3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Bounce Back In St. Louis

The New York Mets are enjoying an off day having taken the series against the Cardinals.

Although the final game was rained out, the Mets took the opening two contests to move back to .500 with an 18-18 record. It was the team’s first series win since April 19-21.

Granted, the Cardinals aren’t exactly a great baseball team right now (15-21), but you can only beat what is put in-front of you, after all. Either way, there were plenty of positives to take in after what was a tough stretch.

And, with that, let’s dive right into another edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

3 UP

COMEBACK KINGS

By rallying from three runs down to beat the Cardinals 7-5 on Tuesday, the Mets now have 10 comeback wins on the season. We’re still in May. That’s pretty darn impressive. It’s also proof that this team will claw to try and stay alive in games, which is important given that the Mets are probably going to be hovering around .500 all year. Resiliency is a really important trait for any team, and it is refreshing to see that the Mets have that quality by the bucket load.

RESURGENCE 

Pete Alonso returned with a vengeance on Tuesday, following a rare off day to begin the series. The slugger finished with a double, a homer and three RBIs as the Mets clinched the series win. It was more like the Alonso we all know and love. Hopefully, it will be a step in the right direction. After all, the three-time All-Star was in a 2-for-37 hole before Tuesday. He just looked lost at the plate. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – the Mets can’t afford a down year from Alonso. And nor can Alonso with Free Agency looming. Tuesday was just what the doctor ordered.

POWER SURGE

Brandon Nimmo had himself a monster series in St. Louis. After hitting the go-ahead home run in Monday’s win, Nimmo was even better on Tuesday. He blasted a mammoth three-run homer as part of a six run fifth inning, finishing the series with two homers and four RBIs. Nimmo has evolved into a stellar leadoff hitter who can get on base, put the ball in play, and, when needed, hit for power. If he can learn how to steal more bases, that would only add a different dynamic to his game.

3 DOWN

UP & DOWN

I don’t actually have many complaints about this series. I mean, what more could you ask for other than two wins from two? However, what we learned in St. Louis was that this team would be maddeningly inconsistent for the duration. They will go and get absolutely whacked in Tampa, before going to St. Louis and getting the job done against a bad team. We will have to see if the Mets have more good than bad days in order to make the postseason.

STARTER TROUBLE

José Buttó did what he had to do on Tuesday. The righty gave up three hits and three walks over five innings, while striking out just three. To be fair, Buttó didn’t allow any more runs after a nightmare first inning, but the lack of fastball command should be concerning. So should the fact that Buttó has now allowed 14 walks in his last five outings, a problem that has plagued the rest of the rotation.

POWER SHORTAGE

Aside from fracturing Willson Contreras’ left arm, it was a pretty quiet two-game set for J.D. Martinez. The slugger did drive in a run during Tuesday’s win. However, he has yet to hit a single home run in a Mets uniform. Furthermore, he has just two doubles, a .351 SLG% and a .701 OPS through 12 games. Martinez was meant to improve this lineup. Granted, it is still early but the lack of pop so far has been concerning.