Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets managed a split of a four-game series with the Atlanta Braves despite the second wave of injuries to the roster coming to a head over the last couple days.

Despite most of the injuries coming to the pitching staff, the performance of the starters and bullpen kept the Mets in every game this series, and the offense finally broke out of a slump in game four.

Despite the split and going 3-6 in their last nine games, they’re 38-31 ahead of their first off day in two weeks, and they’re still four games ahead in the division. You’ll take it.

3 Up

The Mets’ Best Relivers Are Edwin Diaz and… Aaron Loup?

Who would’ve thought that at the beginning of the season (without it being some disaster scenario for the Mets).

Edwin Diaz has been the Mets’ best reliever–especially in save situations. He’s allowed one run while protecting a save, and that run resulted in the lone blown save Diaz has all year. Even with that run, he’s 16-of-17 in save opportunities with 25 strikeouts and a 0.50 ERA in 18 innings. Diaz proved he could pitch well in New York in 2020, and he’s done even better this year. He’ll likely be an All Star.

Aaron Loup, the lefty they signed for $3 million to replace Justin Wilson, has been lights out for the Mets, too. He’s appeared in 26 games, thrown 22.2 innings and has a 1.59 ERA–the best number of any reliever on the team who’s thrown more than six innings. Plus, as Mike Mayer points out, Loup is fourth in the National League in fWAR among relievers at 1.1. He’s right behind Diaz, who’s accumulated 1.2 fWAR.

Loup came in especially clutch during Tuesday’s game of the Braves series.

Already short on arms because of the doubleheader the day before, Marcus Stroman left eight innings to fill when he had to leave the Tuesday’s game three pitches into the second inning. After Yennsy Diaz and Drew Smith each tossed two innings–nothing too far out of their normal workload–Aaron Loup threw three nearly perfect innings. Three! It’s the most he’s thrown in eight years, and the 40 pitches over the three innings are the most he’s thrown in an appearance this year.

He may have another day or two off, but he earned it Tuesday.

Conforto Gives The Offense A Jolt

Michael Conforto returned to the lineup Wednesday, and the Mets scored almost as many runs on Wednesday as they had the last four games combined.

Conforto was in the middle of a couple rallies. His 110 mile-per-hour double in the first brought Francisco Lindor to third, and Lindor eventually scored on a wild pitch. (Conforto scored on a Dom Smith groundout soon after.) The right fielder then opened the seventh inning with a 106 m.p.h. single, and he scored three batters later.

The offense had been struggling the previous eight games, even has the lineup got a bit deeper with Jeff McNeil. Conforto coming back brought the lineup closer to full strength, but more importantly, he was a jolt to the offense while batting third.

The Mets have a much deeper lineup entering the remainder of their stretch against NL East opponents, and it’ll get better when Brandon Nimmo returns.

A Successful MLB Debut!

A huge shout out to Tylor Megill, who made his major-league debut in a spot start for the Mets Wednesday. He lasted 4.1 innings and gave up two runs on three hits and two walks. The 25-year-old was probably the Mets’ most major-league-ready pitching prospect, and now that he’s on the 40-man roster, he might be trusted to make multiple starts across the rest of the year.

Mets fans, understanding how important Megill’s innings were Wednesday after the bullpen was ravaged after having to throw eight innings Tuesday and another five or so Monday, gave Megill a standing ovation as he left the game. (Try to ignore the substance check from the umpires.)

Credit: Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports

3 Down

Did The Offense Really Break Out Wednesday?

As I wrote above, Michael Conforto provided a much-needed boost the the Mets’ lineup. They scored seven runs Wednesday. It remains to see if it really was a boost or if it was an anomaly, because the offense really continued to struggle in the Braves series.

They were shut out again Tuesday (the fourth time in eight games to that point and second game in a row). They had a stretch this series where they didn’t score a run for 17 straight innings. They had one hit in the first 8.2 innings Tuesday, and it came off the bat of Jerad Eickhoff, who started the night before and was pinch hitting because the team’s bench depth was so depleted by injuries.

They’re about to face the Phillies, who’ve had about the same success pitching-wise as the Braves, for four games, followed by a game against the Nationals and three more in Atlanta. We’ll see if the bats can pick back up against the same sort of pitching staffs they’ve been slumping against.

There Goes The Health

Just when we though the Mets were getting back on track health-wise with Michael Conforto, Jeff McNeil and Jacob deGrom all making appearances in the series, the Mets had just about as many players get placed on the injured list.

Between Monday and the end of the series Wednesday, the Mets put Jeurys Familia, Robert Gsellman and Tomás Nido on the IL. Marcus Stroman also left Tuesday’s start early with hip soreness, and while he’s not on the IL yet, they haven’t said if he’s going to make his next start yet. Jonathan Villar hasn’t played since Monday due to a tight calf. The team also confirmed Joey Lucchesi needs Tommy John surgery, which he’ll get Thursday.

It caused a flurry of roster moves, including bringing Tylor Megill, Corey Oswalt and Jerad Eickhoff to the majors. They all came in clutch for the team this series to aid in the split, but none of the three were on the 40-man roster before the series, which tells you the state of the team’s health.

In positive news, Brandon Nimmo should be back around the weekend. Dellin Betances has pitched largely fine during his rehab assignment, and he’ll be back in a week or so. But the Mets are still at a point with regards to their pitching where they’ll constantly be playing roster gymnastics to keep fresh arms in the bullpen and pitching staff.

Enjoy The Rest While You Have It

Thursday is the Mets’ last off day until the All-Star break. That means they’re going to play 18 games in the next 17 days, starting with a doubleheader Friday versus the Phillies. (Luckily for the Mets, their All-Star break is bookended with seven games against the Pirates–one of the two worst teams in baseball.)

It’s going to be a really tough stretch for a team who’s pitching staff was recently punched in the gut with injuries. But just as the Mets had replacement offensive players come through for them in May and early June, they’ll need the same from replacement pitchers (like Tylor Megill, Corey Oswalt and Robert Stock) to come through for them over the next two-and-a-half weeks–and likely beyond.