Postgame Thoughts and Opinions: August 5

The New York Mets sit atop the NL East at 58-50. They are two games above five hundred and have a third of the season left. With 54 games left for the Mets there is a lot of baseball left to play including six games against the rival Nationals.

The Mets have been scoring runs due in large part to their ability to suddenly hit with runners on. It has been a fantastic thing to see. Their starting pitching has been doing great as well but their relief corps seem to have hit a speed bump. Luckily the Mets had an eight to nothing lead going into the ninth and they needed every bit of those runs. Recently acquired LHP Eric O’Flaherty, got his first taste of pitching in a Mets uniform. It was not pretty. He gave up four earned runs in only two thirds of an inning. I think he should be only used as a lefty specialist. His numbers prove he can get lefties out with a .186 batting average against. After O’Flaherty faltered, Robles came in couldn’t shut the door. He was charged with two runs in only a third of an inning. Allowing for Familia to enter the game for a save situation, he allowed an inherited runner to score (one of the two charged to Robles) but he shut the door for the Mets six win in as many games. 

It would appear that Familia is a little bit tired. He isn’t able to hit his spots consistently. This isn’t a major cause for concern and I think as long as the Mets are able to find him some rest, having pitched in 50 games already, I think he should be fine. 

It was nice to see Uribe hit the three run dinger. He even added a fantastic barehanded play at third base. I think Uribe might be the best fielding third baseman on this team currently and he’s shown he can swing the bat. The juggling act that Terry Collins will have to do down the stretch with Flores, Murphy, Kelly Johnson, Uribe, and Tejada, will not be an easy one. On the bright side, Kelly Johnson can find reps in the outfield but with Cuddyer slated to come back on Friday, Johnson will be a fourth or fifth outfielder.

I wanted to touch on something with Cespedes. He is looking for his first homer in a Mets uniform but he has been able to drive the ball. I think just his presence in this lineup, shows what one big bat can provide. Even in Cespedes first game as a Met, when he didn’t record a hit, the Mets won. HIs presence in the lineup, lifts the team, lifts the moral and makes hitters think about how to pitch to Terry Collins flavor for the two hole that day. I am not sure I like Cespedes in centerfield but I understand it. With Lagares trying to not land on the DL with a sore elbow, someone needs to play center and you want Cespedes’s bat in the lineup. I would like to see the defensive wizard in Lagares patrolling centerfield though. His bat has seemed to regress since last year and it would appear that has made him a fourth outfielder for the time being. I think he will be able to earn his way back into the everyday lineup, hopefully by early next year.

I am not used to this. It is August and I am excited to turn on the Mets. I get to see a big bat, Duda hitting, and the pitching everyday has been real treat to watch. I am excited for the next days starting pitcher as much as I am to watch the game on that day. Citi Field is rocking for the first time since they opened. This has been a team that has been excited to watch and hopefully it continues down the stretch, I have some games that I would like to watch and fill out a scorecard during that time! I’m excited to pencil Cespedes into that three hole. 

Let’s go Mets!

Mets Sweep Into First Place

With the Mets sweeping the Nationals they lock into a tie with them for first place in the division. Noah Syndergaard looked great through his eight innings of two run ball, striking out nine. The Met offense erupted for five runs on three dingers in the third inning. Granderson and Murphy went back to back and Duda hit a round tripper after Cespedes got his first hit as a Met.

The only two runs off Sundergaard were solo shots off the bats of Anthony Rendon and Yunel Escobar.  Syndergaard again brought heat to today’s game and the Met offense helped provide Syndergaard with his sixth win of the year. Tyler Clippard came in to close the door in the ninth giving Familia some much needed rest and a day off. Clippard looked good in picking up his first save for the Mets.

The Mets go to Miami to take on the Marlins tomorrow to start what should be an easier part of the schedule but there are still 57 games left in the season. The Mets will be versing a few more teams above .500 as well as the Nationals six more times. The Mets are versing the Marlins nine, the Phillies ten and the Braves seven more times. No matter the record it always scares me when the Mets verse those three teams. They always seem to be very competitive games. They also have a three game series against the crosstown rivals, Yankees which is always a competitive series. Hopefully the accusation of Cespedes is enough to keep this offense rolling. 

Duda has been hot and hitting the ball out of the ball park, nine dingers in his last eight games. It was good to see Flores come off the bench and provide a hit. I still think that he should be starting somewhere in that lineup but it’s tough to find a spot for him with Murphy and Uribe needing to get some hacks. Tejada might be the odd man out but Terry Collins seems to want a defensive shortstop over a hitting shortstop. That is fine but it would be nice to see Flores in the lineup on a daily basis for the Mets.

The Mets have finally provided a team that is exciting to watch. They have put a product on the field that Met fans can cheer for. They are starting off a competitive August that Met fans haven't seen in a while.

Let’s go Mets!!! 

Postgame: August 1st 2015

With deGrom on the mound, the Mets seemed to have the advantage at the beginning of the game. Unfortunately deGrom gave up two runs in the first inning off an Ian Desmond single. He seemed to settle down after that first inning. He still had to gut out six innings, never full getting in his groove. Lucas Duda provided all the offense the Mets needed. He homered twice to tie the score and the hit a RBI double that almost made it another three homer game. That RBI double gave the Mets a 3-2 lead and Familia came in to slam the door shut.

Cespedes looked good out in left field. He tracked down a ball with a runner on third that the runner should have tagged up on but didn’t. He ran the bases well as well. He is fast on the bases. Cespedes looked good in a Mets uniform without even getting his first hit. The Nationals walked Cespedes to get to Duda and Duda made them pay. It was a great thing to see. 

I liked seeing deGrom gut out the six innings. He showed poise. I liked seeing Duda have a good game to maybe make pitchers pitch to Cespedes. Duda needs to be the guy to make pitchers pay so Cespedes can get the pitches to hit. 

The Mets now sit one game behind the Nationals. They have the chance to be in a tie for first place tomorrow.

Do you think the Mets will win tomorrow? Do you think Cespedes gets his first hit as a Met tomorrow? How did you like the team they fielded today?