Oh Pete

Ah, Monday. At least The Mets Newsletter is free to read today, you know? If you’d like to have at least one good thing happen in your life on a daily basis - including weekends -, consider a paid subscription. 

After flirting with disaster all night, the Mets’ proclivity of falling behind the count and walking batters, plus a rough throwing error by Pete Alonso, doomed them in the eighth, as the Yankees defeated the Mets 8-2. 

The Yankees struck first. Paul Goldschmidt reached on a Mark Vientos error, leading all of us to curse the fact Max Fried is a lefty, causing Brett Baty to ride the pine. Aaron Judge hit a ground rule double off of David Peterson to right to move Goldschmidt to third. Cody Bellinger hit a double that juuust got past Pete Alonso down the first base line that scored two runs. 

The Mets got a run back in the top of the second off of Fried. Vientos reached on an infield hit. Brandon Nimmo walked. Starling Marte struck out on a nasty sweeper that just nicked the lower outside corner. Francisco Alvarez struck out for the first of three times on the night. It seemed like the Mets would squander the opportunity, but Jeff McNeil singled to left center, scoring Vientos from second. Luisangel Acuña grounded into a fielder’s choice to force out McNeil at second to end the threat. 

The Mets managed to tie the game in the fifth without a single hit. (In fact, the Mets didn’t get a hit after the fourth inning.) McNeil walked, then went to second off an Acuña sacrifice bunt. He scooted to third on a Lindor ground out to second, then scored on a Max Fried wild pitch. A squirrelly run, but a run nonetheless. 

The Mets would have one more opportunity with a runner in scoring position. With two outs and nobody on, McNeil walked, then Acuña reached on an error. Lindor lined out to Judge in right. Inning over. For the first time all year, the Lindor-Soto-Alonso combo was hitless in a game.

David Peterson Houdini’d his way out of trouble all night. His line was impressive until the penultimate number: 6 IP 3 H 2 R 1 ER 4 BB 4 K. In the bottom of the fifth, he walked Goldschmidt, intentionally walked Judge, and walked Bellinger on four pitches to load the bases, only for Anthony Volpe to ground out to short. 

Huascar Brazobán continued the trend. He got two quick outs, then walked Trent Grisham. He walked Aaron Judge on four pitches - an unintentional intentional walk. Bellinger hit a ball that bounced off of Brazobán, who tried in vain to beat Bellinger to the bag, knocking down Alonso in the process. Again Volpe was up with the bases loaded. This time, he struck out on a 3-2 sinker. Brazobán’s current ERA: 0.98.

Ryne Stanek came on to pitch in the eighth. He seemed to think throwing a hundo would do the trick on everybody, but that mostly wasn’t the case. He walked Jasson Domínguez to start things off. After striking out DJ LeMahieu, he gave up a double to right off the bat of Austin Wells, moving Domínguez to third. In an 11-pitch at-bat where Jorbit Vivas kept fouling fastballs off, Vivas eventually hit a grounder right to Alonso, who airmailed the ball nowhere near the catcher Alvarez at home. Domínguez scored to make it 3-2 Yankees. It was all over after that - Paul Goldschmidt singled in a run, then Génesis Cabrera came in to weirdly walk Grisham but strike out Judge. With the bases loaded and two out, Bellinger hit a grand slam to right field. To sound completely bitter, it was only a home run in five MLB ballparks. 356 measly feet. But you know, the Mets were allowed to hit homers to that side of the park too, and they didn’t, so…

Alonso took all of the blame afterwards, but walking the leadoff hitter in a tie game in the eighth inning was not a good idea, and certainly not Pete’s fault. Howie Rose compared Alonso’s misplay to Lucas Duda’s in Game 5 of the 2015 World Series. No, not the same. 

It’s May 19th. It isn’t the end of the world. The Mets are still in first place in the NL East. It’s only a half game lead, granted. But like I said, it’s May 19th. A pessimist would say that’s plenty of time for them to relinquish that lead. I point out there’s time for them to add to it. 

Tyrone Taylor didn’t start last night’s game because he felt some cramps in his calf towards the end of Saturday’s contest. But Carlos Mendoza insisted he’s “fine.” He came in in the bottom of the eighth last night.

Mendoza defended Starling Marte’s honor. “It’s not an easy role to be in when you’re used to playing every day,” he said before the game.” It takes time to adjust. I just have to continue giving him at-bats, he’s a good player. The way the ball continues to jump off his bat, the bat speed, it’s there -- he’ll get going here pretty soon.” The thing is, the bat speed is not there. He’s right about it not being easy, but I imagine there’s going to be a difficult decision to be made pretty soon by the front office if he continues to hit as poorly as he is now, good clubhouse presence be damned. 

All that being said, I thought Marte should have stayed in the game when the righty came in instead of replacing him with Brett Baty. Marte had doubled to right in his previous at-bat. It would prove to be the last hit the Mets would get last night.

Soto didn’t run hard out of the box on a play where had he done so he might have legged out an infield single. This occurred in the eighth inning of a tie game. That wasn’t great.

Phillies closer Jose Alvarado received an 80-game PED suspension. He can come back later this season but he is ineligible for the postseason. 

Inspired by Juan Soto’s reception in The Bronx this past weekend, Jesse Winker was asked to give advice on how to be the villain and deal with booing.  “I would (1) embrace it, (2) have fun with it, and (3) I would enjoy life,” he told NJ.com. Sounds like solid advice for anything honestly.

On Insta, the Mets uploaded video of a team putting green challenge. Jeff McNeil did well, naturally. Pete Alonso had the best commentary re: the sport of golf.

Alonso was asked by Karl Ravech what this year’s hit celebration - the rolling of arms and an uppercut towards the sky - means. “Keep it rollin’,” the Polar Bear explained.

Heard on the radio, after Austin Wells got hit in his private area: "I think he got hit where Luis Torrens got hit last week." "Well I'd say you hit it on the head, but that'd be inappropriate right now..."

The Mets released Billy McKinney. He only had a .592 OPS in Triple-A Syracuse.

Atlanta claimed RHP Kevin Herget off waivers from the Mets and placed him on their Triple-A team. In the past, Herget would become an All-Star. Nowadays, probably not. Probably. 

Old chum Jose Iglesias was spotted with a new OMG sign. It’s believed to have been a gift from a fan. It better have been. 

Juan Soto was originally supposed to be the Met ESPN interviewed during the ballgame. But at the last minute it became Brandon Nimmo. Hmm…

Nimmo said Winker is his funniest teammate. Ever.

The Triple-A Syracuse Mets fell to the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs (Phillies affiliate) by the score of 8-6. Gilberto Celestino went 3 for 5 with a triple in the losing effort. Jared Young went 3 for 5 with four RBI. Ronny Mauricio went 2 for 4 and stole a base. One of his singles had a 112.5 mph exit velo. Brandon Waddell didn’t get out of the first inning. In two thirds innings he allowed six earned runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out nobody.

The Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies held on to beat the Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies) 5-4. JT Schwartz went 2 for 4 with two doubles and an RBI. Jet(t!) Williams and Nick Morabito both went 3 for 5 with a double and an RBI. Zach Thornton was the winning pitcher. He allowed two earned runs over five innings of work. He allowed four hits but no walks and struck out six batters.

The High-A Brooklyn Cyclones won a thriller over the Winston-Salem Dash (White Sox) 7-6 in 10 innings. Carson Benge went 2 for 3 with a home run and four RBI. AJ Ewing went 3 for 5 with an RBI. Ben Simon got the dub. He pitched the 9th and 10th innings, allowing zero earned runs. He walked one and struck out four. Technically the Cyclones won on a walk-off fielder’s choice.

The Low-A St. Lucie Mets defeated the Daytona Tortugas (Reds) 9-7. Vincent Perozo managed to collect 2 RBI despite going 0 for 5 without a walk. Yonathan Henriquez went 2 for 4 with a run scored, an RBI, and a stolen base.

Happy 58th birthday to Turk Wendell, you nutjob you.

The Mets start a series at Fenway Park against the Red Sox. Kodai Senga (4-2, 1.02 ERA) will get the starting nod for New York. Hunter Dobbins (2-1, 3.90 ERA) is the scheduled starter for Boston. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 pm eastern. The game will air on SNY.