For most of the night last night, it looked like the Mets would finally seize the momentum in the World Series and tie it up at two games apiece, but a disaster of an eighth inning ended all hope of that. Now the Mets will have to win out to stay alive Here are my six biggest takeaways from last night’s loss.
1. Matz is Still Nasty: Steven Matz was rolling early on, with his curve looking fantastic. He seemed to be playing into the Royals’ strengths a bit by throwing fastballs in two-strike counts quite often, but was otherwise pitching well. His changeup had good movement on it and his curveball had a sharp break to it. He got into trouble in the sixth inning, but he also hasn’t been stretched out late into games recently. Like Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, and Jacob deGrom, it’s clear that he is not a one-dimensional pitcher either.
2. Conforto Should Play Deeper Into Games: Yes, Michael Conforto was really struggling in the postseason, but Conforto has earned himself the opportunity to play entire games with his two solo shots last night. Lagares is certainly an upgrade on defense, but with his arm in as bad shape as it’s in, the upgrade really isn’t as much as it seems. (The same goes with Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who was used in place of Lagares last night.) If the Mets are going to live and die by the home run ball, Terry Collins should pack as much power into his lineup as he can, especially with Conforto showing he can hit the main lefty in Kansas City’s bullpen.
3. Cespedes is Dead Weight: What a difference a few weeks can make. A month ago, Yoenis Cespedes was on top of the world. Right now, he’s looking completely overmatched. He’s getting under just about everything, and Kansas City’s pitchers are pounding him with fastballs up in the zone, which he can’t touch. It’s one thing to have a sweet spot where you like to hit the ball, but it’s another to have absolutely no shot at anything outside that zone. That stupid mistake on the basepaths in the ninth was only icing on the cake… After almost single-handedly turning the Mets’ fortunes around in the regular season, he may be the goat of the World Series.
4. Murphy is Still a Liability in the Field: After being the undisputed hero in both the NLDS and the NLCS, the script has flipped completely for Daniel Murphy. Not only has he been virtually invisible at the plate, but his error in the eighth inning last night may end up being the decisive turning point in the series.
5. The Bullpen Blew It: Despite having three pitchers with closing experience, it seems like the only two legitimate options in the bullpen right now are Bartolo Colon and Jeurys Familia, not enough to compete with a team like the Royals. Terry Collins is open for criticism with how he’s used his relief ace, and that will be amplified in the wake of this game. Familia pitched an inning on Friday night with a six-run lead, which really came back to bite them in Game 4. Collins admitted himself that Familia’s inning on Friday made him hesitant to put him out there to start the eighth. And that was the ballgame. Tyler Clippard gave up the two walks, and the rest was history. Collins should certainly be criticized for his management of the bullpen, but he has very little to work with. When the narrative after the game is “how would you have gone about avoiding using the entire bullpen?” there is a problem. While Collins probably made the wrong decision last night, he’s been trying to find the least terrible option throughout the playoffs.
6. Are The Mets Finished?: The way both teams are playing, I don’t see any way the Mets can win three in a row and take the World Series. As I wrote earlier this week, Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey look tired. The odds that both of them will throw gems facing elimination seem slim, and with the way the Mets are hitting right now, it might not even matter if they do. Outside of Game 3, the Mets have gotten almost nothing from the middle of the order. The offense has always been very streaky and right now they are looking as cold as ice. The top six hitters in the Mets order combined for just three hits last night. That says it all. Like it’s been all season, the fate of the New York Mets lies in the offense. That gives me no confidence.
