Texas Two-Stepped

Hey hey it’s Free Monday! Consider a paid sub for the uh, stretch run. In all seriousness, there’s plenty of daily analysis coming on what the future will hold. 

After back-to-back home runs the Mets barely did anything more, allowing the Astros to double them up 6-3. 

Jeremy Peña didn’t ambush Zac Thornton by homering off the first pitch he saw in the top of the first like he did the other day. No, this time he waited until the third pitch of the at-bat to hit one out. Thornton, as he usually does, seemed completely unbothered and struck the next two batters out, ultimately getting out of the half inning without giving up any more points.

The Mets looked outstanding when it was their first turn to bat. On a 3-2 offering from Astros righty Ethan Pecko, Francisco Lindor drilled a homer to the Coca-Cola Corner to tie the game at one. On the very next pitch, Juan Soto smacked his first dinger since he came off the IL. On the next pitch after that, Bo Bichette roped a single to the opposite field. Wow, this is going to be easy! After a mound visit from his pitching coach, Pecko retired the next dozen Mets he faced without issue.

With one out in the second, Thornton plunked Yainer Díaz. The catcher would come around to score when Nick Allen reached on a bunt single, and that pesky Peña fellow singled to center with two outs. This knotted the game at two.

Thornton ended up going five. He permitted the two runs on six hits without walking anybody and striking out five. The Astros did a good job upping his pitch count so he wouldn’t be allowed to see the sixth.

The Mets took the lead back in the bottom of the fifth, but they should have scored more. AJ Ewing walked, stole second, and reached third when Díaz made a throwing error trying in vain to throw him out. After Marcus Semien walked, Luis Torrens pounded into a 6-4-3 double play. It scored Ewing but killed the potential rally. 

Jonathan Pintaro got two quick outs in the top of the sixth before he got into trouble. Díaz made up for his error by doubling to right, and then pinch hitter LaMonte Wade Jr. slugged a two-run dinger off a cutter middle-middle. 4-3 Houston. 

Astros righty AJ Blubaugh worked around a Bichette double in the sixth to throw two scoreless frames.

Jefry Yan was tasked with the seventh. His perambulation demons awoke when he walked Isaac Paredes with one out on four pitches. Jose Altuve reached when he hit a grounder back to Yan, who attempted to field it behind his back and failed. Yan then nicked Christian Walker to load the bases for Daulton Varsho. Varsho hit a grounder to first baseman Jared Young. Young made a nice play fielding the ball and touching first. His mistake was his throw to home which sailed away from Torrens. Two runs scored. There’s just something about Met first basemen and making that dang throw to home that’s always a big problem.

The Mets battled a bit with two out in the bottom of the eighth against Bryan Abreu. Soto and Bichette drew back-to-back walks to put the tying run at the plate in the person of Carson Benge. Astros manager (for now) Joe Espada brought in the lefty Steven Okert. With the count full, Okert got Benge to innocently pop the ball up to Altuve in shallow right. 

Chris Devenski made his triumphant return to the Mets with an easy peasy top of the ninth. Josh Hader, after whining about the Citi Field pitchers mound for a few minutes, got pinch hitter Christopher Morel and Luis Robert Jr. out before Ewing broke an 0 for 16 skid with a hard hit double to right center. With the potential tying run on deck, Semien worked the count full before flying out to left. Game over.

Once again, a division leader took two of three from New York (NL). Up next: another division leader, the Tampa Bay Rays.

Impressively, home plate umpire Nate Tomlinson was unchallenged upon through the first seven innings. 

One stat where AJ Ewing has improved over the summer: he gets caught stealing far less often. If you recall, he was only 8 for his first 14 in swipe attempts. This has been your daily positive AJ Ewing update.

National League Rookie of the Year update:

The Triple-A Syracuse Mets threw their first nine-inning no-hitter since 1971, defeating the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Phillies affiliate) 7-0. RHP Kevin Herget, RHP Saul Garcia, RHP Tobias Myers, RHP Chayce McDermott, LHP Joe Jacques, and RHP Zach Franklin combined on the no-no. That’s not all: 1B Mark Vientos (fractured hand) went 4 for 5 with three home runs, three runs scored, and five RBI. LF MJ Melendez homered and doubled in his 2 for 5 day. 

The Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies pummeled the Reading Fightin Phils (Phillies) 14-5. 2B Mitch Voit went 3 for 4 with a home run, three runs scored, three RBI, and two walks. 3B Jefferson Rojas went 3 for 6 with a homer, two runs scored, and four RBI. SS Marco Vargas went 4 for 6 with two doubles, two runs scored, two RBI, and three stolen bases. RHP Bryce Conley tossed two perfect innings, striking out three in the process. 

The High-A Brooklyn Cyclones defeated the Hudson Valley Renegades (Yankees) 5-2. SS Sammy Stafura went 2 for 5 with his first two homers in the Met organization, two runs scored, three RBI, a walk, and a stolen base. CF John Spikerman went 1 for 3 with a double, an RBI, a walk, and his 26th stolen bag. LHP Conner Ware allowed two runs on one hit in three and one third innings. Ware walked two and punched out six. 

The Low-A St. Lucie Mets demolished the Daytona Tortugas (Reds) 13-5. C Ryan Tayman went 3 for 5 with a double, two runs scored, and two RBI. 1B Julio Zayas went 2 for 5 with a home run, two runs scored, and three RBI. CF Aiden Robbins went 2 for 5 with a run scored, four RBI, and a walk.

On this day in 2022, with the Mets leading 2-1 in the seventh, Brandon Nimmo made the catch of his life to rob Justin Turner of a game-tying home run. I believe this was the same game where Timmy Trumpet played “Narco” live for Edwin Díaz. 

Tonight the Mets begin a series with the Rays. New York (NL) will send RHP Robert Stock (0-3 7.40 ERA 5.26 xFIP) to the mound for possibly the final time. Tampa Bay will counter with LHP Ian Seymour (9-5 4.21 ERA 3.57 xFIP). First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 pm eastern. The game will air on SNY and Audacy Radio 880 AM with Keith Raad and Pat McCarthy.