Disrespecting the Elder

Beehiiv informed me Gmail doesn’t allow gifs that are more than 1MB. The problem is pretty much all gifs are over 1MB? If the gifs don’t show up, click the “read online” option. 

Happy Free Monday! I’m betting you’re in a decent mood after this past weekend in New York Sports. Perhaps you’re in the mood to finally subscribe to The Mets Newsletter? It’s just five bucks a month, and fifty for the year. In exchange you get recaps, analysis, news, whimsy, and more every single day. 

The Mets pounced on Bryce Elder and Freddy Peralta gave them five really good innings to take the series from Atlanta. 

Man, it looked like Peralta’s delivery adjustment was a terrible idea at first. Michael Harris II led off the game with a bloop single. Mauricio Dubón and Matt Olson followed with base hits of their own to load the bases with nobody out. Back against the wall, Peralta powered through. He struck out Ozzie Albies on a curve. Dom Smith hit a sacrifice fly to score Harris, but Austin Riley popped it up to Marcus Semien to end the top of the first. Considering the situation he was in, it was a minor miracle Atlanta only got one run out of it.

The Mets got the run back and then some in the bottom of the frame. Elder’s trouble began when he walked Carson Benge on six pitches. The hot Bo Bichette followed with a hard hit single to left. Juan Soto inexplicably bunted - the ball landed right in front of home plate for catcher Sandy León to easily fire to third for the force out. Jared Young swung the bat though, singling to right center to plate Bichette. A.J. Ewing, who didn’t start Saturday’s game, then doubled on a ball that bounced into the left field corner. Atlanta’s left fielder, Mike Yastrzemski, inadvertently threw the ball so it doinked off the netting pole and ricocheted towards second base. It allowed a second run - Young-  to score, putting the Mets up 3-1.

After a Semien whiff, Brett Baty singled home Ewing, who was on third after the pole throw, to make it 4-1 New York (NL). Baty would ultimately go 2 for 2 with two walks. He didn’t start Saturday’s game either. 

Peralta tossed 1-2-3 second, third, and fourth innings. He got the first two outs in the fifth before León, who is hitting under .100, singled. Peralta then walked Harris on four pitches. After a visit by pitching coach Justin Willard, Freddy got Dubón to ground into a 5-4 fielder’s choice to get out of his latest jam. That would prove to be the end of Peralta’s day. While he only allowed one earned run in five innings, he only struck out two batters and just six swings and misses. However, out of the 17 batted balls he gave up, only four were considered “hard hit”. Just a weird performance. I’ll certainly take it.

The Mets had opportunities to tack on against Elder in the second and third but couldn’t convert. The bottom of the fifth was a different story. Ewing led off the half inning with a solo dinger to right field off an inside fastball. Ewing celebrated with a little help from the SNY production truck.

On the very next pitch, Semien homered to center on a ball that the center fielder Harris initially caught but dropped when his arm hit the top of the wall. 6-1 Metsies. Elder got sent to the showers. 

Cionel Pérez was tasked with the sixth. He got the first two outs before a Semien throwing error put Dom Smith on base. Pérez walked the struggling Riley, and Carlos Mendoza went to Daniel Duarte. Duarte coaxed pinch hitter Rowdy Tellez into innocently lining out to first. Duarte walke the leadoff hitter in the seventh, but he struck out León and then got Harris to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. After getting the first out in the eighth, Mendy went to A.J. Minter, who got two outs on four pitches. 

The Mets added on in the eighth against Anthony Molina. Benge and Bichette both singled, then advanced to second and third on an Ozzie Albies mistake. Soto drove them both home on a single up the middle. 

Huascar Brazobán had zero problems against Smith, Riley, and Jorge Mateo in the ninth. The Mets took a series from Atlanta. That’s definitely a good thing. What’s frustrating is they could have possibly swept the Bravos if they put out their A lineup on Saturday. Because of that, the Mets had a .500 six-game homestand, at a time when treading water just isn’t going to cut it.

The Mets wore their blue alternate jerseys with the "New York" in cursive again. They won the last time they wore them on Thursday. They’re now 2-0 this year when wearing them at home.

RHP TOBIAS! Myers will get recalled to open tonight's game against the Reds.

For the first time in the history of the Five Borough Mascot Race, the Bronx Giraffe did not lose. Instead, yesterday was a five-way tie. The Knicks have created miracles.

The Triple-A Syracuse Mets were edged by the Buffalo Bisons (Blue Jays affiliate) in a rain-shortened seven inning game by the score of 4-3. RHP Jonah Tong had another not great start, giving up four earned runs on eight hits in five innings, walking one and striking out six. C Ben Rortvedt went 3 for 3 with a double and a run scored. 

The Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies fell to the Somerset Patriots (Yankees) 7-6 in 10 innings. CF Jose Ramos went 3 for 5 with two RBI. DH Jacob Reimer hit his fifth homer of the year. LHP Max Green had a rough start, allowing six earned runs on eight hits in just three and a third innings. He walked nobody but only punched out one batter. 

The High-A Brooklyn Cyclones handled the Frederick Keys (Orioles) 7-4. SS Mitch Voit went 3 for 4 with a run scored, two RBI, and three stolen bases. RF JT Benson smacked a three-run dinger. RHP Jose Chirinos got the win. He permitted one earned run on six hits in five innings while walking two and fanning six. 

The Low-A St. Lucie Mets defeated the Palm Beach Cardinals 3-1. RHP Cam Tilly, RHP Christian Rodriguez, RHP Miguel Mejias, and RHP Joe Scarborough combined to not allow a single earned run over nine innings. CF Trey Snyder went 2 for 4. RF Simon Juan went yard. 

Happy 27th birthday to RHP Christian Scott!

24 years ago today,  in his first appearance at Shea Stadium since throwing a broken bat at Mike Piazza, Roger Clemens had a pitch thrown behind him by Shawn Estes. Later in the game, Estes and Piazza both homered off Clemens. 

June 15th used to be the trade deadline, so it’s an anniversary of good and bad Met trades. On this day in 1969, the Mets acquired Donn Clendenon in a trade with the Expos. On this day in 1977, they dealt Tom Seaver away to the Reds. And on this day in 1983, the Mets acquired Keith Hernandez from the Cardinals. 

Tonight the Mets start a series with the Cincinnati Reds. RHP Tobias Myers (0-1 4.05 ERA 4.11 xFIP) will get the start, with LHP David Peterson (3-5 5.75 ERA 3.99 xFIP) likely to make a cameo out of the bullpen. The Redlegs will counter with RHP Chase Burns (7-1 2.14 ERA 3.20 xFIP). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 pm eastern. The game will air on SNY and Audacy Radio 880 AM with Keith Raad and Pat McCarthy.