Another tough week for the Mets came and went during Sunday June 5th to Saturday June 11th. The Mets went 3-4 during that stretch, and yet again, had trouble driving runners in with less than two outs, a startling trend that seems to be taking place more and more as the season progresses.
The Mets ran into their personal kryptonite in the Pittsburgh Pirates early in the week. Heading into the series with the Pirates, the Mets had lost the last seven games against them. That streak extended to nine games once the Mets lost a doubleheader on Tuesday, both games ending in 3-1 defeats. The Mets did get back on track opening the four game weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers, winning 5-2 on Thursday, and 2-1 on Friday.
But the Washington Nationals, the team the Mets have been looking up to in the standings, went 5-1 during the same stretch, asserting their offensive firepower with three wins that resulted in 10 or more runs scored, one game with nine runs, and the other with eight.
The Mets need to get into a rhythm and start reeling off some series wins in order to stay close with the surging Nationals, and they’ll need to get more consistent performance from their injury riddled lineup. But the Mets did have two standout performers during the week, and as promised, here are MMO’s Players of the Week.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: CURTIS GRANDERSON
Curtis Granderson is MMO’s Offensive Player of the Week, being a consistent force for the Mets this past week, and picking up his production after a slow start to the season.
For the week, Granderson went 8-for-24 at the plate, with three home runs, three runs batted in, four runs scored, and three walks. After Sunday’s loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, Granderson’s line for the season is now .219/.318/.460, with 12 home runs and 20 runs batted in.
Granderson had a huge game in Saturday’s 7-4 loss to the Brewers, coming a double shy of hitting for the cycle. On the day, “The Grandy Man” went 3-for-4, including his 12th home run on the year in the fifth inning with no one on, and two out.
There was talk during the week of whether batting Granderson lead-off was the most ideal situation for the Mets to be in, however, Manager Terry Collins noted that there are very few options in the lead-off spot, and Granderson would be the best candidate based on what he did last year for the club.
“I think he’s our best option,” Collins said about Granderson leading off. “I know when he’s in the right state he gets on base. You look at what he did last year getting on base, he was incredible for us. OK, he’s got off to a slow start. But there’s a few of us that are off to a slow start. I just think he’s the guy. He likes leading off. I think he’s going to come on. But that’s what he can do. He can put a point on the board in a hurry.”
PITCHER OF THE WEEK: MATT HARVEY
Welcome back Matt Harvey. After a rocky start to the season, Harvey seems to be back in cruise control in his last three starts. For the week of June 5th to June 11th, Harvey pitched twice, the Sunday match-up against Marlins’ ace Jose Fernandez, and the Friday June 10th start against Milwaukee.
In his start against Fernandez, Harvey held his own and pitched a terrific game, taking the tough luck loss in a pitcher’s duel in the Marlins 1-0 win. For his part, Harvey pitched seven innings of one run ball, scattering four hits and striking out three, without issuing a walk.
Harvey noted that he felt good in that start, and has started to get a feel back for his pitches, an encouraging sign.
“When you’re out there and you don’t feel great with any sort of pitch it can be discouraging, but the last two starts and in between starts everything has been feeling really good, so it’s definitely positive, but there is still work.”
Harvey took the mound again on Friday in the second game of the four game set against the Brewers. He picked up the no decision, but the Mets ended up winning 2-1 in eleven innings. For his part, Harvey went six innings, giving up one run on two hits and two walks, while striking out eight. It was only the second time this season that Harvey notched at least eight or more strikeouts in a game, the last one coming on May 8th against the San Diego Padres.
In games where Harvey has surrendered one run or less, he’s 15-5 with an astounding 16 no decisions, highlighting the lack of run support the team has given him in his career thus far.
In his last three starts, Harvey has posted a 0.90 earned run average, and has seen his fastball velocity rise. Whatever flip that has switched in Harvey is surely a welcoming sight to see, after the early season funk Harvey seemingly couldn’t escape from. It’s nice to see his command and confidence coming back into play, and Harvey seems poised and ready to reestablish himself as one of the top starting pitchers in the game.
