It is far too early to analyze this team, but, like the virus, it isn't a crime to recognize the early signs of things going south.
First of all, let me repeat something I have said on earlier comments on this site. It is vitally important that we get off to a decent start in the first 15 games. They represent a staggering 25% of this season. We just can't afford to just throw away wins like we did on Saturday.
I will get to Edwin Diaz later. First... the bats.
Everywhere I turn in the Mets writer community, I come up with articles, posts, and podcasts telling me that the Mets were going to lead me to the promised land with a bat in their hands. This was going to be the year that we offensively stood up to teams like the Dodgers and Yankees. Once again, the early return is far less than expected.
We know we will produce more later, but doesn't it seem like we experience an awful lot of three of four games in a row with a low run count, only to be followed with something like a 15-5 win? Everybody is quick to forgive the past. Me? We still went 1-3 or 1-4 in these games.
Yes, we had a Diaz hiccup (will discuss later), but a team leads in blown saves because they go into the ninth inning with only a one or two run lead. If you go in leading 7-1 and eventually win 7-4, no one starting climbing on the back of your pen.
We never should have been in this situation on Saturday. That doesn't fall on Diaz.
Regarding Diaz, what I saw was one bad pitch. Should it have been thrown? Did Wilson Ramos call for it? Did our new manager send it in? We will probably never know the answer of this question. What we do know is his velocity is back, his control seems just fine, and, other than that pitch, we would be running him for President right now.
I'm not saying it isn't going to get worse here, but, for now, I see no reason to upset the pen's apple cart. Me? I would move Drew Smith up a notch and also re-evaluate Hunter Strickland. A 60 game season doesn't give us the luxury of allowing a reliever to pitch himself out of a mess like this. If there is an early move to be considered, this might be it.
The debacle Saturday in the 10th inning have given us an early peak of the limit of talent we have here beyond Diaz, Smith, Jeurys Familia, Justin Wilson, Dellin Betances and Seth Lugo. We need one more stud here.
Lastly... my favorite subject. There are three aspects of this game... pitching, hitting, and defense. The Mets continue to be a team that seems to completely ignore the 'D'. Even our defensive replacements outrun a grounder in center.
Get serious here and design a fixed late inning plan if you are leading the game. Put Dom Smith on first... place Andres Gimenez on second... replaced Ramos behind the plate with one of your two defense first catchers on your active roster... and move Brandon Nimmo to left while inserting Jake Marisnick in center. Every game. Every game.
12 comments:
Against the Yanks, I thought the lack of hitting was rust that would be shed by this past weekend. It sure wasn't. I am now getting concerned.
Mack, we do have 30 men on the roster - any close game that we lead, we should rotate to defensive guys. We should get starters out of games that are settled, too, to keep them fresh and allow them to play every day.
Diaz - while so many moaned over Kelenic, I kept sticking with Diaz based on his incredible 2018. But now I am skeptical - he cannot allow a homer to ever 13 batters in the 9th inning, as he has as a Met. As a Met, he has been GREAT in the 7th, 8th, and 10th. Use him in those innings, where he can be a real asset, only close with him against weaker teams, and let Lugo and Familia close.
Did we already forget he saved the game one win? Did we forget he retired two hitters in game two before the blast from Dunn? The only way to pitch successfully is to keep pitching, not sitting on the sidelines.
I still think Diaz can get the job done but his mindset is being a closer. Remore him from that role and you cut half his heart out.
After last night, we may have a lot more problems with the pitching staff.
Diaz. Threw (from TV view) seemed like the same pitch (location, velo, break) 3 time that inning. Two were missed badly, one slammed. idk.
Like: Gimenez for late inning defense. Conforto going the other way.
Bothered. P.Bear flogging at outliers while taking meatballs. JD playing LF like Lucas Duda doing a Todd Hundley imitation.
Hobie, Diaz was too predictable. Kept pounding same location. Why not bust one inside on him? Why not keep it lower in zone, which is harder to hit out? He needs to stop spewing homers.
If JDD and PA don't hit, the Mets will fade fast. Cespedes too. Disappointed at how they did nothing against lefties.
Of course, JDD just missed a homer Saturday. One more foot and it would have been gone.
I am concerned about Alonso becoming the second coming of Ike Davis.
The Mets need to take adeep breath and feast off the SP4 and SP5 they will see next.
Agreed. Time for the bats to arise again back end starters. In a big way.
The Mets problem is time. Time they don't have to fix Diaz.
If the Mets want to win, they have to move their best arms where its needed most. The best BP arm is attached to Lugo so I would make him my closer for this year.
What's wrong with Diaz is that he throws only 2 pitches, fastball, slider usually in the same locations, same speed. So as a hitter, if you are guessing, you would have a 50% chance on being right.
Insert Lugo into the closer role and now you have a pitcher with a fastball, curve, slider, change-up. Able to throw any pitch on any count.
Please lose the Corey Oswalds and other useless players.
Viper, I 100% agree.
One bad pitch Viper.
One.
One bad pitch after one bad year. Did I hear Gary Cohen say that Diaz ERA on back to back save opportunities was 13.50 for Diaz last year?
Lugo repertoire would be much better keeping hitters guessing. Not only that but he locates better, pitches up and down and side to side never giving hitters a pattern.
Happen to be wearing a # 29 Ike Davis tee right now. Concerned about the second coming after 3 games? Come on.
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