The New York Mets faced a nine game road trip to open the second half of their season following the All-Star break, starting with three games in Philadelphia, followed by three in Chicago, and then three in Miami. The Mets took the first series two games to one against the Phillies, dropped the Cubs series, and won two out of three against the Marlins to take their third series out of four against their NL East foe. They still remain a half game back in the Wild Card and second place in the NL East.
For the week of July 18-24, the Mets split the six games played against the Cubs and Marlins. They finally return home for a nine-game home stand, plus two more games against the New York Yankees in the Bronx. The trade deadline also looms as August 1 inches closer and closer, as fans wait with bated breath to see if Sandy Alderson and Co. can bring in some last minute additions (bullpen, starter, bench/role player) to hopefully propel them to another big second half like they had last season.
As we anxiously check MLB Trade Rumors and other various sites for news and notes on any potential trades, here are MMO’s Players of the Week for July 18-24.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: JOSE REYES
Jose, Jose, Jose! Jose Reyes gets the nod for Offensive Player of the Week as he sparked a charge atop the lineup, going 7 for 26 with four runs scored, two triples, a double, two RBI, and a stolen base. Since his return to the Mets, Reyes has recorded at least one hit in 11 of 15 games played, and reached base safely in 13 of them.
Reyes’ biggest contribution came in Friday’s 5-3 win against the Marlins in Miami. Reyes opened the game with a double on a 0-1 fastball from LHP Adam Conley. Reyes then promptly stole third while Yoenis Cespedes was up at bat, his third steal of the season. Reyes then trotted home easily when Cespedes hit a sac fly to center, giving the Mets an early 1-0 lead.
In the fourth, Reyes drove in Travis d’Arnaud with an RBI single, giving starter Logan Verrett a 2-0 lead. And just like deja vu, Reyes opened the seventh with a leadoff single, and moved to third on a Granderson single to center. On the first pitch of his at bat, Cespedes hit a towering fly ball to left-center field off reliever David Phelps, once again plating Reyes and giving the Mets a 3-2 lead after the Marlins tied the game in the sixth on a two-run homer off the bat of Christian Yelich.
After the game, Verrett summed up Reyes’ contributions best: “He’s like a can of Red Bull bottled up into a human being,” starting pitcher Logan Verrett said. “That’s something that we were lacking. He brings that energy to the field every single day.”
Reyes has been a big boost for this Mets team that was lacking speed and at times energy, something Reyes has more of than most players combined, and has been a solid pickup for them. With a low risk high reward feel to the signing, he certainly seems to be getting back into a groove with the team he grew up with, something that can’t be discounted and just goes to show how a change of scenery is sometimes for the best.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK: HANSEL ROBLES
Hansel Robles has evolved into Terry Collins‘ trusted seventh inning reliever, compiling another strong week in three appearances. Robles tossed 4.2 innings, giving up two hits, no runs or walks, while striking out four. His season totals are excellent as well, now with a record of 5-3 with a 2.61 ERA, seven holds, all while averaging close to 11 strikeouts per nine innings.
With the game tied at one during Tuesday night’s 2-1 win against the Cubs, Robles came on in the seventh to replace Jerry Blevins, and was entrusted to keep the game tied. Robles had the heart of the order to deal with in Javier Baez, Tommy La Stella, Kris Bryant, and Anthony Rizzo. Robles induced a ground ball out from Baez, followed by a fly-out to left from La Stella. Bryant singled to left on a 0-2 fastball, but Robles zeroed in and promptly struck out Rizzo on three fastballs to end the inning. Robles worked a scoreless eighth, retiring Ben Zobrist, Wilson Contreras, and Jason Heyward on nine pitches.
The Mets would go on to take the lead in the ninth, calling upon Jeurys Familia to close out the game and give Robles his fourth win of the season.
Robles was tasked with holding another tied game on Friday night against the Marlins, coming in to relieve Verrett in the bottom of the sixth after Yelich tied the game at two. Robles gave up a hard single to Giancarlo Stanton on a 3-2 fastball to left, however, Stanton was trying to take second on the strong arm of Cespedes, who didn’t appear to realize Stanton was trying to advance. As Cespedes tossed the ball back into Neil Walker at second, Walker spun around and tagged Stanton for the second out. Marcell Ozuna lined out to Reyes at third to end the inning, and Robles worked a clean 1-2-3 seventh, as the Mets regained the lead in the seventh. Robles picked up his second win in four days, and his fifth of the season.
With Robles appearing in Sunday’s series win against the Marlins for his 42nd appearance, he’s on pace to bypass last year’s mark of 57, and is just 5.2 innings away from tying his total last season of 54. The back end of the bullpen with Robles, Addison Reed, and Familia is one of the strongest in baseball, and has been a joy to watch after years of not having a shutdown pen. The Mets team bullpen ERA ranks 5th in baseball at 3.14, 4th in FIP at 3.59, 6th in holds with 56, and 7th best K/9 at 9.35 as of Sunday night.
