The Mets (73-86) lost to the Brewers (72-87) by a score of 4-2 on Thursday night at Citi Field.
Dillon Gee took the ball for the final time this season, and struggled a bit. Dillon gave up 2 walks and 4 singles in the 2nd inning, which allowed Milwaukee to score the only 4 runs they would need. Gee did settle down after that, pitching scoreless ball the rest of the way before departing after the sixth with 4 runs, 7 hits, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts on his line.
The Mets got a run back in the 3rd, when Eric Young walked, stole 2nd (bringing him to 44 on the season, which ties him for the NL lead), and eventually game around to score on a groundout by Daniel Murphy.
Johnny Hellweg went up and in to the next batter, David Wright, and caught him on the helmet with a fastball. Wright was down for a minute or so, but managed to leave the field on his own power after what seemed to (fortunately) be just a glancing blow.
Both teams had chances throughout the game after that point, but neither team managed to get a run on the board until the 9th. Josh Satin hit a ball out to left field which was deemed a home run after video review (bless the robot umps!). With 2 out, Justin Turner hit a rocket to center that went for a double, bringing Lucas Duda to the plate as the tying run. Lucas, however, was unable to capitalize (sound familiar?), as he went down swinging to end the ballgame.
Dillon Gee had one awful inning, but was solid for his other 5 frames. Gee finishes his 2013 season with a 12-11 record and a 3.62 ERA, with a 1.28 WHIP and 142 strikeouts against 47 walks in 199 innings. Gee was dreadful for the first 2 months, but his start against the Yankees in early June completely changed his season, and from that point on, Gee was one of the best pitchers in baseball, putting up a 2.79 ERA after June 1st. After seeing him go through a major health scare last season, it is a relief to see that Dillon is back on track, and this season he showed that he can be a big part of this rotation going forward (or a nice trade chip, if Sandy Alderson decides to go down that path). Don’t be too surprised if Terry sneaks Gee in for 1 more inning in relief this weekend; 200 innings pitched is a very nice milestone for a pitcher.
David Wright can’t catch a break. Less than a week after returning from a long stint on the DL, David got hit in the head, sending him to the ground and giving everybody watching some major Matt Cain Flashbacks. David appeared to be fine (he did not need help walking off the field), but Terry Collins was absolutely right to take him out of the game; there is no reason to risk anything at this point in the year (or ever, when it comes to head injuries). Wright has only played 2 full seasons in the past 5 years… if the Mets want to contend, they need their best player to be on the field.
Eric Young stole 2 more bases tonight. Young provides great defense in the outfield and incredible speed at the top of the lineup, and has definitely earned himself a spot on the club next year, possibly in a starting role.
Travis d’Arnaud is really starting to put it together. Travis went 2-3 with a walk tonight, and finally has his average up to 200. Travis is now 10 for his last 25 (.286) and continues to boost his OBP by drawing walks thanks to his great plate discipline. I would like to see more of the defense we have heard so much about (seriously… is he an elite defender or not? If he is, it shouldn’t take very long to show up, unless he is just getting comfortable). I would also like to see a bit more power; the Mets need Travis to be a 25-30 HR guy. Still, he is getting on base more and more often as the season winds down, and it is good to see that our best prospect is starting to put it all together.
The biggest negative from tonight? We lost… which is actually a positive. Studies have shown that it is better to have a top-ten draft pick than it is to not have a first-round pick at all.
The Mets have 3 more games left in 2013, and it would be nice to see the younger players continue to develop as the team plays out the string, so we can have more to look forward to heading into 2014, which is such an important year for this franchise.
The Mets will take on the Brewers at 7:10 PM on Friday night. Carlos Torres (4-5, 3.36 ERA) will face off against Yovani Gallardo (11-10, 4.23 ERA) at Citi Field.
