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

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

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

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

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

OTHER NEWS OF THE DAY

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

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

TOMORROW:

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

Photo credit: Jasen Vinlove – USA Today Sports

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

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

Game Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thoughts from the Game

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

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

Other Mets News

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

Photo credit: Steve Mitchell – USA Today Sports

I could hit you with the numbers (again), but the shock value that contextualizing it in numbers once had no longer even really exists; it’s mostly just numbing at this point. For example, I could say that seven of the 12 Mets pitchers with the most innings pitched this year have ERAs over five. But that’s not really surprising at this point. I could also mention that as of Tuesday, the team’s 117 ERA- is the fourth-worst in franchise history. But that’s whatever by now. I could even bring up the fact that if you remove Jacob deGrom’s stats, the team ERA, even before last night’s game, would be 5.08, which would be the worst team ERA in franchise history—six points worse than the 1962 Mets. Okay, that one still stings a little bit.

And last night, we saw another disheartening performance from a pitcher who not only had a positive outlook coming into the year, but who was, and still could be, a huge part of this team’s future. It has been a completely lost season for Robert Gsellman—who BP ranked as the #2 prospect in the Mets system pre-season—and it took another saddening turn last night in Chicago. Gsellman worked through the first three innings without allowing a run, but was walking the tightrope the entire time and completely lacking command. He finally cracked in the fourth inning, when he allowed a four-spot to the Cubs, with three of those runs coming on a home run by Kris Bryant. Gsellman walked four on the night and gave up five hits in just four innings of work.

Next year, the Mets will have a cornucopia of pitchers bidding for spots in the rotation. Only two spots are guarenteed: deGrom and Noah Syndergaard. Everyone else will need to earn a spot. This month of September is crucial for guys like Gsellman and Seth Lugo to build their case for a rotation spot next season, and Gsellman’s outing last night did not help, as his stock continues to plummet after a wonderful 2016 debut campaign.

The game was pretty much over from there. Tommy Milone, Jacob Rhame, Josh Smoker, and Chris Flexen all pitched the subsequent innings in that order, and every single one of them gave up one run. Milone is a guy who probably shouldn’t even be pitching for the Mets anymore, Rhame is still working out the kinks at the MLB level, and Smoker and Flexen haven’t looked like MLB-caliber pitchers all season.

The Mets lost the game 8-3, which ultimately doesn’t matter. What does matter, though, is that they were able to find innings for Rhame and get some more evaluation on Gsellman and Smoker. In addition, Amed Rosario had a productive day, going 2-for-4 and making a nice leaping grab in the field. Rosario’s yet to light the world on fire, but it absolutely looks like being a competent MLB shortstop is his floor right now. Dom Smith’s struggles continued, however, as he went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts. Gavin Cecchini and Brandon Nimmo were both benched again last night, which is good. Very prudent.

OTHER NEWS OF THE DAY:

Reliever Eric Hanhold was announced as the PTNBL in the Neil Walker trade. Honhold is a 23-year-old reviever in A+ ball who became a full-time reliever this year, and has substantially improved as a result. His K-BB numbers have increased, and he’s had his best professional year in run prevention so far. So he’s mildly interesting. (Editor’s note: Go Gators)

The Mets also called up catching prospect Tomas Nido to the big leagues yesterday. The 23-year-old posted a 74 wRC+ for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies this season.

TODAY

The Mets play game two of their series against the Cubs in Wrigley Field. Matt Harvey takes on Jon Lester in a rematch of Game 1 of the 2015 NLCS, except both pitchers are discernably worse now. First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 p.m.

Photo credit: Patrick Gorski – USA Today Sports

So this happened

The Captain is in the lineup! #STLMets #Mets #LGM pic.twitter.com/GXrS7mNRlW

— St. Lucie Mets (@stluciemets) August 22, 2017

And also this happened

Mets gonna have a new lineup. Conforto has a thumb issue of some kind.

— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) August 22, 2017

All in all, a typical Mets news day — every silver lining comes with a dull gray cloud.

MEANWHILE, thanks to Tommy Milone, the Mets were down half a dozen runs before they scored their first. They’re now 1-6 on the current homestand. Diamondbacks 7, Mets 4.

Punditry

What is there to say? Nobody wants to see Tommy Milone and Hansel Robles pitch in a split-squad spring training game, let alone on a Tuesday night in August. A lineup with Matt Reynolds in right, Wilmer Flores at first and Gavin Cecchini at second isn’t trying to be competitive as much as it is filling space and time until the season expires. Terry Collins double-switched twice to get Kevin Plawecki and Brandon Nimmo into the game, resulting in Matt Reynolds, major-league first baseman.

Twenty-five-year-old Kevin McGowan made his major-league debut in the top of the fifth against Paul Goldschmidt. He threw a first-pitch slider for strike one. The Mets took the ball out of play to authenticate McGowan’s first-ever MLB pitch. That was the highlight of the at-bat. Goldschmidt doubled to drive home the sixth run of the night charged to Milone. The Mets did not remove the ball to commemorate the first hit allowed in McGowan’s career.

Home team scoring commenced in the bottom of the fifth inning, when Amed Rosario lifted his third home run, a parabola that hugged the left field line. Say a silent prayer that Rosario will not forever be hitting solo homers with his team down 6-0 in the fifth. Dom Smith’s first major-league double drove home the Mets’ second run in the bottom of the ninth. That same inning, Rosario “tripled” on a bloop to left field that bounced past a sliding David Peralta. Rosario and Smith sure look like they’ll be more than roster filler. As ever, it’s a small bit of good Mets news in an otherwise dismal day.

Social Media

David Wright was 0-for-4 with two K's for the single-A Port St. Lucie squad tonight. If he can play tomorrow, tonight was a success. #Mets

— Scott D. Simon (@scottdsimon) August 23, 2017

GKR-isms

This is a meritocracy. — Ron, discussing Amed Rosario and ignoring the team’s season-long refusal to promote him over Jose Reyes and his .223/.286/.375 slash line.

I’m still not interested in finding out what a fidget spinner is or having one in my hands. — Ron, appealing to millennials.

You have to give [McGowan] one thing: He’s got the hair. — Gary, crediting the pitcher’s dark, curly locks.

Forecast

The Mets will continue to be bad and hurt and uninspiring. Chris Flexen and his 6.55 ERA take on Arizona’s Zach Godley (3.13 ERA) tonight at Citi Field.

Photo Credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports

The red and haloed not-Mets

WHAT HAPPENED, THE TOMMY MILONE EXPERIENCE:

Look, you can say a lot about what happened while Tommy Milone was on the mound in this one. None of them good. The best way I can describe Milone’s performance is how he faced Jefry Marte. Marte came into this one batting .182/.256/.312 in 86 trips to the plate. His first time up happened to be with the bases loaded. It ended with ball four. The second trip saw a long home run clear the left field fence and Marte circling the bases for the third time this season.
Milone’s ERA on the year has now risen to 7.91, which is consistent with the seven earned runs he gave up yesterday and supplants Robert Gsellman in a truly uninspiring race for worst Mets’ starting pitcher ERA.

WHAT HAPPENED, DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK:

This game really featured everything, and in a weird way. Through five innings, Met hitters struggled to figure out the enigma that was Jesse Chavez. During that span, the only runs that crossed the plate came on the back of solo home runs by Matt Reynolds and Curtis Granderson.
Then came the sixth inning, where it looked like the Mets might make a game out of it after falling behind 9-0 in the 2nd inning. A Michael Conforto double was followed by a Wilmer Flores single and a Jay Bruce three-run home run. A Granderson double one batter later bounced Chavez from the game, and after Blake Parker walked Lucas Duda, the Mets suddenly had the tying run on deck. That was as close as it would get, however, as the Angels bullpen set down 10 of the last 11 batters to end the game.

WHAT HAPPENED, THERE IS A REASON YOU SHOULDN’T CALL IT A COMEBACK:

The thing about the bottom of the sixth inning is that it is always followed by the top of the seventh inning. For the Mets, this did not work in their favor. Hansel Robles took the mound and, despite a leadoff walk, was able to get the first two batters of the frame out after Danny Espinosa was caught stealing. That is when it took a turn. Robles walked Luis Valbuena and gave up a double to Cameron Maybin to put runners on second and third with two away.
At this point, the score is still 9-5. The Mets have 9 outs to give still, and they’re still sort of in it. Yes, it is a bit of a stretch, I’ll grant you that concession. But this isn’t the story where the protagonist is hanging on to a ledge by their fingertips, helped up at the last minute by a heroic figure just before they lose their grip and fall to their demise. This is the story where Andrelton Simmons walks up in full uniform to roundhouse kick Robles off the ledge before squashing the fingertips of our (allegedly) beloved Mets.
In baseball terms, Simmons crushed a three-run homer to left field that gave the Angels a 12-5 lead they would not come close to surrendering the rest of the afternoon.

WHAT HAPPENED, YESTERDAY:

A lot of not good things, like the Mets surrendering 12 runs and snapping a two-game win streak. The bullpen walked seven batters among the 23 outs they were tasked to record. In general, the Mets dropped another rough one to watch on Sunday.
With that said, Paul Sewald and Josh Edgin each worked a scoreless frame, continuing to look solid in the process. Granderson recorded his first multi-hit game since May 3, and his fourth for 2017 overall. Bruce homered for the first time since May 10, as he has really been in a slump the past couple weeks. After his hot start, Bruce now has just three hits and four walks in his last 34 trips to the plate. If this game is what snaps Granderson and Bruce out of their respective funks, it would be an incredible boon for an outfield where, of late, Michael Conforto has been carrying much of the weight.

WHAT HAPPENS, TODAY:

The Mets are off today, but will wrap up their homestand against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. There are four teams in the National League with a worse winning percentage than the Mets, and the Padres are one of them. In fact, at 16-30, they own the worst record in all of baseball. With the Mets teetering on the edge, this is a series that could kickstart a run to get back to .500 ball.

Photo credit: Anthony Gruppuso – USA Today Sports

After extra innings simply prolonged what felt like another inevitable loss on Wednesday afternoon in Arizona, Terry Collins’ fading squad fell to seven games under .500 for the first time in almost three years and will try to regroup in Flushing against the American League’s reigning MVP at a time where he is really hitting his stride.

The Angels have won four in a row backed by a scorching Mike Trout, who has homered in five of the club’s last six games and leads the league in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+, and total bases.

When he fills out the lineup card on Saturday, Collins will be preparing to manage his 1,013th game in a Mets uniform — passing Davey Johnson for the most in franchise history. The oldest active manager in the majors, Collins has compiled a 497-514 (.492) regular season record in seven seasons at the helm in New York, including back-to-back postseason appearances in 2015-16. He will turn 68 years old a week after reaching the milestone.

When and Where

Game 1: Friday @ 7:10 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)
Game 2: Saturday @ 7:15 p.m. EST (TV: FOX; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)
Game 3: Sunday @ 1:10 p.m. EST (TV: WPIX; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Baseball Weather

Friday: Partly cloudy with a low of 57F and winds between 10-20 mph.
Saturday: Partly cloudy with a low of 52F and winds between 10-15 mph.
Sunday: Partly cloudy with a high of 64F and winds between 10-20 mph.

Probable Pitching Matchups

Friday: RHP Ricky Nolasco (2-2, 4.34 ERA, 6.19 DRA, .284 TAv, -0.4 WARP) vs. RHP Jacob deGrom (2-1, 4.07 ERA, 2.21 DRA, .254 TAv, 1.8 WARP)

Nolasco has been stung by the long ball in May, surrendering two home runs in each of his three starts. Although he has yet to record a decision this month, the Angels have lost each of the journeyman’s outings despite a 10-strikeout performance in Oakland on May 8.

The shaggy-haired deGrom also recorded a no-decision in an 11-9 loss to Milwaukee on Sunday, charged with four runs on eight hits over six innings.

Saturday: RHP Alex Meyer (2-1, 5.59 ERA, 5.15 DRA, .287 TAv, 0.1 WARP) vs. RHP Zack Wheeler (2-2, 3.76 ERA, 5.06 DRA, .240 TAv, 0.2 WARP)

Meyer earned the victory against Detroit his last time out, lowering his ERA by just over two full points behind 6.1 innings of one-run ball. The 27-year-old rookie has won two in a row.

Wheeler will attempt to hurl his third straight quality start, allowing two runs in 12 innings while holding opponents to a .205 BA so far this month.

Sunday: RHP Jesse Chavez (3-5, 4.22 ERA, 3.77 DRA, .246 TAv, 0.9 WARP) vs. LHP Tommy Milone (1-1, 6.25 ERA, 6.33 DRA, .296 TAv, -0.4 WARP)

Despite being among the league leaders with five losses, Chavez has pitched better than his numbers indicate. The 10-year veteran defeated the White Sox on Monday, charged with three runs on five hits over seven frames.

Milone struggled in his recent outing as a rotation stopgap, taking the loss in Arizona on Tuesday night after allowing five runs in 5.2 innings.

Who’s Hot?

Angels CF Mike Trout (1.702 OPS in past six games, 2.7 WARP on the season)

Angels OF Cameron Maybin (8-for-10 with 3 doubles and 4 runs scored since Tuesday)

Angels 1B Albert Pujols (7 RBIs this past week)

Who’s Not?

Mets IF/OF T.J. Rivera (did not reach base in 10 plate appearances at Chase Field)

Mets OF Michael Conforto (1-for-14 with 8 strikeouts in Arizona)

When We Last Met

The Angels won two out of three in Anaheim back in April of 2014, with former Mets catcher Anthony Recker driving in the winning run with a solo shot in the 13th inning to seal the team’s only win of the series.

It’s Literally a 10-Day DL

Angels: Pujols (hamstring tightness) was pulled in the seventh inning of Wednesday’s game after experiencing some discomfort while trying to stretch a double the prior inning. RHP Mike Morin (neck tightness) was scheduled to face live action in Arizona on Thursday afternoon.

Mets: LHP Steven Matz (left elbow inflammation) started for High-A St. Lucie in Lakeland on Thursday night, the Long Island native’s first rehab outing since beginning the season on the disabled list. Matz pitched three innings, allowing one run on two hits and two walks while striking out three. He was followed by RHP Seth Lugo (partial tear in UCL of right elbow), who finished with 3.2 scoreless innings. Their batterymate was Travis d’Arnaud (right wrist bruise), also making his first rehab appearance. He singled twice in four at-bats while catching for seven frames.

Notable Quotables

“It’s very easy to unravel right now and I will not let that happen here. We are not going to do that. We’re going to still stay together, play together, get on the same end of the rope and pull together. I will not let this team get down. I will not do it. We got back to .500. We’ll do it again.” – Collins following Wednesday’s extra-inning loss

“We met in Milwaukee and the one thing I told them is look, you can’t feel sorry for yourself because nobody else does. The other thing is you’re big league players and you’ve got to get ready to play.” – Collins on his recent team meeting

“It takes 27 outs to win a game so we never give in… We have a bunch of guys here that give good, quality at-bats.” – Pujols after singling in the winning run on Tuesday vs. the White Sox, a night where he passed Carl Yastrzemski for sole possession of 11th place on baseball’s all-time RBI list

Photo credit: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports

What separates Major League Baseball from other sports is that even the bad teams win at least 40 percent of their games over the course of the season. Of course, winning streaks happen and losing streaks happen, but every day should have the hope that we could see a win. Maybe the best thing about Tuesday’s game is that even though the Mets only lost by a run, there weren’t many hopes to be dashed by the close loss.

The Mets actually started with a lead. Greinke was unusually wild in the second after taking a comebacker off the foot to start the inning. He bounced breaking ball after breaking ball to Rene Rivera, who took the pitches for a walk. Curtis Granderson – demoted to eighth in the lineup – walked for an RBI. Then Greinke started mixing pitches again and regained control to leave the bases loaded.

Arizona struck in the third with a two-run single from Gregor Blanco, who stole second on the very next pitch with no fear of Milone’s pickoff. Milone got the second out, then the Mets intentionally walked Paul Goldschmidt. The plan didn’t quite work. Chris Owings singled to right and Jay Bruce misplayed the ball, eliminating any chance of throwing Blanco out at home. Then the wheels fell off when Owings broke for second as part of a delayed steal. Neil Walker and Lucas Duda did a good job recognizing the play, but Duda threw the ball away and Goldschmidt scored easily.

Hopefully east coast Mets fans recognized this script, turned off the TV in frustration and went to bed instead of paying attention to Keith Hernandez break down the play again and again and again. The only thing that happened in the next inning was an intentional walk to Jeff Mathis with a runner on second and two outs. I’m not sure when walking someone with a career .562 OPS is a good idea. Was Terry Collins over or under managing here?

Anyway, since it’s a Mets game, there were more home runs. Granderson homered off Greinke in the fifth. Yasmani Tomas homered in the sixth. He can now say he’s in a record book with Hank Aaron, Ryan Howard and Giancarlo Stanton as the only players to homer in five straight games against the Mets. Rene Rivera homered off Greinke in the seventh to make it a 5-4 game, but the team couldn’t get a hit off the Diamondbacks best relievers. Maybe this game was less painful because the bullpen actually retired seven of nine opposing batters?

In other predictable Mets agony, Asdrbual Cabrera was finally placed on the disabled list for his thumb injury. General manager Sandy Alderson said that the team prefers to manage players through injuries instead of going straight to the DL. As I wrote a few weeks ago, there’s a good statistical case against this strategy. It’s not like the Mets are just suffering bad luck when players like Cabrera aggravate injury and develop more severe symptoms.

The Mets filled Cabrera’s roster spot with new signee Neil Ramirez, a 27-year-old replacement level reliever. Ramirez recorded 18 strikeouts in 10.1 innings for the Giants, but was released due to an 8.71 ERA and BABIP of .464. Aren’t small sample sizes fun? Ramirez is wild enough to be let go by five different teams in the last 365 days (Cubs, Brewers, Twins in 2016; Giants and Blue Jays this year), but has shown enough ability to get strikeouts that there’s always a next team ready to sign him. Hopefully that’s a metaphor for the Mets’ ability to finally win some games for a change?

What’s Next?

The Mets try to get a win out of their road trip tomorrow. It’s an afternoon start in Arizona, 3:40 Eastern. Matt Harvey gets the nod. Fans in the stands may be getting a free lunch unless Harvey can stop the slide:

Guess what. #WeGotTacos pic.twitter.com/5dMh0ExQHq

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) May 17, 2017

Photo credit: Rick Scuteri – USA Today Sports

That came to a screeching halt at Miller Park where a three-game sweep by the Brewers included a backbreaking loss on Sunday in which New York blew a 7-1 lead and continued to spiral towards what could rapidly become a lost season.

Six weeks in and a little over a fifth of the way through, a year that began with so much promise has morphed into the baseball equivalent of a sinking ship as the Mets find themselves 7.5 games back of first-place Washington, with perhaps not enough viable reinforcements in the pipeline to plug the growing number of holes in the hull.

Terry Collins’ beleaguered squad now heads into the desert to face the Arizona Diamondbacks (21-18) and the red-hot Zack Greinke. They’ll need to answer the bell and show some fight in this three-game set to tamper the growing pessimism from a fan base not historically known for noticing silver linings, and also to boost some confidence in a clubhouse that may be starting to feel a little snakebitten themselves.

When and Where

Game 1: Monday @ 9:40 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)
Game 2: Tuesday @ 9:40 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)
Game 3: Wednesday @ 3:40 p.m. EST (TV: SNY, MLB Network; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Baseball Weather

Note that these conditions are only applicable if the retractable roof is open.

Monday: Clear with a low of 61F and winds between 10-20 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly clear with a low of 62F and winds between 10-15 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny with a high near 85F and winds between 10-20 mph.

Probable Pitching Matchups

Monday: RHP Zack Wheeler (2-2, 4.18 ERA, 5.00 DRA, .234 TAv, 0.1 WARP) vs. RHP Zack Godley (1-0, 2.25 ERA, 3.23 DRA, .202 TAv, 0.3 WARP)

The Mets’ most consistent starter so far, Wheeler will try to stop the bleeding in the series opener after holding the Giants to one run in six strong innings at Citi Field last week.

Godley will attempt to build on an even better performance, beating the Tigers at home on Wednesday behind seven frames of one-run ball while throwing just 88 pitches.

Tuesday: LHP Tommy Milone (1-0, 5.88 ERA, 5.82 DRA, .296 TAv, -0.2 WARP) vs. RHP Zack Greinke (4-2, 2.79 ERA, 1.79 DRA, .229 TAv, 2.1 WARP)

Milone will make his second start for the Mets since being selected off waivers from the Brewers last Sunday. The veteran southpaw was effective in a loss to the Giants, allowing two runs in five innings while striking out five.

Greinke had a no-hitter broken up in the eighth inning on Thursday against Pittsburgh, a solo shot off the bat of Pittsburgh outfielder Gregory Polanco. It would be the only hit against the former Cy Young Award winner in a masterful performance, striking out 11 Pirates and walking only one. The Diamondbacks ace is 4-1 with a 2.74 ERA in seven career starts against the Mets.

Wednesday: RHP Matt Harvey (2-3, 5.62 ERA, 5.85 DRA, .282 TAv, -0.2 WARP) vs. LHP Patrick Corbin (3-4, 4.17 ERA, 6.45 DRA, .275 TAv, -0.6 WARP)

Harvey disappointed yet again in his first start since returning from a suspension, allowing five runs on seven hits and five walks over five innings in Friday’s loss to Milwaukee.

Corbin has also struggled of late, earning the win on Friday despite being charged with four runs in six unimpressive frames.

Who’s Hot?

Mets 2B Neil Walker (8-for-13 with 2 home runs and 6 RBIs in Milwaukee)

Mets IF/OF T.J. Rivera (.362 BA with 9 RBIs in May, with at least one hit in 11 of 12 games played)

Diamondbacks 1B Paul Goldschmidt (3 home runs and 5 RBIs in his last three games)

Diamondbacks SS Nick Ahmed (.417 BA with 3 home runs over last four games played)

Diamondbacks 3B Jake Lamb (7 hits in last 14 at-bats)

Who’s Not?

Mets OF Curtis Granderson (5-for-30 (.167) since May 5)

Mets starting pitchers (5.16 ERA worst in the majors coming into Monday’s action)

Mets bullpen (0-2 with an 11.77 ERA during four-game losing streak)

Diamondbacks LF Yasmany Tomas (.129 BA (4-for-31) with one extra-base hit in May)

When We Last Met

Arizona took two out of three at Chase Field in August, scoring 28 runs in the series.

It’s Literally a 10-Day DL

Diamondbacks: Outfielders A.J. Pollock (right groin) and David Peralta (tightness in right glute) were both injured in Sunday’s finale against Pittsburgh and will be evaluated further on Monday. Pollock’s injury appears to be the more serious of the two, and he may not be available for this series. Catcher Chris Iannetta will also miss New York’s visit after being hit in the face with a pitch on Friday and placed on the 7-day concussion DL.

Mets: SS Asdrubal Cabrera (left thumb) could be headed to the disabled list as well, although he has stated to reporters that he would like to play through the injury. If he were shelved, the two-time All-Star would become the ninth Mets player currently on the DL. The team is waiting until Tuesday to make a decision on Cabrera. Seth Lugo (partial tear of UCL in right elbow) and Steven Matz (left elbow inflammation) are each scheduled to begin minor league rehab assignments later in the week.

Notable Quotables

“This is the big leagues. They’re down there. That’s their job. Their job is to come in and get outs and when you call upon them they’ve got to come in and do the job, or eventually you’ve got to find somebody else.” – Collins, following Sunday’s loss, on the state of the Mets’ bullpen

“I think anytime you have somebody stumble the way he did you want to just make sure before advancing forward with any type of diagnosis that you have the proper evaluation.” – Arizona manager Torey Lovullo on Pollock’s injury

Photo credit: Joe Camporeale – USA Today Sports

When I got home from work, I checked the box score. Whoops.

Jeurys Familia had yet another meltdown against the Giants. Familia actually got Conor Gillaspie out this time, but a Wilmer Flores throwing error on a potential game-ending double-play ball by Eduardo Nunez on opened up the flood gates. Flores’ defensive tribulations wouldn’t end there, either. The next batter, Hunter Pence, singled in the tying run that went #PastADivingFlores, just past his outstretched glove; it looked like a ball that a good third baseman gets to. Two batters later, Christian Arroyo delivered the big blow and cleared the bases with a three-run double into the left-center field gap, putting the Giants out in front 6-3.

Familia’s meltdown may or may not have something to do with the fact that this was his third consecutive outing after appearing in a tied game Monday night and a 6-1 game Tuesday night. Of course, we don’t know how worn out Familia actually was, but his pitching Tuesday night was unnecessary with a five-run lead and may have been a factor in his undoing yesterday. Familia has also appeared in an obscene 11 out of 18 games since returning from his suspension.

The Mets tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the ninth, and a two-run double by Flores that came just feet away from being a game-tying homer got them back within one run at 6-5. But then Kevin Plawecki came up with the tying run run at second and—as only he can—hit a ball that went about two feet. Buster Posey scooped it up and made the play to end the game.

Before everything had been burned to the ground, Tommy Milone made his Mets debut and was actually solid, striking out five batters over five-plus innings of two-run ball. Milone, who was deemed not good enough to pitch for the Milwaukee Brewers, may already be the Mets’ third-best starter. This is the state of the once-vaunted 2017 Mets starting rotation.

Jay Bruce also hit a home run, his tenth of the season, and the rest of the bullpen arms that were used—all six of them—did their jobs and none of them allowed a run.

Ultimately, you don’t expect to win a game in which you send Tommy Milone to the mound, bat Jose Reyes at leadoff and start him at shortstop, play Juan Lagares and Wilmer Flores against a right-handed pitcher, and have Kevin Plawecki playing baseball for your team, but the Mets should have won this game. That said, they have now won four consecutive series against the Nationals, Braves, Marlins, and Giants, although it doesn’t feel like it. Rough, embarrassing showings still plagued all of these series, and the Mets’ flaws on defense and pitching are still very obvious.

OTHER NEWS OF THE DAY

The Era of Adam Wilk in Flushing has come to an end. Wilk was claimed off waivers by the Twins yesterday. I, for one, can’t wait to tell my children and my children’s children the story his legendary 72-hour Mets career. In all seriousness, best of luck to Wilk, who was not dealt the fairest hand in New York by only having a few hours notice to make a big league start.

Michael Conforto missed Thurdsay’s game because he’s been dealing with a hamstring issue, because of course he is.

TOMORROW

The Mets travel to Milwaukee to take on the Brewers. Matt Harvey will ostensibly be in attendance, and he will make his first start since his suspension, going against Matt Garza. First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m.

Photo credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports