Giveaway Day

Hello there. The Mets are not losing every day anymore, so now’s as good of a time as ever to get a paid subscription to The Mets Newsletter!

On a day when it wasn’t expected that the Mets would win, they in fact did not, as Max Fried and the Yankees beat the Mets 6-4. 

The Mets had some options for the finale of the Subway Series this regular season. They could have called up a Nolan McLean, or Brandon Sproat, or if they were really feeling spicy, Jonah Tong. Instead, David Stearns and the Mets front office decided that they would rather effectively punt a game against their crosstown rivals - who were starting their undisputed All-Star ace -  rather than have a top pitching prospect only make one start before being sent down. It’s not a decision I loved, even if I kind of understood. 

The bullpen game with Brandon Waddell as the intended bulk guy started off pretty well: Chris Devenski threw two shutout innings as the opener. Devo only gave up one hit, walked nobody, and struck out the last two batters he faced. The latest new guy, Zach Pop, was a different story. He gave up a home run to the first batter he faced in the third, Austin Wells. Carlos Mendoza got a little greedy and had Pop come back for the fourth inning, even though Waddell had been warming up in the bullpen. Giancarlo Stanton began the inning with a ringing double to left. Cody Bellinger singled him to third. Anthony Volpe reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Stanton. Then, DJ LeMahieu got on with an infield hit. Finally, Mendoza went to Waddell. Wells hit into a fielder’s choice that scored Volpe, and Oswald Peraza flew out to right. 3-0 Yankees. Waddell wasn’t as lucky in the fifth: Paul Goldschmidt hit a leadoff double. After a Trent Grisham ground out, Mendoza opted to pitch to Aaron Judge. He homered to left to make it 5-0. 

The Mets got to Max Fried in the fifth by recording four straight hits. With one out and nobody on, Jeff McNeil singled. Hayden Senger followed up with a single of his own to right center. Starling Marte, who played left field in a last second positional switcheroo with Brandon Nimmo who served as the DH, singled to right center too to load the bases for Francisco Lindor, who brought home two of his teammates to bring the game within three. But Fried beared down, striking out Juan Soto (with help from the home plate umpire John Bacon). Pete Alonso flicked a high fly to the opposite field, but it stayed in the park to end the frame. 

Max Fried stayed in to hit Brandon Nimmo with a pitch - after that one batter in the sixth Aaron Boone was forced to go to his beleaguered bullpen (can’t relate!). Jonathan Loaísiga faced pinch hitter Ronny Mauricio, who singled to right. Brett Baty, pinch hitting for Tyrone Taylor, singled to left to load ‘em up. McNeil reached on what was ruled an infield hit, but really, Loaísiga made an error. Either way, it made it 5-3. But Senger grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. It scored another run, but then there were two outs. Marte lined a ball to right that Aaron Judge made a good play on to end it. 

Against Huascar Brazobán in the seventh, the Yankees added a run, but it could have been more. Goldschmidt and Trent Grisham hit back-to-back singles. Judge just got under one - he just missed another home run. He settled for a sacrifice fly to make it 6-4. Brazobán got out of the mess he created by striking out Stanton and, after walking Cody Bellinger, fanning Anthony Volpe. 

Mark Leiter Jr. started the seventh by hitting Francisco Lindor with a pitch. Then came the turning point of the game. Juan Soto hit a screaming drive falling fast to left. Bellinger made an excellent catch, then doubled off Lindor with a great throw. (Lindor did not slide - but even if he did he probably would have been out anyway.) Alonso walked, but lefty Tim Hill came in to coax Nimmo to ground into a fielder’s choice to end the seventh.

Pinch hitter Luis Torrens led off the bottom of the ninth against Devin Williams. John Bacon made two terrible calls, leading to Torrens striking out on three pitches. Mendoza was rightfully pissed, and he got tossed before Torrens did so he wouldn’t be out of catchers for potential extra innings. 

The ejection failed to fire the team up to glory, as Marte grounded out and Lindor struck out on a check swing to end the game.

Considering their pitching situation, it was almost impressive that the Mets made the game close. But it didn’t have to necessarily be this way. 

 ***

Starling Marte, who unexpectedly played all nine innings in left field, hurt himself taking a pitch in the ninth. After the game he said he felt “something weird” but he is “not really” worried. Him and the team are waiting on test results. This comes right when the left-handed side of the designated hitter platoon, Jesse Winker (oblique strain), is set to return to the club. 

Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz were named as All-Stars. They’ll join Francisco Lindor in Atlanta. Juan Soto was snubbed by the players who voted for the All-Star reserves, but he might be a replacement for an inevitable injured player or two. 

Almost as surprising as the Soto snub was Alonso announcing he will not be participating in the Home Run Derby. He’s done so every year it’s been held since he made the big leagues.  “I have never really fully enjoyed the three off-days,” the Polar Bear explained. “So I just want to be in the best possible position to help this team win in the second half. I’m in a groove with certain things.” I kind of love it? 

Ronny Mauricio went 2 for 2 after coming in as a pinch hitter for Mark Vientos, getting one hit from each side of the plate. But he annoyed Gary Cohen when he barehanded a short throw from Lindor to get a force out at second, and then in the following inning got doubled up when Yankee first baseman Goldschmidt cleanly fielded a hard hit one-hopper. Mauricio acted like he didn’t know what to do or where to go, which I thought was understandable, considering.

Rico Garcia threw two surprisingly good shutout innings in his Mets debut in the eighth and nine innings. Garcia was the 35th different pitcher to appear for the Mets this season, which is the MLB lead at the moment. 

This time, the Bronx Giraffe got run over by a train.

Jose Siri (fractured tibia) still has a “ways to go” before returning, if he does at all.

According to Daniel Wexler, pitchers Jonathan Santucci and R.J. Gordon are both getting promoted to Double-A Binghamton.

If Kodai Senga (hamstring) is feeling okay the next few days, he’ll start for the Mets on either Friday or Saturday in Kansas City.

Southpaw hurler Zach Thornton has an oblique injury. He might return before the season is over.

The Triple-A Syracuse Mets (40-47) fell just short to the Worcester Red Sox, losing 8-7. Jesse Winker homered in the first inning. Jared Young also hit a dinger. Luisangel Acuña went 1 for 4 with a walk, scoring three runs. His batting average is at an even .300. 

The Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies (53-26) defeated the Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies affiliate) 5-1. D’Andre Smith and Jacob Reimer both homered. Jack Wenninger was outstanding. In six innings he allowed no earned runs on just two hits. He walked two and struck out a cool 11.

The High-A Brooklyn Cyclones (54-27) lost to the Hudson Valley Renegades (Yankees) 2-1. A.J. Ewing went 2 for 4 with a double and the lone RBI for Brooklyn. Noah Hall got the loss. He allowed two earned runs in five innings. He permitted seven hits but walked nobody while fanning five.

The Low-A St. Lucie Mets (43-36) only got three hits, but they managed to shutout the Daytona Tortugas (Reds) 3-0. Jose Chirinos got the dub. He permitted just one hit in four shutout innings. He walked and struck out four.

Dicky Lovelady turns 30 years old today.

The Mets have a much needed day off (for their pitching.)  They face the Orioles, who just swept Atlanta, in Baltimore next starting tomorrow.