Found Nimmo?

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The Mets defeated the Cardinals 7-4, completing a four-game sweep. It was the first four-game sweep of St. Louis since April 1986. That year turned out pretty good imho. 

Francisco Lindor started things off in the bottom of the first with a home run off of Sonny Gray, which like Friday night’s walk-off bomb reached the second deck. Tyrone Taylor singled to lead off the third. Lindor recorded his second of his three hits of the day with a single of his own, moving Taylor to third. Juan Soto broke his bat flying out to left. It was relatively shallow - the bat broke after all - but Taylor went for it and just beat the tag at home to make it 2-0. With two outs and nobody on in the 5th, Soto singled to center. He advanced to second on a wild pitch by Gray, which set him up to easily score when Pete Alonso got a base hit to pick up yet another RBI. 

The game was tied at three in the bottom of the 7th when the Mets took the lead right back. After a Hayden Senger whiff, Lindor reached on a 20-foot squibber and Soto walked. Phil Maton entered the game and seemingly got some much-wanted revenge on the team that wouldn’t re-sign him by striking out Alonso. Brandon Nimmo came up to bat with two outs. He’s had the most chances this year with RISP and was not taking advantage of it to say the least. After taking two cutters down the middle for strikes, I personally wasn’t feeling too confident. But off of a curveball, Nimmo made good contact, and his batted ball got past the second baseman and shortstop to bring in Lindor. 

The Mets broke it open in the eighth. Luisangel Acuña led off with an infield double. That’s right, an infield double.

After Brett Baty struck out, Taylor hit another soft double, this one a bloop that landed between the first baseman and the right fielder. It scored Acuña. Later, with runners on first and third and two out, Soto with two strikes doubled to left center, bringing home Taylor and Lindor. (He would later admit to trying to hit a home run at first.) As I wrote yesterday, the fact that Soto is hitting balls to the opposite field and to center instead of always pulling the ball is a really good sign. Use the whole field! It’s your oyster!

Clay Holmes mostly held the Cardinals in check. He started by walking Lars Nootbaar on four pitches, but apparently that was all a ploy, because he settled down afterwards (with some help from home plate umpire Bill Miller.) The strategy all weekend by the Mets was to combat the Cardinals’ patient approach by throwing strikes (without serving up meatballs), and it worked for everyone, including Holmes. He got some help from his defense: in the 5th, Thomas Saggese hit a ball hard to Lindor’s right. Lindor pulled a Jeter - he jumped in the air, floating towards third base, and threw a peg to Acuña to get the force at second and end the inning. 

The only run Clay allowed came in the 6th. Brendan Donovan doubled to right, and a wild pitch brought him to third. The thought became that Holmes would once again not be able to finish a 6th inning. He struck out Willson Contreras, and got Alec Burleson to ground out to second. It scored Donovan to make it 3-1 Mets, but at least he had two outs. Then Jordan Walker hit a long fly ball to left. It probably would have been a home run if it wasn’t for Brandon Nimmo’s ups.

Holmes got through his six innings. 

The Cardinals tied it in the 7th. Carlos Mendoza was either unwilling or unable to go to Reed Garrett, AJ Minter, or Edwin Dìaz, all of whom had been used a lot lately. Hence, in came Danny Young. Nolan Gorman reached when Lindor leaped and the baseball went in and out of his glove. Young got Pedro Pagés looking, walked pinch hitter Luken Baker, and struck Lars Nootbaar out (again, with help from home plate umpire Bill Miller.) Mendy then went to Jose Buttó to get the final out and take the 8th too while he was at it. Buttó’s first pitch was a slider, and Saggese was ready for it, doubling down the left field line to score two. Buttó settled in and retired the next four batters he faced, mostly throwing fastballs. Ryne Stanek made things a little interesting in the 9th, allowing two singles and a run, but he struck out Saggese to end it.

The Mets are 15-7, up two games on the Phillies for first place in the NL East. And guess who’s coming to town next. 

Go on, guess.

RIP Lily, Gary and Lynn Cohen’s great dane. She was 13. 

Second base competition update: Luisangel Acuña has an eight game hitting streak. Brett Baty went 0 for 3. And Jeff McNeil is lurking.

Juan Soto, on the standing ovation he got the other day: "I really appreciate what they did. I feel like they don't know how meaningful that is. It means a lot to the players when they do that." Breaking: Being nice is nice!

Soto said he made a correction in his swing after his first at-bat of the game, which led to multiple RBI hits. That could be big.

Mark Vientos was “feeling better”, but he did not play. I wish we got more info than that, but it is what it is.

John Oliver was interviewed by Steve Gelbs during the game. He proved his Met fan bonafides by saying, "It doesn't feel like we're supposed to have this many nice things." He also used the phrase “foreign gulag”, which is probably a first for a Mets broadcast.

Co-hitting coach Eric Chavez identified why the Mets have been struggling with runners in scoring position: their swing rate and chase rate both go up when there are runners on 2nd and/or 3rd as compared to when they’re not. It’s simply a matter of Doing Too Much.

Starling Marte is still getting used to being a part-time player. Mendoza recommended that Marte consult special advisor Carlos Beltrán on the matter, since he went through the same transition in his career. It’s unclear if Marte talked to Beltrán or not. Either way, Marte is feeling good about the team generally:

I think we have been playing a phenomenal brand of baseball. We go out there every day and we help each other out, we support each other when we’re in that dugout and preparing for games. The pitching staff has been tremendous. They go out there each and every day and compete. I think that’s what you want from a team that is going to compete to try to win a championship.

Brandon Nimmo talked, and talked, and talked some more to Will Sammon of The Athletic about his approach to hitting these days. No mention as to why he’s kept the beard.

While both Jeff McNeil (oblique) and Francisco Alvarez (hamate) will physically be at Citi Field today for a medical check-up, Carlos Mendoza said that “most likely” the two will be sent to Triple-A Syracuse to get more at-bats. “Most likely” isn’t “definitely” though, and McNeil in particular has been red hot and punishing Double-A pitching with his new torpedo bat. So we’ll see. 

Pete and Haley Alonso are expecting a boy. 

Speaking of, the Triple-A Syracuse Mets defeated the Buffalo Bisons (Blue Jays affiliate) 2-1. Center fielder Drew Gilbert was 2 for 2 with a sacrifice fly. He also gunned down a runner trying to score. Jared Young went 2 for 4 with a double. Blade Tidwell was excellent in his four and a third innings of scoreless work, allowing just two hits, walking one, and striking out nine. Sean Reid-Foley however was the winning pitcher.

The Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies edged the Reading Fightin Phils 3-2. Jeff McNeil went 4 for 4 with his second home run in as many days and a double. Francisco Alvarez DH’d and went 1 for 5. Ryan Clifford had a two-hit day. 

The Aberdeen Ironbirds (Orioles) beat the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones 5-2. Jesús Báez went 2 for 4 with a homer in the losing effort. Prospect Jonathan Santucci had a not so good day on the mound, allowing four earned runs in three innings.

The Low-A St. Lucie Mets defeated the Tampa Tarpons (Yankees) 8-2. Marco Vargas was 4 for 5 with a dinger. He’s currently hitting .438. Raimon Gomez went two and a third scoreless, allowing two hits and three walks but striking out four. He reached 102 mph multiple times. 

15 years ago today, Ike Davis flipped over the Mets dugout railing to make a great catch. It was just his third MLB game. He’d inexplicably do the same thing again soon after.

On this day in 1957, Jesse Orosco was born.

Tonight the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets begin a big (for April) three-game series. Aaron Nola (0-4, 6.65 ERA!) faces off against Tylor Megill (2-2, 1.40 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 pm eastern. The game will air on SNY.