35 Years of Misery & Counting
Nice series win over the Rockies. But if the Mets are serious about winning this year, it’s time we win more series, get above .500 and make a real run at winning the division. So a split of this brief Yankees series won’t be enough, let’s win two.
This is the type of situational managing that you like to see. Sure, Rosario is your starting shortstop and he’s been hitting well all year long. But he also strikes out a lot and with the Mets behind a run with two runners in scoring position in the 7th inning, the scenario screamed for putting up somebody with a batter chance of putting the ball in play. And even with the risk of hurting Rosario’s ego, Callaway made the right move by pinch-hitting him with McNeil and it paid off.
Well, now Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel are signed to other teams that aren’t the Mets and if we fail to make the post-season this year (and Kimbrel and Keuchel end up having good years), the onus will most likely fall on Brodie Van Wagenen for not doing more to help the team win.
I’m only kidding. Jacob deGrom is still our ace. But damn if, with a beleaguered bullpen, that complete game shutout wasn’t absolutely needed last night.
Mickey Callaway referred to the rotation as the Mets strength yet again before Tuesday night’s series opener against the Giants, and he indicated how important it was for the starters to get on a roll of excellence to carry the team.
A few hours later, Noah Syndergaard was on an excellent roll and the Mets manager was removing him from the game, the latest evidence that even nearly 1 ¹/₂ years into the job, Callaway still has trouble making decisions under stress. You know who agrees with that assessment?
Mickey Callaway.
Because after what turned into a 9-3, 10-inning loss, Callaway first gathered his players to express in Syndergaard’s word “remorse” about the decision while taking responsibility for the loss and then publicly conceding, “I’d like to have that [decision] back.”
That might be true about the Wilpons and Brodie Van Wagenen when it comes to their choice to stick with Callaway as manager. Three days after removing Jacob deGrom over the ace’s objections and going to a sketchy bullpen that would end up blowing the game, Callaway did the same Tuesday with Syndergaard with the same results. This is the Robinson-Cano-not-running-out-balls-twice of managing. Once, you are not crazy about it, but the second time reaches inexcusable.
Honestly, while I was surprised when Callaway came out to pull Syndergaard last night, I thought that with Lugo having pitched so well of late, we’d be ok. Well, not only was I wrong, but with Gary Cohen reminding us that the Giants one strong point was their bullpen, I just knew that the Mets were likely going to lose. What’s also disturbing tho is Callaway’s lack of being aware in the moment and that’s the biggest reason to ax him.
Familia’s a head case right now and his inability to pitch 1-2-3 innings and constantly get himself in and out of trouble has grown tiresome and is costing the team. Plus, the set-up role is too important to take for granted, esp. while the team struggles. I say put Robert Gsellman there. Gsellman doesn’t care how he’s used and he’s better than Familia at getting strikeouts.
That 9th-inning meltdown by Edwin Diaz was not only shocking, but it took away all the feelgood moments from the game. Including a solid, 7-inning start from Noah Syndergaard, 2 HR’s from Pete Alonso and Dominic Smith proving once again that somehow, someway, the Mets need to find a way to keep him in the starting lineup. Of course, if the Mets can come back today and get a split of this series, it’d erase the bad taste in my mouth.
The Dodgers are so good that taking a game out of L.A. is good enough for me. I just didn’t want the Mets to get swept. By the way Steven Matz isn’t getting near enough credit for how well he’s pitched so far this year. Take away that one awful start in Philly and the guy’s been an ace.
Bill Buckner was much more than Game 6 and it wasn’t his fault (Dave Stapleton should’ve been playing 1st and as many foregt, there was a Game 7) the Red Sox lost the ’86 World Series. Buckner was a batting champ, an All-Star and had a long and distinguished career. Still, it was a good thing that he and Red Sox fans were able to reconcile before he passed and how awesome was it for Larry David to show Buckner’s ‘true spirit’ in that infamous Curb Your Enthusiasm episode years back.
RELATED: Saddened Mookie Wilson: Bill Buckner is more than that one play
Listen, the Mets knew what they were getting in Robinson Cano and that included his well-earned rep for not hustling at times. Sure, you had every reason to think that with age, maturity and possibly wanting to show leadership with a new and younger team, that Cano might change his loafing ways, but that hasn’t always been the case and he deserved to be benched the other day for lack of hustling on those two plays. Going forward, maybe Cano really will ‘get the hint’ and change his lackadaisical ways…or maybe not.
Cespedes communicated to the team that, “He stepped in a hole and twisted his leg and foot into a difficult position,” Van Wagenen said. The rookie GM added it was his understanding that Cespedes didn’t fall off a horse.
While Van Wagenen wouldn’t say as much, the serious injury clearly means Cespedes will miss at least the duration of this season, with his availability for next year in question.
Van Wagenen made a point of noting that Cespedes suffered his injury from “non-baseball-related activity,” thereby leaving the team’s options open regarding an attempt to recoup some of Cespedes’ salary if it can prove the accident resulted from actions outlawed in the 33-year-old’s contract. Asked whether Cespedes’ activity might have compromised his right to be paid, Van Wagenen said, “We haven’t even thought about implications to the contract.”
Hey, with the help of Cespedes’ mighty bat, we got to a World Series in 2015 and a wild-card playoff game the following year. Since then Cespedes has barely played and the Mets coincidentally or not coincidentally have suffered greatly without him. And now with yet another setback that will presumably kill any chance he had of returning this season, I think it’s time for the Mets, if they can, to just close this chapter for good.
As rough as things have been for the Mets, if they can’t get consistency out of deGrom, they’re going to have serious issues.
Wilson Ramos, who went 2-for-4, was Friday’s catcher, and after what transpired it wouldn’t be a surprise if Tomás Nido is behind the plate for deGrom’s next start.
DeGrom is 2-0 with a 0.43 ERA in three starts pitching to Nido, but is now 1-5 with a 6.39 ERA when pitching to other catchers.
Callaway had no regrets about sticking with deGrom as the game got away from him.
“He’s your ace,” the manager said. “He’s gonna throw his pitches. You’re gonna win or lose with him. That’s the right thing to do. He’s the leader of the staff and he gets that chance.”
Listen, deGrom still has to make the pitches, but when you look at the difference in results on deGrom between when Nido catches him and when Wilson Ramos does, it’s worth having a conversation about.
Gio Gonzalez has been more than a marginal upgrade for the Brewers since the Mets passed on him again after he opted out of his minor-league contract with the Yankees last month.
The 33-year-old lefty owns a 2-0 record and a 1.69 ERA in four starts for Milwaukee after allowing one run over 5 1/3 innings in a 5-2 victory Wednesday over the Phillies. Gonzalez signed a one-year deal worth $2 million with the Brewers, the team he finished last season with, on April 24.
————
The Mets made a minor trade for Wilmer Font earlier this month, but he’s posted a 9.95 ERA in two starts. Chris Flexen also has made one spot start this season.
“The addition of Gio, ‘consistent’ is the word you’d like to use because the line scores look the same every time out,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell told reporters Wednesday. “It’s more than consistent; he’s been really darn good. He hasn’t given up more than two runs in a start yet. That’s really good.”
Some head-scratching moves made by Brodie Van Wagenen so far this season (mind you, it’s only May): signing the journeyman Font over Gonzalez, not letting Dominic Smith get reps in the outfield, Todd Frazier still being on the team and failing to make an offer to Dallas Keuchel, who’s still available and reportedly willing to accept a 1-year contract.
