Tom Brennan - TURNING POINT OF THE...SEASON?
A popular thing on the radio for Mets baseball is the Mets' Turning Point of the Game.
Before Howie Rose can put any win "in the books", every game has to have its identified Turning Point.
Some wondered if Monday's horrific, disemboweling loss to the Nationals might have been (even this early) the TURNING POINT OF THE SEASON.
Wait, you might say, it is a season of many highs and lows, 162 games long - and we've only played 10% of it, so relax, take a chill pill, expect those highs and lows, and ENJOY!!
Viva La Mets!! Think happy, positive thoughts.
But after turning a 6-1 lead late in Monday's game into an 8-6 loss, reminiscent of some melt downs against the Phillies in the last decade, on Tuesday, the anemic Mets I remembered so well from several years ago returned. You know the script:
The script where the Mets would score only 2 runs on 11 hits, and go 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position, in a 5-2 loss. Bad flashbacks.
Lose a 3rd straight on Wednesday night to a revived Nationals squad?
It would have greatly tarnished and discounted the great 12-2 start to the season.
And Steve Matz seemed ready to oblige, allowing 3 runs to the resuscitated Nats in the very first inning. He pitched well the next 3 innings, but the hole had been dug.
A long time, POSITIVE Mets fan might at that moment have remembered that after the Mets' miracle, "gets by Buckner" win in game 6 of the 1986 series, the Mets scarily trailed 3-0 early in game 7...but rallied to win the Series.
So...was Monday's loss the turning point of the season, or perhaps was the turning point of the season the mid-game inning where the Mets pulled within 3-2 and had the bags full with Rosario up, a 2-0 count, and (groan) he grounds into an inning ending double play?
You know, close but no cigar on the way to getting swept? Disaster ahead in the days to come? NOPE! But hold on a bit.
When the Nats stretched the lead to 4-2 by scoring a run off a brilliant Paul Sewald, it was feeling even more depressing.
Depressing...until what might really become the season's turning point in the 8th, when a 2 run single by Todd Frazier tied it, a 2 run double by Juan Lagares gave us the lead, and when Yoenis Cespedes put whipped cream and a big, fat cherry on top with a grand slam off a VERY high fastball...without a ladder. All in all, a NINE RUN INNING!
An exhilarating 11-5 win, and a 5 game lead to go along with a still terrific 13-4 record, and hopefully a fully reawakened Cespedes bat. Hey, King Kong woke up and roared when the flash bulbs went off, followed by ripping off his titanium steel handcuffs....just ask Faye Ray.
Maybe La Potencia just got unchained and is ready to roar....and soar some more.
That 9 run 8th?
That right there is my very own turning point of the season.
The point where this team showed it had real guts, could SUCCESSFULLY fight back, and administer a severe butt whupping while doing it.
Anyone know what the Mets' magic number is?
Let's friggin' go Mets!
P.S. Am I the only one, but does Todd Frazier remind anyone at the plate of Gary "Kid" Carter? You remember Carter...he was on that 1986 series winning team that said, "never say die."
NEVER SAY DIE should be this Mets' team's slogan.
It got me wondering what the Mets record was for the most runs scored in an inning but they weren't even close. In 2016 (again with Cespedes in the middle of it) they plated 12 in an inning against the Giants. That time he drove in 6 runs in an inning. Slacker!
ReplyDeleteThe 2018 season will be success if the bats we spent big money on starts hitting.
ReplyDeleteConforto, Cespedes, Bruce, Frazier, Cabrera... these are the guys that have to hit.
They stepped up last night in one inning but they must do more.
As for Bruce, his heel problems will not go away until he takes care of it in the off-season. Michael Baron and I discussed it earlier. I say rotate him down to the OF4 position for now, give him some alternate rest days, and rotate the hot guys, Nimmo and Lagares.
Very nice win, last night......you are right, Tom. Getting "reverse" swept would have been a bad sign and it would have given the Nats additional momentum.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mack, too.....the offense needs to be more consistent, game in and game out.
Oh and the Magic # is 143, in case you were really wondering!
143! And counting.
ReplyDeleteBruce should rest the foot as needed. Better he be effective in 75% of the games than ineffective in 90% - after all, Lagares and Nimmo are playing extremely well.
I honestly think Cespedes is going to start to explode. I think hitting that high pitch for a homer shows he is back.
So I am only concerned about Bruce. And Nimmo and Lagares are great alternatives.
Gonzalez has been good enough, but it he starts to fade, each day brings us closer to where Smith (or Alonso) could progress enough to step in effectively.
But who isn't concerned about our anemic catcher's spot? Prying Realmuto from the Marlins with an offer too good to refuse would be a huge upgrade and go a long way towards making us (with a 5 game lead as a head start) the team to beat for the Division. The line up with a Realmuto in it would be formidable, but with the catchers we now have, probably average overall.
It was also nice that after the Nats stunned us with a 6 run come-from-behind inning on Monday, we could return the favor with a come-from-behind 9 run inning.
ReplyDeleteVery decent baseball weather in Atlanta the next 3 nights, may have to deal with some rain on Sunday - so the players mostly get a break there, too.
ReplyDeleteI like the thought of TJR behind the plate, but I am leery of the cost. A different blog has an article that poses the question "should the Mets deal Rosario for Realmuto"?
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's just me, but that is an asinine question. I see Rosario being a player you help build around, not a trade chip. He is Franciso Lindor in the making and he needs to stay right here, in NY.
If that's the cost, then we need to find a different alternative.
The difference is Rosario has yet to become a solid player and J.T. Realmuto has already established his star level credentials.
ReplyDeleteAsk yourself this question -- is the team better off with the sum of Realmuto plus Cecchini or Rosario plus Lobaton/Nido?
Of course, it's not that simple. Realmuto become more expensive sooner than does Rosario and if Rosario progresses as you project you might wind up kicking yourself down the road. However, with a pipeline filled with middle infielders it's something to consider. Now, what if instead they were asking for Gimenez in the deal instead of Rosario? He's even more of a great unknown. Remember, you have to give to get.
Well said......I would rather deal one or two of the kids in the pipeline and hold on to Amed.
ReplyDeleteWas that a discussion above on whether the NY Mets should make a trade using SS Amed Rosario to acquire C JT Realmuto (in Latin translates into RealMeto) or am I dreaming?
ReplyDeleteWould I consider a trade like this? A: I might. But I'd rather send Miami something more like Lugo, Dom Smith, Gavin Cecchini, and Chris Flexen. Get back to the Mets Realmuto and a prospect lefty pitcher.
I don't think Florida would consider Smith in a Realmuto trade, because they already have Bour.
ReplyDelete