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

This feels like the darkest timeline. With the hapless Giants in town to face the bumbling Mets, some are asking whether two teams have ever both been swept in a three-game series. Prognosticators are demonstrating that losing Noah Syndergaard hurts the Mets more than any team losing its best pitcher. Asdrubal Cabrera crooked his thumb in a direction it doesn’t bend, but he won’t need surgery. BUT the Mets won’t place him on the “it’s literally a 10-day DL” DL. The suspended Matt Harvey, eligible to start on Wednesday, will instead throw a side session because Citi Field is apparently a hostile environment. It might be, since he’s contesting his three-game suspension. Until today, every NL player of the week had been somebody who faced the Mets. And to add insult to injury, 27-year-old former Met Ruben Tejada is somehow slashing .319/.410/.580 in 20 triple-A games for … the Yankees.

MEANWHILE, Neil Walker drove in the first and last runs of the game. Mets 4, Giants 3.

Punditry

Jacob deGrom TTO’d four of the five batters he faced in the first, striking out leadoff man Joe Panik and No. 5 batter Christian Arroyo. In between, Brandon Belt walked and Hunter Pence knocked his own helmet off, which is not one of the three true outcomes. Pence’s awkwardness notwithstanding, he lined a full-count high fastball over the right-center field fence, inches over the outstretched glove of Juan Lagares.

deGrom decided  the best way to retire the Giants was by strikeout. Remember, a year ago this offense was considered an “unprecedented” contact-hitting team. deGrom struck out 10 through the first five innings, including all three in the third. He also walked three and threw 96 pitches through the fifth. With 11 last night, deGrom finished with 10 or more strikeouts for the third time in his last four starts.

Despite starting four hitters with sub-.200 batting averages, the Mets managed to score four runs. Michael Conforto led off the first with a walk, moved to second on a Jay Bruce single, and scored on a two-out Neil Walker ground-rule double. Bruce would have scored as well had the ball not bounced over the wall.

In the fifth inning, the Mets tied the game on singles by deGrom and Conforto, followed by a T.J. Rivera double. The Mets seemed poised to take the lead with second-and-third with no outs, but Bruce and Wilmer Flores both popped up on the infield, and Walker struck out swinging. Tough to watch your 3-4-5 batters fail to drive in two runners in scoring position. It hurt worse when Buster Posey turned deGrom’s first pitch of the sixth inning into a second-deck dinger.

The eighth inning started softly with a Walker flyout. But then Jose Reyes walked, Rene Rivera grounded a single through the 5.5 hole and Juan Lagares walked to load the bases. That brought up the pitcher’s spot, and a surprise pinch-hit appearance by Asdrubal Cabrera, thought to be unavailable due to a severely jammed finger. Cabrera took the first two pitches for strikes and couldn’t dig out of the hole, slapping a smooth roller to short for a tailor-made 6-4-3 double play end the inning. The obviousness of Cabrera killing the Mets’ rally is nothing next to the inevitability of a post-game quote from Terry Collins explaining that the plate appearance proved Cabrera was not ready after all, and *now* Cabrera is going on the 10-day DL (*Editor’s note: this didn’t happen…yet).

The Mets’ bullpen threw three innings of one-hit ball, striking out two and walking none, and kept the game tied 3-3 entering the ninth inning. Conforto led off the bottom of the ninth with a five-pitch walk and Terry sent T.J. Rivera up to bunt. The first two pitches were out of the zone, so Rivera got the green light instead and fouled out to third, failing to advance the runner. That brought up Jay Bruce, who entered the game with a .156/.229/.281 slash line against southpaws. Bruce hit the second pitch 349 feet to right-center, a loud fly that fell short of the warning track.

With two outs, Flores grounded one up the middle that ricocheted off Giants reliever Hunter Strickland for an infield single. That gave Walker a chance to bat with the winning run on second and he took advantage. A clutch line drive over first base gave the Mets their first walk-off win of the year.

Social Media

Three dildos spotted at Citi Field in less than a week https://t.co/ZiQB2eYpSF

— Mike Gianella (@MikeGianella) May 9, 2017

GKR-isms

“Gary, Mets fans love to torture themselves.” — Keith

“Sorry, wasn’t on the headset there; my mother called me.” — Ron

“Keith, you and I have about a three-year window before this game is unrecognizable.” — Ron, referring mostly to shifting infield defense

Forecast

Zack Wheeler versus Jeff Samardzija later tonight, as the Mets need one victory in their next two games to take their fourth straight series.

Photo credit: Andy Marlin – USA Today Sports

The Marlins, meanwhile, have lost seven of nine since starting the year 10-8. It is already the third time the two clubs will face off, with this series wrapping up 32 straight games against NL East opponents to kick off the Mets’ season.

When and Where

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

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

Game 3: Sunday @ 1:10 p.m. (TV: SNY, MLB Network; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Baseball Weather

Friday: Periods of heavy rain throughout the afternoon/evening hours with a high around 65F and winds gusting up to 25 mph. Variably cloudy with scattered thunderstorms at night with a low of 58F.

Saturday: Rain early with decreasing clouds late and a low around 50F. Winds up to 15 mph.

Sunday: Partly cloudy with a slight chance of a rain shower and a high of 61F. Winds between 10 and 20 mph.

Probable Pitching Matchups

Friday: RHP Tom Koehler (1-1, 5.40 ERA, 8.35 DRA, .324 TAv, -0.9 WARP) vs. RHP Rafael Montero (0-2, 9.45 ERA, 9.49 DRA, .428 TAv, -0.3 WARP)

A native of nearby New Rochelle, Koehler has struggled at Citi Field, posting a 1-3 record with a 5.58 ERA in 10 appearances (nine starts). Montero is back once again, this time taking the injured Noah Syndergaard’s rotation spot. The 26-year-old has failed to capitalize on numerous opportunities, and was mostly ineffective in six relief outings last month.

Saturday: LHP Wei-Yin Chen (2-1, 4.33 ERA, 4.53 DRA, .249 TAv, 0.3 WARP) vs. RHP Robert Gsellman (1-2, 6.75 ERA, 7.10 DRA, .354 TAv, -0.5 WARP)

Chen faced the Mets twice in April, earning the victory in New York on April 7 behind six innings of one-run ball, then getting tagged for six runs in three innings a week later in Miami. Although he was credited with the win on Monday in Atlanta, Gsellman continues to struggle and has a 10.00 ERA over his past two starts.

Sunday: TBD vs. RHP Matt Harvey (2-2, 5.14 ERA, 5.44 DRA, .287 TAv, 0.0 WARP)

At a time when the Mets need him the most, Harvey’s control problems have raised more than a few eyebrows throughout the organization. The Dark Knight has looked less like a superhero and more like a middling pitcher unable to find the plate, losing his last two outings while walking eight and hitting a batter in 9.2 innings. Harvey’s uncharacteristic wildness prompted the following analysis from Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez, via Twitter.

The reason why Harvey might be missing location is because it's unusual for him to be so far across his body.

— Pedro Martinez (@45PedroMartinez) May 3, 2017

Harvey is doing a different landing this year with his front leg. He is kicking across his body and he looks uncomfortable.

— Pedro Martinez (@45PedroMartinez) May 3, 2017

Who’s Hot?

Marlins 2B Dee Gordon (7-for-15 with 4 stolen bases in his last four games)

Marlins LF Marcell Ozuna (5-for-15 with 2 HR against Tampa Bay, including a mammoth 468-foot blast off of the Rays’ 2011 Wild Card banner)

Mets IF T.J. Rivera (.391 (9-for-23) in New York’s last two series)

Mets OF Michael Conforto (11-for-23 with 3 HR and 9 RBI since April 29)

Mets 3B Jose Reyes (.370 with 3 HR and 10 RBI over his last seven games)

Who’s Not?

Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton (batting .118 with no home runs in his last nine games)

Mets OF Curtis Granderson (5 hits in his last 44 at-bats)

When We Last Met

The Marlins won three out of four in Miami a few weeks ago, including two walk-off wins against a scuffling Mets bullpen. New York’s only victory came in the series opener, a 16-inning affair that took more than five and a half hours to complete.

It’s literally a 10-day DL

Mets: C Travis d’Arnaud (sore right wrist) has not played since leaving Tuesday night’s game early. The oft-injured backstop was scheduled to see a doctor on Thursday. “Until the doctor examines him I don’t know what to tell you except there’s a concern because he’s hurt,” manager Terry Collins said earlier in the day. “Two days and he’s still pretty sore today. There’s some swelling there.”

Syndergaard (torn right lat muscle) consulted Dr. Neal ElAttrache for a second opinion and was told that he is dealing with a somewhat simple muscle tear. The hard-throwing ace is still expected to miss at least three months.

Notable Quotables

“He’s a good offensive player. Actually he’s played very, very well at first base. He’s allowed us to get Jay (Bruce) back in the outfield where he’s more comfortable and gone in and done a nice job defensively at first, and he’s a threat with the bat.” – Collins on T.J. Rivera’s recent contributions

“No energy. We’ve got to pick up the pace a little bit in terms of being out there on the field… We just fall short and the pace hasn’t been good. It doesn’t help.” – Stanton on Tuesday night, following the club’s 1-4 homestand

Photo credit: Steve Mitchell – USA Today Sports

And somehow, they scored those 16 runs without hitting a single home run. They banged out 20 hits on the night, three of which belonged to Michael Conforto, because of course they did. Two of those hits were doubles, because of course they were. Conforto is now hitting .344/.421/.700 on the season. Yes, he is slugging .700 on the season, which puts him in a territory with guys named Trout and Sano.

The Mets wanted him to start the season in the minor leagues. Then they had him in the major leagues, but on the bench. The Mets benched Michael Conforto because they thought they had three better outfielders. From now on, Conforto should only be benched in two scenarios:

1: Yoenis Cespedes comes back from injury, reproduces through budding, and creates two more identical Yoenis Cespedi that are contractually obliged to play for the Mets.

2: Conforto needs a day off.

But other than those two scenarios occuring, though, Conforto should never be benched again.

Other standout performers on offense in this game were the two Riveras, Rene and T.J., who both had three hits. Rene drove in three runs on three singles, and T.J. didn’t have any RBIs, but recorded two doubles. Jose Reyes also drove in five runs, three of which came on a bases-clearing double in the eighth inning.

The Mets struck early, scoring five runs off Colon in the first three innings. The Braves inched closer and made it 5-3 on a Freddie Freeman single and a two-RBI triple by Emilio Bonifacio, who is somehow still playing. But the Mets broke through in the fifth off Josh Collmenter, pushing four more runs across to make in 9-3. Atlanta again tried to inch closer and made it 9-5, but New York exploded for seven runs in the top of the eighth by tagging Eric O’Flahrety, who is also somehow playing, and Matt Wisler.

The Mets’ offense has now scored at least seven runs in four of their last six games, and they haven’t scored less than five runs in their last seven games. The offense has unexpectedly come alive without Yoenis Cespedes or Lucas Duda in the lineup, and given the quality of pitching they’ve gotten, it is a welcome sight.

As for that pitching, deGrom was charged with all five runs the Braves scored. His velocity was fine, and he had five strikeouts, but he also struggled with his command, walking five in only five innings. deGrom is the Mets’ best pitcher right now, and if he can’t get it together, then this rotation is in deep trouble. Harvey’s mechanics are a mess and he is struggling with his command, Gsellman has lost velocity and command, Wheeler has never had consistent command, and now Rafael Montero is happening too. The Mets’ vaunted starting rotation has become arguably their biggest weakness.

This was a good win, but wins of this nature are not what this team was built to do, so the sustainability of this is questionable at best.

OTHER NEWS OF THE DAY

Noah Syndergaard is seeking a second opinion on his partially torn lat, but is expected to miss around three months.

The Mets activated Wilmer Flores from the disabled list and sent down Sean Gilmartin again. This is the third time in a month Gilmartin has been demoted, which can’t feel great.

Rafael Montero is scheduled to get a start on Friday night, so hopefully it rains that day. Meanwhile, some doofus thought Montero’s recent demotion could’ve been the end of the road for his Mets career, which was foolishly optimistc and dumb and that writer should be ashamed.

TODAY

The series finale between the Mets and Braves takes place at 7:35 p.m. from SunTrust Park. Zack Wheeler toes the rubber for the Mets against Jaime Garcia for the Braves.

Photo credit: Jason Getz – USA Today Sports

3:20 p.m.:

Just got back from my Sunday softball doubleheader. The Mets are losing 13-5. Guess I’m not watching today.

5:53 p.m.:

Final score of today’s game against the Nationals was 23-5. If I didn’t have to recap Monday’s game, I almost wouldn’t watch out of principle. Also, how has upper management not canned Ray Ramirez and the training staff at this point? Has anyone looked at the disabled list? Should be fun trying to win a pennant with their two best players missing extended periods of time.

10:02 p.m.:

Not only did the Nationals post 23 runs today, their Single-A affiliate did it too. Has the entire Mets organization ever scored 46 runs total in a day? Probably not.

Monday 5/1

12:45 a.m. – 9:50 a.m.:

Sleep.

10:15 a.m.:

A sliver of good news: Seth Lugo on track to throw a full bullpen session in two weeks and Wilmer Flores homered in his second rehab game. Getting either one of these two back would be huge to crawl out of this last place hole.

3:20 p.m.:

Paul Sewald is replacing Noah Syndergaard on the 25-man roster. Just what you wanted to see on a Monday.

4:29 p.m.:

Sandy Anderson said the organization is open to outside pitching options. Get on the phone! I’d prefer anyone to Rafael Montero in the starting rotation. Also, he copped the blame for allowing Syndergaard to bypass an MRI last week. Now we have to sit back and watch our ace sit out for weeks to months.

Post 1st inning, 1-1 (7:53 p.m.):

Michael Conforto led off the first with a home run over the center field fence. With the help of a nice jumping play by Brandon Phillips to rob Jay Bruce of a hit, Julio Teheran escaped without further damage. Taking the mound with a one-run lead, Robert Gsellman also surrendered a leadoff home run to Ender Inciarte.

Somebody stop that man! Conforto remains scorching hot adding another home run to his total on the day All-Star voting opened. It’s good for this team to get the jump on Teheran, as he owns a .193 batting average over the Mets current roster. Also interesting to see Inciarte homer. The speedy, defensive minded center fielder already has five home runs in 2017.

Post 2nd, 1-1 (8:06 p.m.):

Teheran worked a perfect second inning aided by a nice running grab by Inciarte off the bat of Jose Reyes. When the Braves came to bat, they faced the same fate, being retired 1-2-3 by Gsellman.

Reyes can’t catch a break. Robbed by a Gold Glove center fielder on one of his best hit balls all season into the right-center gap. Ironically, Inciarte received his Gold Glove for 2016 before the game. The Mets better not let Teheran get comfortable; in his last 7 appearances versus the Mets, he’s 4-0 with a 0.91 ERA.

Post 3rd, 1-1 (8:18 p.m.):

Teheran worked a clean fourth, getting subtle revenge by striking out Conforto to end the inning. Gsellman also continues to pitch effectively, getting through the third unscathed despite a two-out single to Inciarte.

I’m starting to worry. Teheran in a groove spells another day spent in last place. It’s good to see Gsellman regain some of his 2016 form early on this game. A pitchers duel is brewing here in Atlanta. Side note, the SNY camera team needs to get a handle on their surroundings in this new ball park.

Post 4th, 6-3 Mets (8:47 p.m.):

Ten Mets came to bat in the 4th, scoring five runs. Asdrubal Cabrera opened with a single off the wall in right. Jay Bruce doubled. Neil Walker singled to score Cabrera. Curtis Granderson walked. Bruce scored on a Reyes groundout. Teheran walked Travis d’Arnaud intentionally. T.J. Rivera singles to center field to score Walker. After a Gsellman lineout, Conforto plates two on a single to right. Teheran finally ended the madness with a Cabrera groundout.

The fourth inning held some fireworks for the Braves too. After Gsellman beaned Freddie Freeman, Matt Kemp launched a deep fly ball to center that hit off of the top of the center field fence. It was reviewed and confirmed as a double. Nick Markakis grounded out to score Freeman. Adonis Garcia followed with a single to score Kemp, but Gsellman escaped after inducing an inning-ending double play.

Wow. I couldn’t have asked for more. The Mets completely unraveled Teheran in the 4th. Teheran worked noticeably slower during this inning, very clearly being out of his rhythm. Tyler Flowers got burned once again by his habit of setting up behind the plate on throws home, which allowed d’Arnaud to sneak past a tag.

Gsellman was fortunate that his team posted five in the top half because he was not sharp in the bottom half. The Mets are still in front, but a depleted pitching staff needs a strong effort out of Gsellman to make it through tonight.

Post 5th, 6-3 Mets (9:09 p.m.):

Teheran rebounded well, getting through the fifth with only a walk to Walker and was aided by a stellar defensive play from Freddie Freeman to pick off a Reyes line drive. Things got a bit shaky in the bottom half for Gsellman after Teheran reached on an error and Inciarte walked. But the Mets caught a lucky break when a wild pitch rebounded nicely to d’Arnaud, causing Teheran to be caught in a rundown between second and third.

It’s interesting to see Teheran bat for himself there after giving up six runs, but Brian Snitker seems to have a lot of confidence in this right-hander. A lucky break saved Gsellman’s outing, as despite a low pitch count, the Mets still had the bullpen pumping as he worked himself into trouble.

Post 6th, 6-5 Mets (9:36 p.m.):

Rivera, d’Arnaud, and Gsellman were set down 1-2-3 in the sixth. With a pitch count of only 83, Teheran has a good shot at coming out for the seventh. Back-to-back doubles from Freeman and Kemp chased Gsellman in the bottom half of the inning. Nick Markakis plated Freeman after Josh Edgin got him to ground out. Terry Collins then brought in Hansel Robles to face Adonis Garcia, who scored Kemp on a sacrifice fly. Robles got himself into trouble after Flowers singled up the middle and Dansby Swanson walked, but Granderson made a sliding catch in center field off of pinch hitter Lane Adams to end the inning.

Seeing Teheran round back into form scares me, as the Met offense can be anemic at times. To make matters worse, Gsellman gave way to a bullpen that I have absolutely zero trust in after Sunday’s 23-5 debacle. Shout out to Bruce who made a subtle, yet important barehand play to save a run, but it was in vain as the run came across anyway. Nice to see Granderson also flash the leather since he’s had trouble doing anything with the bat. I am DEFINITELY not comfortable with a one-run lead after six.

Post 7th, 6-5 Mets (9:54 p.m.):

Julio Teheran’s night is done. Ian Krol replaces him in the seventh. Despite a walk to Cabrera, the Braves get out easy. Jerry Blevins pitches a 1-2-3 seventh, striking out Inciarte and Freeman.

Cabrera had possibly the slowest response to a pickoff snap throw I have ever seen. Get your head in the game, man. Nice to see a 1-2-3 inning on the Mets’ end. Jerry Blevins is always a reliable horse.

Post 8th, 7-5 Mets (10:14 p.m.):

Ian Krol returned in the eighth and, after cruising through Walker and Granderson, surrendered a home run to Reyes. Arodys Vizcaino replaced Krol and immediately got d’Arnaud to ground out to retire the side. Addison Reed took the mound in eighth and immediately surrendered a line drive single to Matt Kemp, but bounced back with the help of two strikeouts.

Ian Krol has an 8+ ERA. If the Mets had nothing to show from that, I would have screamed. Luckily, Reyes homered, which honestly is more of a miracle than defeating the Russians at Lake Placid these days. Reed did a nice job catching the Reyes homer on a fly in the bullpen. Boy, Matt Kemp just plain kills the Mets this season. In terms of his on-the-mound performance, Reed has been struggling of late, so it was nice to see him have a bounceback inning.

Post 9th, 7-5 Mets win (10:40 p.m.):

Jason Motte, the pride of Valley Central High School and Iona College, toed the rubber for the Braves in the ninth. You may remember him from his glory years with St. Louis, but injuries have transformed him into a journeyman and now he finds himself in Atlanta. Motte worked himself into a bit of trouble – a hustle double by Juan Lagares, an intentional walk to Conforto, and hitting Cabrera with a pitch, but escaped thanks to an inning ending 3-6-3 double play. Jeurys Familia came on for the save in the ninth and allowed a Jace Peterson pinch-hit single, but wrapped up the ninth with an inning ending 4-6-3 double play.

Took me a moment to recognize Jasson Motte without his trademarked beard. Turns out his daughter asked him to shave and upon seeing her clean-shaven father immediately asked him to grow it back. I thought the Mets would pick up some insurance off of Motte, but he held it together. Familia needs to get his confidence back. He was pulled on Saturday after getting himself into trouble and he needs to regain his lights-out, closer mentality to help this team get back on track. Overall, it feels good to finally be out of last place. Hopefully it stays that way.

King Jerry! @jerryblevins gets the

11:06 p.m.:

Blevins gets the crown tonight after pitching a crucial shutdown inning to keep the Mets in front. Could have gone to Conforto too, in my opinion.

Photo credit: Dale Zanine – USA Today Sports

]]> http://mets.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/05/02/game-recap-may-1-24-hours-with-michael-conforto-and-jerry-blevins/feed/ 0 http://mets.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/30/game-recap-april-29-the-turnaround/ http://mets.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/30/game-recap-april-29-the-turnaround/#comments Sun, 30 Apr 2017 09:55:57 +0000 http://mets.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=3811 “It’s impossible to conceive of the Mets going forward without Michael Conforto playing just about every day.” – Gary Cohen

The Mets came in to Washington looking like they were dead in the water. Forget the losing streak – the Mets hadn’t even sniffed a lead in a week before heading to face their main rivals, the hottest team in the league. But baseball is a funny sport. As soon as we think we know what’s going to happen, it seems like there’s a fit of weirdness. Saturday’s 5-3 Mets win wasn’t quite as wild.

It’s a good reminder that no matter how great one team looks and how awful another team looks, the difference between greatness and dumpster fires isn’t as big in Major League Baseball as it is in most sports. If a struggling football or basketball team beats a league leader, we call it an upset. If a struggling baseball team takes a series, we call it a part of the game. Even bad teams tend to win at least 40 percent of their games, and the current banged up Mets roster isn’t that bad.

Wheeler Escapes:

Even before Tommy John surgery, Zack Wheeler was effectively wild, walking more than 10 percent of opposing hitters. We shouldn’t be surprised to see more walks and high pitch counts in 2017. Wheeler racked up nine full counts in the first 19 opposing batters. He pushed the right button against Bryce Harper in the first, throwing a great curveball for the strikeout after setting him up with several fastballs. Ryan Zimmerman continued his hot streak with an RBI single after Harper whiffed to give the Nationals an early lead.

For rest of the game, it looked like Wheeler was searching for the right pitch. He led off the second, third, and fourth with walks. He threw several breaking balls to the opposing pitcher in the second inning, like it was time to get some practice in a side session, and quickly worked his way to a full count. After the first two runners got on in the third, Harper struck out again and T.J. Rivera made a great stab at first base to rob Zimmerman. The Mets intentionally walked Daniel Murphy, and then pitching coach Dan Warthen came out for a pep talk. Wheeler opened the bases loaded at-bat with three straight sliders, all balls, before Anthony Rendon lined out to center. In the bottom of the fifth, Wheeler minimized the damage with a Harper comebacker for a double play. He ended the day with 96 pitches, only 54 strikes, and couldn’t get through five innings.

Conforto Powers Offense:

After Stephen Strasburg rolled through the first four innings, Jose Reyes led off the fifth with a single. T.J. Rivera doubled to the wall, Travis d’Arnaud had an RBI groundout, and all of a sudden the game was tied at 1-1. Strasburg fell behind Michael Conforto and served up a fastball that might as well have “Ticket To Ride” stamped on it. He crushed the weak offering to give the Mets a 3-1 lead, then homered again in the eighth inning against hard throwing lefty Enny Romero. It’s the first time Conforto has homered twice in a game. He also singled and stole a base in the first, making this the first time he has homered and stolen a base in the same game.

Left Infield Stays Shaky:

If you ever want to show someone why errors and fielding percentage are a bad way to judge fielders, the left side of the Mets’ infield may be a good place to start. Officially, the Mets only had one error, when Reyes stayed back to play a tough hop off his chest and the ball bounced in to left field. When the next hitter grounded to the hole and Asdrubal Cabrera didn’t have the range to get the ball, that’s not an error. When Zimmerman beat out an infield single because Cabrera couldn’t play a ball quickly, that’s not an error. Even though Reyes may be breaking out of his slump at the plate, he and Cabrera are struggling so much in the field that the calls for promoting Amed Rosario should continue. On the other hand, Rivera made several good plays at first base.

Bullpen Largely Stable:

Before today’s game, Sandy Alderson said, “As of right now, do we have a closer? You tell me.” Wheeler was pulled after 4.2 innings so Josh Edgin could face Daniel Murphy with runners on. Apparently Edgin isn’t the closer. He got Murphy to fly out and end the inning. Sometimes it pays to stick with a hot reliever, but Edgin still reminds me of a Monopoly player who got just the right dice roll to avoid my hotels. Sooner or later it seems like he’s going to get wrecked.

Hansel Robles pitched the sixth and most of the seventh, with Jerry Blevins coming in to fan Harper on a curveball. Addison Reed started his eighth inning by surrendering a massive home run to Ryan Zimmerman. He put the tying run on second but was allowed to work out of the two-out jam. Jeurys Familia came in for a 1-2-3 ninth and his first save of the season.

Werth’s Weird Stumble:

In the bottom of the fourth, Jayson Werth walked and stole second. Cabrera bobbled the catch, so the ball bounced behind him towards the outfield. Werth saw Cabrera break and got up, hitting Cabrera with his head as he scrambled for another base. It reminded me of one of the worst plays in basketball, where an offensive player jumps in to the defender to draw a cheap foul. Second base umpire Angel Hernandez wasn’t fooled by the stunt and didn’t give Werth the benefit of the doubt on an interference call when he was out by 20 feet. Werth spent the entire middle of the fifth complaining to Hernandez, and he went back for more in the seventh. I’ve never seen a baseball player complain so much after trying to fool an umpire on the basepaths.

Injury Updates:

General manager Sandy Alderson met with reporters before Satuaday’s game to give a bunch of injury updates:

·      Noah Syndergaard refused to take an MRI. “I can’t tie him down and throw him in the tube either,” the GM said.

·      Yoenis Cespedes’ hamstring strain is not considered serious, and the Mets hope to have him back in around 10 days. Then again, the Mets underestimated his hamstring strain instead of sending him straight to the disabled list.

·      Lucas Duda should be ready to come off the DL Monday, the first day he is eligible to do so.

·      Wilmer Flores should be headed to rehab games in a day or two.

·      Adam Eaton has reportedly torn his ACL, per Ken Rosenthal, and is expected to miss the rest of the season. Michael A. Taylor is likely to get a considerable look in center field now, but a trade might be inevitable.

What’s Next?

The Mets look for the sweep – yes, the sweep – with Noah Syndergaard on the mound.

Photo credit: Brad Mills – USA Today Sports

]]> http://mets.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/30/game-recap-april-29-the-turnaround/feed/ 0 http://mets.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/23/game-recap-april-22-not-a-no-hitter/ http://mets.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/23/game-recap-april-22-not-a-no-hitter/#comments Sun, 23 Apr 2017 09:55:39 +0000 http://mets.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=3725 What Happened, In One Weird Stat Line: Jacob deGrom set new career highs in both whiffs (27) and walks (6) as the Nationals won 3-1.

deGrom’s Return:

deGrom was scratched Friday with a stiff neck. He started Saturday by making the Nationals look stiff on a series of high 90s fastballs. Adam Eaton went down swinging. Then Trea Turner whiffed in his first start since coming back from the disabled list. Bryce Harper walked but Ryan Zimmerman couldn’t catch up to the fastball away with his long swing. deGrom added another strikeout in the second and struck out the side in the third. He looked dominant – although he may not be the biggest Bull Durham fan.

Harper walked again to lead off the fourth and Daniel Murphy smoked a one-out single up the middle. Then deGrom lost some steam, just missing a 2-2 pitch to Anthony Rendon and eventually walking him. Matt Wieters lined a single to right for the Nationals’ first run. Murphy thought it could be a lineout and got a bad break off second. Washington sent him home anyway, and now Murphy has a “Dancing With The Stars” audition reel.

The Nats helped deGrom escape the fourth, but they weren’t so giving in the fifth. Michael Conforto got turned the wrong way on a liner at him, and it went over his head for a double. Turner hammered a mistake pitch for an RBI double to the center field wall. Harper was intentionally walked. Now that teams can just signal to first for a free pass, the SNY crew didn’t even have time to discuss whether it was the right call before Zimmerman lined a hanging slider to left. deGrom got in more trouble in the sixth before Josh Edgin came in to strike out Harper with two on and two out.

Mets Mystified By Another Lefty:

With David Wright out for the entire season so far and injuries to both Yoenis Cespedes and Wilmer Flores, the Mets’ lineup is awfully left-hand dominant. They struggled against soft tossers like Adam Conley even with those two right-handed bats. On Saturday, the Mets couldn’t get a hit against Gio Gonzalez until the sixth inning. The veteran lefty walked Conforto and Jay Bruce in the first, then retired Neil Walker on a 3-2 pitch. Gonzalez threw 30 pitches in the inning and looked vulnerable, but Neil Walker was the first of 13 straight outs on a series of weak contact.

Jose Reyes broke up the streak with a pinch hit walk to lead off the sixth. Juan Lagares singled a bad change up the middle for the Mets’ first hit. With two runners on, Gonzalez started pitching for strikeouts. Conforto chased a high fastball after taking a borderline strike and Cabrera singled to make the score 3-1 with the tying run on first, but Gonzalez came roaring back with two strikeouts. The Mets couldn’t get another runner the entire game.

Different Bullpen Use:

The Mets came in to Saturday’s game with Jerry Blevins leading all of baseball with 11 appearances through the first three weeks. Addison Reed, Fernando Salas and Hansel Robles were next with 10 appearances each. As I mentioned earlier, Terry Collins went to Edgin first in a high leverage at bat against Harper. Robles took the seventh, and he was so efficient that he worked the eighth too. Blevins came in again to face the top of the order in the ninth, putting two on before striking out Harper and Murphy on curveballs.

Meanwhile, Dusty Baker went from Gonzalez to Blake Treinen in the seventh. Treinen walked too many batters and quickly lost his spot as closer. Giving him Rene and T.J. Rivera – two relatively free swingers – is probably a good way to rebuild his confidence. Hard throwing lefty Enny Romero came out to face Reyes, Lagares and Conforto in the eighth. Baker left him in to face Cabrera and Bruce before giving the ball to Kodi Glover for a one-out save. It feels like Dusty Baker is using his bullpen more creatively than Terry Collins. Might be a good time to stock up on canned goods, just in case.

Conforto Gets a Chance vs. LHP:

Somehow Michael Conforto’s platoon split last year turned in to Terry Collins refusing to give Conforto a chance, despite the fact that he only started five games against lefties last year. With the Mets’ thin roster, Collins had no choice but to give Conforto a chance against Gonzalez Saturday. He didn’t have a great game (0-3, BB, 2 K) but neither did anyone else in the lineup. It’s hard to see how much better Conforto can get until he gets a chance.

What’s Next?

The Mets are on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball again. Hopefully no one in the broadcast booth will try to interview Mr. Met during a high leverage part of the game this time.

Photo credit: Anthony Gruppuso – USA Today Sports

]]> http://mets.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/23/game-recap-april-22-not-a-no-hitter/feed/ 0 http://mets.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/21/nationals-series-preview/ http://mets.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/21/nationals-series-preview/#comments Fri, 21 Apr 2017 16:50:35 +0000 http://mets.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=3702 As they wrap up the third week of a young but already very eventful season, New York welcomes the first-place Washington Nationals to town for a three-game set with both teams seemingly headed in opposite directions. Decimated by a rash of injuries and coming off of two straight series losses at the hands of Miami and Philadelphia, the Mets find themselves in the unenviable position of trying to piece together a healthy lineup against a club that has won four straight and is expecting young shortstop Trea Turner back from a hamstring injury just in time for first pitch on Friday night.

Although it’s only April, the Mets’ head-to-head matchups against Washington went a long way in deciding the NL East title in 2016, with the club finishing eight games behind the Nats thanks in no small part to a 7-12 record in the season series. If they want to avoid the uncertainty of another wild card game on their quest to the promised land, New York needs to set the tone against Dusty Baker’s squad early on.

When and Where

Game 1:  Friday @ 7:10 p.m (TV: PIX-11, MLB Network  RADIO: 710 WOR)

Game 2:  Saturday @ 4:05 p.m. (TV: SNY, FS1  RADIO: 710 WOR)

Game 3:  Sunday @ 8:00 p.m. (TV: ESPN  RADIO: 710 WOR)

Probable Pitching Matchups

Friday:  RHP Tanner Roark (2-0, 3.50 ERA, 3.72 DRA, .218 TAv, 0.3 WARP) vs. RHP Matt Harvey (2-0, 2.45 ERA, 3.08 DRA, .230 TAv, 0.4 WARP)

Saturday: LHP Gio Gonzalez (1-0, 1.33 ERA, 5.32 DRA, .240 TAv, -0.1 WARP) vs. RHP Jacob deGrom (0-0, 1.89 ERA, 0.87 DRA, .185 TAv, 0.9 WARP)

Sunday: RHP Max Scherzer (2-1, 1.37 ERA, 0.83 DRA, .187 TAv, 0.9 WARP) vs. RHP Zack Wheeler (1-1, 5.52 ERA, 6.24 DRA, .265 TAv, -0.2 WARP)

Who’s Hot?

Nationals 1B Ryan Zimmerman (.389 AVG, 5 HR, 13 RBI, 0.8 WARP; 7-for-12 with 2 home runs and 7 RBI in three-game sweep of Atlanta)

Nationals RF Bryce Harper (.400 AVG, 6 HR, 18 RBI, 1.7 WARP; 7-for-10 with 3 doubles, 2 home runs and 5 RBI in Atlanta)

Mets OF Jay Bruce (.293 AVG, 6 HR, 14 RBI, 0.9 WARP; 4-for-10 with 2 home runs and 6 RBI vs. Phillies)

Who’s Not?

Mets 3B Jose Reyes (.105 AVG, 6-for-57, 4 runs scored, -0.6 WARP)

Mets defense (7 errors in 3 games against Philadelphia, resulting in 4 unearned runs)

When We Last Met

The division rivals last faced off on September 12-14, with the Nationals taking two out of three in the nation’s capital.

Bumps and Bruises

Nationals: SS Trea Turner (right hamstring strain) will be activated from the 10-day disabled list at some point over the weekend, possibly before Friday night’s game.  2B Daniel Murphy (right leg tightness) did not play on Thursday in Atlanta but is expected to be in the lineup for the series opener against his former club.  OF Jayson Werth (groin) has not played since leaving Wednesday’s contest in the third inning after injuring himself on a check swing.

Mets: OF Yoenis Cespedes (left hamstring) left Thursday’s game early.  While team doctors told the Cuban slugger that he should only miss 2-3 days, an MRI scheduled for Friday may help to nail down a clearer timeline. 1B Lucas Duda (hyperextended left elbow) and IF Wilmer Flores (knee infection) are both out for at least Friday’s game and possibly the series.  C Travis d’Arnaud (bruised right wrist) appeared in Thursday night’s game as a pinch-hitter but it is still unclear if he will don the catcher’s gear against Washington.  Backup backstop Kevin Plawecki was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas, and IF/OF T.J. Rivera is currently in New York on standby in case the Mets have to place someone on the disabled list.  deGrom was initially scheduled to start on Friday but was pushed back a day due to a stiff neck.

Notable Quotables

“I had this type of injury before.  This time it doesn’t feel as serious as the other times.” – Cespedes, through a translator, following Thursday’s 6-4 loss

“Our trainer’s room is starting to fill up again and we don’t need that” – Mets manager Terry Collins on the team’s injury woes

“I’m feeling good. I think I got a little bit excited. Happy to be back. Other than that I feel a hundred percent, my body and mentally too.” – Jeurys Familia about returning to action on Thursday; The Mets closer served a 15-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy, stemming from an incident that took place in October in his New Jersey home.

“We know what we’re up against. We know they’ve got a good team. We’ve just got to pull it together.” – Collins on facing the Nationals

“It’s something that I haven’t really done since high school, and I don’t really remember a whole lot about high school, so it’s going to be a learn as I go type of thing.” – Bruce on playing first base Thursday night for just the fourth time in his big league career

Photo credit: Jason Getz – USA Today Sports

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