Terry Collins’ beleaguered pitching staff made history this week by allowing 39 runs on Chicago’s North Side, the most in a three-game set in Mets history.

The rebuilding Braves have won six of eight and would surpass their 2016 win total with a sweep.

Atlanta will visit Citi Field for four games in the season’s final week, including a doubleheader on September 25.

When and Where

Game 1: Friday @ 7:35 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Game 2: Saturday @ 7:10 p.m. EST (TV: WPIX; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Game 3: Sunday @ 1:35 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Baseball Weather

Friday: Partly cloudy with a low near 65F; Winds light and variable

Saturday: A few clouds with a low of 66F; Winds light and variable

Sunday: Mostly sunny with a high around 85F; Winds between 5-10 mph

Probable Pitching Matchups

Friday: RHP Rafael Montero (5-9, 5.05 ERA, 4.86 DRA, .293 TAv, 0.7 WARP) vs. LHP Sean Newcomb (2-8, 4.38 ERA, 6.16 DRA, .288 TAv, -0.5 WARP)

Montero has won each of his last three starts, holding opponents to a .194 average over 18.2 innings. His recent success has involved a bit of luck, however, as the inconsistent 26-year-old has walked 14 batters during that stretch.

Drafted 15th overall by the Angels in 2014, Newcomb made his big league debut against the Mets on June 10 — charged with the loss despite allowing just an unearned run in 6.1 impressive innings.

Saturday: RHP Jacob deGrom (14-9, 3.63 ERA, 2.77 DRA, .242 TAv, 5.9 WARP) vs. RHP R.A. Dickey (9-9, 4.28 ERA, 5.25 DRA, .281 TAv, 0.6 WARP)

The only steady presence in an injury-plagued rotation, deGrom rebounded from a drubbing at the hands of Philadelphia to hurl six innings of two-run ball against the Reds on Sunday, striking out 10 in the process.

Dickey faces his former club for the third time this season, earning the win in both starts behind a mediocre 4.09 ERA (5 ER in 11 IP, including 3 HR). The former Cy Young Award winner has been rocked the past two times out, allowing 12 runs (11 earned) in 9.1 innings.

Sunday: RHP Robert Gsellman (6-7, 5.58 ERA, 6.22 DRA, .317 TAv, -0.7 WARP) vs. RHP Julio Teheran (11-11, 4.57 ERA, 4.33 DRA, .276 TAv, 2.4 WARP)

Gsellman took the loss in Chicago on Tuesday, charged with four runs in four innings pitched.

Teheran has won four straight behind a 2.08 ERA (6 ER in 26 IP), striking out 20 during the streak. The two-time All-Star is 1-1 with a 3.33 ERA in four starts against the Mets this season.

Who’s Hot?

Mets INF Asdrubal Cabrera (.560 AVG (14-for-25), 1.371 OPS over his last eight games)

Mets SS Amed Rosario (6-for-11 in Cubs series)

Mets INF Jose Reyes (.375 AVG since Sunday with 4 RBIs and 4 runs scored)

Braves OF Lane Adams (2 singles, 2 walks, a triple and a home run in his last 8 plate appearances)

Braves 2B Ozzie Albies (.340 AVG (17-for-50) with 2 homers and 9 RBIs during 12-game hitting streak)

Braves C Kurt Suzuki (8-for-17 over his last four starts)

Who’s Not?

Mets OF Nori Aoki (2-for-17 this week)

Mets CF Juan Lagares (4-for-24 (.167) in his last seven games)

Braves SS Dansby Swanson (.125 AVG (2-for-16) since last Friday)

When We Last Met

The Mets won three of four at SunTrust Park in early June, losing the series opener on Rio Ruiz’s walk-off single against Josh Edgin. New York’s starting pitching was key, including dominating performances by Gsellman, Steven Matz and Seth Lugo.

It’s Literally a 10-Day DL

Braves: 1B Matt Adams (right hamstring tightness) appeared as a pinch-hitter in the series finale at Nationals Park, his first game action since Sunday.

Mets: RHP Noah Syndergaard (torn right lat) was expected to throw a bullpen session on Thursday. INF/OF T.J. Rivera underwent Tommy John Surgery on Thursday to repair a partial tear of the UCL in his right elbow. SS Amed Rosario left Thursday’s game early due to a tight hip flexor. He is day-to-day. C Travis d’Arnaud was also pulled mid-game after twisting his right knee, but should be available for Friday’s series opener.

Notable Quotables

“Our bullpen, for the most part, has done a pretty good job. Actually we’ve pitched pretty good lately. We just did not pitch very well here… Hopefully our bullpen can pull together and get us going a little bit.” — Mets manager Terry Collins following the Cubs series

“I was struggling with both breaking balls, both of them I elevated too much over the plate. My fastball was all right. I’ve just got to be better at making an adjustment to go to pitches that are working, figure that out sooner… It’s been a rough season for me. It’s been a rough season for a lot of guys but I feel like lately I’ve been throwing the ball well, not so much tonight, but I’m going to try to go back to what I was doing the last few weeks and finish the season strong.” — Lugo, who was rocked for eight runs (seven earned) over three innings in Thursday’s loss

Photo credit: Brett Davis – USA Today Sports

Lugo came out Sunday like a pitcher who didn’t fully trust his arm. He kept throwing pitches over the middle of the plate and hoped that he could fool hitters just by moving up and down the zone. Nelson Cruz struck first, with a three-run upper deck homer. When Leonys Martin hit his first home run of the season off the facing of the upper deck, it was pretty clear that this wouldn’t be Lugo’s day. When Yoenis Cespedes lost a ball in the sun and it fell for a “triple,” it felt like we could just fast forward to the end of a seemingly inevitable 9-1 loss.

Every pitcher the Mets threw out raised more questions about what this team’s plan is. Lugo only allowed one infield hit over the next three innings to stabilize his day. When the Mets activated A.J. Ramos, it seemed like Fernando Salas would get released. Instead the Mets designated Josh Edgin for assignment and Salas came in for the sixth. He got an out, then a routine ground ball that Neil Walker couldn’t handle at second. Salas isn’t good enough to survive giving a team extra outs – he walked Mike Zunino and later Ben Gamel singled in a run. With Edgin out of the pen, Terry Collins turned to Josh Smoker as his lower leverage lefty for the seventh. It was his turn to give up a run.

Finally it was Ramos’ turn. Collins wanted to get him work, even down 7-0. Ramos pitched like the stereotypical closer who doesn’t focus well when used in non-save situations. He gave up a walk, single, and then a double play ball that Walker threw away on the turn. After allowing a run, Ramos gave up two wild pitches in the dirt and another single to make it 9-0. The Mets mounted a small two-out rally in the top of the ninth to avoid a shutout, but Michael Conforto looked at strike three to end the game.

Reyes Injured

Jose Reyes got drilled in the forearm by a 98 mph fastball in the top of the fifth inning. He crouched over in pain and had to leave the game immediately. Matt Reynolds moved over from third base to shortstop, while Asdrubal Cabrera entered the game at third. Marc Carig reported after the game that Reyes’ X-rays are negative.

If Reyes is out for a while, remember that Reynolds is primarily a shortstop. It would be a mistake to assume that the Mets have to call up Amed Rosario because they don’t have any shortstops on the current big league roster. After all, they kept Reyes’ .286 on base percentage, weak glove, and awful off-field character there every day.

More Trades Coming?

The Mets don’t play again until after the trading deadline, but Addison Reed has been on the rumor mill for over a week. Many assumed the only rational reason for the Mets to designate Edgin for assignment was if they had lined up a trade. Once a player is designated for assignment, the team still has a week to trade that player before releasing him. However, Anthony DiComo reported just before the game that the Mets don’t have a trade for Edgin in the works.

Photo credit: Steven Bisig – USA Today Sports

Nevertheless, life goes on and the team played their first game in the post-Lucas Duda era. Unfortunately, it did not go as planned as the Mets dropped their second in a row to the basement-dwelling San Diego Padres by a score of 7-5. A poor Major League debut from Chris Flexen and an offense that didn’t wake up quickly enough were the recipe for last night’s disaster. Here’s how it shook out:

Not Flexen On The Haters

Ravaged by injuries and desperate for depth, the Mets called on 23-year-old Chris Flexen to start last night in San Diego. Flexen was the first player to debut straight from Double-A Binghamton since Michael Conforto did so in 2015. He also joined prestigious company thanks to the first batter he faced, but not in the way he would have liked.  After surrendering a home run to Manuel Margot, Flexen joined Jon Niese and Steven Matz as the only Mets pitchers to give up a homer to the first batter they faced in the majors. Flexen’s night didn’t get any easier and he struggled to the tune of four walks, four runs (three earned), and five hits in only three innings pitched. Flexen took Thursday’s events in stride, calling his debut a “dream” despite the rough outing, but his future in the Mets rotation depends on everyone else.

Don’t Trade Jay

Jay Bruce continued to buoy the Met offense, driving in three runs, two of which came on a two-run home run in the seventh. The blast was Bruce’s 26th of the year, inching him up to 70 RBIs on the season. Bruce is on path to reach 42 home runs and 113 runs, which would set new career highs for the 30-year-old outfielder. I have repeatedly emphasized how important of a piece Jay Bruce could be to the 2018 Mets and he keeps giving Sandy Alderson more cause to extend him. If competing in 2018 is truly the goal, then trading Bruce at the deadline would be a cataclysmic mistake. Pairing Bruce with Yoenis Cespedes in this lineup gives the Mets the formidable and powerful 3-4 they need to contend for a championship. Here’s to hoping Sandy and the braintrust makes the right choice.

Our All-Star Continues To Shine

For those worried about an impeding Michael Conforto slump following the All-Star break, you can put those fears to rest. Conforto continued to solidify his reputation as a reliable, Major League-caliber hitter last night after a two-for-five performance. To open the game, Conforto sliced a ground-rule double down the left field line, followed by a single to right in the fifth. He can bat for average, he can hit to all fields, he can hit for power, and he plays a heck of an outfield. The Mets have a star in the making in Conforto and I personally look forward to watching him play in the orange and blue for the next 10 years. Yes, there are more ideal fits in center field. But at the cost of having Bruce and Cespedes in the lineup, I can live with Conforto patrolling center.

Where is Dom Smith?

The departure of Lucas Duda to the Tampa Bay Rays opens up the first base slot for Mets prospect Dom Smith, currently residing in Triple-A Las Vegas. You had to figure that in the wake of the Duda trade, some sort of promotion news would break about Smith. Instead, Sandy Alderson confirmed that there are no immediate plans to promote the 22-year-old. This feels a bit peculiar as the Mets are very much out of the Wild Card race and have openly acknowledged their willingness to sell assets and focus on 2018. There are multiple roster moves coming Friday, including Neil Walker and Brandon Nimmo expected to join the team in Seattle, but as for Smith, I guess we’ll have to continue to wait and see.

Back-End Bullpen Success

When Chris Flexen was removed after the third, Tyler Pill came in to relieve him. Pill faced similar struggles, surrendering three runs, two walks, and two hits in two innings. In what seemed like a game that would be an utterly hopeless performance on the mound, the back-end of the bullpen rallied together to toss three perfect innings to end the game. Josh Edgin, Fernando Salas, and Erik Goeddel pitched a shutdown sixth-seventh-eighth which did allow the Mets to creep back into this game. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done and the effort turned out to be in vain. Any success this ball club receives out of this scrap heap of relievers should be praised, especially if any of them are going to fit into next season’s plans.

The Dads Go Yard

Manuel Margot launched a leadoff home run off Flexen over the left field fence to open the game and Dusty Coleman would later launch a three-run bomb over the right-center field fence off Tyler Pill in the fifth. Said bomb would, in fact, go on to be the difference in the game. The Padres are essentially fielding a team of young, on the rise Triple-A players due to their lack of depth, so its always nice to see the prospects flash their potential.

What’s Next?

The Mets open up a three game set against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. Rafael Montero faces Ariel Miranda with a start time of 10:10 p.m.

Photo credit: Jake Roth – USA Today Sports

It’s a perfect metaphor for the Mets 2017 season. If we show up at the right place and the right time, the Mets might provide some wonderful memories. But there are a lot of nights where we sit through heat and lines and rain just to see an under-manned team struggle to keep its head on straight. Zack Wheeler couldn’t find the strike zone and gave up four runs before the Mets got to bat. The Mets lineup looked hapless before rain started coming down in the sixth. I can’t help but wonder how many fans stuck out all nine innings to see Wilmer Flores’ walkoff home run.

Earlier this week, I wrote about how Wheeler has thrown a surprising number of pitches in the strike zone, but has so little command of his offspeed pitches that hitters don’t chase. Wheeler threw a curveball right down the heart of the plate for his second pitch of the game. He didn’t fool Matt Joyce, who blasted it for a home run. Things only got worse as Wheeler gave up a walk, line drive out, single, and a walk. Great defense can bail out a struggling pitcher, but if you’ve watched the Mets all season (or even at all), you know this is the cue for a blunder. Bruce Maxwell lined to right and Jay Bruce reacted like he was running in a sand dune. The ball went over his head for a double, and a Matt Chapman sacrifice fly made it 4-0.

Wheeler walked Oakland pitcher Sean Manaea to start the second. I thought I’d have hours to come up with the best “wheels fall off” puns before he got pulled. Wheeler gave up another hit in the inning, and two more in the third, but he was able to locate the ball a bit better and keep the game from becoming a complete blowout. It was the reverse of Wheeler’s normal pattern of starting strong then running out of gas and losing command. He was most successful the third time through the A’s lineup.

Once a few fans opened their umbrellas in the sixth, the Mets opened their offense. Flores led off with a double, then Bruce homered to dead center off the left-hander Manaea. Jose Reyes “tripled” over Khris Davis’ head as he lept in the air to snatch the crown from Bruce for worst outfield defense of the night. Travis d’Arnaud went with a pitch away for an RBI single and Michael Conforto hit a two-out double down the line to make it 5-4 Oakland. Lucas Duda delivered a two-out pinch hit single in the eighth to tie the game, and Flores homered with two outs in the ninth to win it.

Mets Shuffle Infield

Asdrubal Cabrera started at third base for the first time in his professional career. The Mets discussed moving him to third back in May, but he only practiced the position one time before playing there. He didn’t immediately panic on any balls hit his way, which could be an improvement. Several contenders – most notably the Red Sox – are shopping for third basemen and the Mets seem to be auditioning Cabrera for a potential trade. Flores started at second base for the seventh time this year, although that’s expected to be Neil Walker’s job to take back after some rehab games.

Middle Relief Survives

Addison Reed and Jerry Blevins were both unavailable after Terry Collins asked them both to try a five-out save Friday. Since Wheeler threw 100 pitches over five innings, Josh Smoker came on for the sixth. Smoker, who hadn’t pitched in the majors since throwing 81 pitches in a mop up role and then going on the disabled list for a mysterious shoulder ailment, saw diminished velocity, but it’s too early to tell if that’s a fluke or a real problem. Josh Edgin threw two innings and Hansel Robles threw the ninth, combining for four shutout innings and allowing five baserunners with only one strikeout. It’s hardly dominant, but even spare part relievers are good enough to generate scoreless innings from time to time.

What’s Next?

Rafael Montero faces off against struggling rookie Daniel Gossett. The Mets marketing department may rethink whether the PR damage from only giving out 15,000 bobbleheads makes the promotion a net failure.

Photo credit: Andy Marlin – USA Today Sports

Have We Already Seen the Best of Wheeler?

When the Mets acquired Zack Wheeler from San Francisco, it was easy to foresee him and Matt Harvey forming a tenacious one-two punch at the front of the Mets’ starting rotation. Now, it’s hard to picture him being any more valuable than a No. 4 or 5 starter. Injuries are tough. They can leave even the most talented players in ruins and unfortunately for Wheeler, it seems that his two-year absence stemming from Tommy John surgery has robbed him of his potential. Wheeler cruised through the first four innings last night and ran into trouble when he began to lose his command in the fifth. A Jedd Gyorko lineout helped him escape a bases-loaded jam, but it’s important to note that he got himself into that jam by walking the bases full. By the time the sixth inning rolled around, the Mets’ 1-0 advantage quickly dissipated. Two singles, a Paul DeJong home run, and an Adam Wainwright double ended Wheeler’s night, and, to his dismay, his bullpen counterparts failed to stop the bleeding. Given the lack of depth the Mets have to deal with due to injuries, Wheeler is in no danger of losing his job, but if he fails to put together a decent stretch to finish out 2017, he may write his way out of this team’s future plans.

Paul DeJong: Newly Crowned Met Killer

When the Cardinals first called up Paul DeJong in May, I knew I would rue the day he faced the Mets. That’s actually a lie. Until two weeks ago, I barely know DeJong existed. Then, he decided to homer in three consecutive games against the Mets, something only the great Albert Pujols accomplished in a Cardinals uniform. Monday night, he did something no Cardinal has ever done: he homered in his fourth consecutive game against the Mets. The early impressions of the 23-year-old have been solid: a .302 batting average with 9 home runs and 20 RBIs, but he seems to take things to a whole new level when facing the Mets. You can go right ahead and put him on your dart board along with Chipper Jones, Daniel Murphy, and our other favorite Met killers. The sad part, of course, is that it’s only been four games.
I’d also like to note that just the sight of Adam Wainwright still makes me angry, so you can imagine how losing to him must make me feel.

A Weird and Wild Sixth Inning

When Wheeler fell apart in the sixth, it was hard not to feel like this game was over. After a T.J. Rivera groundout, Lucas Duda made it interesting by launching a moonshot home run over the bullpens. This is when things got weird. The next at-bat, Jose Reyes laced a ball into the right-center gap. With no hesitation out of the box, Reyes bolted towards second. Dexter Fowler and rookie Magneuris Sierra converged on the ball and by some weird twist of fate, the ball was kicked around, allowing Reyes to take a turn and head for third. Sierra then proceeded to make one of the worst throws I have seen, and Reyes rounded third and scored on a Little League home run. Travis d’Arnaud stepped to the plate following Reyes and laced the first pitch he saw into center field. From the roar of the crowd, it felt like he may have put one into the gap. Fowler glided over to make the routine catch, but his nonchalant attitude came back to bite when the ball kicked off his glove and d’Arnaud ended up on second. Unfortunately, the Mets couldn’t find a way to score d’Arnaud after a pinch hit ground out by Wilmer Flores and lineout to the pitcher off the bat of Michael Conforto.

Jose Reyes is No Longer Asleep At the Wheel

I’m not going to be one of those people who get too excited over a hot streak from Jose Reyes. This doesn’t change the fact that he is a shell of the player that he once was, but he’s finally started producing. In the month of July, Reyes is posting a .395/.400/.737 clip, a mindblowing improvement over his season-long line of .226/.291/.389. Reyes coming alive is a major key to the Mets being successful, but this was something that this ball club needed two months ago. At best, a hot July may attract a suitor for the 34-year-old shortstop. It may even have the potential to write Reyes back into the Mets’ future plans. Regardless of what happens, it’s nice to see Reyes actually being a productive member of this lineup.

Mixed Feelings on the Bullpen

With a chance to keep the game at 3-1, the Mets’ bullpen faltered. Josh Edgin came in to face Matt Carpenter and gave him a free pass. Hansel Robles followed and surrendered a three-run home run to Tommy Pham on his second pitch since being recalled from Las Vegas. With that being said, the bullpen did live up to expectations in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings as Paul Sewald, Jerry Blevins, and Erik Goeddel combined for three scoreless innings. When it comes down to it, I guess you could say Terry deployed the wrong guys for the situations. It’s good to see that not all is lost when it comes to this club’s late relief options.

An Almost Rally in the Ninth

Down 6-3, the Mets opened the ninth with Curtis Granderson pinch-hitting for Erik Goeddel. Granderson walked and put the Mets a step closer to bringing the tying run to the plate. Conforto hit a hard liner off of Brett Cecil, but baseball is a cruel game and sometimes when you hit the ball hard, you hit it straight at the right fielder. Asdrubal Cabrera followed and lined a single into left center, pushing Grandy to third. At this point, the Mets were exactly in the position they wanted to be. Yoenis Cespedes stepped to the plate, trying to shake an 0-for-4 night and with a very good chance to do so against the left-hander Cecil. Things got even better when Cecil tossed three pitches outside and Ces had a 3-0 count to work with. Chasing that game-tying dinger, Cespedes swung 3-0 and grounded the ball to short, resulting in a game-ending double play. Following the game, Cespedes bolted from the clubhouse before reporters were allowed in, expressing zero desire to discuss the heartbreaking ninth inning.

What’s Next?

The Mets continue their four-game series with the Cardinals at Citi Field on Tuesday at 7 p.m. with Rafael Montero facing Michael Wacha.

Photo credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports

After being snubbed for the All-Star Game, Jacob deGrom got the first start for the Mets out of the break, squaring off against the second Wild Card team Rockies. Jon Gray, the Rockies’ opening day starter who missed significant time with a stress fracture in his foot, made his sixth start. Perhaps most importantly, Michael Conforto got the start in center field, hopefully indicating that the Mets plan to play him every day down the stretch.

Game Recap

deGrom got off to a somewhat rough start, allowing a leadoff single to Charlie Blackmon. Two batters later, Nolan Arenado hit a weak ground ball that deGrom threw past first base for an error, putting runners on first and third with one out. Gerardo Parra then drove in the first run of the game with a ground ball single, giving the Rockies a one-run lead. That’s all they’d get for the inning and almost all they’d get for the entire evening against deGrom.

The Mets went quietly in the first, but got to work in the bottom of the second against Jon Gray. Lucas Duda started the inning with a bloop single to left, moving to third on a double from Jose Reyes. Travis d’Arnaud then hit a weak ground ball that Nolan Arenado made a fantastic play on to record the out, but Duda scored to tie the game. One batter later, deGrom had a bloop hit of his own to score Reyes and give the Mets a 2-1 lead. Conforto singled to keep the inning going before Asdrubal Cabrera grounded into a double play to end the inning, but the Mets were far from finished with Gray.

Yoenis Cespedes started the bottom of the third with a hustle double that he dinked down the right field line. Jay Bruce followed with his own bloop single to left, putting runners on first and third with nobody out. T.J. Rivera then smashed a double into the gap to score two runs, extending the Mets lead to 4-1. Duda kept the chain moving by walking, and Reyes drove in the Met’s fifth run with a single. d’Arnaud walked as well to load the bases, still with no outs.

That’d be all for Gray, who couldn’t even record an out in the second. He was certainly victimized by some bad luck – four of the Mets’ hits against him were poorly hit – but his stuff was clearly rusty after going nine days between outings, and the Mets were hitting rockets off of him by the time he departed.

Gray was relieved by Zac Rosscup, who struck out deGrom for the first out of the third. Conforto hit a chopper for an RBI fielder’s choice, and Cabrera bounced a ground ball of the second base bag for an RBI single, scoring the fifth and sixth Met runs of the inning, pushing them to an 8-1 lead. Cespedes added his second hit of the inning with a hard hit single before Bruce struck out to finally end the third.

T.J. Rivera added a solo home run to start the bottom of the fourth, but the Mets already had more than enough cushion for deGrom, who straight-up dominated for the rest of the night. Outside of a double from Charlie Blackmon in the sixth (he’d later score on a sacrifice fly from Gerardo Parra), deGrom held the Rockies hitless from the second until the eighth. He struck out 11 on the night, his seventh game with double digit strikeouts this season, earning a win in his sixth straight start and his tenth win on the season. He finished after eight innings, allowing four hits, one walk, and two runs.

The Mets tacked on a couple more runs after deGrom departed on a bases loaded walk to Cabrera and an infield single by Cespedes. Josh Edgin entered to close out the 12-run game and made things drag, allowing two singles and a walk, but ultimately held off the Rockies to secure the 14-2 win. The victory pulls the Mets within 9.5 of the second wild card spot, perhaps the first step of playing, as Sandy Alderson put it, “exceedingly well” as they try to save their season (don’t count on it).

Thoughts from the Game

Please don’t trade Jacob deGrom unless the return is absolutely, stupendously good. I’m talking Alex Bregman, Francis Martes, and Kyle Tucker from the Astros, which A) will never happen and B) I’m not sure even excites me without getting a long term center field solution or an equivalently useful piece. Even if deGrom’s an unlikely extension candidate as he’s under control until age 32, he’s one of the best pitchers in baseball and can be a valuable contributor for what should be contending Met teams in 2018 and 2019. On a more emotional level, he’s just a joy to watch when he’s on, both due to his electric stuff and due to his fun, underdog story.

Other Met News

For once, the news on the injury front can almost be considered good. Jeurys Familia has started a throwing program, while both Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard are close to being cleared. Given that all three have missed extended time with a serious injuries, they’ll certainly need some time to work their way back. More relevantly for potential trades, Neil Walker is 7-10 days away, hopefully putting him on track to return before the non-waiver trade deadline. Walker’s salary is hefty enough that he can probably be traded through waivers in August, so the longer he has to display that he is healthy the better.

At the same press conference where Alderson delivered this injury news, he also reinforced that Amed Rosario (and Dom Smith) will not be up any time soon. Specifically, Alderson said that he would not promote any top prospects until the players they would be replacing were moved. Given Terry Collins’ predilection for playing veterans over rookies, that’s probably a smart developmental decision.

Photo credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports

The Good: Wheeler and d’Arnaud

Zack Wheeler hit a cold stretch, went on the disabled list, and came back with another awful start. All season long, it’s been hard to tell if Wheeler was fading due to lingering injury effects or whether he just hasn’t learned how to effectively use his breaking pitchers to fool hitters and put them away. Terry Collins said Wheeler needs to throw more offspeed pitches in the strike zone, and the righty responded, going to his slider more and managing to locate some to keep the hitters off balance. The Cardinals helped him out several times by running their way out of good two out scoring threats; Travis d’Arnaud threw out three baserunners – two attempting to steal and the lead runner on a bad bunt. Wheeler’s improved command and d’Arnaud’s defense were enough to keep the Mets in a low scoring game.

The Bad: Most of the Lineup

At this point in his career, Adam Wainwright has to fool hitters to have a chance. He doesn’t have the same command any more. His fielders can’t reliably turn ground balls in to outs. The crafty veteran was able to pitch to the scouting report and take advantage of an undisciplined Mets’ lineup. Curtis Granderson guessed wrong several times and Asdrubal Cabrera followed him with several strikeouts, throwing his bat in frustration in the fourth, then slamming his helmet in the sixth. The Mets only had two hits through six innings before Jay Bruce hit his 23rd homer of the season. T.J. Rivera and Jose Reyes also got hits, prompting the Cardinals to go to the bullpen. Bruce, Rivera and Reyes combined for all seven Mets hits.

The Ugly: Bullpen Merry-Go-Round

Since the Mets were down 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh, Collins turned to Fernando Salas. I’m not sure whether this counts as going to the low leverage guy or not. Salas gave up a leadoff double to red hot rookie Paul DeJong and it got worse from there. Four of the five Cardinals’ hitters reached, although Stephen Piscotty ran his way into an out and a major Keith Hernandez rant. Erik Goeddel blew away Yadier Molina to end the seventh. Collins dumped out Rafael Montero, Josh Edgin, and Neil Ramirez for the eighth. Watching this bullpen feels like watching someone go to the craps table and think they can beat the house. When one reliever fails, Collins will happily bet on the next one. In fact, just after I wrote this, Collins said he’s going to use Ramirez more.

The Weirdly Tragic: Nimmo to DL

Brandon Nimmo was placed on the 10-day disabled list after being diagnosed with a partially collapsed lung Friday. Collins told reporters that there does not seem to be any specific acute cause, like a collision. Nimmo said “I really don’t expect [to be out] too long — we’re not talking months. I don’t think we’re talking anything like that. It’s obviously already healed or else air would still be leaking into my chest cavity.”

Conforto Back (But Only Technically)

Michael Conforto was reinstated to the active roster to take Nimmo’s spot. However, the All Star did not play on Saturday. If you follow anyone who writes about the Mets on Twitter, you’ve probably seen the screaming about the lineup already. Conforto stood in the on deck circle in the seventh inning to see if the Mets could have extended the inning against a right-handed pitcher, but the Cardinals got out of the inning and used lefty Brett Cecil for the eighth.

What’s Next?

One more game in St. Louis, then the All Star break. Seems like a great time to start talking to other teams about deals.

Photo credit: Jeff Curry – USA Today Sports

But the obvious counter-argument to that is that, for as bad as Washington’s bullpen has been, the Mets’ second-best non-specialist reliever is literally Paul Sewald. Which is to say, the Mets bullpen is almost as bad. What’s more, the Nationals have the team around them to overcome a leaky bullpen, whereas the Mets do not. And last night, we saw the actual embodiment of that argument/counter-arugument exchange played out in front us.

Yes, the Mets bullpen is bad. With the game tied at 0-0, an obviously overworked Jerry Blevins—who, even with more sporadic appearances lately, still leads the majors with 43 games pitched—came into the game in the eighth inning, and allowed a walk and a two-run homer to Michael A. Taylor.

However, the Nationals bullpen is still worse than the Mets’. Sammy Solis, the Nats’ de facto closer who won the job immediately upon his return from the DL by simply not being any other reliever on the Nats, blew his first save attempt of the season in the ninth inning. Curtis Granderson came up as the tying run with two outs and got down 0-2 in the count, but blasted a clutch, game-tying homer that appeared to send Bryce Harper into a very dark place.

But the Nationals still have the skill to overcome their woeful bullpen, whereas the Mets do not. Sewald began the bottom of the ninth inning, walked a batter and got an out, and gave way to Josh Edgin, who followed suit. Then Fernando Salas came in, and it only took two pitches for Ryan Raburn to end the game. Raburn dropped a walk-off single in front of a sliding Yoenis Cespedes, who also apparently cramped up on the play, because of course he did.

There are two more games to go in this series, but hopefully Mets’ upper management has realized by now that they’re not nearly on the level of Washington and will not catch them nor even put up a fight, and the Nats’ poor bullpen isn’t enough to change that. It is imperative for them to sell at the trading deadline and restructure this team for 2018.

Of course, both of these bullpens ruined what had been a maginifcent pitcher’s duel between Stephen Strasburg and Steven Matz. Both pitchers matched zeroes for seven innings before being relieved. Strasburg fired seven sparkling innings and only yielded two hits and three walks with six strikeouts. Matz was only slightly less stellar, allowing four hits and two walks while only striking out four in his seven innings.

Matz flashed his best velocity of the season, with some pitches coming in the 95-96 mph range. He’s still not getting strikeouts like he used to, and if he’s going to be succesful in front of this defense he will probably need to get those back before long, but his return has been a boon for this entire pitching staff.

Starting pitching like this is really fun to watch, and something I’m sure we all wished we saw more of in the first half of this season. On Wednesday, I metioned that the Mets’ starting pitching ERA- was tied for the worst mark in franchise history with the 1963 Mets at 122. But thanks to the exploits of Matz, Jacob deGrom, and Seth Lugo in the past week, that has been lowered to 117, which is now tied with the 2009 Mets. Mike Pelfrey led that team in innings pitched.

Also, in This Week In Evidence Of Juiced Baseballs, Michael A. Taylor is now rocking a .238 ISO on the season. This is not a reality I am used to or particularly enjoying.

OTHER NEWS OF THE DAY

Yoenis Cespedes is not expected to play in today’s game due to his leg cramps suffered last night. Curtis Granderson, however, is playing.

Some really serious news here: Las Vegas 51’s pitcher Logan Taylor was diagnosed with a concussion after being attacked by a tire iron during an attempted robbery by a homeless man on Saturday in Salt Lake City. Here’s wishing the best to Taylor.

TODAY:

Set your alarms! The Mets play an early morning game on Independence Day in our nation’s captiol. First pitch is (ridiculously) scheduled for 11:05 a.m. Seth Lugo takes on Joe Ross, and I can only imagine how much caffeine is necessary to pitch a baseball game at 11 in the morning.

Photo credit: Patrick McDermott – USA Today Sports

Worst Starting Pitcher Seasons In Mets History By ERA-:

Yes, before last night’s game, the 2017 Mets starters were tied with the 1963 Mets starters for literally the worst adjusted season at run-prevention in franchise history. The 1963 Mets went 51-111. The 1964 Mets, who this group is worse than, went 53-109. The 1982 Mets went 65-97. The 1965 Mets went 50-112. You’ll have to go all the way to No. 18 on that list to find a Mets team that finished with a winning record, and that was the 2006 Mets with an ERA- of 107. And that team was undone by its lack of pitching.

This is the worst case scenario, and then some. This rotation was a fresh, beautiful car. It had an 8-cylinder engine with a pristine paint job, and it even spat fire. We gave it a superhero nickname and everything. We flaunted it. And then we opened the door one day and found out that the car was infested with spiders. Then the spiders all jumped out at once and ate our face and ruined our lives.

But last night, Steven Matz gave us all a breath of fresh air. There haven’t been too many strong starts by the non-deGrom faction of the Mets’ rotation this year, but last night, the Long Island kid gave the Mets seven impressive shutout innings. He struck out four and walked only one in his best start of the season. Josh Edgin pitched a scoreless eighth and Chasen Bradford followed suit in the ninth, and the Mets won just their second shutout of the season, with their first coming May 19 against the Angels in a game started by—you guessed it—Jacob deGrom.

So thanks to Steven Matz, this Mets’ starting rotation is no longer tied for the worst single-season ERA- in Mets history. For now.

On offense, the Mets were rolling from the get-go as well. A two-run homer by Asdrubal Cabrera in the first inning got the Mets out to an early 2-0 lead, and an RBI single by Jose Reyes later in the inning put them up 3-0. The team then stagnated at just three runs, though, until the seventh when they exploded for three more. An RBI single by T.J. Rivera scored one, and that was followed up by a two-run bomb by Curtis Granderson, his third in as many days, to blow it open to 6-0. The Mets added two more in the eighth on a single by Brandon Nimmo, and that was that.

The win was the Mets’ fourth in their last five games, though they still might as well be a light year away from a playoff spot, and this team having moderate success against other bad teams shouldn’t really boost anyone’s confidence in them.

OTHER NEWS OF THE DAY

Robert Gsellman was placed on the 10-day disabled list after suffering a hamstring strain Tuesday night, and in his place comes yet another installment of the Matt Reynolds odyssey. Reynolds has now been recalled 37 times this season, which is an accurate number that you should definitely not fact-check.

TODAY

The Mets look to take the rubber game in Miami and take back third place in the division. Seth Lugo goes up against Jose Urena at 7:10 p.m.

Photo credit: Steve Mitchell – USA Today Sports

Is it the curse of Tom Terrific? June 15, 2017 marked the 40th anniversary of Tom Seaver’s departure for Cincinnati, a trade that perhaps many readers of this site are too young to remember, but those in the know have been able to reduce their parents and grandparents to tears by summoning the painful memory.

Maybe the Mets were doomed that summer day. Maybe the Wilpons insulted a fortune teller at a carnival. Whatever it is, the franchise needs to burn some sage and make amends, because until they do, the bodies are going to keep dropping.

Want to make a Met fan under 45 years old cry? Revisit the current disabled list: the middle of the opening day infield is now gone, with shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera on the 10-day DL and Neil Walker out indefinitely with a partially hamstring tear. Reliable bullpen arm Josh Smoker is out with “loose bodies” in his elbow, which sounds both terrifying AND gross. Tommy Milone, who is allegedly a real person who exists, is on the 10-day DL with a knee sprain. The pitchers sitting out provide a Whitman’s Sampler of maladies: Jeurys Familia, 60 days, right arm surgery; Noah Syndergaard, 60 days with a torn right lat muscle; Matt Harvey, stress injury on his right shoulder.

What makes me cry without fail is the clip of Mike Piazza’s home run on September 21, 2001. We all have our buttons.

Oh, yeah, there was a game last night. Gio Gonzalez absolutely loves pitching in Flushing, and tonight was no exception. The SNY cameras seemed to pick up on the Nats pitcher stretching and wincing after an awkward swing in his first at-bat, but it didn’t matter. Pitching through injury or not, he held the Mets to two runs. Mets bette noir Bryce Harper obliterated a Robert Gsellman offering in the first to put the Nats up to a 1-0 lead, and Washington never looked back. Harper tried to extend the lead in the third on a single by former Met Daniel Murphy but was cut down by a laser beam from Juan Lagares. Hold on to that memory, because Juan will not be adding to the highlight reel for some time.

In the fourth, the Mets cut the Nats’ two-run lead in half with back to back doubles by Yoenis Cespedes and Jay Bruce, but the wheels came off in the fifth when Brian Goodwin and Ryan Zimmerman scored on a Daniel Murphy triple. Murphy would score when Anthony Rendon blooped an RBI single in front of a diving Lagares. Later in the inning, manager Terry Collins and trainer Ray Ramirez jogged out to check on Lagares, who would be replaced by Curtis Granderson. The Mets would later announce that Lagares had fractured his thumb.

Rene Rivera hit a home run. Somewhere in the stadium, a couple decided it would be best if they started to see other people. A corporate lawyer checking his emails on his phone between innings realized he had grown up to be exactly the kind of lawyer he swore to himself, during all those late nights in the law library, he never would become.

Coming out of the bullpen, Josh Edgin surrendered an unearned run, and Rafael Montero pitched three scoreless innings with three strikeouts. While Amed Rosario continued to serve the organization best by staying in the Pacific Coast League for reasons only known to the Ministry of Truth (War is Peace! Ignorance is Strength!), Mets fans did get a peek at Gavin Cecchini, who struck out in a pinch-hit appearance. Wilmer Flores hit a home run. Tyler Pill started against Sacramento for Las Vegas, wondering what must one do to get another chance at a major league start for this organization, whose roster looks like the end of The Iliad.

Happy birthday to Dusty Baker, who turned 68 years young. He is the second youngest manager in major league baseball, behind Terry Collins, who is emotionally 900 years old.

Photo credit: Noah K. Murray – USA Today Sports