Press Release:
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (July 7, 2018) – The St. Lucie Mets and Dunedin Blue Jays were able to play half of their scheduled doubleheader on Saturday at First Data Field.
The Blue Jays came from behind to win the first game 6-2. The second game was postponed before it started due to unplayable field conditions after a severe storm moved through the area.
The teams will have to play a doubleheader on Sunday to complete their series. Game 1 is set to begin at 10 a.m. and last seven innings. There will be a 30-minute break before the start of game 2.
Fans with tickets to Saturday’s game can exchange those tickets for any other game this season.
In the game the Mets and Blue Jays were able to play on Saturday, Ali Sanchez gave the Mets an early 2-0 lead with a two-out, two-run homer in the second inning.
Mets starter Blake Taylor tossed 4.1 hitless and scoreless innings as he ramps up in his return from a DL stint. He walked one and struck out six.
The Blue Jays rallied back and scored all six of their runs in the sixth inning. Kevin Smith tied the game with a two-run home run off of reliever Austin McGeorge.
Brock Lundquist broke the tie with a two-out RBI single against Matt Pobereyko. Rodrigo Orozco followed with a run-scoring double. Yeltsin Gudino capped the inning with a two-run single.
Blue Jays starter Zach Logue earned the win. He held the Mets to two runs and six hits over five innings.
The home run for Sanchez extended his hitting streak to four games. Wuilmer Becerra went 2 for 3 with a double and a walk.
4 comments:
NICE outing by Blake Taylor, who is still only 22.
It's All About 2019 Now
I agree totally with Mr. Ricco's recent comment regarding this not being a total rebuilding program for 2019, but rather adding in the right player pieces to this current 2018 team to make it work more effectively and to win more baseball games. That being the bottom line really.
The local NY newspaper writers and local sports radio hosts are going bezerkowitz lately with their opinions, which are all over the place. It's kind of fun actually hearing the various opinions, I have to admit. And the call-ins are even funnier!
Here's my thoughts...
Hardly ever have I seen any MLB team get what their fans want them to get come trade deadline time. More often than not, deals do not get done and for whatever reason that may exist. It just the way it is unfortunately.
However, the NY Mets need to be sharp and break this common trend now and put the very best team on the field (for 2019 and beyond) that they can. The Mets "have things missing" to the equation here right now, obviously. Namely, every position but maybe left field if Yoenis Cespedes can get back whole, CF with Brandon Nimmo coming on now that his small finger has grown back in, and an abundance of catchers(eighteen I think the last count was) to choose from. But I like this fact actually because I love a true challenge of wits and guts. This is precisely where intelligent minds go to work.
But there are distinctive advantages happening simultaneously in MLB, that do weigh into the NY Mets favor. They are the fact that the top two AL teams (Boston and NYY) have "starting pitching issues" right now heading into the trade deadline. Boston with David Price slipping and becoming very beatable, and the Yankees with both the Tanaka and Loizaca (injuries) and the total ineffectiveness of righthander Sonny Gray. This could prove key here with any potential Mets trade with them, with both teams needing another established solid righty starter for the playoff push.
Continued after I get back from the bathroom in a minute...
Okay then...
What are the other big advantages that these NY Mets have over both the NY Yankees and Boston Red Sox? A: The Mets are all about 2019 and beyond now, whereas the Red Sox and the Yankees are assembled and ready now to win now, and easily could in 2018.
Both teams are simultaneously missing a really good starter more, preferably a veteran one with a solid MLB history record. Both teams have MiLB starters that they could call up, they have decent MiLB records. But none are a given up in MLB, and all could hurt their respective team's run in 2018. This is precisely where the Mets "come in" if they want to. That door is wide open now and screaming.
Both the Yankees and the Red Sox should (barring an asteroid hitting the planet or some other catastrophic malady of equal size and proportion) very easily make the playoffs, but without each team strengthening their starting rotation, it leaves Cleveland and Houston that much closer to them and there would be no guarantee for anyone heading into the Playoffs.
The Mets need to target the certain players they need added in here for 2019, and then be deal makers. Who do I like right now? A: SP's lefties J. Sheffield (NYY) and J. Beeks (Red Sox), OF C. Frazier (NYY), 3B M. Chavis (Red Sox), late inning reliever J. Alvardo (TB), and catcher J. Nottingham (Brewers).
Why these guys?
I have no idea, sounds good! (LOL)
Because I am trying hard to think this all through. The 2018 NY Mets have to grow younger now. There would appear little reason to have an older starting rotation with a positionally younger eight players (with the exception of Yoenis.) The older player strategy has not worked and the Mets have to sync up their rotation with their field players to have a run for seasons. You can have older veteran players here as insurance and off the bench maybe, but as starters the Mets have to admit that it did not work out in the past few seasons, and then adjust younger.
By doing this, the NY Mets could conceivably have an up and coming younger player on: 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, CF, RF, and C. Are they all solid players with potential? A: Yes, plus the NY Mets run could potentially almost begin right away, if they added Machado, the only FA off season signing for 2019.
Two Things
First, they could do what the Yankees have done of recent, that is save money on the field players by having the majority younger (which means more money for their pitching staff which is necessary to have in today's game), and secondly the Mets could do something unheard of in modern day baseball, bring players in like Boston's Michael Chavis (via a trade)and our own player David Thompson, and then compete them for the starting position at third base 2019. Best man winning.
I could suggest very precise trade proposal ideas with players here with the above ideas, but I fully know that the Mets brass has a solid grasp on all this and won't unless asked to.
But this is the time to "get'rdone" I feel. The window is swung wide open, JA Happ pitched awful two days ago in the Yankees win, and the Red Sox need another righty for their rotation with Price struggling mightily now, and the possibility with so much season left another starter could go down injured.
Time To Shed The Dreamers
No, not those. I am talking about the players who have been here four or more years and gotten absolutely nowhere. You know who they are. They are consistent, just not at a very good level of consistency. Or they get hurt every single season. You know who they are. Shed them please, for the love of God!
Priority List:
1. Build a totally new and better Mets Bullpen for 2019. How? The MiLB system has like nine or ten young arms some in AAA and AA Ball that deserve a shot in ST 2019. If the Mets can bring in a decent lefty late inning arm more, add it to guys already here like Lugo and Bashlor, all they would then need is four more. They have some really good possibilities already in the system with Zamora, Callahan, Roseboom (he's smoothing out his game now nicely I have noticed and his stats are reflecting that), Ryan, Smith, Blackham, Hanhold...I do not see four from within the Mets system as a problem to make the club. However, some of the AA relievers who have been impressive may need to be called up soon to vegas, so that they can come into 2019 ST and have a chance to make the ball club out of camp totally ready.
2. The infield and outfield has to be retooled some. 1B, 2B, and 3B have players within the system who deserve a sincere shot in ST 2019, maybe some could be called up to the Mets 2018 like McNeil. I also wouldn't mind seeing Levi Neil up for a look either.
If the Mets could get Boston's 3B Michael Chavis, then they could try him at third as well come ST. In the outfield, I think ideally Cespedes, with two others from a list of Nimmo, Conforto, and Yankee Clint Frazier would be outstandingly ideal. Catcher is the new Mets "Black Hole". No, not that hole, the one up in the sky. Geesh! No single catcher here (that I have seen)really knocks anyone's socks off as an all around player, perfect for starting catcher in 2019. Each one appears to have a deficiency, whether it is hitting for power, hitting for average, or staying healthy. Perhaps one or two can repair this image, but I am not sure as to whom yet. That's why I suggested getting Brewers' Jacob Nottingham. Jacob has had some notice in AA and AAA, can hit well, but just needs a tad more consistency batting perhaps with power. he's only 23 years old.
3. The starting rotation (I think anyway) may need to get a little bit younger. With Winter Ball, maybe Binghamton righty J. Dunn could be ready for a ST serious look for the rotation, N. Crismatt is already up at Vegas I noticed today, and maybe big J. Zanghi could also be ready for 2019 ST with some Winter Ball too. The idea to go after Boston's Jalen Beeks and Yankees J. Sheffield holds serious merit to this equation of a new rotation, one which is younger.
4. A better bench, one with more depth and better late inning pinch hitting.
5. Better use of the "hit and run", "base stealing", and yes "bunting" to help manufacture runs.
These should not just be dreams.
That's it for me from here! Take care all!
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