4/26/21

Mets News and Breakfast Links 4/26/2021

 



Good Morning.  Happy Birthday Amos Otis, Mike Scott, and Lou Thornton.  Mets 4 Nationals 0 as Taijuan Walker throws 7 scoreless as the defense shines.  Drew Smith off the IL and sent to Alt. Site.

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Mets 4 Nationals 0 (Box Score and Gameday): Brandon Nimmo LF 0 for 3, 1 K; Pete Alonso 1B 1 for 2, HR, 1 RBI, 2 runs scored, 2 walks, 1 K; Francisco Lindor SS 1 for 4; J.D. Davis 3B 3 for 4, 2 RBIs, 2 runs scored; Michael Conforto RF 1 for 4; James McCann C 1 for 3, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 1 K; Jonathan Villar 2B 1 for 4, 2 Ks;  Albert Almora jr. CF 0 for 2, 1 walk; Taijuan Walker P 0 for 3, 3 Ks – 7 innings, 3 hits, no runs, 3 walks, 4 Ks; Miguel Castro 1 inning, 2 hits, no runs, 3 Ks; Edwin Diaz 1 inning, no runs. 

Mike Puma NY Post: Taijuan Walker’s best start of season leads Mets to win over Nationals. “In his most efficient start of the season, even without his best stuff, the right-hander — with superb defense behind him — fired seven shutout innings to lead a 4-0 victory over the Nationals at Citi Field.”

Deesha Thosar NY Daily News: Albert Almora, making his first start as a Met, made a game-altering play …Kyle Schwarber launched a deep fly ball to center that had the potential to damage Walker’s otherwise successful afternoon. Almora, not missing a beat, sprinted back toward the 408-foot sign in center, tracked the ball perfectly, leaped and made the catch before colliding into the wall for the final out of the inning.

Newsday: Walker was good, but he wouldn’t have been zero runs good if not for an outstanding catch by Almora...a stellar Conforto-to-Villar-Davis relay in the third. Lindor contributed a leaping grab of a fifth-inning line drive that wasn’t crucial to the outcome, but was sure darn pretty. Alonso made a diving stop of a hot shot on the final out of the game.

Brian Joura Mets 360: J.D. Davis gave the Mets the early lead with a two-run homer in the first inning. Davis singled and scored a run in the fourth...Pete Alonso, moved to second in the order for this game, homered to lead off the fifth inning…(subscription required).

Metstradamus: “This one was a big April win….the difference between a 4-5 stretch over nine, which is liveable, or 3-6, which just looks a whole lot worse.”

Mike’s Mets: That Winning Feeling. “The good thing about being back to a full 162-game schedule is that a stretch of bad play doesn't have to define the season.”

David Lennon Newsday Give Luis Rojas credit for Sunday's lineup: Everything went the Mets' way. “Every Met was at the the right place at the right time Sunday. Across the board. Offensively, defensively… It was far too effective to dismiss as a lucky afternoon in the manager’s chair.”

NY Post: J.D. Davis pummels Patrick Corbin again for ‘hell of a day’.  “After going 2-for-2 against Corbin, Davis is now 9-for-28 with three doubles and four home runs against the left-hander. The four round-trippers are the most Davis has against any pitcher.”

Rising Apple: Mets choice to sign Taijuan Walker over Jake Odorizzi is an early win. 






















SNY.TV: What’s Next - David Peterson and Garrett Richards will duel on the mound when the Boston Red Sox come to Flushing for a series starting Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

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Today in Mets History Per Ultimatemets.com: 

Born April 26:

Died on April 26:

National Pastime.com:

1977

The Rangers trade Lenny Randle, under suspension for the spring training altercation in which he fractured manager Frank Lucchesi's cheekbone, to the Mets for a player to be named later (infielder Rick Auerbach) and cash. Joe Torre, the New York's new skipper, replacing Joe Frazier, shifts the 28-year-old second baseman to third base.

1988

Keith Hernandez hits two homers and drives in seven runs to reach the 1000 RBI milestone. The Mets' first baseman's offensive output, which includes an eighth-inning grand slam off Charley Puleo, contributes to the Mets' 13-4 rout of the Braves at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

 

1995

In the debut of Coors Field, the Rockies defeat the Mets in 14 innings, tying the National League record for the number of innings played in a season opener. After New York's first baseman Rico Brogna collects the ballpark's first home run, a fourth-inning line drive off Bill Swift, Dante Bichette ends the contest with a walk-off blasting the 14th frame, giving Colorado a dramatic come-from-behind 11-9 victory.

2006

At the age of 47, Julio Franco becomes the second-oldest player to steal a bag when he swipes second base in the eighth inning of the Mets' 9-7 victory over the Giants at AT&T Park. In 1909, Arlie Latham, who played two games at second base for the Giants, purloined a sack as a 49-year old.

 

2012

Using a home-grown starting lineup for the first time since 1971, New York beats Miami when Heath Bell walks four batters in the ninth inning, including Justin Turner's 13-pitch at-bat that knots the score before he gives up a game-winning two-out single to the rookie Kirk Nieuwenhuis. Forty-one years ago, Gil Hodges used a lineup of all former Mets farmhands that included Ed Kranepool, Bud Harrelson, Tim Foli, Ted Martinez, Mike Jorgensen, Duffy Dyer, John Milner, and Jerry Koosman.

1995 - A number of Major League Baseball teams open their season, reduced to 144 games because of the strike. Coors Field, the National League's first new baseball-only park in 23 years, opens in dramatic fashion in Denver, Colorado, as Dante Bichette of the Rockies hits a three-run home run to defeat the visiting Mets in 14 innings, 11 - 9, tying the National League record for most innings played in a season opener.

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8 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

A John From Albany kind of a game yesterday - pitching, defense, and a little timely hitting. Tht was the kind of games the Mets played a lot in the summer of '69.

Meanwhile Braves get one hit in a doubleheader? Is that right?

Yankees lose - a perfect Sunday.

Tatis Jr 5 HRs in 3 days - now we need Lindor to do that.

After watching Trevor Story hit a slam, I'd be 100% fine signing him as a free agent and letting Conforto go, as of now, anyway. Get the best - we got the dough.

I want our minor league boys to get started.

Good to see Drew Smith head to alt site.

The returns of Carrasco, Lugo and Thor are getting closer by the day. That's a lot of quality.

April 26, 2021 at 6:56 AM
John From Albany said...

8 days to the start of Minor Ball next Tuesday - May 4th. Can't wait.

Yep - just one hit by the Braves in the Double Header yesterday. Mets pick up 1.5 games on them in one day and a game on the rest of the division as they all lose. If they keep catching the ball, they should be good.

April 26, 2021 at 7:11 AM
TexasGusCC said...

Yes, that call on Spanish TV on Almora’s catch was pretty cool.

I made reference yesterday to Nimmo’s depth, and today I read this from Ken Rosenthal in The Athletic:

“At the suggestion of Jared Faust, a member of the Mets’ analytics department, he began playing deeper in center field.

Statcast rated Nimmo one out above average in center each season from 2017 to ‘19, but had him at minus four in ‘20. In late August, Faust showed Nimmo video of high catch probability flyballs that he failed to reach, the majority of which landed on the warning track.

“This is not who you are,” Faust said.

To maximize his ability, Nimmo needed to adjust his positioning. Through the Mets’ first 23 games, his average depth was 317 feet, where the fastest and best defensive center fielders play. Nimmo was not part of that group; Statcast ranked him among roughly the top 20 percent in sprint speed in 2019-20. Faust found that center fielders who had similar speed and went back on balls in similar fashion were playing deeper.

A recalibration made sense for other reasons as well. Nimmo was more proficient coming in on balls than back and particularly vulnerable on balls hit over his left shoulder. Playing him deeper, Faust reasoned, would move some of his chances in the 30 to 40 percent catch probability range into the 75 to 100 percent category, making him a more efficient center fielder.

Nimmo’s change in positioning roughly coincided with the Mets’ return in late August from a five-day layoff resulting from a player and coach testing positive for COVID-19. In the team’s final 21 games, his average depth was 327 feet, a 10-foot difference from earlier. In the first 16 games of this season, it was 328. The major-league average for center fielders since the start of the 2020 season is 322.

Defensive metrics can be unreliable in small samples, but Nimmo already is one out above average this season. He will adjust his positioning, “depending upon which pitcher we have going that day, whether it’s groundball, flyball or Jake deGrom.” And a catch he made in the Mets’ second game, on a ball hit by Bryce Harper off Miguel Castro into the left-center field gap, demonstrated the value of him playing deeper.

The play came at a critical juncture, with two outs in the seventh inning, runners on second and third and the Mets leading, 6-2. Statcast assigned the catch four stars out of five, meaning the probability was between 26 and 50 percent. Faust later told Nimmo that early last season, he did not make a single catch at that level of difficulty.”

April 26, 2021 at 8:43 AM
Anonymous said...

Glad to finally see Almora on the field. I hope it happens again!

I was also glad to see Villar at 2B.

Right now, among the poor performers, one has to put Dom Smith at the top of the list. The bat has been very bad, he's not taking any walks (2 in 59 PAs), his OBP is .254 -- he's been an OUT machine. Even Lindor, who has been terrible, has an OBP of .324. And Dom is by far the worst defender on the team when he is stuck in LF.

So, what do you do? That balancing act between "supporting" a player and making changes.

Personally, for Dom, because the defense is soooo bad, I don't mind if he gets the message that he has to produce. It's not an automatic, everyday thing. Most days, he'll be out there.

I feel the same about Jeff, who has not hit all Spring, too. Get it together or, at times, watch someone else play.

I don't think either should lose their jobs. But it's not a tenured position.

Same with Davis. I believe in JD's bat and I think he can make the routine plays at 3B -- but I'm also good with seeing Guillorme out there.

Whereas Conforto, who has been perhaps the most frustrating, is a player with a more established track record, and has earned a longer leash. (He can sit vs. select LHP, hopefully.)

I feel confident that McNeil will hit; I am hopeful that Dom will hit, too, though I'm less positive it will be enough to overcome the defense.

(I might hate James McCann's batting stance.)

Jimmy

April 26, 2021 at 8:58 AM
Anonymous said...

Good info, Gus.

The people complaining about playing deeper in CF are wildly overstating the balls that drop in. But that's how it is with Nimmo: He's a player that some fans need to pick apart, eager to find fault.

He clearly is not an excellent defender. He's competent. And a huge asset to this team.

Jimmy

April 26, 2021 at 9:03 AM
Anonymous said...

I have one more comment about defense, in how it relates to the starts by Stroman and Walker. One was "bad" and the other was "good," but in reality, I think they had very similar starts.

Stroman was undone by defense, and a tough strike zone. In the first, that run doesn't score. In the second, that run doesn't score. And then, rather than being on a roll, he had to fight his way through.

Walker easily could have given up three runs with only average defense.

Each pitcher came away with very different results. And the reporting focused on those end-numbers. But I don't think their performances were too far apart.

That said: I'm not advocating for a defense-first team. Just that when we look at our pitchers, the defense behind him can, at times, make or break our perception of their performance.

Jimmy

April 26, 2021 at 9:10 AM
TexasGusCC said...

Jimmy, six feet is about a stride and and a half. That’s just enough to have a ball land right in front of you. But, if we understand that that is Nimmo’s game, then we embrace it, appreciate it, and do what the Mets are doing - try to best deal with it.

April 26, 2021 at 10:30 AM
Anonymous said...

Yes, Gus, some balls will land in front of him that a superior CF would have caught.

Like in life, you have to take the whole person. I'm very happy with Nimmo and glad, too, to have good defensive outfielders as backups.

We had Lagares for years and years. So we all know how that went.

Jimmy

April 26, 2021 at 3:15 PM

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