Season Over; Pray For The Metssiah

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Final Score: Giants 3, Mets 0

The Mets lost the NL Wild Card game last night to MadBum and the Giants. The season is over. Pray for the Metssiah. The game itself was a true nail-biter and basically the Mets’ worst nightmare. MadBum pitched a complete game shutout, and once again reminded the baseball world why he is the postseason GOAT. He kept the Mets off-balance all night and his dominance was really the only storyline that mattered in the end. 

First Time Through: The first time through the order the Mets were extra aggressive against Bumgarner. I suppose they figured they’d see hittable pitches early in the at-bat before MadBum was able to get ahead in the count. The plan backfired, and Bumgarner had an incredibly low pitch count after three innings. 

Loney Stinks: The Mets started James Loney in this game and made their typical claim that he’s a better defender than Duda. He isn’t. He stinks. He can’t hit either. Rene Rivera led off the third inning with a single, and then James Loney hit into a double play on the first pitch of his at-bat. Pathetic.

Umps Stink: In the fourth inning, Thor issued a leadoff walk to Denard Span. As expected, the Giants were running on Thor. Span immediately stole second base, but he was called out on the field for some reason. On replay it was clear that Span was safe, but the umps reviewed and upheld the out call (wrong call) on the field. It was a gift blown call for the Mets. The umps sucked all game. The home plate dude had an inconsistent strike zone. Bumgarner was barking at him non-stop. Hopefully Rob Manfred rolls out robot umps in the offseason. I’m sick of these mooks. 

Squandered Chance: In the fifth inning T.J. Rivera doubled. Then Jay Bruce came up with a runner in scoring position and struck out. He not only failed to come through with a hit, but he also failed to advance the runner. Awful. Then Rene Rivera hit a ball to shortstop and T.J. Rivera was caught off second base. Rene managed to get to second base while T.J. was in a rundown but it was awful base running by T.J.

Late Battling: Span singled and stole another base in the 6th inning (that time it counted). But Thor was able to escape the inning thanks to an unreal two out Grandy catch in center field. In the 7th inning with two outs, Thor walked Brandon Crawford. Then Loney made an awful effort on an Angel Pagan infield ground ball that led to a single. But with runners on first and second base Noah Syndergaard buckled down and retired Panik to end the inning. 

Thor: Noah was really dominant in this game. He pitched 7 scoreless innings, gave up 2 hits, 3 walks, and struck out 10. Against almost any other pitcher this game is going down as a legendary Syndergaard start. Unfortunately MadBum outdueled him, plain and simple. 

Familia/Reed Dead Arms: I’ve raved on and on for months now about how Terry has killed his best relievers by overusing them. The fatigue of Reed/Familia showed a bit in late September, and it showed last night. Addison Reed gave up a leadoff single and struggled in the 8th inning with walks and passed balls. He ultimately intentionally walked Buster Posey to load the bases with two outs for Hunter Pence. By some miracle Reed was able to strike out Pence and escape that jam.

In the bottom of the 8th inning, Ty Kelly singled but Jose Reyes and Asdrubal Cabrera failed to come through with a big hit. Then Jeurys Familia had nothing in the 9th inning. He gave up a three-run shot to Mr. Nobody Conor Gillaspie. It started with a leadoff double by Brandon Crawford. Angel Pagan followed that by failing to get a bunt down, and he struck out on a foul tip. Then Familia walked Joe Panik. Honestly the Mets should have considered walking Gillaspie to load the bases. At least it would have forced the Giants to pull Madison Bumgarner from the game. Maybe it wouldn’t have. In the end Gillaspie hit the three-run shot and that was that. The ump blew some close strike zone calls for Familia. The umps sucked. Waddya gonna do?

Final Game Thoughts: 

  • Thank God for Thor. He gave the Mets every chance to win. Not only in this game but all season long. 
  • Yoenis Cespedes was ice cold at the end of the season, and in this game. Without Yo we don’t go, but this you already know. I’m sure the Mets will use Yo’s cold ending combined with the fact that he didn’t talk to the media after the game as an excuse to let him walk. Pray that doesn’t happen. Sign Yo. 
  • The Wild Card is a joke crapshoot ratings ploy by Major League Baseball, and I hate them for it. 
  • It wasn’t the year for this Mets team because ultimately there were too many key injuries. I’m happy they rallied and at least made the playoffs, but in the end the season was a failure. Year two of “the window” has officially been flushed down the toilet. 
  • The Mets ran into the MadBum buzz saw. They weren’t the first team to suffer that fate and won’t be the last. 

The Metssiah Will Rise Again: I’m taking a break for a few days to grieve for the lost season. Pray for me. But I assure you, The Metssiah will rise again with expanded end of season thoughts before fully converting to offseason mode. There are also some big announcements coming for the site and for The Metssiah personally. Stay tuned. Let’s Go Mets!

The Metssiah Is Ready For Thor vs. MadBum

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We are a little more than a day away from the marquee NL Wild Card pitching showdown that the MLB script writers have been fantasizing about for weeks. My winner-take-all single-elimination Wild Card game anxiety is approaching dangerously high levels. But I’m ready for Thor vs. MadBum.

My Lineup

  1. Jose Reyes 3B,
  2. Asdrubal Cabrera SS
  3. Yoenis Cespedes LF
  4. Curtis Granderson CF
  5. T.J. Rivera 2B
  6. Jay Bruce RF
  7. Lucas Duda 1B
  8. Rene Rivera C
  9. Noah Syndergaard P

This is the best lineup we can roll out there right now. Rene Rivera obviously starts at catcher for defense, and because he went 2 for 3 (with a homer) against MadBum this season. I think the only question in the lineup is around first base. In my opinion the starter has to be Duda. If he’s healthy you have to roll with the heavy hitters. But early indications from the Mets are that James Loney will draw the start. If Duda isn’t in the lineup it’s obviously due to health reasons which is extra disappointing.

My Fears

MadBum Duh: Madison Bumgarner is capable of dominating any team at any time. And he’s MLB’s best big game pitcher (career postseason ERA 2.14/road postseason ERA 0.60). The Mets will have to do what hardly anyone has done. They’ll have to beat MadBum in a big game. Our lefty heavy lineup (Grandy, Bruce etc.) isn’t ideal for a matchup with MadBum. But Grandy is hot, and we have no choice but to roll with our veterans.

Not 100%: Yoenis Cespedes looked like crap in the season finale. He was furious after the game, and he said it was because of his performance. He denied any physical issues, but he’s been playing banged up all season. Asdrubal Cabrera has been playing hurt too. Duda is still rusty. Are they ready to go? We’ll find out.

Always The Defense: The Mets D always worries me. Noah Syndergaard has to hold men on base. Lucas Duda can barely move out there when his back is healthy. Jose Reyes isn’t perfect at third base. Hopefully the Giants don’t expose any of his defensive inexperience. Grandy in CF? How are Yo’s legs? We all know Bruce is as slow as they come.

Waddya Say Rook: T.J. Rivera looks like a Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez love child. That Bronx blood flows through his veins. But does he have the clutch gene like Jeter? I hope so.

Terry Hits The Panic Button: After HarveyGate last year in Game 5 of the World Series, I’m worried Terry will have PTSD and pull Thor at the first sign of trouble or something crazy.

Rocket Science Over/Unders That Equal Victory

MadBum pitches under 7 innings: If Bumgarner is out of the game after 6 innings or gets pulled in the 7th it means the Mets drove his pitch count up and the Giants bullpen is involved in the game. The Giants pen has been atrocious this year. Pray for the pen.

The Mets lineup has over 2.5 homers: The Mets win when they hit home runs. If the Mets hit 3+ homers they’ll win #rocketscience.

Jose, Cabby, and Yo combine for over 4.5 hits: The Mets need the top of their order to stay hot. Jose, Asdrubal and Yo have all had historical success against MadBum. If they have success tomorrow the Mets will triumph.

Thor has over 9.5 Ks: I’m hoping Thor has his best stuff. Overpowering fastball, nasty slider, 90+ changeup. Hopefully the adrenaline brings out that 101 MPH gas. If he’s striking everyone out we don’t have to worry about him holding men on base.

Rene Rivera throws out over 1.5 prospective base stealers: Hopefully Noah strikes out the world. But if men get on base he has to at least hold them on effectively enough to give Rivera a chance to throw out some base stealers. I hope the Giants run themselves out of opportunities to score.

Duda (or Loney)/Bruce combine for over 2.5 hits off of MadBum: If Bumgarner is able to plow through the bottom half of the Mets order consistently, we may deal with some of those RISP woes we complained about all season long. Let’s hope Duda (or Loney) and Bruce can lengthen the lineup.

Bold Predictions 

  1. Jose Reyes hits a leadoff homer off of MadBum.
  2. MadBum has pitched in 7 road postseason games for the Giants and in those games the Giants are 7-0. That will be 7-1 after Wednesday and MadBum will take the L.

Please God No BS

All we can do is pray at this point. But please God make sure there are no BS calls, no BS replay issues, no BS game-changing bloop hits for the Giants, no BS home plate collision or takeout slide controversies, no BS freak injuries, no BS player ejections. No BS at all. Please God?!? Let’s go Mets!

The 2016 Wild Card Mets

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Final Score: Mets 5, Phillies 3

The Mets have made the playoffs for the second year in a row. The Mets have achieved two straight playoff appearances for only the second time in franchise history (the other being 1999, 2000). We went into the season hoping for the NL East crown and a World Series Championship. After a hot April the Mets proceeded to play mediocre baseball for roughly four months and lose key player after key player to injury. They failed to produce with runners in scoring position at historically bad levels. The entire young pitching staff that carried the team to the 2015 World Series fell victim to some type of arm injury. But despite all those problems, the Mets went on to be the hottest team in baseball over the final month. They took advantage of a Giants collapse and won all their “meaningful games in September”. Wild Card playoff, here we come!

Early Scoring: In the fourth inning of yesterday’s clincher, T.J. Rivera hit a clutch two out RBI single to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. In the fifth inning, after a Travis d’Arnaud single and a sac bunt, Jose Reyes hit an RBI single to make it 2-0 Mets.

The Lock: In the bottom of the fifth inning, Maikel Franco singled off of Bartolo Colon and Ryan Howard came up in an obvious game-tying home run situation. Lock of the century. Every Mets fan felt it coming. Right on cue he put one in the seats to tie the game at 2.

The Unexpected: In the 6th inning, James Loney broke the tie with a two out two-run homer to make it 4-2 Mets. Loney smiled at the Mets dugout and gave the bat a drop flip. I thought the Phillies were going to retaliate in some way, but luckily they let it go. Hopefully it’s a sign that the game is moving past the bat flip retaliation crap.

The Fusion: In the 7th inning, Darin Ruf hit a pinch hit solo homer off of Fernando Salas to cut the Mets lead to one run. For some reason Darin Ruf and Cameron Rupp just blur together in my mind as one large bearded Philadelphia baseball player.

The Umpire BS: In the 9th inning Asdrubal Cabrera added a huge two out insurance RBI single to give the Mets a 5-3 lead. Jeurys Familia slammed the door in the 9th and that was the final score. But right after the Cabrera single, Yoenis Cespedes came up and was called out on strikes. Yo had a rare awful day at the plate. He went 0 for 5 and hit into some double plays. So obviously the tension was bubbling up for Yo at that point. But the umpire had an awful zone the entire day. And the strikes he called on Yo were awful borderline pitches. Yo had words for the umpire after the K and the ump instantly tosses him. All I have to say is this. I don’t really care what Yo said. If an umpire tosses a team’s best player because the guy said a few curse words over some questionable strike calls then that umpire needs to be banished from the sport. Pathetic disgraceful display by the home plate umpire yesterday.

One Note On Terry: I think it’s absurd that everyone feels the need to take an extreme view on Terry. For some reason when it comes to Terry Collins people seemingly have one of two stances. Either they say “he’s a great manager and his players love him” or “Terry is a moron who doesn’t know how to make the right in-game managerial decisions”. Umm it’s both people. Terry kept this team playing hard for 162 games and deserves credit for that. Terry also blew a bunch of games over the course of the season due to poor decision making. It’s both. I just hope nobody ever likens my parenting skills to Terry’s managerial skills. The Metssiah is terrible at the day to day parenting decision-making but his kids will run through a wall for him.

Wild Card Thoughts: I’d prefer to play the Cardinals. I don’t care that they are heating up lately. I don’t want to face Madison Bumgarner in a do or die playoff game. Nobody in their right mind wants to face MadBum. But I think we all know it’s going to be the Giants and MadBum at Citi Field on Wedneday. Noah Syndergaard vs. Madison Bumgarner feels like the matchup MLB would want. We’ll see what happens today. But whether the Mets play the Cardinals or the Giants, I assume both teams will shake off their regular season flaws and play like the classic National League clubs we all know. The Giants will do their inspired October magic routine and the Cardinals will channel their dark magic powers.

The MadBum matchup isn’t ideal considering he’s a lefty and our lineup is full of lefty sluggers but the more I think about it the more confident I become. Jose Reyes has been mashing as a right-handed hitter and is 3 for 9 lifetime against MadBum. Asdrubal Cabrera (2 for 4 lifetime) and Curtis Granderson are both en fuego and can hit anyone right now. T.J. Rivera went 2 for 3 against him when he faced him. Yoenis Cespedes is 3 for 10 lifetime against him. Rene Rivera hit a homer during the season against him. He’s not an ideal matchup for Lucas Duda and Jay Bruce but they are professional hitters. I think they’ll step up in the big spot.

Today: I’m going to enjoy the hell out of this meaningless game 162 today. No pressure. No worries. Rest and relax. Let’s go Mets!

Robert Bruceman Wins It For Mets

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Final Score: Mets 5, Phillies 1

It comes down to today’s game. The Mets need one more win to lock up the first Wild Card spot and home field advantage. The Mets performance over the past month has been incredible. Sure the schedule has been soft overall, but they beat the Cardinals and Giants down the stretch. They deserve praise for this improbable run. If the Mets make the one game Wild Card playoff and lose, it’ll leave a sour disappointing taste in our mouths for 2016. As I’ve said many times, I barely consider the Wild Card game a playoff game. But the bottom line is the Mets deserve praise for waking the hell up a month ago and getting to this point.

The Mets won last night because of Robert Bruceman (i.e. the combined stellar pitching performance from Robert Gsellman and the three hit, three RBI night from smoking hot Jay Bruce). Robert Bruceman sounds like a swarmy classless business man that would pick up a woman in a hotel bar, accompany her to her room, and then disappear the next morning leaving her with an enormous room service bill.

The Bruce Is Beyond Loose: Jay Bruce hit an RBI single in the 4th inning, a solo homer in the 7th inning, and an RBI single in the 8th inning. Streaky players are completely ridiculous. He went from completely lost at the plate to absolutely en fuego. T.J. Rivera also added a 4th inning RBI single, and Yoenis Cespedes had an RBI in the 8th on one of the most absurd pop force outs to first base that I’ve even seen. God I hope this team clinches today and wins the damn Wild Card game. Bruce is hot. The offense is hot. Please just give these bats a chance in a short playoff series. Also, after all the struggles we had on offense this season I can’t believe I just typed that sentence.

Trust Issues: Robert Gsellman gave up 7 hits and 1 run over 6 innings. He struck out 7. Is it weird that I don’t trust him? He’s been spectacular. ERA under 3. He’s firing off quality start after quality start. And I just don’t trust him. I’m expecting him to turn into a pumpkin despite the fact that he’s always been a promising minor league arm, and he’s showing his talent at the major league level. I suppose the skepticism has more to do with being a Mets fan than anything else. We’re always doubting the validity of every good thing. We just sit around waiting to be burned.

Trust Issues 2.0: Speaking of skepticism, the Fernando Salas, Addison Reed, Jeurys Familia combination struck out 7 Phillies over 3 innings. The back end of the pen has been logging so many innings, but it’s remained dominant. Terry used all the big guns again last night because he’s trying to lock this damn Wild Card spot up. I get it. But I’m skeptical yet again. I’m waiting for their arms to fall off when it matters most. Reliever trust issues also come with the territory when it comes to being a Mets fan. All teams really.

Cancel The Game: Terry Collins said after the game that he’d consider starting Eric Campbell at first base if the Mets make the Wild Card game and face Madison Bumgarner. If that’s the case just cancel the game now. I’d rather start any left-handed hitter on our 40 man roster in that game over Soup. Soup stinks. I’m just going to assume Terry had a moment of temporary insanity after the game when he said that. Please God no Soup. Also, the Mets confirmed after last night’s game that Wilmer Flores tried to swing and failed. He’s out forever. It’s a huge blow. It’s the reason we’re talking about Soup and playoffs in the same sentence. I’ll never forgive Terry for that pinch running oversight that led to Wilmer’s home plate collision if it means we see Soup hitting in a big spot.

Today: Clinch today baby! Let’s go Mets!

The Mets Better Watch Their Backs

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Final Score: Mets 5, Marlins 2

The Mets concluded one of the most emotional series in recent memory by winning last night’s rubber game against the Marlins. Seth Lugo gave the Mets another decent outing, Jay Bruce continues to show his previously lost power, and Curtis Granderson reached base five times. After watching some of the video from the Jose Fernandez funeral on Wednesday, I’m honestly amazed the Marlins were able to suit up and take the field for these games. I really wish they could just call it a season a focus on grieving. I’m happy the Mets handled this series the right way, and now they can focus on finishing strong against the Phillies.

Which brings me to my next point. The Mets better watch their damn backs.

The Phillies are horrible and have nothing to lose. They basically said they’re coming for us. The Mets better keep their heads on a damn swivel. Terry better wake the hell up. Watch out for dirty pitches, late slides, and every other form of cheating that the Phillies can use this weekend in the hopes of ruining our chances of clinching this Wild Card playoff berth. Protect Yoenis Cespedes. Double the number of pads on Yo’s elbow and have Ty Kelly and Eric Campbell guarding him at all times since they serve no other purpose.

Loney In, Duda Fine: Lucas Duda was supposed to start at first base last night, but he was scratched with back soreness. It’s unfortunate because Terry had just appointed Loney his special assistant in charge of reminding him to pinch run for slow guys. I’m sure Duda’s back is fine. The Mets promised he was fine when they rushed him back from the DL, so I obviously believe them. They never lie about injuries ever. Anyway, it worked out because James Loney hit a two-run homer in the second inning to tie the game after Lugo had surrendered a two-run shot to Martin Prado in the first inning.

Lugo: Seth Lugo pitched 5.1 innings and other than the two-run homer to Prado he was fairly effective. He walked three Marlins and gave up five hits. He was definitely forced to escape a few jams. People were angry with Terry for his quick hook because Lugo had a low pitch count when he was removed. In theory I agree that Terry should have left him in the game a bit longer. But I also read that fatigue has been an issue with Lugo because he was previously a reliever. In this particular case I trust Terry. I assume he had some insider knowledge. It worked out because the pen shut the Marlins down. Seth Lugo also had some nice ABs and added a two out double in the fourth inning. Jose Reyes drove him in with an RBI double of his own to make it 3-2 Mets.

Bruce is Loose: In the fifth inning, Curtis Granderson singled and then Jay Bruce followed that with a two-run homer to make it 5-2 Mets. Fans can sit there and debate all day whether Michael Conforto was “cheated” out of ABs while Bruce was struggling. The bottom line is what I said weeks ago. Bruce is an established streaky veteran slugger, and he was on an ice cold streak. The Mets were always going to continue playing him in the hopes that his bat would heat up during the final weeks/the playoffs. Well it looks like that’s actually happening.

Hot For Grandy: Curtis Granderson had four hits and a walk in this game. A hot Grandy is one of the most welcome sights of the season. Grandy is getting on base and Bruce is rediscovering his power stroke while hitting behind him. I like the sound of that.

Loving This .350 Thing: T.J. Rivera had another hit last night. I must say, I’m a big fan of his whole guy batting .350 thing. He’s been mashing for around 100 ABs now, and he hasn’t slowed down much. I really hope he continues to rake. At least keep it up in the short term. That would be oh so sweet.

Unlimited Innings: Hansel Robles, Fernando Salas, Addison Reed, and Jeurys Familia shut down the Marlins. Fernando Salad has been fantastic since his arrival. Salas/Reed/Familia are all among the league leaders in innings pitched out of the pen. Pray for their arms. We need them now more than ever.

Bartolo Shagging Fly Balls: Bartolo Colon supposedly has a strained tendon in his foot and before last night’s game he was in the outfield shagging fly balls. Next thing you know the Wilpons will be challenging Tolo and Thor to a pickup basketball game. Ummm let’s keep the non-pitching activities to a minimum okay Tolo?

I Like It: The Mets need to handle their own business this weekend. But the Dodgers play the Giants and they are shooting to have a better record than the Nationals so they can have home field advantage in the NLDS. The Cardinals play the Pirates, and I have to believe the Pirates will be extra bitter this weekend considering the letdown this season has been for them. Nothing is guaranteed but I like these matchups. I like our chances.

The Thor Debate: Terry actually said before the game that he was debating whether he’d prefer Noah Syndergaard on the mound in a road Wild Card playoff game or some other pitcher going at Citi Field. Let me clear this one up for you Terry. You go with Thor. Sometimes I feel like I’d rather have a random Mets fan in the stands making the big decisions. Moron.

Tebow: In Tim Tebow’s first at-bat in the instructional league he hit an opposite field homer off of a left-handed pitcher. In his second AB he grounded out. In his third AB he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right-hand of the Father.

Today: Day off today. Rest. Let’s crush Philly. Let’s clinch. Please finish this the right way Mets.

Mets Need To Finish Strong

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Let’s go baby! Four more! Four more!

Final Score: Mets 12, Marlins 1

The Marlins were emotionally drained after Monday’s game, and it showed last night. For the most part Thor cruised, and the Mets put up 12 runs against the Marlins pitching staff. Here’s the bottom line. There are four games left. The Mets are 0.5 games up on the Giants for the first Wild Card and 1.5 up on the Cardinals. Win and we’re in. We own the home field tiebreaker against the Giants. So if we coast, we host. Winning the final four games is obviously easier said than done. But I’ve tried reading all the Wild Card tiebreaker scenarios. I’m done with tiebreaker talk. Win out. No excuses. Finishing the season with 88 wins would be a decent accomplishment considering all the injuries to the pitching staff. Pray.

Strep-less Wonder: Noah Syndergaard pitched 6 innings and gave up 1 run on 5 hits with 8 Ks. His velocity was slightly down. Hopefully that was due to some residual fatigue after his battle with strep throat. He also had two hits in the game. We need to clinch before Sunday. We need Thor for the Wild Card game.

It’s Still About Homers: Jay Bruce hit a two-run homer in the second inning to make it 2-1 Mets. Bruce had two hits last night. If he’s coming out of his funk, the league better watch out. That’s assuming we actually win enough games to continue playing beyond Sunday. Yoenis Cespedes hit a two-run bomb to left center field in the third inning to make it 4-1. It was a classic Yo blast and bat flip situation.

It Was About RISP Until It Wasn’t: The Mets were 0 for 9 with RISP until the 8th inning when they broke the game open. Curtis Granderson hit a two-run single to make it 6-1 and with two outs Lucas Duda hit a bases loaded double that scored three more runs to make it 9-1. The Mets piled on 3 more runs in the 9th inning. Grandy added another double.

Bent Ankle: Jose Reyes rolled his ankle in the 8th inning after he hit a double and slammed on the breaks after rounding second base because Ty Kelly was holding at third base. Jose shook it off.

Why No Subs?: The Mets continued to play Asdrubal Cabrera and Jose Reyes until the end of the game despite having a huge lead. They also pitched Addison Reed and Jeurys Familia in a blowout. After all, we definitely need to get the league’s most overworked relievers more work.

It Changes Everything: A healthy Lucas Duda and hot Jay Bruce would really stretch out this Mets lineup. When the home run ball is flying out, the idea of adding two more all or nothing sluggers to the mix feels like a genius move in theory. I’m salivating at the prospect of a home run fueled playoff run. For now I’ll take a home run fueled five game winning streak to finish the season.

The Pitchers Are Injured: Yesterday, the Mets announced Steven Matz will miss the rest of the season. I announced it a week ago. They also mentioned that Bartolo Colon hurt his foot running the bases two weeks ago and is playing through a sprained tendon. Try not to put too much weight on it Tolo.

Today: Seth Lugo pitches tonight. I’m excited to see more of that Lugo curve. Another top notch performance from Lugo will really help calm the nerves before this must win final weekend in Philly. A loss will set off the Panic City alarms.

The Marlins Won For Jose Fernandez 

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Final Score: Marlins 7, Mets 3

The Marlins were always going to win last night’s game. I know life doesn’t always have a happy fairytale ending. The world isn’t a fair place. It’s never fair when someone so young, charismatic, and talented is taken from the earth at 24 years old. But the Marlins were always going to win. I knew it. I knew it because when life refuses to give you the storybook feel good ending you crave, baseball often does. It was a night where all baseball fans needed the Marlins to come through in a big way. And they did it. They did it for Jose Fernandez. To honor him. The baseball gods made sure of it. They inspired the Marlins. They gave them the strength and energy to win this game after one of the most emotional pregame tributes I have ever witnessed. Dee Gordon set the tone right away with his clutch and moving lead-off homer. He came up to the plate from the right side to honor Jose and then channeled Jose’s strength when he hit his home run to right field off of Bartolo Colon. The Marlins then piled on 6 more runs over the first 2.1 innings. That was all they needed to win. Last night’s Marlins victory was for the people of Miami, the people of Cuba, and the Marlins organization. Hell, it was for all of baseball.

Game Notes: Bartolo Colon was rocked. He gave up 7 runs on 8 hits over 2.1 innings. He better shake last night’s performance off because the Mets need the elite Bartolo if they have any hope of finishing this week strong and making the playoffs. Marlins starter Adam Conley has really owned the Mets this season. I have to be honest, without Wilmer Flores our lineup against lefties stinks. Nobody wants to face Madison Bumgarner under any circumstances, but if the Mets plan to play a Wild Card game against MadBum with Eric Campbell in the lineup then someone needs to hide Soup’s car keys on October 5th so he can’t get to the game. Lucas Duda came in the game as a pinch hitter in the 5th inning, and in the 8th inning he hit an RBI single. Let’s just start Lucas the rest of the way okay? Terry?!? Can you hear me?!? Lucas should play if he’s healthy. Asdrubal Cabrera also had two more hits. He drove in two runs with a double in the 5th inning. There are no more words left to describe how hot Cabby is.

Tonight: The Mets need to move on and refocus on winning baseball games. The Cardinals lost yesterday to the Reds. I’m always quick to criticize the Mets, but the Cardinals and Giants really don’t deserve a playoff berth. They have been awful. The Mets need to come out strong and prepared tonight. Based on everything I’ve read about his character and personality, Jose Fernandez would want these teams on the field competing as we approach the end of the season. The Mets need to continue honoring his memory by taking the field tonight and competing at the highest level. RIP Jose.

1-877-Runs4Fans, The Mets Scored Runs Today

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runs4fans
1-877-Runs4Fans/R-U-N-S, Runs for fans/ 1-877-Runs4Fans/The Mets scored runs today!

Final Score: Mets 17, Phillies 0

What an explosive day at the plate for the New York Mets. Thank the gods for the Phillies. The Las Vegas 51s pitching staff and hitters made Philly look like they belonged in the Pacific Coast League this weekend. The Mets earned many of the runs on Sunday, but Philly also handed us runs left and right. Walks and wild pitches and hit by pitches. Sweet Jesus it was an ugly game for Philly. I’ll take it though! The other Wild Card teams lost. The Cardinals and Giants continue to struggle, and the Mets continue to excel against the bad teams during this crucial stretch of baseball. That reality has to be acknowledged. As much as it feels like “nobody wants the Wild Card”, the Mets have been among the best teams in baseball (record wise) for the last month. Let’s keep it up.  Also, I’m excluding the Braves from the “bad teams” because 1) They destroyed us and 2) Seemingly they aren’t as bad as their record would indicate. Look out for them next season.

The Runs They Gave Us: The Phillies handed the Mets so many runs on Sunday it was hard to keep up. With the bases loaded in the fourth inning, they walked Jose Reyes to force in a run. In the fifth inning with the bases loaded, they hit Rene Rivera with a pitch to force in a run. They also added a two out wild pitch in the fifth inning with Jose Reyes batting that allowed Jay Bruce to score. They walked in a run with bases loaded again in the 7th with Jose at the plate. The gifts just kept coming and coming.

The Big Hitters: There were many notable performances on Sunday including two hits from Jay Bruce. In the second inning Bruce led off with a double and T.J. Rivera followed that with a single. Bruce wound up scoring when James Loney hit into a double play. Curtis Granderson hit his 30th homer of the season in the fourth inning. In the fifth inning T.J. Rivera hit an RBI single. In the seventh inning Asdrubal Cabrera added the big time Grand Slam to make it 11-0 Mets. In the 8th inning Jose Reyes doubled in two runs. He had 4 RBIs on the day. Eric Campbell even got in on the action with a two-run single in the 8th inning. Michael Conforto had the final RBIs with a two-run double to cap off the 8th inning.

I’m Excited But…: I’m excited to see Robert Gsellman off to an incredible major league start. He pitched 7 scoreless innings and gave up 3 hits with 8 strikeouts. I’m excited but…I’m keeping my expectations low. I’m hoping he keeps this up, but I ain’t about to crown him as a new young ace. I made the mistake of doing that with Conforto. I don’t want to make that mistake again. Is he a playoff caliber starter? I don’t know. But it doesn’t matter does it? If we get there he’s pitching. So yeah he could be a playoff starter. We shall see if he gets the chance.

Today: The game tonight will be very emotional. Jose Fernandez was supposed to start before his tragic passing in a boating accident on Sunday. I will remember him tonight. I will remember him always.

Mets’ Comeback: Close, But No Cigar

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Final Score: Phillies 10, Mets 8

I’ll be honest. As soon as I heard that Noah Syndergaard was scratched with strep throat, I had a feeling that last night’s game had the potential to be one of those sacrificial lamb pitcher nights. A night where the team concedes and a pitcher or two are offered up as tribute to the baseball gods. The arms are brought in and the manager allows them to get crushed because the team has already conceded the game and the manager wants the pitchers to eat up innings. Last night Sean Gilmartin and Rafael Montero were serving in that role. Sean Gilmartin took the mound in the first inning, and he gave up 5 runs before the inning was even over. He was lifted for Montero. As soon as Montero entered we all knew 1) He would give up more runs. 2) He was giving the team innings no matter how many runs he gave up. Montero ended up serving up another 5 runs over 3.1 innings. By the end of the 10th inning it was 10-0 Phillies and the game felt completely over. 

Sub-a-dee-doo-dah-day: Prior to the top of the 5th inning, Terry waved the official white flag by pulling all the regulars. T.J. Rivera came in for Jose Reyes, Ty Kelly came in for Yoenis Cespedes, Gavin Cecchini replaced Asdrubal Cabrera, and Brandon Nimmo replaced Curtis Granderson. Sub-city. And that crew of subs started a comeback that lasted until the 9th inning. In the 5th inning, the Mets added runs on a Philly error, a T.J. Rivera RBI single, a Brandon Nimmo RBI double, and a Ty Kelly sac fly. In the 6th, Cecchini added an RBI double and Rivera added an RBI on an infield hit. In two innings it went from 10-0 to 10-6 and the comeback was underway. 

The Last Chance: In the 8th inning, Cecchini added his second RBI double to make it 10-7, and that extra run at least gave the Mets a fighting chance to tie the game in the 9th. In the 9th, Jay Bruce hit a surprise pinch hit solo homer to make it 10-8. Then the Phillies walked Eric Campbell and Michael Conforto with one out and gave Lucas Duda a chance to win the game with one swing. Duda failed and then so did Travis d’Arnaud after him. The Mets comeback effort fell short but at least the B-squad really showed some fight yet again. Also the Phillies stink. 

Today: The Mets look to win the series against Philly today with Robert Gsellman on the mound. The Giants and Cardinals won yesterday. So the Mets and Giants are tied and the Cards are a half game back in the Wild Card race. We all know this race is going down to the final day. Don’t kid yourselves. This week is going to be drama city. Let’s go. 

Serious Note: My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez who died in a tragic boating accident last night. The news is just heartbreaking and a reminder of how precious life is. Rest in peace Jose. 

Hungry Mets B-Squad Leading The Wild Card

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Final Score: Mets 10, Phillies 5

This Mets team full of veteran hitters and B-squad arms continues to show resilience in these final games against the worst teams in the National League. They can smell a playoff spot, and they refuse to roll over and die. This season has been a disaster, but at least this crew will keep things interesting until the season’s final day. 

A Bunch Of B-Squad Arms: Terry used six pitchers to get through this game.  He had the shortest leash in the world for every pitcher, and that was completely justified in my mind. Starting pitcher Gabriel Ynoa gave up 2 runs in the second inning and Terry yanked him. 

D’Arnaud Did Something: In the second inning Travis d’Arnaud hit an RBI double to make it 2-1 Phillies. It was shocking to see Travis do anything considering how horrendous he’s been this year. 

A Bunch of B-Squad Arms Part 2: Logan Verrett gave up an insta-solo homer when he entered the game in the third inning. Then he escaped a bases loaded jam in the 4th, and Terry yanked him. Josh Smoker pitched a solid 5th inning. 

Marching Back: In the top of the 5th inning, Curtis Granderson hit an RBI single to make it 3-2 Phils. Then Kelly Johnson hit a 2-RBI single to give the Mets a 4-3 lead. Michael Conforto capped off the inning with a 3-run homer to make it 7-3 Mets. I’m guessing that’s the official death blow for any Jay Bruce starts the rest of the way. Good riddance. 

A Bunch of B-Squad Arms Part 3: In 6th inning Smoker walked a guy, and then gave up a two-run Jack to Darin Ruf. Terry yanked him and went straight to Erik Goeddel. Goeddel pitched a scoreless 6th, and then in the 7th he pitched like crap. He put the first two men on base before retiring a batter and being lifted for Josh Edgin. Edgin gave up a single to load the bases with one out. Then Hansel Robles came in and fortunately induced an inning ending double play. Robles pitched the rest of the way and saved the day. 

Put It Away: In the 7th inning, the Mets put the game away. Juan Lagares hit a run scoring sac bunt, Eric Campbell hit an RBI single, and T.J. Rivera hit a sac fly to make it 10-5 Mets. 

Today: Oh I forgot to mention that Noah Syndergaard has strep throat and was scratched from today’s start. Sean Gilmartin will pitch and Thor will probably miss the Wild Card playoff game now. Surprise, surprise! This season has been a complete joke. Go B-Squad Arms!