Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier this month, the New York Mets lost two out of three at home against the Colorado Rockies. On Friday night, the Mets began a series, this time on the road, with the Rockies hoping to avenge their previous series loss against the team. Game 1 of the series presented a great chance with a favorable pitching matchup for the Mets as Max Scherzer faced off against Connor Seabold.

Scherzer threw seven phenomenal innings as he bested Seabold and Francisco Lindor drove in four runs, as the Mets came away with the first game of the series in a 5-2 victory.

Brandon Nimmo worked a seven-pitch walk to lead off the game, and immediately after, Lindor crushed a home run to right-center field to give the Mets a rare first-inning lead, putting them up 2-0 early. The ball traveled 439 feet, no doubt aided by the Denver altitude, but it was a great swing and result nonetheless, one the Mets have seen far too infrequently in the first inning of games this year. The next three batters for the Mets flew out to keep their lead at two.

First inning runs!

Francisco Lindor clubs a two-run homer for the early lead! #LGM
pic.twitter.com/IQiAUWf3T0

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) May 27, 2023

Leading off the bottom of the first, Charlie Blackmon bounced an 0-2 pitch right back up the middle for a single. Scherzer would keep Blackmon on first base, though, as a strikeout, popout and flyout allowed him to complete the inning having thrown just 11 pitches.

The Mets’ lead was cut in half in the second inning as a hanging curveball by Scherzer was knocked out of the park by Ryan McMahon. Like the first inning, Scherzer set the next three batters down in order after allowing the leadoff baserunner, but now the Mets were playing with a 2-1 lead.

A hit by pitch with Francisco Álvarez at the plate and Nimmo’s second walk of the game put runners on first and second with nobody out to begin the third inning. Lindor worked a full count, but on the ninth pitch of the at-bat he popped the ball up behind home plate to record the first out of the inning. Jeff McNeil then hit a ground ball that looked like it could have been a double play to end the inning, but the throw to second base from the first baseman Nolan Jones hit Nimmo in the back, resulting in everyone being safe.

That brought up Pete Alonso with the bases loaded and one out. After throwing an up-and-in fastball, Seabold got Alonso to chase a slider away for a strikeout for the second out of the inning. Seabold then got Brett Baty to go down swinging, escaping what could have been a disastrous inning without giving up a run.

In the bottom of the third inning, Scherzer put up his first 1-2-3 inning of the night with the help of two strikeouts at the expense of Ezequiel Tovar and Jurickson Profar. He also got Blackmon to pop a ball up on the infield, ending his inning after just nine pitches.

With one out in the top of the fifth inning, Nimmo lined a ball into the left-center field gap for a triple, his second game in a row with a three-base hit. Then with a full count, Lindor lined a ball into center field for a single to drive in Nimmo and make it a 3-1 game. In a nearly identical at-bat to the one he had in the third inning, McNeil hit a ground ball that probably should have been a double play, but once again, an awkward throw to second base allowed everyone to be safe.

With still just one out in the inning, Alonso flew out to right field, which advanced Lindor to third base. In the next at-bat, Baty drove in Lindor with an opposite-field line drive to give the Mets a 4-1 lead. That was all for Seabold, as he exited the game after 4 2/3 innings. Matt Carasiti relieved Seabold and got Starling Marte to ground out to end the inning.

With two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, Scherzer had been pitching wonderfully having retired his last 11 in a row. Alan Trejo broke that up with a line drive that just escaped the reach of Baty down the third base line for a double. Scherzer, however, remained composed and struck out Tovar for the second time to get out of the inning and strand Trejo in scoring position.

With a single up the middle with two outs in the top of the sixth inning, Francisco Álvarez extended his hitting streak to six games. Nimmo then walked for the third time to put two runners on for Lindor. Falling behind in the count 0-2, Lindor lined out to right field to end the inning.

Having thrown 85 pitches through six innings, Scherzer came out for the seventh inning for the first time this season. After a ground ball out, Harold Castro hit a bloop single but Scherzer was able to get Nolan Jones to strike out to record the second out of the inning. Alan Trejo then recorded his second extra-base hit of the night by lining a double down the left field line to put runners on second and third and bring the tying run to the plate. A fly ball out off the bat of Tovar allowed Scherzer to get out of the inning without giving up a run and end his outing after seven brilliant innings.

David Robertson relieved Scherzer to start the bottom of the eighth inning and was immediately greeted with a solo homer off the bat of Blackmon to cut the Mets’ lead to 4-2. Robertson was able to set the next three batters down in order, including a strikeout of Kris Bryant, to ensure the Mets would pitch in the bottom of the ninth with at least a two-run lead.

Leading off the top of the ninth inning, Nimmo hit another line drive, this time to the right-center field gap, that allowed him to advance to third yet again for his second triple of the game. Nimmo’s two-triple, three-walk game is a feat that has only been achieved four other times since 1901. Lindor then hit a deep fly ball for a sacrifice fly that allowed Nimmo to score, giving the Mets some insurance and extending the lead to 5-2.

Brooks Raley came in to pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning with a chance for a save. Raley walked the leadoff batter McMahon, a lefty. Randal Grichuk stepped up to the plate to pinch-hit and hit a sharp line drive to center field that was caught by Nimmo for the first out of the inning. Raley then walked another lefty in Nolan Jones in four pitches to bring the tying run up to the plate. Buck Showalter had seen enough, as he pulled Raley to give Adam Ottavino a chance to record the final two outs.

Alan Trejo hit a sharp ground ball to third base that Eduardo Escobar had trouble coming up with, and it bounced just beyond the dirt into the outfield. It appeared that the Rockies might score, or at the very least have the bases loaded with one out. But as the baserunner Jones rounded second base, Lindor made a heads-up play by recovering the ball and throwing behind Jones as he attempted to dive back into second base. Jones was called out to give the Mets a crucial second out. Ottavino then struck out the pinch-hitter Mike Moustakas to put the game to bed and secure the 5-2 victory.

Player(s) of the Game

Despite Nimmo’s historic performance in which he went 2-for-2 with two triples, three walks, and three runs, the players with the biggest impact on the game were Lindor and Scherzer. Lindor was able to take advantage of Nimmo getting on base ahead of him by hitting a home run, a single and a sacrifice fly to record four of the Mets’ five runs batted in, giving him 38 RBIs on the year which is good for third in the National League.

For Scherzer, this game was his best outing of the year as he went seven innings and gave up just one run on six hits while walking none. He also struck out eight batters and lowered his season ERA to 3.54. Entering tonight’s game Scherzer had never recorded a win in Coors Field, but in a ballpark notorious for being friendly to hitters, he shut them down in a dominant performance.

On Deck

The series with the Rockies continues on Saturday night as Justin Verlander (2-2, 3.60 ERA) hopes to build off of his previous start against the Guardians in which he gave up just one earned run in eight fantastic innings. For the Rockies, Chase Anderson (0-0, 1.15 ERA) will be making his third start with the team after beginning the season with the Rays. The game will begin at 9:10 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on PIX11.

The post Lindor, Scherzer Shine as Mets Defeat Rockies 5-2 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Good morning, Mets fans.

According to USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale, Brooks Raley is being replaced on the Team USA roster due to injury, with former Met Aaron Loup taking his spot. It’s not certain what kind of injury Raley is dealing with, or how severe the injury is, but it’s enough to keep him out of the World Baseball Classic which raises concerns. Raley was acquired from the Rays this past offseason and is projected to be the lone left-hander in the Mets’ bullpen this season.

WBC Scores

Japan defeated Korea 13-4.

Chinese Taipei defeated Italy 11-7. Mets minor leaguer Claudio Scotti pitched in the ninth inning for Team Italy.

Latest Mets News

Details of the first ever Amazin’ Day have been announced. On March 25, anyone wearing a Mets hat or any Mets gear will have access to several events and celebrations across New York City.

Buck Showalter told the media Friday night that Brandon Nimmo will make his Grapefruit League debut on Sunday. Showalter also said that the team is still gathering information on José Quintana, who has a stress fracture in one of his ribs.

Darin Ruf said that the arthritis in his right wrist is feeling better but is still bothering him.

John Sheridan wrote on MetsMinors.net about Brett Baty and how Eric Chávez sees a lot of himself in the Mets’ prospect.

Steve Gelbs posted a GoFundMe link on Twitter to raise funds for a family who recently lost their home to a fire. The family has also been dealing with medical issues with their baby boy, and Gelbs got to know them when his own daughter was having health issues. Anyone who would like to donate can click this link.

Latest MLB News

Barry Svrluga of The Washington Post reported that Keibert Ruiz and the Nationals agreed to an eight-year contract extension with two club options that could bring the total value of the deal to $50 million.

Matt Monagan of MLB.com spoke to Team Italy pitcher Joey Marciano about his relation to famous boxer Rocky Marciano.

Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune spoke to former Met prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong and how his defense continues to improve.

Jake Mintz at FOX Sports wrote about Team Israel’s Shlomo Lipetz and his impact on the team.

Latest on MMO

Michael Famulari evaluated several bullpen candidates and their performances so far this spring.

Mike Mayer wrote about Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio‘s continued success this spring.

Tyler Antonelle recapped game one of the split squad doubleheader on Friday while Ross Bentley recapped game two.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Jeremy Hefner (37), Rich Hill (43), Bobby Abreu (49), Steve Reed (58)

The post Morning Briefing: Brooks Raley Dealing With Undisclosed Injury appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Adam Ottavino. Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

Last year, there were many question marks surrounding the New York Mets’ bullpen entering the season. By year’s end, it actually emerged, despite what some may have thought, as a very formidable unit. One of the main reasons why was the elite, and somewhat surprising, performance of Adam Ottavino.

On paper, the Mets’ bullpen entering this season is much stronger than it was last year. Though, if someone were to emerge like Ottavino did last season, it may make the potentially lethal unit even stronger. With that being said, what current member has a chance to put up an elite season like Ottavino did last year?

Brooks Raley

After a rough beginning to his major-league career, Raley spent five seasons with the Lotte Giants of the KBO from 2015-2019. Over this time, he posted a lackluster ERA of 4.13 as a starter. He then made the jump back to North America for the 2020 season as a relief pitcher for the first time in his career.

Across 20 innings in the MLB during the 2020 season, with two teams, he posted a 4.95 ERA. However, he struck out 27 batters and his xERA (3.11) and xFIP (3.63) were both much lower than his actual ERA. This indicating that his actual performances were influenced by some bad luck.

He spent all of 2021 with the Houston Astros posting a 4.78 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 49 innings. Though, once again, it appears the now 34 year old was impacted by some poor luck. During that same season he had an xERA of 3.81 and an xFIP of 2.91. Each figures once again indicating this phenomenon.

The following season, he was moved to the Tampa Bay Rays where he produced a career year. He threw 53 2/3 innings and struck out 61. His ERA finally matched up with his underlying metrics too. He posted a career-low 2.68 ERA to go along with an xERA of 2.79 and xFIP of 3.28.

Raley was subsequently traded to the Mets on December 8 for prospect Keyshawn Askew. Now he projects to be the team’s lead left-handed option in the bullpen.

Brooks Raley. Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

What Makes Him The Likely Candidate? 

Much like Ottavino, Raley has always posted strong underlying metrics throughout his much-shorter career. In 2022, Raley had one of the best analytically makeups of any left-handed relievers in the league. This is evident by his Baseball Savant page posted below.

Brooks Raley’s 2022 Baseball Savant page.

For comparison’s sake, although Raley posted a better season in terms of ERA, Ottavino’s underlying metrics the year before his breakout 2022 campaign were also very strong. His Baseball Savant page from that season follows:

Adam Ottavino’s 2021 Baseball Savant page.

Now, this is not a perfect comparison. Each pitcher are very different in that one is a right hander and the other is a lefty. Also, Ottavino is far more experienced than Raley is and it is not like Raley’s 2.68 ERA from last season was a catastrophic figure. This number is actually much stronger than the 4.21 ERA Ottavino posted before his breakout season in 2021. But, the overall point is the same. Each pitcher posted very strong underlying metrics, which is a great indicator of future success. As we saw in Ottavino’s case.

If Raley can post anywhere near a similar analytically profile as he did last season, he should be in for a terrific year. One that, looking back on in the future, you may even be able to draw parallels to when Ottavino emerged as a ‘surprise’ stalwart in the Mets’ bullpen during the 2022 season.

The post Can Brooks Raley Emerge As The Mets’ Next Gem In The Bullpen? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

One weakness of the Mets in 2022 was their lack of a reliable lefty reliever. The team made a move Wednesday to rectify that for the 2023 season by acquiring left-hander Brooks Raley from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for pitching prospect Keyshawn Askew, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.

Raley, 34, had a career-best season with Tampa last year, pitching in 60 games with a 2.68 ERA and a 136 ERA+ while striking out 61 and walking only 15. Raley was particularly effective against left-handed hitters, holding them to a .155/.200./.282 slash line with 25 strikeouts in 71 at-bats. Raley is under contract for $4.5 million in 2023 and has a $6.5 million team option for the 2024 season.

This is Brooks Raley’s slider. pic.twitter.com/31jaWGzgjL

— ramsey (@jwr082OO2) December 7, 2022

Raley has also been particularly effective at limiting hard-hit balls the last three seasons.

Brooks Raley, MLB percentiles for hard-hit percentage allowed:

2020: 99th
2021: 100th
2022: 98th#LGM https://t.co/OUH1bJUgkL

— Mets Analytics (@MetsAnalytics) December 7, 2022

Askew had a 2.44 ERA and a 12.5 K/9 rate in A-Ball last season after being drafted in the 10th round by the Mets out of Clemson in 2021. He was ranked just outside of the Mets Top 30 prospects.

The Mets continue adding to their pitching staff during the Winter Meetings having previously signed starters Justin Verlander and Jose Quintana.

The post Mets Acquire LHP Brooks Raley from Rays appeared first on Metsmerized Online.