Reese Kaplan -- Two Out of Three Ain't Bad

Before this opening extended weekend began, many felt (including Mack) that if the club took 2 out of 3 to win the series against the Nationals while on the road, then the club would have been off to the right kind of start.  Sometimes the script plays out exactly as one envisions writing it.  Most Mets fans are smiling from ear to ear despite the crushing loss Sunday afternoon.

Let’s hear it for rookie Pete Alonso!  He hasn’t been intimidated by some of the best pitching the majors has to offer and has finished his first three major league games hitting .500.  That is not a typo! 

With all of the worry about Alonso’s defense, the one major miscue happened Saturday when both Amed Rosario and Gold Glover Robinson Cano bobbled a routine grounder which allowed a runner to advance and the hitter to get a free pass to first base. 

J.D. Davis has to feel both good and frustrated by his two surprising starts in the young season.  He not -only delivered the key two-run single on Saturday to tie the game, but more than once he’s crushed the ball only to have defenders make impressive plays on him (particularly Brian Dozier on a laser beam up the middle which would have plated two more runs on Saturday).  He had one error as well. 

Wilson Ramos is making BVW look brilliant with his selection.  His hitting has picked right up where he left off in his hot spring and gives the club a right handed middle-of-the-order threat they haven’t had since Yo somebody was in the lineup. 

Michael Conforto was a little quiet but came back with two hits today to bring his three game average up to .286.  We’d sign up for that right now if that’s the way the season ended.

The polar opposite has been leadoff hitter Brandon Nimmo who has been stuck in neutral offensively since the young season began.  He has drawn walks and played good defense but it’s a weekend he’ll likely want to forget. 

Now if you held a gun to someone’s head and asked who would end the weekend with the most impressive offensive performance, not a single Mets fan would have suggested Keon Broxton, but the man who was a pinch runner in game one and just announced by not played in game two finally got to play in game three.  In his first AB he showed that good spring training eye by drawing a walk and stealing a base uncontested.  He then followed that up with two hits in two more subsequent ABs before giving way to Juan Lagares. The big man is starting off the season hitting 1.000.  It would be interesting to see at this early juncture of the season if Broxton leapfrogged Lagares in Callaway’s mental depth chart.

Pitching-wise, hats off to Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom who was not at all intimidated by his Opening Day assignment against Max Scherzer.  He emerged the winner as the club held onto a 2-0 lead through the end (and those 2 runs must have seemed like 20 compared to the 2018 season he endured).

Neither Noah Syndergaard nor Zack Wheeler would show their best stuff with Thor particularly and uncharacteristically vulnerable to the long ball.  They each gave up 4 runs in their starts before giving way to the bullpen. 

Seth Lugo was brilliant in game one but far overextended in game two.  After a single pitch in the 8^th inning the club rallied and went into the bottom of the 9^th ahead by 7 runs.  Most felt it would have been a good time to test drive 25^th man Tim Peterson or the more experienced Robert Gsellman, but Mickey Callaway surprised most folks by having Lugo start the inning.  It seemed ill advised considering he’d already warmed up and appeared in both of the games as it would likely render him unavailable for game three.  Callaway then compounded the problem by allowing Lugo to follow his one-pitch inning with 40 pitches and many runs.  It was visible even to Stevie Wonder that the man simply didn’t have it yet Callaway let him take one for the team, stubbornly refusing to make a move until having to bring in his closer, Edwin Diaz, when the Nationals threatened to make it into a competitive game. 

Many also criticized Callaway for his decision not to pinch-run for Wilson Ramos earlier in that game when it could have helped but his explanation was the fear of leaving himself with only one catcher available and thus vulnerable should he get hurt.  He then said he would have made the switch had the club been behind and needing the run.  I guess that was what was on his mind on Sunday when the light hitting Nido was lifted for the day’s pinch hitter extraordinaire, Ramos, who indeed delivered.

Another criticism levied against Mickey Callaway who was channeling his inner Terry Collins, benching Jeff McNeil as a reward for his 4-hit performance.  If they expect the man to hit against lefties, then how are you going to learn to do that while riding the pines?  It was like watching Wilmer Flores after his multi-hit performances.  

Tim Peterson did make it into a game Sunday, notching a perfect 1/3 of an inning, matching his predecessor, Luis Avilan, who did likewise.  Gsellman did give up a run in his 1.1 IP, but it was Justin Wilson who faltered in the 9^th and gave up the winning run in a failed relief opportunity.  This too shall pass (like a kidney stone).

Lost somewhat in the shuffle was Dominic Smith coming up with a big hit when the club needed it most after entering the game as a defensive substitute.  With the Rockies losing Daniel Murphy who was playing 1^st base after breaking his finger, perhaps trader Brodie may have something up his sleeve.  It’s a shame sometimes 1^st baseman Todd Frazier is not yet healthy as he would also be a candidate to peddle to enjoy a Rocky Mountain High.