The Mets have taken a lot of heat lately for their offense. It’s deserved. But I found it interesting when Gare mentioned the stat that just one out of the 16 runs the Mets have scored in the previous six games were off of starters. That made what James McCann did on Tuesday extra important.
Tylor Megill started out great against the Braves, throwing a great 4 and 2/3’s innings in which is control was much better than it was in his previous start (85 pitches, 60 strikes). But this was before the Braves mustered up a two out rally with singles by Ronal Acuña Jr. and Freddie Freeman (though the shift) It was then that Jeremy Hefner came out to talk to Megill. Now the old wives tale is that pitchers usually try extra hard to throw a strike with the first pitch after a pitching coach comes to calm them down. Ozzie Albies obviously is fluent in these tales as he ambushed a first pitch changeup and gave the Braves a 3-0 lead.
But in the 7th, with the Braves riding Charlie Morton for as long as he could go, the Mets rallied. Dom Smith hit a 3-2 curveball for a single (which if you know anything about how curves have bedeviled Smith this year, you’re impressed.) Kevin Pillar then worked out a walk to bring up McCann. What you should know is that in McCann’s previous at-bat in the 5th, he struck out on a curveball that I think was thrown to Savannah (and this was after he looked at a curveball in the zone). Earlier in the at-bat he swung and missed at a curve that was at least in the right zip code, but he missed nonetheless for an 0-2 count
However, Morton tried to go with two straight cutters to get McCann. The first one was a ball. The second one … well, that was jolted out to center for a three run HR to tie the game at 3-3. It was a big time jolt considering the Mets lack of success against starters in general, and good starters in particular. Morton might have made a mistake not going back to the curve, but the Mets don’t always hit mistakes. So to get this one was a huge, huge lift.
The Braves brought in A.J. Minter at that point, and considering that we’ve lived through Mel Rojas Sr., D.J. Carrasco, and the 2019 version of Edwin Diaz, I can only imagine what Braves fans must feel any time A.J. Minter and his 4.50 ERA and -0.2 WAR strolls to the mound. I can’t corroborate this, but a Braves fan told me that his entrance music is “Taps”.
4 comments:
The Mets beat Steve Carlton 4-3 one season when he fanned 19 Mets. That was a very good year.
Didn't Swoboda have two 2-run homers in that game?
Yes it wasn't on TV but I remember listening on radio, you remember those, 2 two run shots beat Carlton a great pitcher but we did have some good games againest him over the years.
Pitching Staff
Most likely the NY Mets will still be making trades for pitching depth, especially after a glut of starting pitcher injuries and near amputations. Unlike some other team moves, over say the past ten years or so, I don't want the team to just stockpile bodies. Instead, I would like the franchise to concentrate more on fewer moves but for higher quality players and pitchers. I believe this would work much more favorably for them than no names and cast offs from other clubs. There are not really that many needs here beyond pitching depth if you think about it. And the team does have fielding players it could use in trade from good depth.
I personally would recommend bringing in a top three type starter and then also a highly rated prospect pitcher as well, someone close and someone very hungry for the MLB.
Let me give you an example below.
SLP: MacKenzie Gore / age 22 / Phenomenal stat sheet / strikeout to innings outstanding which means his pitches are solid and deceiving batters / 93 - 95 fastball average, can hit 96 and yes kids he's a lefty. Might even consider like a Marcus Stroman for him, just to get lefty starting depth in here.
LRP: Trevor Lane / age 26 / Lefty reliever but was earlier on a starter as well / Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders / 93-95 fastball, can touch 96 also and yes kids is a lefty pitcher. Nice stat sheet overall, with an exceptional strikeouts per innings and WHIP. Watch some youtube on him and see for yourself.
Okay, so the rotation migh/maybe look like this come playoff time with these trade ideas being executed: 1. deGrom 2. Walker 3. McGill 4. Carrasco or Stroman 5. Peterson 6. Gore or Lane (with the other one going to the bullpen)
Reasoning for trades:
Yankees have the weakest rotation I have ever seen them have since the early 1970's, abysmal actually. They need to make moves if they ever want to catch up to their divisional lead teams. They need to maybe put Jonathan Loaisiga and/or Zach Britton (when healthy) back into their rotation. Perhaps call up a couple of their Scranton AAA pitchers, like maybe RRP Matt Krooks for the pen. Medina and Schmitt may not be ready for the bigs. But the cabinet is bare in Scranton and in my opinion the NYY will need to make a significant trade for a top three starter. They are already like seven games back and heading southward like an anchor in ocean.
What could they get for Trevor Lane if desiring to make such a trade here with the Mets.
Perhaps Kilome and Eickhoff.
While the Mets could definitely use more left handed depth, thus Trevor Lane coming here. I would like to see Robert Gsellman packaged in a deal too, only because I think he needs a "reboot" on another team. He was so darn good here a few seasons back (2016) and I see no reason (what-so-ever) why he could not be made that guy once again here or someplace else. A smart team sees that.
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