The Mets (17-11) beat the Marlins (12-12) by a score of 7-1 on Monday afternoon at Tradition Field.
With the last spot in the starting rotation potentially at stake, Rafael Montero took the ball for the Mets and was awesome, striking out six batters in six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and walking none.
Montero and Dan Haren (who was apparently lying about how he would retire if traded to the Marlins) each started the game with three perfect innings. Miami’s Dee Gordon led off the top of the fourth with a double that broke up Montero’s meaningless no-hitter, but Gordon was thrown out at third on the next play, and Montero escaped the inning with his meaningless shutout very much intact.
David Wright hit a two-out single in the bottom of the fourth to give the Mets their first baserunner, and Lucas Duda followed up the Captain by lining one over the wall in right to put the hosts up 2-0.
The Mets blew the game open in the bottom of the sixth. After Ruben Tejada led off the frame with a single, Juan Lagares—with Tejada running on the pitch— hit a single of his own to give the Mets runners on the corners with no outs. Curtis Granderson walked to load the bases, and after Wright struck out, Duda pulled one over the first-base bag for a bases-clearing double which put the Mets up 5-0. Michael Cuddyer was next, and he hammered a two-run shot to left field to send Haren to the showers. Wilmer Flores greeted reliever Brad Hand with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch, but the Mets could not bring him home, and were left to settle for a 7-0 lead.
Carlos Torres came in to pitch the top of the seventh, and immediately got himself into trouble by walking Giancarlo Stanton and surrendering a single to Michael Morse. But Carlos, determined to hold off the newly-acquired Alex for the title of Terry’s Favorite Torres, got Martin Prado to hit into a double-play and struck out Marcell Ozuna to escape the jam and keep the over/under on his appearances at 161.5 (I’m taking the over, because Harvey will definitely throw a complete game at some point).
After the Mets failed to make anything of a two-out single from Cesar Puello, Jeurys Familia came in and retired both hitters he faced to start the top of the eighth. Scott Rice came in to take care of the lefty, but Ichiro Suzuki hit one up the middle for what Gary Cohen called his “billionth hit.” Rice, blissfully unaware that Jerry Blevins was about to be acquired to take his LOOGY role, bounced back and induced a groundout from Donovan Solano to retire the side.
Jenrry Mejia came in to wrap things up in the top of the ninth, and was once again shaky. After Tyler Colvin grounded out, Mejia walked his former teammate Jordany Valdespin. Mejia then fanned Jeff Baker for the second out, but after Valdespin moved up a base on Defensive Indifference, Don Kelly singled up the middle to score Valdespin and break up the shutout. Mejia then issued his second walk of the inning to Cole Gillespie, but got Reid Brignac to fly out to seal the Mets’ 7-1 victory.
Another day, another solid showing from the Mets’ offense. The starting pitching was great as well, with Montero turning in a gem. Duda is mashing the ball, Cuddyer is still raking, Flores, Juan, and even Tejada are getting on base, and Kevin Long has my vote in 2016.
I still think Dillon Gee should break camp as the #5 starter. I definitely wouldn’t trade him, because as we’ve seen, it’s good to have depth in the rotation (and everywhere else). I don’t think he’d make a good reliever. But he does make a good starter. When healthy, he’s been terrific.
I had been hoping Montero would be converted to the bullpen because I think he’d make a great reliever, but he’s looked good as a starter lately, so perhaps he should be sent down to AAA if he doesn’t win the last spot in the rotation. If he’s excelling in Las Vegas and Gee is struggling in New York, give Montero the call-up. If somebody gets hurt, give Montero the call-up.
Anyway, I’m sure there will be plenty of Montero/Gee debate in the next week or so, so let’s move on.
The bullpen looked shaky once again today, despite not giving up more than one run. Mejia hasn’t been convincing, and Torres was a bit rocky. On the bright side, Familia was better this time around. And with today’s trades for Alex Torres and Jerry Blevins, help appears to be on the way. But if I had to pick out one area of concern, it would definitely be the pen.
1 week to go. Let’s hope the winning ways don’t stop when the games start to matter.
Up Next: The Mets will face the Nationals on Tuesday at 1:05 PM. Jon Niese will face Gio Gonzalez at Space Coast Stadium.
