The New York Mets took on the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday afternoon in Spring Training action. With just three weeks away from the start of the regular season, things will be taking shape quickly as we head towards Opening Day, especially with a player like Jeff McNeil getting closer to a return. For today, left-hander Sean Manaea made his second start of the preseason. His debut was not encouraging as he struggled mightily and gave up three earned runs on five hits in the first inning. One day after fellow free agent signing Luis Severino had another strong outing, Manaea needed to show some positive signs. So, how did he do this time around against the Cardinals? Pretty, pretty good, as the Mets defeated the Cardinals 9-3.
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
Manaea’s Strong Outing
Manaea pitched four scoreless innings against St. Louis, allowing two hits, three walks, and five strikeouts. To begin his outing, Manaea struck out Brendan Donovan. He also struck out Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras in the bottom of the second inning. In his last frame, Manaea struck out Contreras again and struck out Alfonso Rivas on an impressive 80-mph sweeper to end his day. It was a nice bounce-back performance for Manaea and a good sign for him and the Mets.
Nate Lavender Impresses Again
In the bottom of the 6th, the Mets gave way to Nate Lavender. Lavender has been one of the most impressive stories of the Spring, and he would show his potential yet again. Lavender went up against the heart of the Cardinals order, including Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt. The two All-Stars were no match for Lavender as he struck out the side. He got Goldschmidt swinging and Arenado looking. Yesterday, the Mets announced Lavender would be reassigned to minor league camp, which is not a surprise. The Mets are guaranteed to carry two left-handed relievers, Brooks Raley and Jake Diekman. However, Lavender has made a solid case to play in the major leagues and will be someone to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
Offense Shines
Francisco Lindor began the scoring for New York with his first home run of the Spring. Mark Vientos would soon double, and Ji-Man Choi drove him in with a ground-rule double. Brett Baty singled to the opposite field to bring in Choi. The Mets opened up a 3-0 lead to begin the afternoon. In the second inning, Lindor would get his second RBI of the day on a sacrifice fly that scored Omar Narváez after he was hit by the pitch. To cap off their day, the Mets offense scored four runs in the top of the 8th inning, and Baty would notch his second hit of the game with a double. Choi had three hits and a walk on this day. The Mets offense totaled 15 hits against the Cardinals pitching.
Player Of The Game: Sean Manaea
After a very shaky debut, it was imperative that Manaea had a good performance, and he did. Manaea showed his veteran steadiness and his ability to rebound after tough outings. With the starting rotation in flux, thanks to the absence of Kodai Senga, New York will need more of what Manaea showed them today.
On Deck
The Mets return home to Clover Park in Port St. Lucie on Sunday afternoon to take on the Detroit Tigers. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. EST and will be televised locally on SNY.
