As the 2016 season winds down, the Mets find themselves in the middle of the playoff race with both the Cardinals and the free-falling Giants. The NL Wild Card game will feature two of those three teams, barring a miraculous late run by the Marlins or Pirates. Given how tight the action is, there may […]
Tag: Noah Syndergaard
Game recap September 19: Syndergaard stutters
Rookie Aaron Blair pitched six innings of two-run ball for his first major league win, long-time nemesis Freddie Freeman drove in three and the last-place Atlanta Braves defeated the Mets 7-3 in Monday night’s series opener at Citi Field. The lopsided loss snapped a three-game winning streak for New York, but the Mets managed to […]
Game recap September 13: The T.J. Rivera game
Rookie T.J. Rivera hit his first major league home run in the 10th inning to lead the Mets to a dramatic 4-3 victory in the nation’s capital on Tuesday night. After Washington scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to tie the score at 3-all, Rivera lined All-Star closer Mark Melancon’s 0-2 cutter into the […]
Game recap September 7: A little bit of talent and a lot of good luck
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 […]
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 […]
Game recap August 27: Home run cycles and playoff dreams
What Happened, In a Sentence The Mets overpowered Philadelphia’s weak pitchers, hitting four home runs in a 12-1 win. Top Hitters Beat Predictable Pitching If I were trying to teach a young pitcher why you can’t just stay away, away, away, I would show them Jeremy Hellickson’s performance against the Mets last night. Hellickson is a […]
Sit Syndergaard or Let It Ride?
When Noah Syndergaard broke into the majors early last season, it was a seismic event for the Mets. With him in the shorthanded rotation, given the loss of Zack Wheeler in spring training to Tommy John surgery, the Mets played well enough in the first half to stay competitive and then steamrolled through to the […]
Game recap August 21: Easy peasy lemon squeezy
THE RUNDOWN Yoenis Cespedes’s two-run blast was the only support that Noah Syndergaard needed, as Thor blanked the Giants offense for the 2-0 victory. ALL (BATS) QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT Both Jeff Samardzija and Syndergaard came out dealing, setting down the other side in order in each of the first two innings fairly easily. […]
Game recap August 16: Scraping by on good hair and a nice smile
WHO WON: The blue and grey Mets WHAT HAPPENED, BATS, BLUNDERS, AND WELL-HIT BASEBALLS: Early on there wasn’t much offensive activity of note. The Mets tried to lead a charge in the second inning with Kelly Johnson and T.J. Rivera on base, however the Mets’ old nemesis—hitting with runners in scoring position—decided to rear its […]
Game Recap August 11: Which Team Was 47-66, Again?
“I’m not…going 7-9, or 8-8, or 9-7…or 10-6, for that matter!” So prophesied Los Angeles Rams head coach Jeff Fisher during an episode of HBO’s Hard Knocks. Mediocre records rarely make the playoffs; this is virtually tautological: if you have fewer wins, you won’t advance to the postseason. Currently, New York Mets fans can empathize […]