Chicago holds a tenuous grip on first place after being swept by Milwaukee over the weekend.

Leading St. Louis by two games and the Brewers by 2.5 in the NL Central, the unsteady Cubs will try to regain their footing in a division that remains very much up for grabs.

When and Where

Game 1: Tuesday @ 8:05 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Game 2: Wednesday @ 8:05 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Game 3: Thursday @ 8:05 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Baseball Weather

Tuesday: Partly cloudy with a slight chance of a rain shower and a low of 62F; Winds between 5-10 mph

Wednesday: Fair with a low of 59F; Winds between 5-10 mph

Thursday: Clear with a low near 60F; Winds between 5-10 mph

Probable Pitching Matchups

Tuesday: RHP Robert Gsellman (6-6, 5.44 ERA, 6.30 DRA, .317 TAv, -0.8 WARP) vs. LHP Jose Quintana (9-11, 4.32 ERA, 4.36 DRA, .256 TAv, 2.2 WARP)

Gsellman has pitched better since his spat with GM Sandy Alderson, earning his first win since June 10 with a rain-shortened six-inning complete game against the Phillies last Wednesday. The 24-year-old has a 2.76 ERA (5 ER in 16.1 IP) over his last three starts.

Meanwhile, the man known as Q has been somewhat inconsistent since switching Windy City alliances in mid-July, but has strung together two quality starts including six scoreless frames in Pittsburgh the last time out.

Wednesday: RHP Matt Harvey (5-4, 5.82 ERA, 5.14 DRA, .296 TAv, 0.4 WARP) vs. LHP Jon Lester (10-7, 4.35 ERA, 3.59 DRA, .263 TAv, 3.6 WARP)

Harvey showed signs of improvement in his second start since returning from the disabled list, limiting Cincinnati to two runs in five innings on Thursday and earning the win. “Overall just starting to feel a little more comfortable out there with mechanics and attacking hitters,” the former ace said following that start. “Obviously still not where I want to be but definitely moving in the right direction.”

Lester had his best performance since July last week in Pittsburgh, hurling six innings of one-run ball en route to his second straight win. The four-time All-Star is 4-1 with a 3.97 ERA in six career starts against the Mets.

Thursday: RHP Seth Lugo (6-4, 4.64 ERA, 5.38 DRA, .283 TAv, 0.2 WARP) vs. LHP Mike Montgomery (5-8, 3.64 ERA, 4.62 DRA, .235 TAv, 1.0 WARP)

Lugo blanked the Reds for six innings Friday in one of his most effective starts all season. He will be limited to 75-80 pitches, per manager Terry Collins.

Montgomery has held opponents to a .233 AVG in 20 innings since returning to the rotation on August 23. He faced the Mets at Citi Field in June, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits over five frames.

Who’s Hot?

Mets 1B Dominic Smith (.353 AVG (6-for-17) during five-game hitting streak)

Mets INF Jose Reyes (1.000 OPS in September with 3 HRs and 9 RBIs)

Mets OF Brandon Nimmo (6-for-15 with two home runs in Reds series)

Mets INF Asdrubal Cabrera (.600 AVG and 1.558 OPS over the past week)

Mets OF Nori Aoki (At least one hit in all eight games with New York)

Cubs INF/OF Ben Zobrist (.364 AVG (8-for-22) since September 3)

Cubs C Rene Rivera (10-for-32 (.313) with 7 RBIs since joining Chicago)

Who’s Not?

Cubs OF Jon Jay (5-for-26 (.192) this month)

Cubs 3B Kris Bryant (2 hits in his last 19 plate appearances with no RBIs)

Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo (.433 OPS with no extra-base hits in his last 7 games)

When We Last Met

The Mets took two of three at Citi Field in mid-June, winning the opener 6-1 behind Jacob deGrom’s complete game. Curtis Granderson and Lucas Duda both homered late in the finale to overcome a poor start by Harvey and secure a series victory which moved New York within four games of .500.

It’s Literally a 10-Day DL

Cubs: RHP Jake Arrieta (right hamstring strain) played catch on Sunday and is expected to return soon. C Willson Contreras (right hamstring strain) returned on Sunday after missing a month, appearing as a pinch-hitter late in the game.

Mets: RHP Noah Syndergaard (torn right lat) saw his simulated game on Sunday cancelled due to soreness. He is now scheduled to throw a bullpen session Tuesday in Chicago.

There’s Always Next Year!

The Mets announced their 2018 schedule on Tuesday, which kicks off on March 29 at Citi Field against St. Louis. Highlights include a three-game home set against the crosstown rival Yankees from June 8-10 and several interleague series with the other AL East clubs. New York will close the regular season at home against Miami.

Notable Quotables

“I’m just trying to get to the point where I’ve been when I’m healthy, 100%.” – Jeurys Familia after taking the loss on Sunday afternoon (0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R/ER, 3 BB)

“Just didn’t have the same command, really, more than anything else. Velocity was OK until the last few hitters and then you could tell he was getting fatigued but again, we’re in a stage of trying to find out some things and we found out that he’s not ready to go back-to-back.” – Collins on Familia’s shaky outing

“He really competes. He did it the first day he was in the big leagues. He started the game and got off to a rough start and you looked up and he got you six good innings, so he’s as good a competitor as I’ve been around and any time he goes out there I know if he gets in trouble he knows how to battle through it.” – Collins on deGrom, who allowed two runs over six innings, striking out 10

“They got us zero runs and one run in two of three games. In one game we had no chance but definitely had chances in the others. We pitched really well and again, you have to pitch better than good pitching to win and they did it… I thought we pitched well. We’re just unable to string together any kind of hits and our power’s been negated a bit… You look around baseball and it happens to every team at some point. It’s contagious to hit as well as it’s contagious to not hit and you just got to keep working your way through it. It’s going to come back to us. We’re going to start hitting again.” – Cubs manager Joe Maddon after getting swept by the Brewers

Photo credit: Dennis Wierzbicki – USA Today Sports

Less than 48 hours after watching two more well-liked teammates in Curtis Granderson and Rene Rivera set sail for playoff contenders, mental lapses and sloppy defensive play cost the Mets on Sunday afternoon.

Tensions boiled over a bit when rookie shortstop Amed Rosario failed to rush a throw on a Dee Gordon grounder, allowing the noted speedster to reach first on what should have been an out. Jacob deGrom instantly threw up his arms in disapproval, a rare outburst from the usually composed ace.

Torey Lovullo’s club arrives holding the NL’s second Wild Card spot despite just being swept in Minnesota, losing Sunday’s finale to former Mets favorite Bartolo Colon.

When and Where

Game 1: Monday @ 7:10 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

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

Game 3: Wednesday @ 7:10 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Game 4: Thursday @ 12:10 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Baseball Weather

Monday: Party cloudy with a possible stray shower or thunderstorm and a low of 74F; Winds between 5-10 mph

Tuesday: Scattered thunderstorms with a low around 75F; Winds between 10-20 mph; Chance of rain 50%

Wednesday: Partly cloudy with a low of 66F; Winds between 5-10 mph

Thursday: Sunny with a high of 82F; Winds between 5-10 mph

Probable Pitching Matchups

Monday: RHP Taijuan Walker (6-7, 3.83 ERA, 4.19 DRA, .261 TAv, 1.8 WARP) vs. RHP Robert Gsellman (5-5, 5.98 ERA, 6.40 DRA, .325 TAv, -0.7 WARP)

Walker has struggled recently, lasting just five innings in each of his last two starts and allowing 10 runs (seven earned) on 14 hits and 5 walks over that span. The former first-rounder has not picked up a win since June 21 and Arizona has lost his last seven outings.

Gsellman drew the ire of Sandy Alderson in the days leading up to his start against the Yankees last week after commenting “I don’t really care” in response to the GM’s suggestion that Gsellman needed to pitch better at Triple-A. The long-maned rookie worked 5.1 innings in a Mets loss, charged with three runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks.

Tuesday: LHP Patrick Corbin (10-11, 4.25 ERA, 5.31 DRA, .289 TAv, 0.5 WARP) vs. LHP Steven Matz (2-7, 6.08 ERA, 6.04 DRA, .303 TAv, -0.3 WARP)

Corbin has won two straight, defeating the Cubs and Astros behind 15.1 scoreless frames. The upstate New York native struck out 15 against the playoff-caliber clubs, holding them to a .164 batting average.

The host’s southpaw in Tuesday’s matchup has not fared nearly as well. Matz was rocked by that other New York team on Thursday, allowing seven runs (six earned) in just 3.1 innings en route to losing his sixth straight decision.

Wednesday: RHP Zack Godley (5-6, 3.13 ERA, 2.91 DRA, .222 TAv, 3.4 WARP) vs. RHP Chris Flexen (2-2, 6.55 ERA, 9.11 DRA, .349 TAv, -0.9 WARP)

Godley took the loss at Target Field on Friday, charged with four runs in 5.1 innings including two homers despite striking out 10.

Flexen’s performances have been somewhat underwhelming thus far, yet he’s managed to keep his team in the game in each of his past three starts. The 23-year-old did not factor in the decision against Miami on Friday, pitching 5.1 innings of three-run ball.

Thursday: LHP Robbie Ray (9-5, 3.11 ERA, 3.95 DRA, .240 TAv, 2.2 WARP) vs. RHP Rafael Montero (2-8, 5.47 ERA, 5.50 DRA, .303 TAv, 0.0 WARP)

Ray has not pitched in a major league game since July 28, when he was pulled in the second inning after being struck in the head by a 108 mph line drive in St. Louis. The first-time All-Star suffered a concussion but appears ready to return after striking out 11 batters over 4.2 innings in a rehab assignment on Thursday night.

Thought to have possibly worn out his welcome for the last time just a few short weeks ago, Montero has strung together two quality outings and shown flashes of the promising potential that the Mets have been trying to harness for the past four seasons. Still only 26 years old, the slim Dominican held Miami to one run over six innings for his first win since June 25.

Who’s Hot?

Diamondbacks 1B Paul Goldschmidt (1.093 OPS with 7 HR and 17 RBIs this month)

Diamondbacks OF David Peralta (4-for-13 with a home run this weekend)

Diamondbacks 2B Brandon Drury (3 doubles and a homer in his last two games)

Mets SS Amed Rosario (4-for-12 in Miami series)

Mets IF Asdrubal Cabrera (.313 AVG (5-for-16) since Wednesday)

Who’s Not?

Diamondbacks IF/OF Daniel Descalso (.179 AVG (5-for-28) since August 11)

Diamondbacks C Chris Iannetta (3 hits in his last 21 at-bats)

Diamondbacks OF Gregor Blanco (.248 OPS with 12 strikeouts in 34 plate appearances this month)

Mets 1B Dominic Smith (.510 OPS in ten games played)

When We Last Met

Arizona swept three games at Chase Field in mid-May, capped off by Chris Herrmann’s walkoff homer against Montero to lead off the 11th inning in the series finale.

It’s Literally a 10-Day DL

Diamondbacks: SS Nick Ahmed (fractured right hand) began a rehab assignment with the AZL D-backs on Saturday. He was 0-for-2 with a walk and scored a run.

Mets: RHP Matt Harvey (stress injury in right shoulder) will start for Double-A Binghamton on Monday in his second rehab outing after appearing in two games with the Brooklyn Cyclones last week. RHP Jeurys Familia (blood clot in right arm) continues his rehab assignment with High-A St. Lucie and will need to reach a point where he can comfortably throw 30 pitches in an inning, per manager Terry Collins.

Notable Quotables

“We should have made some plays that cost us a couple runs and we made it a game at the end and that’s one of the things, I think, that shows you these guys are not just throwing in the towel. They’re playing all nine.” – Collins after Sunday’s loss

“Dee Gordon’s faster than a lot of guys in baseball… He learned a lesson. I’m sure it won’t happen again. You don’t double-pump when he’s running down to first base for sure.” – Collins on Sunday when asked about Rosario’s blunder

“When Rosario didn’t make that play I put my hands up. I probably shouldn’t have done that… That’s my bad. I can’t show emotion out there like that, especially when it has to do with your other players when they’re out there trying to play defense behind you so that one’s on me.” – deGrom discussing his reaction to the play

Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas – USA Today Sports

If this were football or basketball, I think we’d hear a lot more fans chanting “tank tank tank!” But the Mets play six or seven times a week. None of us wants to watch a loser every single day. Even if losing may be better for the long term future of the franchise, it’s harder to sit through when the game is on every day. A few games like Saturday’s 8-1 win over the Marlins can make the depressing outlook for the rest of 2017 a bit more tolerable.

The matchup of Rafael Montero and Vance Worley hardly screamed pitchers duel. Montero has been a smidge below replacement this year and he was the more successful starter. But when you have a matchup of two below .500 teams in late August, weird things can happen. Montero threw more fastballs inside and challenged everyone but Giancarlo Stanton. Maybe someone told him if he keeps nibbling he won’t have a job next year. Maybe Montero looked behind him and saw the sure-handed Rosario at shortstop instead of Jose Reyes. The Mets’ new infield tied a club record with five double plays. Even the Mets seemed baffled by their improved defense.

Worley pitched in the high 80s, but he was able to keep the Mets off balance with his fastball movement until the sixth inning. Matt Reynolds opened with a pinch hit walk on a borderline pitch. Brandon Nimmo singled and Asdrubal Cabrera hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at one. Yoenis Cespedes singled, then both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Miami brought the infield in with runners at second and third, but shortstop Miguel Rojas let a ball get under his glove and both runs scored. Wilmer Flores followed up with a home run to make it 5-1 Mets and the rout was on. Rojas made another error, Kevin Plawecki hit his first big league home run of the year, and Dom Smith homered in the eighth to make it an 8-1 final.

Roster Moves:

Plawecki was called up from Triple-A because the Cubs claimed backup catcher Rene Rivera off waivers earlier on Saturday. Players get claimed on waivers all the time in August. Usually teams pull the player back from waivers or try to make a trade, but there is no indication that the Mets tried to get anything from the Cubs in exchange for Rivera. They didn’t even ask for a bag of chips. Of course, the Wilpons can use the cash savings from shedding Rivera’s contract to buy a bag of chips. I doubt the market for Rivera was that strong at this point in the season, but it still feels odd to write transaction analysis where one team didn’t get anything in return but minor salary relief. I guess the main thing the Mets get is one last chance to see whether Plawecki can hit enough at the major league level to be worth a roster spot in 2018.

As Lukas Vlahos mentioned yesterday, the Mets traded Curtis Granderson to the Dodgers for a player to be named later or cash. Granderson has done so much for the Mets and for the community that it doesn’t feel right to analyze this move in a strict “what did the Mets get in return?” analysis. Granderson signed with the Mets after suffering a major injury with the Yankees. Most analysts – including me – thought it was an overpay for a declining player. He provided 13.2 wins above replacement and his humanitarian work meant far more than any measure can quantify. If anyone deserves a token move to get one last good shot at a championship, it’s Curtis Granderson.

Now that Granderson has been traded, Jacob deGrom and Jerry Blevins are the only players who have been on the active 25-man roster the entire season. Everyone else has been injured at some point, called up from Triple-A, or dealt to another team. Ironically, Asdrubal Cabrera is the one impending free agent who hasn’t been traded. After the Mets had to press Travis d’Arnaud in to service as an emergency infielder on Wednesday, the Mets may be afraid to deal any more infielders?

What’s Next?

deGrom takes the mound vs. Adam Conley, who gave the Mets fits in three starts last year.

Photo credit: Noah K. Murray – USA Today Sports

If there was ever a perfect encapsulation for the mess the Mets have become, it’s this:

I can't stop looking at this. pic.twitter.com/xFJt951qUB

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) August 17, 2017

The Mets needed to start Travis d’Arnaud, their catcher, at third base today because two infielders got hurt in batting practice. In order to hide him on defense, the Mets switched him and Asdrubal Cabrera back-and-forth between second and third base 22 times over the course of the game. This came just hours after the general manager publicly shamed that night’s starting pitcher for openly shrugging off his pep talk, and also admitted that a mid-market payroll is over-budget for a team that plays in New York.

This is almost something out of Meet the Parents. Every single year, the Mets are supposed to button up and get serious for their series against the Yankees, because most years it’s their only games that people will actually care about. But every single year, they muck everything up and embarrass themselves even more than they did before.

And now, we have Aaron Judge to really make it sting.

.@TheJudge44 sends this one back to the Bronx. pic.twitter.com/g8U3Pizmzo

— MLB (@MLB) August 17, 2017

Yes, he hit it THERE:

In his first career game there, Aaron Judge defeated Citi Field. He saw a pitcher’s park with a bad reputation for hitters, giggled maniacally, and then ate the stadium with a fork and knife. That’s just insulting. Poor Robert Gsellman was firmly pantsed. In fact, all the Mets have been firmly pantsed in this Subway Series. How does this happen every year?

As for the game itself, before Judge sent that ball all the way to Narnia, they were tied at 1-1. But that dimension-altering dinger in the fourth inning made it 2-1. The Mets would later counter with a solo shot by Rene Rivera in the fifth innng to tie the game at 2-2, and then the teams traded runs in the sixth inning, so it was tied at 3-3 going to the seventh.

By then, Gsellman’s night was over. Despite Judge completely bodying him, Gsellman actually had a fairly decent outing. He went 5.1 innings and allowed just two earned runs with three walks and two punchouts. It’s just the sixth time in 15 starts this year that Gsellman has held the opposition to two earned runs or less.

Paul Sewald came in for relief of Gsellman in that sixth inning, and got out of the frame. But he came back out for the seventh, and ran into trouble there. He gave up a leadoff double to Ronald Torreyes, then walked the bases loaded. He would get two outs in the inning, but served up a two-out, two-run double to Didi Gregorious, which gave the Yankees a 5-3 lead.

And with the Yankees bullpen, it was basically a formality from there. The Mets dropped their third straight to the Yankees, and have once again lost the Subway Series; they can now only hope to avoid a sweep. The loss also puts the Mets at 12 games under .500 for the first time since 2013, when they employed Daisuke Matsuzaka on purpose.

TODAY:

Mercifully, it’s the final installment of the 2017 Subway Series, as the Mets will try not to get swept behind Steven Matz, while Luis Severino takes the ball for the Yankees. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET from Citi Field.

The Mets are bad. The Phillies are worse. At this time of the year, that leads to some pretty boring games, and the matchup of Seth Lugo and Nick Pivetta didn’t really do much to change that perception.

On the other hand, there are plenty of prospects in the major leagues for mediocre teams at this time of year. That’s certainly the case in this one, with Rhys Hoskins, Nick Williams, and Jorge Alfaro in the lineup for the Phillies, and Amed Rosario and Dom Smith, making his major league debut, in the lineup for the Mets. Hope springs eternal for fans of bad teams in August and September, and there’s something wonderful about that part of baseball. Not as wonderful as contending for the World Series of course, but something that makes these games enjoyable at times.

Game Recap

Seth Lugo did not have his best stuff Friday night, and the Phillies jumped on him early. Cesar Hernandez lead off the bottom of the first with a single and Odubel Herrera doubled two batters later to put runners on second and third with one out. Rhys Hoskins, already batting in the cleanup spot one day after his debut (hope you’re taking notes, Terry: it’s okay to bat your young guys high in the lineup) walked to load the bases. The next three Phillies each drove in a run, as Nick Williams singled, Maikel Franco grounded into a force out, and Tommy Joseph singled, giving the Phillies a 3-0 lead.

Michael Conforto chipped away at that Philly lead in the top of the second, launching his 25th home run to the deepest part of the ballpark to leadoff the inning. For Conforto, it was his ninth home run hit to the left of center field, second most in the majors behind only Joey Votto. Votto is not only the best first baseman of the past two decades but one of the best hitters of all time, ranking 5th in tAV among all hitters (behind Mike Trout, Mickey Mantle, Barry Bonds, and Willie Mays), so that’s certainly some impressive company for Conforto. Now seems a good time to remind you that the Mets wanted Conforto to start the year in Las Vegas.

The Met comeback continued in the third. Rosario led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and Neil Walker walked to put runners on first and second with two out for Yoenis Cespedes. Cespedes has been struggling, but if there’s any place for a Met hitter to get right these days, it’s definitely Citizens Bank Park. Following that trend, Cespedes absolutely destroyed a fastball up and away for a three-run home run, giving the Mets a 4-3 lead. It was Cespedes’ 150th career home run, making him the seventh Cuban-born player to reach that milestone.

Unfortunately, Lugo was still struggling. Nick Williams singled to lead off the bottom of the third. Two batters later, Tommy Joseph bashed a double off the left-center field wall to re-tie the game at four. Lugo would allow an additional single and walk to load the bases, but escaped the inning without allowing any further damage. Through the first three innings, the struggling right hander allowed eight hits, three walks, and four runs.

Dom Smith got his first major league hit in the fourth, hitting a weak ground ball that found his way into center field for a single. He was promptly erased on a double play off the bat of Rene Rivera. In the bottom half of the inning, Lugo bounced back with first 1-2-3 inning of the night.

Rosario got things started again in the fifth inning, leading off with a single and moving to second on a sacrifice bunt. Rosario would score on a well-hit RBI single to left field from Walker, who would in turn move to third on a wild pitch and a throwing error. Cespedes followed that with another opposite field single, giving the Mets a 6-4 lead. Conforto would walk, to put runners on first and second with two outs, but Wilmer Flores flew out to end the threat.

Lugo seemed to settle into a bit of a groove, recording another 1-2-3 inning in the fifth. At 104 pitches, it seemed his night was done, but in a very Terry move, Lugo was left in to start the sixth. Aside from the poor tactics of this move in terms of helping the Mets win the game (which isn’t really relevant at this point of the season), pushing a struggling pitcher who’s already playing with a partially torn UCL is exceptionally stupid. Lugo induced a groundout from former Met Ty Kelly but then walked Cesar Hernandez, ending his outing.

Josh Smoker replaced Lugo, and immediately induced what should have been a ground ball to first. Instead, Smith had the ball go under his glove to put runners at second and third with one out. A ground out from Odubel Herrera would score one of those runs, which was charged to Lugo and ended his line. Lugo finished with 5.1 innings, allowing eight hits and four walks en route to five earned runs. He did strike out eight, a new career high, but the outing saw his ERA balloon to 4.85

With two outs and a runner on third, Terry proceeded to make another terrible move, electing to double switch Smith out of the game and insert Asdrubal Cabrera. I am one of bigger detractors of Smith, but taking your No. 2 prospect out of his debut in a meaningless September game is beyond stupid. The Mets are a bad team that should be looking to the future, not bending over backwards to play mediocre veteran infielders that are not part of the team’s future. Leave Smoker in to face an extra batter and keep your young players in the game.

Paul Sewald entered as the other half of that double switch and escaped the threat in the sixth with the Mets’ 6-5 lead still intact. He followed that up with a scoreless seventh, working around a single from Maikel Franco. The top of the eighth was highlighted by Wilmer Flores forgetting how many outs there were and being thrown out at third after starting his trot towards the dugout.

Jerry Blevins entered for the bottom of the eighth and got off to a good start by striking out Daniel Nava. Things unraveled a bit from there however. Cesar Hernandez hit a game tying solo home run, and Freddy Galvis and Odubel Herrera followed that with softly hit singles on well thrown curveballs to put runners on first and second with one out. Hansel Robles entered to douse the fire, but the Met lead was gone.

Not to worry though, this is still a game in Philadelphia, and those have gone exceedingly well for the Mets in recent years. Rosario lead off the ninth with his first major league home run, driving a fastball from Hector Neris out to right-center field in what was an extremely impressive bit of hitting. Cabrera and Walker followed with a double and a single respectively, but Cespedes and Conforto failed to drive in either as an insurance run.

With the Mets leading 7-6, A.J. Ramos entered looking for his second save in a Met uniform. The right hander had his stuff working last night, as he needed only nine pitches (eight strikes) to set the Phillies down in order. The win improves the Mets to 52-61, but drops them to eighth in the reverse standings with Atlanta’s loss to the Cardinals.

Thoughts from the Game

There have been a lot of hot takes on Dom Smith’s weight, and he had some interesting comments of his own. Smith has struggled with his weight on and off as a prospect, but he believes that being in a major league clubhouse with easy access to more nutritious food will help. It’s certainly a fair point, and raises the question of why major league teams don’t invest more in providing proper nutrition to their minor league players. Teams invest millions of dollars in their development pipelines, and by most analyses prospects are worth even more than that. It seems like a relatively easy calculation to deem helping those assets develop healthy eating habits a good investment, but the Mets (and no other team to my knowledge) has taken that step.

For Seth Lugo, this was another bump in what has been a very rough season. In his past four starts, Lugo has allowed five runs, three runs, five runs, and three runs, and after beating his FIP by a significant margin last season, he is now roughly in line with his mediocre mid-4’s FIP. Lugo might rock an excellent spin rate on his curveball, but he doesn’t strike many batters out and allows too much hard contact. At this point, it’s tough to count on Lugo for much next season.

Other Met News

Jerry Blevins was reportedly pulled off waivers after an unknown team made a claim. Given the value of a good left handed reliever to a contender at this part of the season, this is hardly surprising. At the same time, there’s an argument to be made that the Mets failed to capitalize on an opportunity to improve their team, both now and at the deadline. Blevins has been noticeably worse for a decent stretch, and relievers are nothing if not fickle. At the same time, the seller’s market was terrible this season, and the left-handed relief market is trash this offseason (as if the Mets would spend on relief pitching anyway). If the goal is to compete in 2018, holding on to Blevins is just as defensible as moving him.

Photo credit: Bill Streicher – USA Today Sports

In the end, even the arrival of Amed Rosario was too much good to be enjoyed. A lost season? Once-in-a-generation pitching on the shelf? All that was needed was a slapstick end to this road trip to make sure no one mistook this team for contenders any time soon. As Hansel Robles’ last pitch of the day left his hand and set sail for the Rockies post-haste, we got the mainline adrenaline shot of misery we needed. That’s the stuff. Put it right in my veins.

The Mets wrapped up their 10-game road trip with an ugly, see-saw loss in Colorado. Despite pretty good individual performances over the course of the week (nothing loosens you up like a concession by the front office that your season is over and starting a fire sale), and the much-anticipated arrival of Amed Rosario, there was ample evidence that the 2017 Mets are a bad team. Yesterday’s result was the inevitable product of when a bad team faces a better one.

The Mets weren’t the only team showing off new players; the Rockies’ new catcher, Jonathan Lucroy, made his first start for the team and would be a deciding factor in the win.

Rafael Montero struggled off the blocks — surrendering two hits to start the game — but escaped lasting damage. Montero would steady the ship, retiring the next seven hitters in a row. In the bottom of the third, he got two outs on consecutive strikeouts before surrendering four hits in a row at the top of the order and putting the Mets down 2-0. The bleeding stopped on a nifty play by Rosario (he would be in the middle of a few of them this afternoon) on an infield dribbler by Mark Reynolds.

Yoenis Cespedes halved the Rockies’ lead in the fourth with a powerful home run, his 11th of the season.

Rosario led off the fifth with his second major league triple in his week-long career. Rene Rivera walked, and Montero tied the game with a hard-hit single to right field, the second hit of his career. While the Mets would threaten and load the bases, the best they could manage was tying the game.

The tie was short-lived: Charlie Blackmon had a day, leading off the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run.

The Mets would claw back to a tie in the sixth behind a Rene Rivera RBI single tied the game again with a single. Before Rivera’s game-tying hit, Brandon Nimmo was standing in the on-deck circle, but after Curtis Granderson scored, Montero scrambled back into the box for a hurried strikeout that nevertheless kept his start going.

In the bottom of the frame, Mark Reynolds shredded that idea, giving the Rockies the lead again with a leadoff home run, his 23rd of the season (and a fine way to celebrate his 34th birthday). Montero managed two more outs before Jonathan Lucroy reached on a misplay on a chopper by Asdrubal Cabrera at third, and Terry Collins gave the ball to Josh Smoker, who struck out pinch-hitting Alexi Amarista.

Under a gentle rain that must have felt quite familiar to the native of the Pacific Northwest, Michael Conforto extended his hitting streak to seven games with a leadoff single off Rockies reliever Pat Neshek. He scored on Cabrera’s RBI double, as the Mets tied the game after falling behind for the third time in the afternoon.

Smoker started the seventh, and was replaced after one out by Erik Goeddel, who coughed up a leadoff double to DJ LeMahieu, but the reigning NL batting champion got greedy, tried to stretch the hit into a triple, and was cut down, Cespdes-to-Rosario-to-Cabrera. Goeddel immediately gave up a ground-rule double to Nolan Arenado, and Collins had seen enough, calling upon Jerry Blevins, who coaxed a fly out from Gerardo Parra.

Adam Ottavino walked Jose Reyes to lead off the eighth, and while Reyes was called safe stealing second, it was reversed on review, and Rosario then struck out. Rivera went ahead 3-0, and then got drilled to take first. He was replaced by pinch runner Steven Matz; Rockies Manager Bud Black replaced Ottavino with Mike Dunn, who retired a pinch-hitting Neil Walker.

Hansel Robles raised hopes by pitching a scoreless eighth before immediate cratering Mets fans’ hopes by hitting Lucroy to start the ninth. Pinch hitter Pat Valaika bunted Lucroy over, and the Mets then put Charlie Blackmon on first (without a pitch being thrown, they’re not intentional walks anymore, we need a new term).

Robles then got wild: he walked LeMahieu with five pitches, loading the bases for Arenado — who had already hit a walkoff against Robles and the Mets in the opening game of the series. After getting ahead 0-2, Robles went to a full count. It seemed by all appearances, a perfect dramatic showdown, the stuff of film. But these are the Mets. The next pitch sailed out of Robles’ hand, almost over Arenado’s head, hitting the backstop on the fly. If there was a film analogue, it would be the Keystone Cops. The Rockies had a walkoff win with nothing but walks.

Photo credit: Isaiah J. Downing – USA Today Sports

It was pretty much over early for New York, who sent Steven Matz to the mound. Matz was looking to rebound from his struggles in his last few outings, and intuitively, you’d think facing a weak Padres lineup could help alleviate whatever issues he had. But this start was actually a clear step back from his last start against Oakland. Matz found trouble early and often, serving up a two-run dinger to the second batter of the game, Manuel Margot, followed by two more sharp hits in the inning. Matz was able to strand those two runners on base and kept the damage to just the the two runs, but he was not looking sharp.

The Mets answered back in the top of the second off San Diego’s best starting pitcher, Jhoulys Chacin, with one run on an RBI single by Jose Reyes. But that’s all they’d get in the inning, as the Mets left two runners of their own on base.

Matz again found trouble in the third. A leadoff triple by Margot followed up by an RBI double by Wil Myers made it 3-1, but this unforgiving Padres lineup was just getting started. Matz then hit the next batter with a pitch, and two batters later gave up another hit, which loaded with bases for the Padres with only one out. This modern-day Murderer’s Row continued with Allen Cordoba, whom Matz fanned for the second out. But all that did was set the stage for everyone’s favorite slugger, Luis Torrens, to come up with the bases still loaded and two outs. Torrens—who owned a 31 wRC+ and had not hit a home run in 41 games coming into last night’s game—came mere inches from hitting an opposite-field grand slam into the deepest park of the park, but it bounced off the wall. Three runs scored on what would be an RBI triple for Torrens. It was 6-1 San Diego.

Matz was pulled after that inning. He went just three innings, giving up six runs with four strikeouts to a lineup of mostly minor leaguers. Matz hasn’t been getting nearly as many swinging strikes as he used to, and is giving up markedly more contact that he ever has, particularly on pitches out of the zone. There are some serious issues with him right now, and in a season marred by dissapointing pitching performances and injuries, it is downright frightening that Matz could now join the list of pitchers who are total uncertainties going forward. The main knock on Matz in his career has been his health, but the one consistency was that he always performed whenever he was on the field. For the first time, Matz is not performing on the field.

The Mets tried to mount a comeback in the sixth inning against Chacin, loading the bases with only one out. Chacin was pulled there, and was relieved by Buddy Baumann, whom you also totally knew. He got Lucas Duda to line out, but walked Reyes with the bases loaded to let a run in. He was then relieved by Craig Stammen. Yes, that Craig Stammen; he’s still pitching. The former National faced Rene Rivera, who rocketed a one-hopper up the middle that looked destined for left-center field, but the shortstop Cordoba left his feet, snared the hot shot while completely parrallel to the ground, and nailed the slow-footed catcher at first to retire the side and end the threat.

That had been a theme in the game for the Padres, who spent the whole night robbing the Mets of potential hits. It was actually kind of fun to watch a team that can play defense.

That play by Cordova was pretty much the final nail for the Mets. They mustered only one more run in the game on a Wilmer Flores solo shot in the eighth, but otherwise went down without a whimper.

The Mets fell to 47-52, 13.0 games out of the division and 9.0 games out of the second wild card. The trade deadline is four days away.

OTHER NEWS OF THE DAY

Robert Gsellman will begin a rehab assignment tonight with Double-A Binghamton. Tommy Milone also began rehab last night with the GCL Mets. Remember him?

The Cubs have reportedly expressed interest in Seth Lugo, or, well, Seth Lugo’s spin rate, really.

TODAY

The Mets and Padres finish off their four-game series. Chris Flexen makes in major league debut against Luis Perdomo of the Padres. The game is scheduled for 9:10 p.m. ET.

Photo credit: Jake Roth – USA Today Sports

An inexplicable, if now-characteristic, defensive lapse cost the Cardinals the game in the bottom of the ninth as the Mets won their final game of the series with the Cardinals in walk-off fashion after Jose Reyes—who was arrested in 2015 after allegedly grabbing his wife, Katherine Ramirez, by the throat and shoving her into a sliding-glass door while on vacation (criminal charges were dropped, but Reyes served a 52-game suspension before returning to a hero’s welcome in Flushing)—dribbled a single up the first base line, scoring Yoenis Cespedes from third. Mobbed by his teammates at first base and feted by a thin crowd composed overwhelmingly of children, as it was a 12.10 p.m. first pitch “Camp Day,” Reyes’ status as hero of the day was confirmed.

Almost three thousand miles to the West, Orenthal James Simpson—who, according to police records, beat then-wife, Nicole, so badly on New Year’s Day, 1989, that she required treatment at a hospital (Simpson would subsequently be sentenced to 120 hours of community service)—was granted parole by the state of Nevada after serving nine years of a nine- to 33-year sentence for stealing inanimate objects. (Simpson was acquitted in 1994 after standing trial for killing two human beings, including his then-ex-wife, Nicole Brown. Statistical analysis has shown that 75 percent of abused women who are murdered are killed after they leave their abusers.)

Before dinnertime, it had already been a real banner day for professional athletes accused of beating women while escaping the full consequences of their actions; it is also known as “Thursday.”

Early on in the SNY broadcast, Ron Darling dismissed the rougher edges of the broadcast while commenting, “it’s Camp Day”; a sentiment, frankly, that could encompass this entire series with the Cardinals. While the two sides traded victories, the losing team has been out of the game early (the run differential for the first three games of the series was 6.5), and neither team seems to be playing for this season. For much of the week, it’s felt like the games don’t count.

And yet they do.

Noted by Gary Cohen, players like Astrubal Cabrera (and, sob, Lucas Duda) are playing up their trade value, so it was still heartening to see Michael Conforto (who is not, Mets fans pray, trade bait this month BUT YOU NEVER KNOW) reach base four times with two walks, a single, and a double. Of note was a particularly canny first-inning walk that brought Cespedes to the plate with two outs (it was less heartening to watch Cespedes continually flail in Conforto’s wake, but it’s all about the moral victories now). Lucas Duda led off the second with a solo home run, his 17th of the season.

Seth Lugo held the Cardinals hitless through the first four innings, but St. Louis third baseman Greg Garcia broke up the no-hit bid with two outs in top of the fifth. While solid through five innings, Lugo lost the ability to notch a win in the sixth, falling behind the first two batters, walking Matt Carpenter on four straight pitches. Tommy Pham tied the game with an RBI double on the next one, but the tie was preserved with two great picks of low throws from T.J. Rivera at third base by Duda . Lugo got through two-thirds of the seventh before the Cardinals put two on with two out, and Terry Collins had to turn to the Mets’ hall of horrors, aka its bullpen. Erik Goeddel induced Jedd Gyorko, pinch hitting for Cardinals starter Lance Lynn, to pop out to Rene Rivera, who made a nifty catch against the screen behind home plate to preserve Lugo’s gutsy No Decision.

Goeddel reverted to the painful mean in the very next inning, surrendering a one-out solo home run to Tommy Pham in the top of the eighth, but Wilmer Flores answered in the bottom of the frame with a game-tying pinch hit home run off left-handed reliever Brett Cecil, his third career pinch-hit home run and first since June 24th. Producing as many runs in one at-bat as Jose Reyes—whose wife suffered thigh, neck, and wrist injuries as a direct result of his alleged actions—did in four.

Addison Reed pitched a scoreless ninth. Former Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal took the mound in the bottom of the inning, and walked Conforto to lead things off. Cespedes erased the Mets’ center fielder with a fielder’s choice groundout to third. Duda popped out to right, but T.J. Rivera poked a two-out single that pushed Cespedes, the winning run, to third. Reyes, who, according to a 2015 police report, grabbed his wife off a bed, shoved her, then gripped her by the throat and pushed her into a glass door, pulled a sharp ground ball down the first base line where Matt Carpenter fielded it but turned to discover that Rosenthal had broken late to cover the bag. Carpenter barked angrily at his closer as he lost the foot race, hopping over a sliding Reyes, father of four (three of whom were borne by the woman he allegedly assaulted), reaching base safely while his teammates poured out of the dugout to congratulate their game-winning shortstop.

Today the Mets take on the Oakland Athletics, a.k.a. the Ghost of Christmas Future; this week A’s general manager Billy Beane publicly admitted the team is in a 20-year-long rebuilding phase. Someday soon the most diehard of their fans, and perhaps even the Mets themselves, will admit the same.

[New York State resources for victims of domestic violence can be found at this link: http://www.opdv.ny.gov/help/dvhotlines.html]

Photo credit: Adam Hunger – USA Today Sports

In one short month, the Mets have gone from Sandy Alderson proclaiming “A lot of the story [is] to be written,” to a resigned general manager sighing, “I think we have to be realistic about where we are” and “I don’t want to whitewash this. We haven’t played very well.” Most of that underperformance can be attributed to an injury epidemic that’s infiltrated every corner of the roster. The rest is that Jose Reyes and Rafael Montero suck. Whatever the cause, the 2017 Mets have played half their schedule, and they’re 38-43, nearly as far out of first place as they are close to the NL East basement. Worse, they’re just as far away from the second wild-card spot.

The competitive part of the Mets’ season has ended.

Yet the Mets’ competitive window remains open. The 2018 rotation will feature Flushing’s favorite pitcher, When Healthy. Other guys like Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz, Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman might also make some appearances.

With Yoenis Cespedes and Michael Conforto as offensive building blocks, the top-level talent is there for a 2018 return to prominence. That’s why the next two months may be Alderson’s most important since he became @MetsGM after the 2010 season.

The catchphrase is “retool, not rebuild.” If the Mets trade their veterans on expiring or short-term contracts for pieces that will slot into next season’s lineup or bullpen, the 2018 story could look a lot different than this year’s. Here, then, is the Mets’ inventory for a potential #FireSale that looks more realistic by the day. — Scott D. Simon (@scottdsimon)

Addison Reed

Perhaps the most valuable piece that the Mets have that they’d actually move at the deadline, Reed is a known late-inning commodity that every team would like. Finding the right fit and right return could be challenging, but I agree with Jeff and Jarrett that a prospect floating around the edges of the BP Top 100 list sounds about right. So with the surprising Milwaukee Brewers needing more ‘pen arms to support a questionable pitching staff, I think they could be a nice fit, and perhaps High-A outfield prospect Trent Clark could be a return. Clark has question marks about future power production, but can likely hit for average and has speed. With the Brew Crew already possessing lots of young outfield talent, they could afford to part with him to snag an establish relief ace. — Bryan Grosnick (@bgrosnick)

Lucas Duda

Lucas Duda is a pending free agent with a pulse, so the Mets will be taking calls on him. Since becoming the full-time first baseman in 2014, Duda’s 129 wRC+ ranks 25th in baseball (min. 1000 PAs) and he’s on track for the best season of his career. With Dominic Smith waiting in the wings, it’s unlikely the Mets would re-sign Duda, so he’ll be an attractive piece to any team looking for lefty power at first base or DH.

Jerry Blevins

You’ve read above why Reed should be on the move. Much of the same logic applies to dealing Jerry Blevins. Blevins has been very, very good: Here is a list of the eight best left-handed relievers (by FIP) who have thrown at least 60 innings since the start of 2016:

Chapman and Miller are signed to eight-figure contracts. Britton received downballot MVP consideration last year, and will almost certainly sign for close to Chapman’s $86 million over five years when he hits free agency after the season. Then you have Blevins making $5.5 million this year with a 2018 club option for $7 million. That’s a bargain — and it justifies the Mets seeking more than just a fifth outfielder or C-minus prospect in return.

Maybe the Mets could flip Blevins and Reed to the Diamondbacks for Ketel Marte. Arizona already has four infielders — Chris Owings, Jake Lamb, Brandon Drury, and Nick Ahmed — under team control for next season and beyond, so it’s worth flipping their backup infielder for a huge bullpen upgrade. For the Mets, Marte, who’s hit .338/.391/.514 in Reno this year, with a 34:25 strikeout-to-walk ratio, could start at second base when Neil Walker is traded or departs as a free agent, or he could back up Amed Rosario at short. — Scott D. Simon (@scottdsimon)

Rene Rivera

I know, I know. 33 year old backup backups with a career .268 on base percentage are usually why you trade for an upgrade.

Alexa isn't doing shit for your catcher situation pic.twitter.com/Ik6feSJNPt

— Jeff Sullivan (@based_ball) June 29, 2017

But Rivera was a 1.5 win player as a backup last year. He’s on pace to duplicate that performance this year. Now let’s take a look at the eight teams most likely to make the playoffs. The Nationals have two below replacement catchers. Arizona regularly uses Jeff Mathis, a much worse version of Rivera. Colorado is using a converted second baseman who ranks poorly behind the plate. Cleveland and Boston are each getting 0.8 wins combined from all their catchers – the same as Rivera has given the Mets as a backup. Let the bidding war begin! After all, what would symbolize the absurdity of 2017 more than good teams outbidding each other for the services of a 33-year-old backup? — Noah Grand (@noahgrand)

Jay Bruce

The Mets’ crowded outfield has been a problem since last offseason, when they picked up the option on Jay Bruce’s contract, then signed Yoenis Cespedes. In an otherwise-lost season, the Bruce signing has paid dividends: he’s second on the team in bWARP at 1.9. But with his contact expiring at the end of the season, the time to trade Bruce is now.

The Mets’ could try to convince the Yankees to use Bruce as a first baseman and DH in addition to right fielder. While Bruce has played limited innings at first base for the Mets this year, the Yankees need to replace the struggling Chris Carter. He could also spell Aaron Judge and Clint Frazier in the outfield. Although Bruce doesn’t have veto rights, he should welcome the opportunity to hit tons of homers over the right field wall and a chance at the playoffs.

If a Bruce-to-the-Bronx deal happens, the Mets should not expect to receive any of the Yankees’ top prospects. Instead, the Mets can aim for a pitcher such as Dillon Tate, who the Yankees received in 2016 for Carlos Beltran, or an outfielder such as Billy McKinney, who has struggled recently but could be given more of a chance to play in the Mets’ system. The Mets will get nothing for Bruce once the offseason arrives, so they might as well try to get whatever they can right now. — Seth Rubin (@sethrubin)

Neil Walker

Despite the hamstring injury that has sidelined him for the past few weeks, Walker is having another great year and, like a bunch of other Mets, is set to be a free agent this offseason.

With a .270/.352/.468 slash and nine home runs in just over 200 at-bats, the 31-year-old can definitely bring something to a contender needing a second baseman. The Rockies, whose D.J. LeMahieu is dealing with a groin issue, could be a trade partner should LeMahieu require a DL stint.

The defensive numbers aren’t great for Walker — like for the rest of the Mets’ infield — but his bat would fit into any lineup, as would his reputation as a good teammate. A possible turnoff to a deal is that the acquiring team would need to pick up a prorated portion of his $17.2 million qualifying salary, however. For a contender with a hole at second base, that could be a deal worth making. — Joshua Burton (@Josh_Burton1)

Jacob deGrom

Hear me out for just a second. I know deGrom has been pretty much the only thing the Mets have going for them these days, but there’s an argument to be made that his trade value has never been higher. Since his 8-run blowup in Texas, he’s won each of his last 4 starts with a 0.84 ERA over that span.

The Astros are clearly in the market for an ace, and that need might have just gotten a bit stronger with David Paulino being suspended 80 games for using PEDs. They have a slew of guys working their way back from injury (Dallas Keuchel, Charlie Morton, Collin McHugh), but could use an ace like deGrom to help take them deep into the postseason.

The Mets would be wise to take advantage of a team in dire need of pitching, while selling high on their own guy. Here’s what the deal could look like:

Astros receive: Jacob DeGrom, Dominic Smith

Mets receive: Alex Bregman, Francis Martes, Daz Cameron

— Adam Kaufman (@adamkaufman315)

Asdrubal Cabrera

Putting aside his reported (and then retracted) trade request, it makes sense for the Mets to move on from Asdrubal Cabrera with Amed Rosario waiting in the wings. Cabrera isn’t the smooth defender he once was, but a recent move to second base could give the twilight years of his career a second life.

The Mets could match up for a Cabrera trade with the Angels, who currently find themselves 1.5 games out of the Wild Card despite receiving little to no production at second base. With a team option for 2018 on the table, Cabrera could fetch a middle-tier prospect from the Angels like OF Trey Montgomery, or RHPs Abel De Los Santos and Elvin Rodriguez. — Justin Birnbuam (@birny53)

Fernando Salas

Salas is a free agent after the season, so any future value derived from the righty will likely come through trade. Unfortunately for the Mets, he has struggled this season. The walks have been an issue, but some of his peripherals suggest he has pitched better than his ERA. If a team thinks they can reign in his control, they may look to acquire him at a reduced cost. Most contenders will look to reinforce their bullpens before the deadline, but those that have especially struggled in the pen are the Nationals, Twins, and Rangers. Mets fans should not expect any kind of impact talent in a trade, but perhaps Salas could be packaged with one of their more attractive pieces to sweeten the return. — Zane Moran

Curtis Granderson

Traded, along with $3 million, to the Chicago Cubs for RHP Thomas Hatch and RHP Dakota Mekkes

I would like to start off with a disclaimer here that I am not entirely sure the Mets trade Curtis Granderson. I think he is the sort of veteran that the Mets would like to keep around as they sell off other pieces at the deadline and potentially re-sign in the offseason. However, I’m going to operate here under the assumption that the Mets trade him to a contender and give him a chance to contribute to a playoff contender in his age 36 season. Unlike every other rental that could be traded at the deadline, I believe Granderson, and only Granderson, stands a decent chance of re-signing with the Mets this winter even if he spends the last few months of the 2017 season with a different club. With that in mind, I believe one of the strongest fits for Curtis might be the defending World Champion Chicago Cubs.

With the demotion of Kyle Schwarber, struggles of Jason Heyward, and overall underperformance of the Cubs, Chicago could be in the market for a veteran corner outfield bat, specifically a rental. Granderson, a free agent this coming winter, would be an ideal fit for the Cubs and could hit at the top of their order as they look to recover from a dismal first half.

In Thomas Hatch, the Mets would be acquired a polished starting pitching prospect who the Cubs selected in the third round out of Oklahoma State in 2016. The 6’1″ righty boasts a low-mid 90s two seamer and a potential plus slider. While his upside is not too dreamy, he has a decent chance to become a major league starting pitcher and perhaps a middle of the rotation starter if it all works out. Dakota Mekkes, the second piece in the deal, is a reliever who has an ERA south of 1 in his first full professional season. The 2016 10th round pick has been able to achieve this despite a largely mediocre arsenal and lackluster control. His fastball averages out at around 91 mph and is complemented by a high 70s curveball with below average spin and a low 80s changeup with decent sink. However, his 6’7″ frame and deceptive delivery give him a chance to continue to manage his way to success at higher levels of the minors. — Skyler Kanfer (@skylerkanfer)

Photo Credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports

Who are these impostors?

The Mets continue to thrive in the wake of cratered expectations and have salvaged this 10-game road trip at 5-5 — a miraculous turn of events considering it started with a four-game sweep at the hands of the Dodgers.

After sweeping the Giants in San Francisco for a turnaround, the team shook off the dropped opener of the Miami series and rolled over the Marlins with a 8-0 victory Wednesday night. Last night, they jumped to an early 5-0 lead against starter José Ureña and never looked back. Nothing masks mediocrity than facing groups even more mediocre than you.

Maybe the team was buoyed by the continued resurgence of Seth Lugo — who provided another quality start, yielding three runs (two earned) in six innings, striking out four; maybe it was the rumored return of Big Sexy; whatever the reason, the Mets continued a streak of playing winning baseball — the kind of play we can only hope for when victories actually make a difference.

Ahead by five after three, behind a stingy and cagey Lugo, the Mets were in uncharacteristic cruise control. Lugo’s only real danger — other than allowing a solo Giancarlo Stanton home run in the fourth — came in the sixth, when the Mets starter allowed a bases-empty, two-out situation turned to escalate into an almost-meltdown as a close play at the plate (where Rene Rivera and Stanton got tangled) and wild pitch narrowed the margin to two runs. The game never got tighter than that.

Jay Bruce (two runs scored) and T.J. Rivera (two runs batted in) — filling at first base for an ill-but-not-ill-enough-to-pinch-hit Lucas Duda — had solid nights at the plate, Jerry Blevins didn’t light himself on the fire on the mound, and the team got to depart the state of Florida. An all-around win.

The Mets return to Flushing tonight to face the Phillies, who trot out Ben Lively (1-2) against hirsute wonder Jacob deGrom (7-3).

Photo credit: Jason Vinlove – USA Today Sports