Ray of Darkness

Happy Monday? I dunno. Hope you had a decent Father’s Day despite the…unpleasantness…at Citi Field. Consider a paid subscription to The Mets Newsletter? Someday the Mets will win again and you’ll want to read all about it. 

The Mets were swept for the first time this season. They got their asses handed to them yesterday by the Tampa Bay Rays 9-0. 

The combination of Griffin Canning and hitter-friendly home plate umpire Lance Barksdale was counter productive for New York. The beatdown began in the top of the second. Canning walked Jonathan Aranda and Jake Mangum. Then José Caballero reached on a bunt single when third baseman Brett Baty initially broke the wrong way. This loaded the bases for Kameron Misner, who reached on a 4-6 fielder’s choice, scoring Aranda. Then Canning uncorked a wild pitch, scoring Mangum and moving Misner to second. Danny Jansen singled - it was the first time the Rays got a ball out of the infield in the inning - scoring Misner. 3-0 Rays. 

With one out in the third, Junior Camanero walked on four pitches. Aranda singled to right to move Camanero to third. Mangum then beat out a potential 6-4-3 double play, scoring Camanero. 

In the fifth, Canning walked Josh Lowe on six pitches. After Brandon Lowe flew out, Canning walked Camanero again, and Carlos Mendoza had enough. No longer fantastic Max Kranick came in and promptly gave up a 2 RBI double to Aranda to make it 6-0 Tampa. Ty Adcock, called up earlier in the day, was a minor hero, throwing 40 pitches to save the bullpen. Ryne Stanek gave up a three-run homer to Camanero in the ninth and was taken out with two outs for position player Jared Young to officially make the game a farce. 

As far as the Mets offense, it seemed like they continued to try and hit home runs, even though it was 61 degrees and the ball wasn’t going to carry. When the score was 4-0 with two outs in the bottom of the third, Pete Alonso came up to bat with the bases drunk. He clearly was looking to hit it 500 feet. He struck out instead. 

The Rays outsmarted and outplayed the Mets in this series. In this unseasonably cool weather for June they played small ball while the Mets futilely tried to smack dingers. And of course, their pitching was superior. Suddenly, the Mets have some pitching issues - Senga’s injury, Megill and Canning turning into pumpkins, and Montas struggling in his rehab starts. 

I believe in the ability to flush an entire series. The Mets did that last August when they were swept by the Seattle Mariners. 

 ***

The Mets against the American League this season: 11-13. Against the National League: 34-14. Is this a scouting thing? Is there less due diligence done against teams they only face three times a season compared to the others? Is it a fluke? 

Also the Rays have been the hottest team in MLB since May 20th. There’s that aspect to consider.

Griffin Canning in his first 9 Starts: 2.47 ERA, 1.29 WHIP. Last 4 Starts: 5.29 ERA, 1.53 WHIP

The Mets may have been swept by the Rays, but they'll be facing an Atlanta team that just got blown out by the Rockies, so both teams will be coming in with negative momentum!

Brett Baty left the game with right groin tightness he suffered when going after a foul ball. He’s day-to-day. Could be nothing. Could be everything.

Ronnie revealed during the broadcast that Mike “Big Pelf” Pelfrey once played basketball with the SNY crew. I'm shocked he didn't get hurt.

In honor of Father’s Day, the Mets had each player's kids/families introduce them prior to their first plate appearances. 

Francisco Lindor served as the designated hitter yesterday. He wanted to play shortstop and Mendoza wanted him to sit. So they compromised. He went 0 for 3 with a walk.

Mark Vientos (right hamstring strain) is scheduled to begin his rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Syracuse.

Jon Heyman wrote that “those in the know” say Kodai Senga (Grade 1 hamstring strain) is expected to be out for a “minimum of five weeks.”

Before the game the Mets recalled Ty Adcock from Triple-A Syracuse and optioned Justin Garza. Garza didn’t do anything wrong - he was a dude with minor league options who pitched the night before, and New York needed some fresh arms. Adcock ended up throwing 40 pitches, so good call.

Within a Will Sammon article about Jeff McNeil, he wrote that the Mets will monitor the center fielder market before the trade deadline, even though the front office finds Tyrone Taylor and McNeil’s production as “sufficient.”

A turning point for McNeil came after his 1 for 9 series against the Diamondbacks earlier this season. Working with the coaches, McNeil developed a slightly new swing which stopped him from moving too forward, enabling him to pull more with authority. 

Chelsea and Tatum Nimmo went Father’s Day shopping at the Team Store.

So wow, Rafael Devers was traded by the Red Sox to the Giants. I wouldn’t have minded Raffy on the Mets, but San Francisco took on his entire salary for the next eight years of his deal and I doubt Uncle Steve and David Stearns would have agreed to do that. The Mets kind of get screwed this season because they already faced Devers in Boston, and now they have to face him six more times this year as a Giant.

The Triple-A Syracuse Mets (29-40) lost once again to the Scranton-Wilkes Barre RailRiders (Yankees affiliate), this time by a score of 8-6. Shortstop Yonny Hernández went 2 for 3 with a double, three runs scored, and an RBI. Blade Tidwell got the loss. In three and two thirds innings he allowed six earned runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out four. 

The Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies (42-19) and Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants) played to a 4-4 tie after 10 innings of play. It was King Tong day! Jonah Tong pitched five innings, allowing one earned run on two hits, walking nobody and fanning five. 51 of his 75 pitches were for strikes. His ERA is currently 1.97. Jet!(t) Williams tripled and William Lugo homered for Bing.

The High-A Brooklyn Cyclones (43-20) walked off the Asheville Tourists (Astros) 5-4 in 10 innings. Brooklyn turned a triple play in the top of the ninth, then scored two in the bottom half to send the game to extras. With one out and the bases loaded in the tenth, Boston Baro singled home Troy Scheffler Jr. for the dub. In his third rehab start,  Sean Manaea (strained right oblique muscle) threw 56 pitches. He permitted four earned runs in two and one third innings. He walked two and allowed five hits while striking out two. It wasn’t great but it wasn’t Montas bad.

The Low-A St. Lucie Mets (34-28) defeated the Daytona Tortugas (Reds) 7-5, clinching the Florida State League East Division first half title. Colin Houck went 2 for 4 with a home run, a run scored, an RBI, a walk, and two strikeouts. Trey Snyder went 2 for 5 with a run scored, three RBI, and his 21st stolen base of the season. Wellington Aracena was the bulk guy for St. Lucie. He allowed one earned run on two hits in three and two third innings. Aracena walked one and struck out four.

The Mets have the day off to forget about their lost weekend and prepare for Atlanta. Maybe they’ll watch the NBA Finals?