7/31/20

John From Albany – Mets Breakfast Links 7/31/2020


Good Morning.  Red Sox 4 Mets 2 as the Mets leave runners on again. Happy Birthday Rene Rivera, Brooklyn Catcher Jake Ortega, and Kingsport Mets 3B Jaylen Palmer.

Section Links: Mets Links, MLB Links, Asian Baseball Links, and This Day in Mets History.

Mets Links:

Red Sox 4 Mets 2. Steven Matz 5.1 innings, 8 hits (2 HRs to Christian Vasquez), 3 runs, 2 BBs, 3K, 104 pitches – 67 strikes; Drew Smith, 1.2 innings, no runs, no hits, 2 Ks; Jeurys Familia, 1 inning, no runs, no hits, 2 Ks; Edwin Diaz 1/3 inning, 1 hit, 2 BBs, 1 HBP, 1 run, 1 K - 35 pitches – 19 strikes; Jeff McNeil 2 for 4 , 2 RBIs; 4 for 4; Brandon Nimmo 1 for 2, HR, BB, 1 run scored, 1 K;  (Box Score).



SNY.TV: The Mets will begin a four-game set in Atlanta on Friday night at 7:10 PM on SNY. Rick Porcello (0-1, 27.00 ERA) will face Braves lefty Sean Newcomb (0-0, 2.70 ERA).

Brian Joura Mets360: “For the second straight night, the Mets had their chances with the bases loaded late but were unable to cash in. They fell to the Red Sox, 4-2, and ended up the season series with their AL East foe at 2-2. Given the Red Sox’ pitching woes, this is a disappointing result. The Mets are now 1-4 at Citi Field this year.”

Metstradamus: Vazquez Is Spanish For "Chipper Jones". “I hesitate to say “thank heaven that we’re done with Christian Vazquez for the season”, because you know the Braves are going to need a catcher and probably trade for him just to torture us.”

Mike’s Mets: The Epitome of Meh. “…their fielding foibles, and the ongoing failures to capitalize on offensive opportunities all remind me of many previous Mets teams I've witnessed over the years - the baseball equivalent of a weak, tepid cup of restaurant coffee that's been sitting on the warmer a little too long.”

NY Post: Mets flop in clutch again for second straight loss to Red Sox.

SNY.TV: Mets' Luis Rojas seeing a 'different' Edwin Diaz as reliever has rough outing vs. Red Sox. “Different. Different Diaz than what I saw in first camp,” Rojas said. “Different Diaz than what I saw in camp now, and then what I saw the first two outings. Just arm-side misses, pulling the ball, slider backing up, so not the same Diaz we’ve seen recently. Definitely, we have to have the talks, we have to work and make sure that we’re getting right back on track. And also some emotions on the mound, we’ll also need to be able to control those as well.”


NY Post: Edwin Diaz may have lost Mets’ trust after another meltdown.

MLB Trade Rumors: Mets Select Brian Dozier, Designate Hunter Strickland For Assignment.

SNY.TV: Takeaways from Mets' Brodie Van Wagenen On adding Brian Dozier "Obviously, he's got pedigree. Having been an All-Star, Gold Glove winner, a World Champion last year. This guy has always been able to hit, particularly against left-handed pitching. So when we looked at the balance of our infielders with a lot of left-handed hitters, we felt Brian gave us a real threat from the right side of the plate."


NY Post: Mets’ Marcus Stroman set to face hitters in key rehab test.

NY Post: Mets’ Jed Lowrie suffers another injury setback. “Jed Lowrie’s second opinion won’t change your opinion on whether you think you’ll see him step into the batter’s box anytime soon. The injury-plagued Mets infielder was diagnosed with PCL laxity in his left knee, according to general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, who described the injury as looseness in the joint, causing destabilization.”



MLB Links:

National 6 Blue Jays 4 (Box Score).

Braves 2 Rays 1 (Box Score).

Here is the full MLB Scoreboard from yesterday. 

AP News: MLB will play 7-inning games in doubleheaders.

NY Post: MLB planning shortened doubleheaders to make up for postponed games.

MLB Trade Rumors: Additional Marlins Player Tests Positive For COVID-19. “17 players from the 30-man active roster and/or 3-man taxi squad that are carrying the virus.”

MLB Trade Rumors: One Phillies Coach, One Clubhouse Staffer Test Positive For COVID-19.

MLB Trade Rumors: Phillies-Blue Jays Series Postponed.

MLB Trade Rumors: Mike Foltynewicz Clears Waivers, Sent Outright To Braves’ Alternate Training Site.

MLB Trade Rumors: MLB, MLBPA Agreed To New Sign-Stealing Rules.  “The key here is that the commissioner’s office now has authority to impose suspensions — without pay and service time — against players and personnel. Punishment can be assessed upon a violation of the broad prohibition of utilizing “Electronic Devices or Visual Enhancement Devices during the game to identify, communicate or relay the opposing club’s signs or pitch information.’”

AP News: MLB hitters slow out of the box to start 60-game season.

Asian Baseball:

Yakult Swallows 6 Hanshin Tigers 0 Nori Aoki 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored (Box Score).

Nori Aoki has today’s game off (Box Score).

Here is the Japan Baseball Scoreboard.

Aaron Altherr is back in CF for today’s game (Box Score).

Here is KBO’s Scoreboard.

Today in Mets History Per Ultimatemets.com:

Born on this date:
Transactions:

 Toronto Blue Jays claimed Lee Mazzilli of the New York Mets on waivers on July 31, 1989.

New York Mets traded Rick Aguilera, Dave West, Kevin Tapani, Tim Drummond and Jack Savage to the Minnesota Twins for Frank Viola on July 31, 1989.

New York Mets traded Bret Saberhagen and David Swanson to the Colorado Rockies for Juan Acevedo and Arnold Gooch on July 31, 1995.

New York Mets traded Bernard Gilkey and Nelson Figueroa to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Jorge Fabregas and Willie Blair on July 31, 1998.

New York Mets traded Bill Pulsipher to the Milwaukee Brewers for Mike Kinkade on July 31, 1998.

New York Mets traded Leo Estrella to the Toronto Blue Jays for Tony Phillips on July 31, 1998.

New York Mets traded Craig Paquette to the St. Louis Cardinals for Shawon Dunston on July 31, 1999.

New York Mets traded Brian McRae, Rigo Beltran and Tom Johnson to the Colorado Rockies for Darryl Hamilton and Chuck McElroy on July 31, 1999.

New York Mets traded Jason Isringhausen and Greg McMichael to the Oakland Athletics for Billy Taylor on July 31, 1999.

New York Mets traded Bobby Jones, Jason Bay and Josh Reynolds to the San Diego Padres for Jason Middlebrook and Steve Reed on July 31, 2002.

New York Mets traded Jay Payton, Mark Corey and Robert Stratton to the Colorado Rockies for John Thomson and Mark Little on July 31, 2002.

New York Mets traded Scott Erickson to the Texas Rangers for Josh Hoffpauir on July 31, 2004.

New York Mets traded Xavier Nady to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Oliver Perez and Roberto Hernandez on July 31, 2006.

New York Mets traded Luis Cessa and Michael Fulmer to the Detroit Tigers for Yoenis Cespedes on July 31, 2015.
New York Mets traded Addison Reed to the Boston Red Sox for Jamie Callahan, Gerson Bautista and Stephen Nogosek on July 31, 2017.

National Pastime.com: 

1989
On the same day the Blue Jays pick Lee Mazzilli off waivers from the Mets, they trade reliever Jeff Musselman and minor-league pitching prospect Mike Brady in exchange for Mookie Wilson, made expendable when New York obtained Juan Samuel from Philadelphia. After a slow start, Toronto's new outfielder will play a vital role in the team's return to the postseason for the first time since 1985, batting .298 in 54 games.
1989
The Mets obtain Frank Viola, last season's American League Cy Young Award winner, from the Twins for Rick Aguilera, Tim Drummond, Kevin Tapani, Jack Savage, and David West. 'Sweet Music' hits a sour note in New York, posting a 38-32 record in 82 starts with a team which fails to make the playoffs during his 2 1/2 year tenure in the Big Apple.

1995
The Mets trade former two-time Cy Young Award winner right-handed pitcher Bret Saberhagen and left-handed pitcher farmhand Dave Swanson (the player to be named later) to the Rockies for righties Juan Acevedo and Arnold Gooch.
2006
Carlos Beltran hits his third grand slam within a calendar month, becoming the ninth player to accomplish the feat. The New York center fielder's bases-filled homer is the Mets' sixth, tying the 1996 Expos and 1999 Indians for most by a team in a calendar month.

2016
Wilmer Flores is honored by the Brooklyn Cyclones with a bobblehead, commemorating his emotional roller coaster at the end of July last season. The 23-year-old Venezuelan infielder, falsely believing the Brewers had traded for him, cried on the field, but three days later, hit a walk-off homer to lift the team in a jubilant victory over the division-leading Nationals, beginning a sweep that will put the Mets in first place for the rest of the season.

Baseball Reference:

1983: In the nitecap of a doubleheader, Pirates rookie Jose DeLeon holds the Mets hitless for 8 1/3 innings before Hubie Brooks singles, but Mets starter Mike Torrez pitches 11 shutout innings himself and New York goes on to win, 1 - 0, in 12 innings. In his previous start, DeLeon had held the Padres hitless for 6 1/3 innings. Mets reliever Jesse Orosco wins both games with four innings of relief in the 11-inning opener, and an inning in the nitecap.

2018: The Nationals set a franchise record for runs by crushing the Mets, 25 - 4. It is also the largest margin of defeat in Mets history. The Nats score 7 runs in the 1st, chasing Steven Matz, then add 3 runs in each of the next four innings and have a 26 - 1 lead in the 9th, when New York scores 3 to make the final tally slightly less humiliating. Daniel Murphy homers twice and drives in 6, Anthony Rendon drives in 4, and Trea Turner has 4 hits, while Tanner Roark, who hits a three-run double himself, is the beneficiary of the offensive largesse.

Centerfield Maz: Billy Wagner: 2006 NL Eastern Champion Mets Closer (2006-2009).

Centerfield Maz: Remembering Mets History: (1973) Yogi Tells the Press " It Ain't Over Till It's Over".

Want more?  Check out https://sportspyder.com/mlb/new-york-mets/news. 

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4 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

Diaz was awful, period. Time for mop up roles. Very, very disappointing.

Bats other than McNeil were awful, period.

Pete swung (overswung?) thru a hanging meatball just before fanning to end game.

Brian Dozier gets to play and, of course, does nothing.

My brother would simply say, "typical Mets."

A mediocre pitcher they should have beat up on, they did not. Yanks of course beat up on lousy Baltimore pitching as expected, scoring 8 more than the Mets.

July 31, 2020 at 7:41 AM
John From Albany said...

Tom - hitting comes and goes in peaks and valleys. Mets need to go with better defensive lineup then use bats on bench to pinch hit in key moments. The point made about Dom Smith not pinch hitting and not using Guillorme is a key case in point.

July 31, 2020 at 8:01 AM
Mack Ade said...

I am starting to think that Conforto will never be that "go to" hitter we all expected him to be.

No clutch hitting.

July 31, 2020 at 9:30 AM
John From Albany said...

Conforto will put up solid numbers by the end of each season but he is prone to slumps like he is in right now. That is why you need to build your offense on speed and manufacturing runs. You need to shorten your swing and make contact with men on base and less than two outs - not swing for the big home run.

If only we had a manager in the Mets system that preached that style of baseball. Maybe that won a championship last year in Brooklyn?

July 31, 2020 at 9:55 AM

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