Venezuela struck first in the top of the third. After McLean gave up a single to Salvador Perez and a walk to Ronald Acuna Jr., a wild pitch allowed the runners to advance into scoring position. Maikel Garcia then took advantage and hit a sacrifice fly to center field that drove in a run and made it a 1-0 lead for Venezuela.

Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

McLean started the fifth for the United States and gave up a lead-off home run to Wilyer Abreu that extended Venezuela’s lead to 2-0 over the Americans.

His day ended at 4 2/3 innings as Brad Keller came on in relief. McLean finished the day with two earned runs on four hits, one walk, and four strikeouts. Though he gave up a couple of runs, per Mike Mayer of Metsmerized Online, the right-handed Mets prospect from North Carolina threw some of the fastest pitches of his career: 98.3 mph, 98.6 mph, 98.7 mph, 99.0 mph, and 99.2 mph. The fastest he threw in 2025 with the Mets was 98.4. McLean was fired up on Tuesday, and it showed in his pitch velocity.

On the other side of the mound, Eduardo Rodriguez shut down the United States. He threw 4 1/3, giving up just one hit, one walk, and striking out four to allow Venezuela to dominate the game.

Keller, Will Vest, and Griffin Jax kept the Venezuelan bats at bay and gave the United States a chance in the game through eight innings. After the bats were near silent through seven, the U.S. came back to tie in the bottom of the eighth.

After Bobby Witt Jr. walked, Bryce Harper came up and hit a long two-run home run to center field to tie the game 2-2, keeping the Americans’ hopes alive.

But then in the top of the ninth, Garrett Whitlock gave up his first run of the tournament to allow Venezuela to re-take the lead. After he walked Luis Arraez, Javier Sanoja replaced him on the base pads as a pinch runner and proceeded to steal second before Eugenio Suarez doubled to center field to score Sanoja and give Venezuela a 3-2 lead to immediately put the United States back behind.

The United States once again went flat in the bottom of the ninth and Venezuela went on to defeat the USA 3-2 and are the 2026 World Baseball Classic champions.

Tuesday’s victory marks the first time Venezuela has ever won the World Baseball Classic. This was the first year they made it into the finals and they came in and took advantage and now own the title of world champions for 2026.

The post Venezuela Upsets USA 3-2 for First World Baseball Classic Championship appeared first on Metsmerized.

That means a new, updated version of Major League Baseball power rankings has been released. The list is more or less the same from last Saturday, but there’s been some shuffling in the list.

The major change in this week’s list is the absence of the San Francisco Giants. I may have regarded them too highly, but felt I needed to acknowledge their incredible start to the season last week. Since last Saturday, San Francisco has gone 3-4 and fell to third in the stacked National League West.

Speaking of said division, how about the NL West? They’ve continued to dominate the rest of the league, registering three teams over .500 with juicy run differentials. Actually, the lowest run differential from the four teams is the Dodgers at +10. (Sorry Colorado, I still love you and your ballpark.)

Alright, enough word salad. Let’s get into the top-10 for this week.

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

1. Padres

Am I the only person putting San Diego one? I hope not, because they continue to breeze through 2025.

The Friars are 15-5, good for first in the NL West and the major leagues. They boast the second-best run differential in the majors (+35), and took care of business last week taking two out of three from the Cubs and sweeping the Rockies.

The offense is loaded, the bullpen has been elite, yet we should all be talking about the spin god Nick Pivetta. The righty has a 1.57 ERA through four starts, and shut down the Cubs last Wednesday with a six-inning, one-run performance.

2. Dodgers

The Dodgers didn’t particularly have a spectacular week.

They lost a series at home to the Cubs, including a 16-0 rout started by Roki Sasaki, and then swept the lowly Rockies at home. Again, I’m sorry Colorado, your jerseys are cool and you deserve better.

But the roster remains stacked. They’re 15-6 and sitting in second place. And the team will only get better as guys like Blake Snell and Freddie Freeman return from injury.

Some positive news? Yoshinobu Yamamoto absolutely dominated the Texas Rangers in a 3-0 win Friday night, outdueling old friend Jacob deGrom.

3. Cubs

The Cubs keep on climbing the top-10. And I’ll continue to tell you how right I was about them.

Chicago holds the best run differential in the majors at +38, powered by their ludicrous offense. The bats showed off especially Friday, in which they went ahead 7-1, fell behind 11-7, then scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth to beat the D-backs.

The Cubbies sit in first right now, but hold a slim one-game lead over the Brewers, but will assuredly pull ahead. Of their 22 games, they’ve played the Padres six times, the Dodgers five times, and the Rangers for a three-game series. Oh, did I mention they play the Dodgers again for two games on April 22 and 23? Who made this schedule?

The only factor holding back the Cubs for the future was a strength for them last week: The starting rotation. Justin Steele is slated for season-ending surgery on his pitching elbow, and Jameson Taillon and Ben Brown have negative bWARs early.

4. Mets

The Mets, who are good!

Seriously, the Mets keep finding ways to win. It hasn’t been pretty, or their best brand of baseball. But they’re 13-7 and the only NL East team with a positive run differential.

Friday night highlighted their gutsy ways. The lineup was being dominated by Miles Mikolas in the year of 2025, but fought back to tie the game 2-2. The offense pulled ahead in the eighth inning, but then blew their lead in the ninth. Still, Francisco Lindor didn’t care, and blasted a walk-off homer to secure a win over the Cardinals.

I’ll continue to push this narrative: The Mets are nowhere close to their peak yet. Brandon Nimmo is slashing .197/.253/.395. Juan Soto is 2-for-20 with runners in scoring position. Sean Manaea, Francisco Alvarez, Dedniel Núñez, Jeff McNeil, and Frankie Montas are still on the injured list. Expect this team to take off soon.

5. Yankees

The Yanks climbed their way back into the top-five with an impressive five-game win streak.

They took care of the Royals with a three-game sweep, and got a vintage start from Carlos Rodón in a thrilling 1-0 win over the Rays Friday.

If Rodon can come back to form, this team will be formidable. We all know how elite Aaron Judge and the bullpen is, but that rotation is in survival mode. Max Fried does hold a 1.88 ERA early, but Carlos Carrasco, Marcus Stroman, and Will Warren haven’t impressed.

6. Diamondbacks

The D-backs bounced back with an impressive week to earn the No. 6 spot.

The Snakes took a series on the road vs. the Brewers, then swept the Marlins at home by scoring 22 runs in three games. When this offense goes, the wins follow.

Sadly, and yes, I say sadly as a bandwagon D-backs fan this year, the pitching hasn’t followed. Corbin Burnes, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and Eduardo Rodriguez all have ERAs starting with four, and have been bailed out by a strong bullpen. That won’t last for long, proven Friday when Joe Mantiply blew a four-run lead to the Cubs in a 13-11 loss at Wrigley.

7. Phillies

Philadelphia hasn’t really done anything to deserve being at seven.

Sure, they’re 12-8 and sit in second in a surprisingly weak NL East. But they haven’t won a series since April 4-6 against the Dodgers, are 5-5 in their last ten games, and have only a plus-three run differential.

But I have to respect the roster, and I have to believe the rotation will return to form. Aaron Nola won’t finish the year with an ERA above six. And Zack Wheeler has bounced back from a rough start and lowered his ERA to 3.73.

The Phillies will be okay. Especially with their offense being led by Bryce Harper’s .904 OPS and Kyle Schwarber‘s NL-leading seven homers.

8. Tigers

Welcome back to the top-10, Detroit.

The Tigers are 12-8 through the first three weeks of the season, and were starting to pull away from the Guardians before their 7-3 split.

Dillon Dingler has cooled off a little, but Spencer Torkelson has truly transformed himself. He’s slashing .288/.386/.630 with six homers, seven doubles, and a 190 OPS+.

The pitching has also been a major contributor. The Tigers hold the 10th-best bullpen ERA (3.36) and fifth-best starting ERA (3.27), led by reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, Rookie of the Year candidate Jackson Jobe, and former first-overall pick Casey Mize.

This team has the making of a pennant contender, they just need Riley Greene to snap out of his strikeout funk.

9. Brewers

The Brewers had a solid week and earned a spot back in the top-10.

They went 6-4, taking a series at home versus the aforementioned Tigers and won the first game of a three-game series against the Athletics.

The name of the game for the Brew Crew is their rotation. They hold the seventh-best ERA in baseball (3.56) and have scored just enough runs to hold an 11-9 record.

My only concern is their bullpen. It ranks 27th overall and Trevor Megill has not filled in well for Devin Williams. Tylor’s brother holds a 4.26 ERA and has a blown save in three opportunities.

10. Mariners

It feels good to put the Mariners in a top-10 list.

Seattle has bounced back from an awful start, going 7-3 in their last ten games to get back to .500 in April. That stretch includes bullying the AL West, as they took a series against Houston and swept the Rangers in the last 12 days.

The Mariners recently went to Cincinnati, where they won another two games and scored an impressive 20 runs combined. Cal Raleigh has slugged eight homers already, and Jorge Polanco is having an impressive bounce-back season with a .367/.373/.592 slashline.

Plus, the rotation continues to do its thing. Logan Gilbert is making a case for a Cy Young with his 2.38 ERA and 32 punchouts in 22 2/3 innings.

Rest of the Field

11. Blue Jays
12. Rangers
13. Giants
14. Guardians
15. Red Sox
16. Reds
17. Orioles
18. Astros
19. Braves
20. Rays
21. Royals
22. Angels
23. Cardinals
24. Athletics
25. Pirates
26. Twins
27. Marlins
28. Nationals
29. White Sox
30. Rockies

The post MLB Power Rankings 2025: Week Three Update appeared first on Metsmerized.

With Pete Alonso’s recent signing in mind, here’s how the division’s five starting first basemen rank going into the 2025 season.

No. 5 Jonah Bride, MIA

Bride ranks last on this list despite a solid showing in 2024 — albeit in a fairly small sample. The 29-year-old hit .276/.357/.461 in 71 games last season. That was good for a 123 wRC+. Before that, he’d struggled over parts of two seasons with the Athletics.

It’s worth noting that the Marlins also made a trade this offseason for Matt Mervis, a former top-100 prospect on the Cubs. Mervis has batted just .155 with a 34 wRC+ over 127 big-league plate appearances. Barring a drastic breakout from Mervis and/or a severe regression from Bride, the starting spot should be pretty much a lock.

It’s hard to know exactly what to expect from somebody with such limited major league playing time. When combining his struggles with Oakland and his success with Miami, Bride’s wRC+ is 91 over 169 games.

ZiPS projects Bride to post a 94 wRC+ in 112 games this year.

No. 4 Nathaniel Lowe, WSH

Lowe is only narrowly behind Alonso for the No. 3 spot. He offers a different skill set: better on-base ability with less power.

In 2024, Lowe batted .265 with a .361 OBP, good for a 121 wRC+. He’s been remarkably consistent, with his OBP marks coming in at .357, .358, .360 and .361 over the last four years. He peaked at a 143 wRC+ in 2022. A case could be made to put him ahead of Alonso.

His isolated power, though, was the worst of his career last season at .136. He’s only eclipsed 20 home runs once. His relatively minimal power for the first base position sets him back a little bit.

Lowe falling this low on the list indicates a strong group of first basemen in the division, however. He’s a well-above-average hitter with a walk rate over 11% who’s averaged about 3.0 fWAR over the last three seasons.

The Nationals acquired him from the Rangers in a trade this offseason. Washington will be his third major league team.

No. 3 Pete Alonso, NYM

Alonso, fresh off signing with the Mets, slides right into the middle of the ranking.

Each of Alonso’s last two seasons before hitting free agency could be described as underwhelming. Still, he put up a respectable wRC+ of slightly more than 120 in each one.

Last year, he accumulated only 2.1 fWAR, in large part due to his defensive value (or lack thereof). That was the lowest total for a full season in his career.

Alonso and Lowe’s wRC+ marks — both last year and for their careers — are very similar, despite the differing offensive profiles. Lowe has both a higher average and OBP, but Alonso easily clears him in slugging and home runs. Lowe was technically more valuable last year, but only marginally with a 2.8 fWAR. Alonso’s career wRC+ is slightly higher, at 131 compared to 122. Their peaks are similar, at 144 and 143. Alonso is a year older — 30 compared to 29.

Again, a case could be made to put Lowe ahead of Alonso. But for the purposes of this list, the power Alonso possesses gives him a slight advantage. By fWAR over the last two seasons, Alonso has been slightly more valuable at 5.5 compared to 4.9, though that’s splitting hairs at this point. It’s important just to remember the context of what each of them provides, as their strengths and weaknesses are in contrast with one another.

No. 2 Matt Olson, ATL

Alonso was a slightly better hitter than Olson in 2024. But Olson had such a huge year in 2023 that he’s still likely to be the better player in 2025. He also has better defensive metrics.

Olson was a monster two years ago, exploding for a 161 wRC+ and 6.5 fWAR. He slammed 54 home runs. He took a big step down last year, hitting only 29 home runs and posting a 117 wRC+. His fWAR was 2.6, right around Alonso and Lowe’s range.

Still, neither Alonso nor Lowe have ever had the type of campaign Olson put up in 2023. Even the “bad” version of Olson is still comparable to Alonso and Lowe, if not a tick better. Olson is 30, the same age as Alonso, so he shouldn’t be too deep in his late-career decline just yet.

Olson has also been extremely durable, playing all 162 games in each of his three seasons for Atlanta so far.

No. 1 Bryce Harper, PHI

While this ranking has had fairly close margins so far, the top spot is a no-brainer.

This past season was Harper’s first playing first base full-time. The former star outfielder, who’s now 32, underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023, but has settled in quickly to his new, relatively less stressful position.

Harper, once a young prodigy for the Nationals, is still a fantastic hitter. He’ll be entering his seventh season with the Phillies — the same amount of years he spent with Washington. He hit for a 145 wRC+ last year and has a 142 mark for his career. He put up a 170 wRC+ as recently as 2022. He posted 5.2 fWAR last season and has been worth 18 fWAR over the last four years.

Harper has been an NL East nemesis for many years, so not much has changed in that respect. And Alonso, all too familiar for the Mets, is back for at least one more year in Queens.

So let the battles begin.

The post 2025 NL East Positional Rankings: First Base appeared first on Metsmerized.

Alonso is set to be one of the top bats on the market. Across his six years with the Mets, he has slugged 226 home runs, the second-most in the majors over this time, trailing only soon to be two-time American League MVP Aaron Judge (232). Alonso has been one of the most impactful power bats since entering the league in 2019, owning a 134 OPS+ and a career OPS of .854. Bringing him back would likely result in Alonso smashing the franchise’s all-time home run record, which currently sits at 252 (Darryl Strawberry).

Furthering the emotional aspect of the situation, Alonso had arguably one of the biggest home runs in team history this postseason. His go-ahead, three-run shot in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series against the Milwaukee Brewers will go down in Mets history. Add in his terrific track record, and the fact he is on pace to smash all kinds of Mets power records, it’s extremely hard to balance the emotion of wanting to retain a potential franchise legend with what is smartest for the team.

Of course, a reunion will be largely dependent on one thing; the new contract. Alonso is by no means old, as he will be only 30 come the beginning of 2025. However, once you get on the wrong side of 30, a player’s prime quickly gets farther and farther away. So, despite the emotional aspect of the situation, the Mets must be careful.

Pete Alonso, photo by Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

According to Joel Sherman of the NY Post, in June of 2023, Alonso and his representatives (prior to moving to The Boras Corporation) rejected a seven-year extension worth $158 million. This would have brought Alonso’s annual average value to $22.75 million per season, which would made him the sixth-highest paid first baseman in baseball, surpassing Matt Olson‘s $21 million and right behind Bryce Harper‘s $25.3 million he signed while still playing right field and all the way back in 2019.

Instead of cashing in prior to his contract-year, Alonso bet on himself and put together a formidable, yet career-worst, by his standards, season in 2024. His OPS in the regular season dropped to .788 (.854 career mark) and he hit only 34 home runs; the lowest of his career outside the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Luckily, for both the Mets and Alonso, he had a superb postseason, posting a .999 OPS with two huge home runs, including the previously mentioned game-winning shot in the NLWC round. This surely helped him make back any money he may have lost during the regular season.

Projecting the Deal

With all that being said, what is a realistic deal Alonso may sign in the offseason while on the open market?

Sportstrac projects a six-year deal worth nearly $30 million per season and $174 million overall. Meanwhile, the Athletic is projecting a seven-year deal worth $189 million total, good for an average annual value of $27 million per season. Either way, it appears Alonso made the correct decision in betting on himself, and not accepting the, at-the-time, very competitive offer the Mets made during the 2023 season.

A realistic prediction for Alonso’s next deal would seem way closer to the Athletic’s projection rather than the hefty projection by Sportstrac. Netting a deal larger or equal to the one that Freddie Freeman signed (six-year deal worth $162 million; $27 million annually) seems unrealistic. Granted, Freeman did sign the deal at 32 years old, and Alonso will only be 29/30. However, throughout his career Freeman has been a comfortably better player than Alonso has been.

With all that being said, the power Alonso possesses is rare. Despite the down season, he’s still only 30 years old. There is no reason to believe that he can’t get back closer to his career averages after a “career-worst” year where he still slugged over 30 homers and had an above-average OPS.

Final Verdict: Six-year deal worth $151.5 million ($25.25 million annually)

The post Projecting Pete Alonso’s Next Contract Ahead Of Free Agency appeared first on Metsmerized.

Luis Severino delivered a solid outing for the Mets, pitching six innings, allowing three runs on six hits, and striking out seven across 91 pitches. His only slip-up came just before being pulled from the game when Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos hit back-to-back home runs to tie the score at three. The Phillies’ pitching staff then silenced the Mets’ bats with runners in scoring position, as New York went 0-for-7 in those situations and left seven men on base.

The Mets’ offense was firing on all cylinders earlier in the game, with home runs from Brandon Nimmo, Pete Alonso, and two from Mark Vientos. Vientos initially gave the Mets a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer, then came up clutch in the ninth, smashing a game-tying two-run shot to even the score at six. Francisco Lindor played a key role in setting up that tying blast, getting on base with a single ahead of Vientos’ heroics. Jose Butto came on in relief of Severino and handed the ball to Edwin Díaz after recording two outs in the seventh.

Díaz navigated through Butto’s jam in the seventh but faltered in the eighth, allowing three runs, with Bryson Stott’s triple putting the Phillies ahead 6-4. Tylor Megill entered the game in the eighth and navigated through that half-inning. Still, after walking Trea Turner and Bryce Harper, he left a hanging slider for Castellanos, who drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth.

Overall, the Mets bullpen failed to hold off a surging Phillies offense, allowing four runs in the second half of the game.

Statistic of the Game: Mets Bullpen Falters Late

After Luis Severino left the game, the combination of Jose Butto, Edwin Diaz and Tylor Megill could not hold the Phillies off, as they combined to give up four hits, three walks, and four runs through 2 2/3 innings. Díaz was credited with a blown save.

Player of the Game: Mark Vientos

Despite the loss, Mark Vientos had a stellar afternoon, starting the scoring with a two-run homer to put the Mets ahead early 2-0, then tied the game with another two-run homer to tie the game at six. He went 3-for-4 on the day and continued his strong playoff start, a day after driving in a crucial run in game one.

On Deck

The Mets are off tomorrow but will return to action on Tuesday, as they play Game 3 at Citi Field. Aaron Nola starts on the mound for the Phillies, while Sean Manaea will toe the slab for New York. First pitch is at 5:08 pm ET and will be broadcast nationally on Fox Sports 1, and locally on Mets Radio 880.

The post Mets Drop Thrilling Game 2; Set To Return Home With Series Tied appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets try to get back in the win column this afternoon as they play the third game in the four game set against the Phillies. After three straight games of scoring 10 runs, the Mets offense struggled Friday night to get anything going. Coupled with a good night for the Phillies bats, it was an ugly loss for the Mets. But the Braves lost too and going into play today the Mets have sole possession of the third wild card spot by two games.

Photo by Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Mets Lineup

1. Jose Iglesias – 2B
2. Starling Marte – DH
3. Mark Vientos – 3B
4. Pete Alonso – 1B
5. Brandon Nimmo – LF
6. Tyrone Taylor – RF
7. Francisco Alvarez – C
8. Harrison Bader – CF
9. Luisangel Acuña – SS

Sean Manaea has pitched 171 innings this season with a 3.26 ERA, 3.70 FIP, 1.082 WHIP and a 121 ERA+. Over his last two games he has allowed only two runs over 13 2/3 innings while striking striking out 14 batters. Since July 30th he’s had a 2.49 ERA, 2.91 FIP over 65 innings. He’s had two starts against the Phillies this season. In May he held the Phillies to only one run over six innings in Queens. Then in June he allowed six runs from seven hits including two homers over 3 2/3 innings during the London Series. The Phillies have the following career numbers against him:

• Alec Bohm 2-7, HR, 2 K
• Nick Castellanos 5-13, 2B, 2 HR, 4 K
• Kody Clemens 0-1
• Bryce Harper 4-8, 2 2B, HR, K
• Brandon Marsh 0-3, BB, 2 K
• J.T. Realmuto 0-4, BB, 3 K
• Johan Rojas 0-3, K
• Kyle Schwarber 1-3, 2 BB
• Edmundo Sosa 4-6, 2B, 3B, HR, K

Opposing Lineup

1. Kyle Schwarber – DH
2. Trea Turner – SS
3. Bryce Harper – 1B
4. Alec Bohm – 3B
5. Nick Castellanos – RF
6. J.T. Realmuto – C
7. Edmundo Sosa – 2B
8. Weston Wilson – LF
9. Johan Rojas – CF

Ranger Suárez has pitched 143 2/3 innings this season for the Phillies with a 3.13 ERA, 3.09 FIP, 1.142 WHIP, and 129 ERA+. In his last four games, he has a 5.12 ERA, and 4.00 FIP from 11 runs over 19 1/3 innings. Ranger faced the Mets twice earlier this season. In Queens he allowed two unearned runs over five innings and then in London, he allowed two runs over over 5 2/3 innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 2-17, 2 2B, 5 BB, 4 K
• Eddy Alvarez 0-2
• Francisco Alvarez 0-5, 3 K
• Harrison Bader 1-5
• José Iglesias 4-5, 2B, K
• Francisco Lindor 5-16, 2B, HR, BB, K
• Starling Marte 6-16, 2B, 2 BB, K
• J.D. Martinez 2-9, 2B, BB, 3 K
• Brandon Nimmo 3-22, 3 BB, 3 K
• Tyrone Taylor 1-5, BB, 2 K
• Luis Torrens 1-5, BB, 2 K
• Mark Vientos 3-12, 2B, HR, 4 K
• Jesse Winker 1-5, 2 K

Game Notes

• The Mets fell to the Phillies, 12-2, last night. New York is in a stretch of 10 straight games (5-3). The Mets begin their final regular season homestand on the season, a seven-game (4-1) stand against Washington (3-0) and Philadelphia (1-1). Following this homestand, the Mets head out on the road for the final time during the regular season, a six-game road trip to Atlanta (three games) and Milwaukee (three games).
• Sean Manaea has recorded 177 strikeouts this season. It is the second-highest total of his career. He struck out 194 in 32 starts in 2021. That is the highest total by a left-handed pitcher for the Mets since Johan Santana struck out 206 in 2008.
• New York has won four of their last five and 16 of their last 21. The Mets enter today with a record of 85-69 this season. The Mets have guaranteed a winning season. In 2023, the team finished at 75-87. The Mets were a season-low 11 games under .500 on June 2 (24-35)…Since then, the Mets have gone 61-34… Following a loss on May 29, the Mets have played 99 games, going 63-36 in that span.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Jose Iglesias. Iglesias continued his hot streak last night going 2-for-4 with a lead-off homer. During his 14-game hitting streak he has gone 22-for-53 slashing .415/.446/.528. In his last eight games, he has gone 15-for-39 with six multi-hit games. Iglesias had a .310 batting average before this streak started and is now hitting .333.
2. Keep runners for stealing. There was a period of time this season when runners ran all over the Mets. Last night the Phillies had 17 hits and stole five bases.
3. Scoreboard watching. The Braves behind Max Fried are going to get started with the Marlins at the same time as the Mets this afternoon. The Braves lost to the Marlins Friday night and failed to pick up a game against the Mets. The Diamondbacks behind Merrill Kelly look to pick up a third consecutive win against the Brewers. Meanwhile, the Padres will try to give the White Sox their 119th loss of the season.

Let’s go Mets!

The post Game Chat: Phillies vs Mets, 4:10 PM appeared first on Metsmerized.

Happy Independence Day to the best nation in the world!

On Wednesday, MLB released the starting lineups for the AL and NL as they prepare for the 2024 All-Star Game, which will be held on July 16 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. While no Mets made the starting lineup, plenty of first time All-Stars got the starting nod and familiar faces continue to cement their Midsummer Classic legacies. Here are the starting lineups for each league:

NL: C: William Contreras, MIL, 1B: Bryce Harper, PHI, 2B: Ketel Marte, ARI, SS: Trea Turner, PHI, 3B: Alec Bohm, PHI, OF: Christian Yelich, MIL OF: Jurickson Profar, SDP OF: Fernando Tatis Jr., SDP, DH: Shohei Ohtani, LAD.

AL: C: Adley Rutschman, BAL, 1B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR, 2B: José Altuve, HOU, SS: Gunnar Henderson, BAL, 3B: José Ramírez, CLE, OF: Aaron Judge, NYY, OF: Juan Soto, NYY, OF: Steven Kwan, CLE, DH: Yordan Álvarez, HOU.

Along with announcing the starters for the 96th annual All-Star Game, MLB also released the uniforms that will be worn on the field.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

On Wednesday evening, the Mets found themselves on the losing side for the first time in their series against the Nationals this week. After taking two extra-inning games to start the four-game set, the Mets were not able to outscore their bullpen woes, blowing a 5-1 lead and falling by a score of 7-5 to the Nationals. For a full game breakdown, click here.

The Mets will try to leave Washington with a series win as they finish up the series. Jose Quintana (4.57 ERA, 3-5) will face Jake Irvin (3.03 ERA, 6-6) of the Nationals at 11:05 a.m. ET.

Latest Mets News

Kodai Senga looked sharp in his first rehab start for the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, 35 pitches/25 strikes. To learn more about Senga’s first rehab start, click here.

The Mets called up Christian Scott from Triple-A Syracuse and DFA’d RHP Matt Festa prior to Wednesday’s game. Scott started on Wednesday, going 5.2 IP 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, and 2 SO while leaving the game with a 5-4 lead.

Veteran outfielder Trayce Thompson was released from his contract with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets, per Mike Mayer of Metsmerized Online.

Latest MLB News

Minnesota Twins slugger Royce Lewis was placed on the 10-day IL with a right adductor strain.

The Milwaukee Brewers acquired starting pitcher Aaron Civale in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, sending INF prospect Gregory Barrios to Tampa Bay in return.

Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow to repair an impingement and will be down from throwing for at least six weeks, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. It is still unknown if he will be able to return this season.

The Minnesota Twins called up their top infield prospect, and No. 13 prospect in all of baseball, Brooks Lee, per Declan Goff of SKOR North. Lee started at third base and went 2-for-4 with an RBI in his MLB debut.

Jon Heyman reported on a Bleacher Report livestream that the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers are the “most likely” landing spots for Chicago White Sox star outfielder Luis Robert Jr.

Latest on MMO

Jose Iglesias and the Mets offense have propelled them to key late-inning wins.

Sean Manaea helped lighten the heavily taxed bullpen’s load with his impressive outing on Tuesday.

Kodai Senga shined in his first rehab start.

On This Date in Mets History

2006: The Mets score three runs in the bottom of the 8th to take a 7-6 lead over the Pirates and Billy Wagner locks it down in the 9th, recording his 300th career save. 

1985: In a 19-inning marathon, the Mets outlast the Braves, winning by a score of 16-13 behind a Keith Hernandez cycle.

1972: Tom Seaver comes within two outs of a no-hitter against the Padres, before a base hit by Leron Lee broke up the no-hit bid.

Birthdays: Jared Hughes (39), José Oquendo (61)

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If you want proof, look no further than the two games in England for the MLB London Series 2024 over the weekend. After contributing to their downfall on Saturday, the Mets pulled off a jaw-dropping double play to earn a series split with the Phillies on Sunday.

As a result, New York flies Stateside winners of their last four of five games, with a six-game homestand at Citi Field up next.

Before we shift our focus to the Marlins and the Padres, let’s dive into a special London edition of 3 Up, 3 Down …

3 UP

Photo by: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

DOUBLE PLAY HEROICS 

Sunday was a weird game for the Mets. They erased a 3-0 deficit and staged a late-inning rally to build a 6-4 lead. However, they almost blew the lead immediately. With the bases loaded in the ninth, Drew Smith walked Alec Bohm, and Nick Castellanos came to the plate with a chance to earn the sweep for the Phillies. Instead, his bat shattered, as did Philadelphia’s chances of winning. Luis Torrens showed lightning-quick reactions to pounce on the dribbler and induce a stunning 2-3 double play to secure a 6-5 win and a series split. It was a fitting finale to what was a special weekend in London.

GAME-CHANGER

Whatever amount of cash the Mets paid the Yankees for Luis Torrens, it’s been a steal. He has played a crucial role in this ball club, contributing to win after win over the last week. He executed arguably the Mets’ play of the year to earn a series split on Sunday, as outlined above. However, his contributions in London stretch beyond that jaw-dropping double play. His single sparked a three-run rally in the sixth inning to help tie the game. He then drew a walk in the top of the ninth to help turn the game on its head. Whether at the plate or behind it, Torrens made big plays all weekend. And you can make a compelling case that he deserves to stick around in Queens.

COMING UP CLUTCH

It’s starting to feel like the bullpen might just be the piece that kills the 2024 Mets. The group is already gassed, and we’re still in June. That doesn’t exactly bode well for the coming weeks and months. However, as far as this weekend goes, the bullpen did what was asked. After Sean Manaea was shelled for six runs and was run out of town in the fourth, the bullpen stepped up and allowed only one run over the final 5.1 innings of the game. The same thing transpired on Sunday. José Quintana couldn’t get out of the fourth, and the rest was left to the relieving staff. They delivered again, allowing just two runs the rest of the way, with Drew Smith helping to set up the game-winning double play.

3 DOWN

Jun 1, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Sean Manaea (59) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

STARTING OFF ON THE WRONG FOOT

The starting pitching was not great for the Mets this weekend. Sean Manaea allowed six earned runs on seven hits with two home runs. José Quintana wasn’t much better on Sunday. The Phillies rocked him for three runs on six hits. Both starters failed to get out of the fourth inning, putting further stress on an already incredibly taxed bullpen. There should be more concern with Quintana, who has a 5.29 ERA on the year and is only seemingly trending downwards.

FIELD OF WOES

Forget about Field of Dreams. Starling Marte starred in Field of Nightmares on Saturday. The veteran outfielder was confused by the shadows and the upper-level configuration of London Stadium as he lost sight of a routine fly ball. The result? The flub helped to drive in a run before Whit Merrifield proceeded to blast a three-run homer and effectively ended the game in the fourth inning. Now, I do have some sympathy for Marte given that London Stadium wasn’t built for baseball, and he’s never played there before. However, you can’t escape the notion that the outfielder has made a habit of committing errors and making bad plays in the field this year. Saturday was hardly his first offense.

He entered Saturday ranked last among qualified MLB outfielders in Outs Above Average with -8. Furthermore, he was 261st out of 263 players at any position. Yikes. The Mets also began Saturday 29th in MLB Defensive Runs Saved at minus-30. This is not a good defensive ballclub, and Marte has been a big reason why.

REALITY SETTING IN

Sunday’s late escape act aside, the London Series hammered home the gulf in class between the Mets and the Phillies. Bryce Harper led the way on Saturday as Philadelphia handled its business with minimal fuss. The offense was shut down, and the starting pitching was exploited. And you can argue that the Phillies would have swept this series were it not for a bullpen implosion and a broken bat on Sunday.

All in all, we saw enough this weekend to understand why the Phillies are 16 1/2 games ahead in first place. Sure, the Mets have been playing better as of late, but it is probably wise to trust the larger sample size. After all, many of the same flaws were on display in London. The Phillies look every inch a near-perfect team. The Mets, on the other hand, are on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. And Sunday’s win didn’t alter that reality.

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Apr 13, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Sean Manaea (59) walks off the field after being taken out of the game in the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Manaea Can’t Get Out Of The 4th

For the first three innings of this game, Sean Manaea was cruising. He allowed just one hit (a 1st inning Bryce Harper double) and struck out three as New York was up 1-0. Unfortunately, Manaea ran into a common problem for him: that one bad inning. In his last start against the Arizona Diamondbacks, on Darryl Strawberry day, it was the top of the 3rd inning when Christian Walker hit a decisive grand slam. On Saturday, the 4th inning and a pair of Phillies home runs decided this game, with the added element of fly ball Starling Marte could’ve caught. 

After getting J.T. Realmuto out to begin the 4th, Harper launched a solo home run on a hanging slider to tie the game. An Alec Bohm single and a Bryson Stott walk after Manaea got ahead of him 0-2 set up a bloop RBI single into right field that Marte had a chance of catching but decided to let the ball drop. Whit Merrifield put the hammer down with a three-run home run to put the Phillies up 5-1. Philadelphia added another run and that was it for Manaea. Marte’s play had a 95% catch probability. His Outs Above Average was -0.8 coming into the game. Even though Manaea did struggle and could not get Stott out after being up 0-2, if Marte had caught the ball, the Mets and Manaea would’ve been out of the inning with the score tied 1-1. 

2-For-11 With RISP

The Mets offense got off to an early 1-0 lead in the 1st inning thanks to a pair of doubles from Francisco Lindor and Marte, who drove Lindor in. The offense also had a total of 10 hits. However, the key stat, once again, is their hitting with RISP. New York was 2-for-11 with RISP. The Phillies were 3-for-6. New York was not productive with RISP and 2-0uts, while the Phillies were. The Mets even loaded the bases in the bottom of the 9th down 7-2 with 1-out, but J.D. Martinez grounded into a game-ending double play. Leaving runners on with the bases loaded continues to be a problem for this Mets offense.  

Player Of The Game: Francisco Lindor

Lindor continues to be a bright spot at the top of the lineup ever since New York moved him into the leadoff spot. On Saturday, he notched two hits, and they each resulted in him scoring both of the Mets’ runs on the day, 

On Deck

Game 2, and the finale, of the London series takes place on Sunday. The Mets will go with Jose Quintana, who will match up with Taijuan Walker. The game starts at 10:10 a.m. EDT and will be televised nationally on ESPN.

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The Mets skipped across the pond Wednesday evening and have had the last two days to prepare for international baseball, welcome to London lads!

For the third time in MLB’s history, games will be played in London Stadium, the home of West Ham United F.C. The fireworks this afternoon/evening (depending on what country you are watching this game in) won’t be created by star midfielders Mohammed Kudus and Edson Álvarez. It is Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso’s turn!

Francisco Lindor – NY Mets

Mets Lineup

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Pete Alonso – 1B
3. Brandon Nimmo – LF
4. J.D. Martinez – DH
5. Starling Marte – RF
6. Mark Vientos – 3B
7. Harrison Bader – CF
8. Jose Iglesias – 2B
9. Luis Torrens – C

Sean Manaea has made 11 starts totaling 57 innings this season with a 3.63 ERA, 3.42 FIP, 1.298 WHIP and a 105 ERA+. He’s coming off of a rough start against the Diamondbacks where he allowed six runs, five earned over 5 2/3 innings but still managed to have a season high in strikeouts at 10. He last faced the Phillies on May 13th and allowed only one earned run from four hits and a walk over six innings while striking out six. The Phillies have the following career numbers against him:

• Alec Bohm 1-5, HR, 2 K
• Nick Castellanos 5-11, 2B, 2 HR, 3 K
• Bryce Harper 2-6, 2B, K
• Whit Merrifield 4-11, 2 2B, BB, 2 K
• J.T. Realmuto 0-2, BB, 2 K
• Johan Rojas 0-3, K
• Kyle Schwarber 0-0, 2 BB
• Edmundo Sosa 3-4, 2B, 3B, HR, K
• Bryson Stott 3-6, HR, BB
• Garrett Stubbs 1-2

Opposing Lineup

1. Kyle Schwarber – DH
2. JT Realmuto – C
3. Bryce Harper – 1B
4. Alec Bohm – 3B
5. Nick Castellanos – RF
6. Bryson Stott – 2B
7. Edmundo Sosa – SS
8. Whit Merrifield – LF
9. Cristian Pache – CF

The Mets bats will really get to test the theory if London Stadium is still a hitters’ park as they face one of the best pitchers in baseball this year, Ranger Suárez. Over 12 starts (74 innings), Suárez has a 1.70 ERA (league-leading), 2.65 FIP, 0.797 WHIP (league-leading), and a 236 ERA+ (you guessed it, league-leading). The Mets scored two unearned runs against Suárez back on May 15th off of four hits and two walks over five innings. Suárez had a short outing his last time out when he took a 106 mph comebacker off of his pitching thumb. This is of course something to keep an eye on today. The Mets have the following career numbers against Suárez:

• Pete Alonso 1-15, 2B, 4 BB, 3 K
• Harrison Bader 1-2
• Jose Iglesias 2-2
• Francisco Lindor 3-13, HR, BB, K
• Starling Marte 4-13, 2 BB, K
• J.D. Martinez 2-7, 2B, BB, 2 K
• Jeff McNeil 2-10, 2B, 3B, K
• Tomás Nido 0-4, 3 K
• Brandon Nimmo 3-19, 3 BB, 2 K
• Tyrone Taylor 1-5, K
• Luis Torrens 0-2, BB, K
• Mark Vientos 3-9, 2B, HR, 3 K

Game Notes

• The Mets enjoyed two days off…On Wednesday, the Mets defeated the Nationals, 9-1, in Washington D.C. to complete a three-game sweep. The Mets have won three straight and five of their last seven games.
• Today, the Mets begin a two-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The international series is part of the MLB WORLD TOUR, which represents MLB and the MLBPA’s largest-ever international play plan across the 2023-2026 seasons.
• : The Mets have played 318 games outside the USA. This included Canada (vs. Montreal), Japan vs. Chicago-NL (March 29-30, 2000), Mexico (August 16-18, 1996) and Puerto Rico against Montreal (April 11-14, 2003, April 9-11, 2004) and against Florida (June 28-30, 2010). New York owns a 147-171 record in those games.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Come On You Irons! West Ham United F.C., also referred to as the Irons invoke iron hammers in club imagery. The Mets and Phillies will be looking to use their hammers today in what has historically been a high-scoring ballpark. In 2019, before the fences were brought in, the Red Sox and Yankees combined for 10 home runs over two games. Before heading across the pond the Mets hit six homers over their three-game sweep against the Nationals.
2. Mushy P’s and Proper Relievers. The bulk of the Mets has been a bit mushy for the better part of the month. The Mets pen has lost six games where the Mets were leading in the 8th or leader. There were two games where the Mets bullpen allowed big leads to almost slip away at the last moment. But the Mets have won five of their last seven games and that’s because of two new relievers who are off to strong starts. Dedniel Núñez has allowed only three earned runs over 11 2/3 innings with an astounding 19s. Danny Young has allowed one unearned run over 6 2/3 innings while striking out eight.
3. Changing of the Guard? When the Mets traded for Luis Torrens out of the Yankees minor league system, it was widely assumed at the time he would be the odd man out once Francisco Alvarez came back. All Torrens has done though since coming up is hit for power. He has gone 3-for-10 at the plate with two homers and a double. Nido over his last five games has gone 4-for-13 at the plate with a double and a homer. Nido probably still has the advantage here, but both catchers will be auditioning all weekend for who gets to stay when Álvarez returns.

Let’s go Mets!

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