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10/14/15

The Morning Report 10.14.2015 | Game 4: Matz Ok...But OK Not Enough vs Kershaw, Bartolo Colon Solid in the Pen, Mets Lucky to Have deGrom up Next.



Mark Bowman Mets.com-  Steven Matz will forever remember the thrill he experienced on Tuesday night when he took the mound at Citi Field for his beloved Mets in Game 4 of the National League Division Series. Unfortunately, it will take some time for him to forget how the Dodgers soured the experience with a sudden and decisive third-inning flurry. "He pitched very good," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "The one pitch I know he wants back is the pitch to Kershaw." "A couple mistakes cost me," Matz said. "When you face a guy like Kershaw, you want to put up zeros and I wasn't able to do that today. I'm going to build off the positive here today."



Zach Braziller New York Post- Who says you can’t teach an old pitcher new tricks? Bartolo Colon entered this season with eight relief appearances in 18 big-league seasons, and the 42-year-old right-hander quickly has become the Mets’ most reliable reliever not named Jeurys Familia this postseason. “Anytime you mention Bartolo Colon’s name, it’s the same,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “He pounds the strike zone, keeps the ball down for the most part, fields his position — all the things you want done.” Colon needed just 26 pitches to navigate two innings, striking out two and allowing one hit.



Jason Keidel | CBS New York- If you didn’t know before, now you know. Kershaw is the best pitcher on the planet. It’s not a debate, discussion, or dialogue. But there’s a wide, silver lining that the Mets can ride into the NLCS. They know they can beat the Dodgers, and beat them in Los Angeles. And they have the pitcher who already beat them at Los Angeles. For all the hype and hyperbole, all the flaming adjectives and social media branding and anointing of the Kershaw/Greinke duet, the Mets got some arms of their own. And if this series has done anything other than double as a stage for their two pitching savants, it has also cast a blinding light on an ace up the Mets’ sleeve......Jacob deGrom.



(Chris Soto: Darn....I want to say that the Mets had a chance....but Clayton Kershaw was on point last night. He left Matz with little margin for error and, sure enough, it only took 1 string of base hits to win this game for the Dodgers. The Mets certainly had their chances though, especially in the 8th inning, but closer Kenley Jansen was able to bear down and hold the lead.

     That said, I honestly have only 1 pain point to bring up.....how bad does Michael Cuddyer look? My goodness....with a runner on base he showed no patience, swinging at every pitch, and on an 0-2 count he got the weakest hanging curveball Kershaw threw all Night! Right in the middle of the plate and he took a pretty feable swing at it.

     Good thing the right handed Grienke is on the mound tomorrow night, cause Cuddyer looks pretty bad right now. I would much rather have Conforto in LF against both lefties and righties at this point. )

13 comments:

  1. Seriously? NOW you've decided that you want Conforto in against LHP over Cuddyer . . . when there's possibly only one game left . . . against a RHP?

    Duda and Wright have been horrendous so far. Mets need some hits off those two bats on Thursday.

    All hands on deck.

    JP

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  2. Duda obviously bad time to go through probably the worst 4 game stretch as a major leaguer........
    Cuddyer for whatever reason went frkmr post DL stint to .300 hitter to looking like she should retire.
    And we need David to do it again.

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  3. Last night was disappointing but fair's fair, the Mets weee outpitched and outplayed.

    I feel Cuddyer has been a major liability most of the season especially with men on base and as I wrote yeaterday, he has no place in a winning side, other than as a cheerleader.

    I agree with James that Duda is looking so passive again. With Wright at least I have more faith but Lucas when he is struggling looks helpless and passive.

    Tomorrow it's strength against strength, may the best team win. Step up tomorrow, and they could call themselves the better team. Let's Go Mets!

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  4. Look I know we have Wright until his career is over but PLEASE let this be the end of Lucas Duda. I can't watch another swing and miss as he reminds me of another first baseman who had so much promise. It's SO obvious we must sign Murph and let him play first and YC because we wouldn't be here w/o him. The drop off from Yo to anyone else is so significant than if the FO wants to return to the post season it has to resign both. Also would it be the worst thing in the world to sign Colon for another year?

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  5. Notice something?

    Flores playing shortstop has not led to the Dodgers scoring.
    A matter of fact he has played good defense.
    In game 2 he made a very nice strong armed throw after ranging toward 3rd base that Tejada might not have had enough arm strength to make.

    Can the "Flores plays bad defense" narative please stop now?
    Maybe Flores is not close to the best SS, but he is not terrible as is so often claimed.
    Nothing wrong with being in a middle range.

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  6. Gary, I would keep Murph at 1B and trade Duda, as long as $$$ makes sense. Lots of teams would be happy with Duda. He just isn't a reliable team leader type. He wants to be a secondary piece.

    In some fairness, he did fly to track in left off Kershaw. A little longer and he ties it up. But He is too passive as a rule. Definitely a flawed approach against elite pitchers.

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  7. I want to leave all the 'what the Mets needs to do in the office season until... the off-season.

    This is now a one game playoff against a great pitcher that isn't going to give you much. It sets up as a classic 3-2 game.

    The lineup can do this but I agree with all of you... it will take regulars like Wright and Duda to step up.

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  8. All of these games have been good games (except game 3) between two evenly matched opponents.

    Each team has proven their starters can pitch well.
    Each team has proven their front end pitchers can pitch very well.
    Both teams have also proven that they can get hits against the other team's front end pitchers.

    The key is when those hits occur. Stringing those hits together in order to make them count on the scoreboard.
    I am beyond happy with how this team has played since the front office decided to fill out a lineup card with major league hitters.
    I am thrilled with how the team has played in each of these playoff games.

    Tomorrow night is what every kid has dreamed about. Performing against the best with everything on the line.
    It goes back to every time a kid pretended they were up at bat with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th imagining they had the chance to win the game.

    Which of these Met players with thrive under the pressure involved?

    All of these players have demonstrated their ability to come alive and perform at different times during the season with differing amounts and forms of pressure. I believe every one of the starters have had "their moment" during the season.

    I can't wait to see who it will be that has "Their Moment" tomorrow night.

    Lets Go Mets

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  9. And this my friends is playoff baseball. .....
    DeGrom coming off normal rest should have the equivalent of an unlimited pitch count limit (maybe max at 120ish again).
    Every pitcher not named Harvey is able to go. Mets facing a righty so their best lineup will be out there.

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  10. Oh and there's that other thing..........

    If Mets win they'll have have home field advantage......in their pitcher friendly ballpark. .....against a team that literally homered their way into the round......

    ya gotta believe

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  11. We will win. Jake in his last start had a rippin' fast all, but I felt his control and breaking/ off speed stuff was not the sharpest. Despite that, last 2 starts, 11 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 20 K. HE IS AS GOOD AS ANYBODY, INCLUDING KERSHAW.

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  12. Mets have to score.

    I looked at Duda vs. Johnson (shifting Murphy to 1B), but Johnson is 0-9 vs. Grienke.

    Got to hope the big guy finds his stroke, and soon. The fly out to CF last night was encouraging, as Tom pointed out.

    David really looks feeble. I'd love for him to find some magic.

    My money is on Conforto, d'Arnaud, Cespedes, and de Grom.

    Mets will find a way. Too many good hitters.

    James Preller

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