The Two Harrisons

Happy Thursday! Okay, I should read the room a little better, but it is kind of a happy day because The Mets Newsletter is free. If you want that feeling every single day, smash that subscribe button!

This one hurt. The Mets lost 4-3 in 10 innings to the Twins. New York lost a second game in a row for the first time this season, becoming the last team in baseball to do so. It was bound to happen sooner or later, I guess.

It was once again a game of missed opportunities. In the 2nd, Jesse Winker led off with a double. On a Brandon Nimmo single, Winker tried to score, but old chum/left fielder Harrison Bader made a great throw to get him out. But it was close. Real close.

So close that I thought the Mets should have challenged. But it was only the 2nd inning, and I’m guessing video coordinator Harrison Freeland, the man in charge of the Mets challenges, figured it would be inconclusive. More on him in a second. 

In the 4th, Luisangel Acuña, with runners on 1st and 2nd, struck out looking. In the 5th, the bases were loaded with one out, and Juan Soto was at the plate. Chop-lickin’ time. The Twins brought in a lefty, Danny Coulombe. Before you could make a Columbo reference, on the first pitch Soto hit a ground ball to second baseman Edouard Julien, who tagged a diving Francisco Lindor, and then stepped on first base to turn the double play and end the inning. Ouch. 

Down 3-0 in the 8th, the Mets came back to tie it against the usually reliable set-up man Griffin Jax. Lindor led off with a single to right center. After a Soto strike out, Pete Alonso doubled home Lindor. Winker followed with his second double of the game down the right field line, scoring the Polar Bear. Winker advanced to third on a Nimmo ground out. Acuña, who had struck out three times already, came through with a base hit that shortstop Willi Castro couldn’t handle to tie the game. Tyrone Taylor, who hit the ball hard all day, lined a ball to left that had an expected batting average of .910, but that damn Harrison Bader caught it.  

The top of the 10th started off well: Alonso walked to put runners on first and second with nobody out. But Jesse Winker hit a 102.6 mph exit velo shot right to the second baseman Julien, who easily turned a 4-6-3 double play. On the very next pitch, Nimmo popped up in foul territory to the third baseman, ending the inning and dooming the Mets. 

Huascar Brazobán was the opener. After a 1-2-3 1st inning, he walked Trevor Larnach to start the 2nd and was taken out of the game only having thrown 18 pitches. Then 28-year-old Justin Hagenman made his MLB debut. His family was at the ballpark to watch him strike out Ryan Jeffers, get Brooks Lee to fly out deep to right, and catch Dashawn Keirsey Jr. looking to end the mini-threat. He almost allowed a run in the 3rd, but third baseman Brett Baty threw out Harrison Bader trying to score on a Byron Buxton grounder. After a 1-2-3 4th, Hagenman served up a double to Castro. Harrison Freeland and the Mets challenged the safe call at second. The SNY booth thought he might have been out, but the MLB home office didn’t agree. The Mets lost their challenge for the game. Harrison Freeland was now 5 for 6 on challenges this season. This would prove to be unfortunate.

After getting Keirsey Jr. to ground out to Pete Alonso, he was taken out of the game for Jose Buttó. And that’s when things fell apart. That damn Bader boy singled home Castro to make it 1-0 and giving Hagenman an earned run against him. A Buxton single brought Bader home to make it 2-0 Minnesota, on a play where Buxton was able to advance to second because Taylor threw the ball in between second base and home plate, and Acuña may or may not had made a mistake covering first base. The Twins got a crucial third run in the 6th, with help from first base umpire Hunter Wendlestadt, although Buttó was also to blame. With Ryan Jeffers on second after he walked and advanced on a ground out, Willi Castro hit a ball that Alonso had to dive for. A hustling Castro made the play close, but Buttó clearly beat him to the bag. Unfortunately, Wendlestadt ruled him safe. Buttó protested the call for about 1.5 seconds, which was enough time for Jeffers to score. 

Here’s a better look:

Out as all hell. But…the Mets already used their challenge in the previous inning (which was also a Willi Castro-related incident.) That third run proved to be the difference between a win and a loss.

(In the very next half inning, Wendlestadt was hit by a line drive off of Tyrone Taylor’s bat, making us all wonder why the hell umpires don’t wear helmets on the field when base coaches do. MLB released a statement after the game, saying the umpire is “in good spirits”, thank goodness.)

Ryne Stanek and A.J. Minter each threw a scoreless inning. Edwin Díaz, as is his wont, made things interesting in the bottom of the 9th. After walking that SOB Harrison Bader, Bader was caught stealing when Lindor held the tag on him as he slid past the bag. Díaz then found himself with a 3-0 count against Julien. Suddenly, he had control of his pitches, striking out Julien and then Buxton. 

After the massive failure that was the top of the 10th, it was a fait accompli that the Twins would win. Reed Garrett threw three pitches. Off his third pitch, Ty France singled home Buxton, the ghost runner, to win the game for the Twins. 

The Mets got a little bit screwed by an umpire’s call, but they had plenty of chances to make the call not matter. Their offense continues to disappoint, and cracks are beginning to form with the near perfect pitching. The Mets didn’t deserve to win, and they didn’t. 

Harrison Bader was effusive in his praise for the Mets organization after the game. "I just have tremendous admiration for the players, first and foremost,” he said. “ Every single one of those guys." It’s amazing how close last year’s squad was. Luis Severino, Jose Iglesias, Jose Quintana, and Bader all clearly wanted to come back. 

Is there a second baseman debate again? Acuña struck out three times and made a faux pas not covering second on a play while Brett Baty had a two-hit game. Ah, but Acuña got the game-tying run in the 8th so probably not. 

Mark Vientos had his first day off of the season. Interestingly enough, Mendoza could have pinch hit Baty for Swaggy V in the 9th but chose not to. Baty struck out. 

Justin Hagenman threw exactly 50 pitches. 

Tim Britton and Ken Rosenthal wrote about Jonah Rosenthal (no relation to Ken), the scout who signed Hagenman. He suffered a stroke last December. 

Griffin Canning’s condition has been upgraded from “Dammit, he’s sick? Now what are we gonna do?!” to “He’s good enough to pitch a day later than scheduled.” He’ll start tonight. David Peterson will go Friday, and Kodai Senga on an extra day of rest on Saturday.

Max Kranick was the poor reliever that got “sent down to Triple-A Syracuse” to make room for Hagenman. That’s what you get for finally giving up a run I guess. But he should be back by tonight when Jose Siri finally goes on the IL. 

Jeff McNeil is going to play center field during his rehab start today for the St. Lucie Mets. He’s started a grand total of two games in center in the major leagues (in 2023). But he’s game, and he’s versatile, and the Mets probably don’t love the fact that Tyrone Taylor’s backup in center is either Brandon Nimmo, who was moved to a corner outfielder position for a reason, and Luisangel Acuña. Besides, even though Taylor made solid contact yesterday, he’s only hitting .154 with a .400 OPS. There’s no way David Stearns could have foreseen Jose Siri fracturing his tibia off a foul ball, but man, Harrison Bader would be useful right about now…

SNY showed a graphic that said going into yesterday’s game, Pete Alonso & Juan Soto together had a 1.026 OPS. The rest of the team? .568 OPS.

HOWEVAH: According to Tim Britton at The Athletic, the underlying metrics say the Mets offense is in good shape and should improve. They somehow have the best barrel rate in baseball with men on base. The best!

After winning two games in a row wearing the alternate road jerseys, the Mets wore their regular, boring away jerseys on Tuesday and yesterday afternoon and lost. 

40 executives ranked the Mets as having the 11th best front office. 

Francisco Lindor announced on Instagram that next year he will once again be the captain of the Puerto Rico team in the World Baseball Classic.

The Twins video board showed the Lindor fun fact they must have found in the Mets media guide that his favorite movie is Miracle, the movie about the Miracle on Ice. Tim Healey of Newsday provided an additional nugget: Lindor still sometimes falls asleep to the flick. 

The Triple-A Syracuse Mets were rained out. This was kind of fortunate because the Mets stole their scheduled starter (Hagenman).  They’ll play a double dip on Friday. 

The Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies lost to the Reading Fightin Phils (Yes, they’re a Phillies affiliate) 7-4. Francisco Alvarez in his rehab start went 1 for 4 with 2 RBI and a walk. He caught all nine innings and threw out two baserunners. Nick Morabito went 2 for 5 with two doubles. Ryan Clifford went 2 for 4. Jonah Tong got the start. He lasted five innings, allowing three earned runs, six hits, two walks, and six strikeouts. 57 of his 84 pitches were for strikes.

The Aberdeen Ironbirds (Orioles) defeated the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones 2-1. Jacob Reimer went 2 for 4 with a home run. Diego Mosquera went 2 for 3. Noah Hall went five innings, allowing just one earned run and two hits, walking three and striking out seven.

The Low-A St. Lucie Mets defeated the Tampa Tarpons (Yankees) 5-1. 2023 4th round pick A.J. Ewing went 3 for 4 with a triple and a double. Kevin Villaviencio went 2 for 4. 2024 3rd rounder Nate Bohm went five innings, allowing just one hit, one earned run, two walks, and six strikeouts. 

On this day in 1964, the Mets played their first game at Shea Stadium. They lost 4-3, naturally.

15 years ago today, the Mets and Cardinals played an insane 20-inning game that they won 2-1. Both teams scored in the 19th, but only the Mets did in the 20th. Mike Pelfrey got the save. It would be the only one of his career.

The Mets start a series with the St. Louis Cardinals tonight at Citi Field. Griffin Canning (1-1, 4.20 ERA) will finally take the ball for New York. Andre Pallante (2-0, 2.20 ERA) will go for the 9-9 Cardinals. The game will be on SNY. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 pm eastern.