Manaeaclass

Hello and welcome to Free Monday! Consider a paid sub? It’s been more fun around here lately for some reason!

Sean Manaea was magnificent and Pittsburgh’s Jared Jones was very much not as the Mets blew out the Pirates 11-1. New York (NL) has now won five of six. 

The Met offense didn’t get a single baserunner in scoring position on Saturday night. They had one almost immediately yesterday afternoon. AJ Ewing worked a seven pitch walk in front of Francisco Lindor, who was plunked on the back left foot. Bo Bichette stroked one of his patented hard hit singles up the middle to load the bases. Carson Benge, back in the lineup, check-swinged a base knock to left to score Ewing. A Luis Robert Jr. sacrifice fly to right plated Lindor. Manaea was gifted an early 2-0 lead.

Manaea relied heavily on his four-seamer, which was consistently hitting the 94 mph mark. He struck out Jake Mangum looking at one to start his day. Ronny Simon grounded out to short before Bryan Reynolds got the first of Pittsburgh’s four hits on the afternoon, a ground rule double that Benge wisely didn’t try to dive for. No matter: the lefty fanned Nick Gonzales on a sweeper to get out of that “jam”. 

The Met bats continued to torture Jared Jones in the third. Bichette reached on an infield hit with one out. One batter later, LuRob muscled a two-run four-bagger to right center to make it 4-0. The Mets weren’t done even though there were two outs and nobody on base. Jared Young tripled when the ball he hit to center was misplayed by a diving Mangum. He then scored on a Marcus Semien single. 

Meanwhile, Manaea struck out six batters in a row before Mangum took him deep with two outs in the bottom of the third. It would prove to be Sean’s lone mistake.

Jones got knocked out in the fourth after he beaned Francisco Alvarez and walked both Ewing and Lindor. The lefty Evan Sisk was tasked with taking care of business with the bases drunk and nobody out. He didn’t fare much better - Bichette doubled to left when the left fielder Esmerlyn Valdez was playing him in left center. It cleared the bases. Bichette would eventually score on a Young single to make it 9-1. 

Alvy led off the fifth by rudely greeting Kirby Yates with a solo shot to left, which is supposedly hard to do at PNC Park. To Yates’ credit, that was the only run he gave up in his inning.

Another run was scored in the seventh. Bichette hit his second double, moved to third on a Benge fly out, then scored on a LuRob single to center. 

Manaea’s final inning was the bottom of the seventh. Nick Gonzales flew out to center and Valdez struck out looking at a sweeper. Manaea hit Jacob Gonzalez with a pitch before Rafael Flores Jr. hit the ball as deep as possible to left field without recording a home run. Instead, Ewing casually caught it on the warning track for Manaea’s final out. He ultimately struck out 11 batters and got 13 swings and misses on 91 pitches. It was the most strikeouts for a Met starter this season.

The latest newbie in the bullpen, 28-year-old Jack Weisenburger, made his MLB debut when he handled the final two innings. He worked around a Mangum single in the eighth and struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth. It’s fun to see these fresh faces getting a shot in The Show (especially if they do well.)

Sean Manaea has been valuable to the Mets for the work he’s done off the field shaping the young minds of the Met pitching phenoms. Yesterday he showed the youths and everyone else what he’s still capable of. 

Bo Bichette went 5 for 5. His batting average has creeped up to .263 this season. I don’t know what to think of that - if he ends up with decent numbers for the year he might opt out, and I don’t want him to. I also don’t want to actively root against a Met, so…

Xzavion Curry was sent back to Triple-A Syracuse after tossing 55 pitches on Saturday. Weisenburger took his spot.

Weisenburger had a nice moment with his family after the game. 

Robert Stock will probably remain in the rotation for now, Andy Green said. 

Laura Albanese wrote about her experience on the radio for the Guardians series. (She was good!)

The Triple-A Syracuse Mets fell short against the Columbus Clippers (Guardians affiliate), losing 5-4. 1B Nick Lorusso went 3 for 4 with a home run, a run scored, and three RBI. 3B Andy Ibañez also went 3 for 4 with a double and two runs scored. In a bullpen game, RHP Matt Seelinger was charged with the loss after he gave up four runs in one and two thirds innings.

The Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies edged the Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies) 4-3.  

1B Billy Amick (AJ Minter trade) homered for the fifth time already as a member of the Mets organization. It was a three run shot. (Amick also stole a bag.) C Kevin Parada went yard too. RHP Channing Austin got a no-decision. He permitted one run on one hit in three innings, walking none and striking out six. 

The High-A Brooklyn Cyclones scored twice in the top of the ninth to get past the Wilmington Blue Rocks (Nationals) 8-6. LF Yonatan Henriquez went 3 for 4 with a double, two runs scored two RBI, and a stolen base. CF Aidan Smith (Freddy Peralta trade) went 2 for 5 with a home run, a run scored, and two RBI. 3B Jamari Baylor went 2 for 5 with a triple and two RBI. LHP Daviel Hurtado gave up two earned runs on five hits in four and one third innings, walking one and punching out four in the process. 

The Low-A St. Lucie Mets were edged by the Daytona Tortugas (Reds) 5-4. DH Reed Stallman went 2 for 4 with a run scored. RHP Joel Lara got the L. He gave up four runs on just one hit in four and one third innings. He walked five and fanned six. 

Happy 22nd birthday to AJ Ewing! 

On this day in 2019, J.D. Davis and Wilson Ramos tied the score in the fourth with back-to-back homers off Patrick Corbin. Down a run in the eighth, the Mets took the lead on the first major league home run of Luis Guillorme’s career and a sacrifice fly from Davis. I distinctly recall it was Mets Hawaiian Shirt Night at Citi Field. 

Tonight the caliente Mets begin another series in Atlanta. RHP Christian Scott (3-3 3.15 ERA 3.74 xFIP) will toe the rubber for New York (NL), while the Barves will counter with RHP Bryce Elder (8-6 3.69 ERA 4.17 xFIP). First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 pm eastern. The game will air on SNY and Audacy Radio 880 AM with Keith Raad and Pat McCarthy.