankee Sonny Gray. Could be a lot of strikeouts on both sides.

Photo credit: Adam Hunger – USA Today Sports

In a matchup between two teams playing for the future, the lopsided outcome was not in doubt as the Mets put up three runs in the first and never looked back.

In a season that has offered both Mets pitchers and fans unending pain, an otherwise dominant night was marred with the sight of Jacob deGrom — the last pitching stud standing — exiting the game in the seventh after a comebacker ricocheted off his pitching arm.

The less-than-Amazins tormented Phillies starter Vince Velasquez in the first. After yielding a two-out double to Yoenis Cespedes and walking Michael Conforto, Velasquez coughed up a three-run home run to Wilmer Flores, and the Mets spotted deGrom a 3-0 lead before he even threw a pitch. Velasquez would not return in the second, suffering from numbness in his pitching hand. Mark Leiter would replace him for five innings, surrendering only one run, a Neil Walker home run in the third.

deGrom couldn’t ask for a better setup for his 50th career road start. He was 9-0 against Philadelphia heading into tonight’s game, and wasted no time picking up where he left off, striking out the first two batters he faced. Cruising with a shutout in the seventh, on his 100th pitch, a comebacker off the bat of Nick Williams hit him right above the right elbow. Erik Goeddel came in in relief and stranded Phillies on the corners. deGrom escaped the scrape with little more than a triceps bruise, although given the Mets medical staff’s recent history misdiagnosing pitchers’ health, one could forgive Mets fans’ skepticism.)

Phillies outfield prospect Rhys Hoskins made his major league debut, going hitless with a walk.

deGrom wasn’t the only possible casualty of the night. With Las Vegas teammate Dominic Smith set to debut tomorrow, Amed Rosario got nailed in his hand with a high and tight fastball in the fourth, but stayed in the game and didn’t seem the worse for wear.

Conforto launched a three-run home run home run that dinged off the left field foul pole for a three run home run in the top of the seventh, and in the top of the ninth, Curtis Granderson followed a walk by pinch-hitting Brandon Nimmo with a two-run homer to right, putting the Mets up 9-0. The Mets then loaded the bases, but only eked out one more run to make the score 10-0, matching deGrom’s win-loss record against Philadelphia.

Mets fans can only hope that the linchpins of the 2018 campaign savor the victory and need no more than ice for their wounds.

Tonight, Dominic Smith Day, Seth Lugo (5-3, 4.55 ERA) takes on Nick Pivetta (4-7, 5.89 ERA) at 7:05 p.m.

Photo credit: Bill Streicher – USA Today Sports

Fred and Jeff Wilpon made $52,666,666.67 yesterday.* Every MLB ownership group did. One year ago, Disney bought one-third of BAMTech — the streaming media property founded by Major League Baseball that powers MLB.tv, HBO Now, and many other online video services — for a cool $1 billion. Yesterday, Disney paid another $1.58 billion to acquire another 42% in the company.

*Does not count revenue from the home game recapped below.

When you read about players’ salaries as a percentage of league revenues declining at a startling rate, keep in mind that the $2.6 billion paid to MLB over the last 13 months is pure ownership profit. Developing video streaming technology, even if developed to stream baseball games, is technically unrelated to baseball operations. In other words, accounting for this cash would make the players’ declining share of revenues look much worse.

Suffice to say, when the Wilpons announce that their trade-deadline acquisition of A.J. Ramos was the Mets’ big offseason move because the team still has payroll constraints, the Wilpons will be lying.

MEANWHILE, three home team home runs in the first two innings actually held up this time. Mets 5, Rangers 4.

Punditry

Remember Saturday’s game? When Michael Conforto, Wilmer Flores, and Curtis Granderson all hit first-inning home runs off erstwhile Dodgers ace Rich Hill… and then Seth Lugo and the Mets lost anyway? Last night started similarly. Conforto led off with a dinger last night. Yoenis Cespedes hit one, too. Then in the second, Travis d’Arnaud followed a Jose Reyes walk with a laser over the left field wall.

Chris Flexen pitched well enough, allowing solo shots by Joey Gallo and Adrian Beltre among four hits, four strikeouts and three walks over 5 2/3 innings. His last batter was a walk to Carlos Gomez. Unfortunately for Flexen’s ERA, Gomez came around to score on a double by Joey Gallo, the first batter faced by reliever Erik Goeddel. The Mets will take 94% of a quality start from Chris Flexen every time out.

Goeddel then struck out the next two Rangers he faced. Jerry Blevins pitched the next 1.2 innings with two K’s of his own. A.J. Ramos struck out Carlos Gomez and Gallo, then gave up a solo dinger to Robinson Chirinos before coaxing a ground ball to seal the win. On a night with six home runs, 18 strikeouts and seven walks, it was a fitting ninth inning for Ramos to pick up his first Met save.

Social Media

Adrian Beltre is also sensitive when it comes to anyone trying to steal his base pic.twitter.com/Q6oz6ZAsAy

— Good Fundies (@goodfundies) August 9, 2017

GKR-isms

In small measures, strikeouts are exciting, home runs are exciting, but when all anybody is doing is striking out and hitting homers, that takes away from how exciting those events can be. — Gary

When you mess with history, you never know what the repercussions are going to be — Gary, reminiscing on the reversed Wilmer Flores/Zack Wheeler-for-Carlos Gomez trade

If you complain about a complainer, doesn’t that make you a complainer? — Ron, on Joe West being suspended for his comments on Adrian Beltre

Forecast

A 12:10 matinee. Query whether you’d rather have Mets starter Rafael Montero or Rangers starter Tobe Determined.

Photo Credit: Andy Marlin – USA Today Sports