Max Scherzer. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Entering Friday night’s action, Max Scherzer owned a 6.39 ERA and had never won in six career starts at Coors Field. Pitching in the opener of the Mets’ three-game series in Denver, the 38-year-old delivered his longest start of the season to earn his first career victory in that ballpark.

Scherzer allowed a lead-off single to Charlie Blackmon to begin his outing, but retired the next three batters in order, getting his first strikeout of the night against Jurickson Profar. The right-hander surrendered a lead-off homer to Ryan McMahon in the second inning but proceeded to retire the next 11 batters he faced.

Scherzer registered two punchouts in the third inning, getting Ezequiel Tovar on a curveball and Profar for the second time of the night with a cutter. In the fourth inning, Scherzer struck Kris Bryant out on a changeup for his fourth victim of the night. Scherzer rang up Nolan Jones on a change-up with one out in the fifth inning before Alan Trejo broke up the streak with a double down the left-field line. Scherzer escaped the inning unscathed though after he got Tovar to swing over a slider for his sixth punchout of the night.

Blackmon made Scherzer work hard to lead off the sixth inning, but he ultimately whiffed on a fastball on the eighth pitch of the at-bat. After Profar singled to right, Scherzer induced a popout from Bryant before getting Elías Díaz to ground out to end the inning.

A season-high 8 strikeouts tonight for Max Scherzer! pic.twitter.com/xnOh0kARNC

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 27, 2023

Pitching in the seventh inning for the first time this season, Scherzer ran into some traffic on the bases. After getting McMahon to ground out, Harold Castro singled to right field, and after striking out Nolan Jones, Scherzer surrendered another double to Trejo to put runners on second and third. The three-time Cy Young winner escaped the jam though, getting Tovar to fly out to end his night.

“You know he’s going to go out there and give his best, and his best is really, really good,” Francisco Lindor told Steve Gelbs in his postgame interview. “It’s fun to watch him every night out there, he had every pitch working.”

Scherzer’s fastball averaged 93.1 miles per hour, which is close to his season average of 93.2. It’s a good sign after his fastball routinely hovered around 92 mph earlier in the season. He also racked up nine whiffs on the pitch on 27 attempts. Scherzer registered six of his eight strikeouts on his secondary pitches – two each on his slider, curveball, and cutter. Overall, Scherzer generated 20 whiffs, the most he’s recorded this season.

“He’s gotten in a routine for the first time this year,” Buck Showalter said after the game. “He had a good feel for the baseball today, which is a hard thing to do in this ballpark.”

Scherzer also pounded the strike zone, not issuing a walk for the first time in a start this season. Of his 102 pitches, Scherzer threw 74 for strikes. He also praised Francisco Álvarez for his pitch calling and attributed some of his success to the young backstop.

“I’m starting to turn a corner, finally getting healthy, and was able to work with him (Álvarez),” Scherzer said. “He made some good calls today and some good sequences of what we wanted to do, so I feel like we’re getting in a good rhythm, and when you get a good rhythm we can start rolling.”

“I’ve been telling Álvy for a while: I’m better than this. I can locate. I can pitch with all these pitches.”

Scherzer dealt with a callus on his thumb in his last start, and he said that he battled through pain in the seventh inning, but it wasn’t as bad as what he dealt with previously.

In his last three starts, Scherzer has allowed just two earned runs in 18 innings, allowing just 11 hits and striking out 19 against three walks. In that time, he’s lowered his ERA from 5.56 to a season-low 3.54. The 38-year-old’s next start is currently slated for next Thursday against the Blue Jays.

The post Max Scherzer Carves up Rockies in Longest Outing of the Year appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

On September 9, Major League Baseball announced significant rule changes that will become effective in the 2023 season. Beginning next season, there will be a pitch clock, a restriction on defensive shifting, and larger bases. Let’s take a look at some of the reactions to these modifications to the game.

First, how do the players feel about the new rules? For context, as part of the agreement that ended the lockout last offseason, a competition committee was formed, consisting of owners (six), players (four), and an umpire. The competition committee discusses rule changes, but under the new collective bargaining agreement, owners can ultimately implement rule changes with notice of 45 days to the union, a change from the prior CBA that required a year’s notice.

The process above was applied to the current round of rule changes. In a development that should surprise no one, the players’ union was not happy with the final result, saying that though they were represented in the discussions, the owners moved forward without consensus.

From Sports Illustrated, here is a statement from the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA):

“Players live the game—day in and day out. On-field rules and regulations impact their preparation, performance, and ultimately, the integrity of the game itself,” the union said in a statement. “Major League Baseball was unwilling to meaningfully address the areas of concern that players raised.”

In an article published in The Athletic, Charlie Blackmon on the Colorado Rockies went a little further:

“I’m actually very against how it’s happening. It helps left-handed hitters like me. But anytime you have the boss implement something against the will of the players, that’s not good for the game of baseball. … It would be really great if we could have arrived at a conclusion together, with compromise. That would have been nice. It sounds like something we should have addressed in the (collective bargaining agreement), which, I guess is our fault as players.

Let’s turn our attention to reactions to the specific rule changes that we will see next season.

The Pitch Clock

Whether or not one agrees with its purpose, it’s indisputable that the pitch clock achieves its objective to shorten games. The clock has helped reduce the average time of a nine-inning game in the minor leagues from 3 hours, 4 minutes in 2021 to 2:38 this season. The average time of a nine-inning game in the major leagues this year is 3:06; it was 2:46 in 1989, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

As a reminder, here is how it will work. The pitch clock will be set at 15 seconds with no runners on base and 20 seconds with runners on base. From the SI.com article cited above:

A catcher will be required to be in the catcher’s box with nine seconds left on the clock and a hitter in the batter’s box and focused on the pitcher with eight seconds remaining. Penalties for violations will be a ball called against a pitcher and a strike called against a batter.

A batter can ask an umpire for time once per plate appearance, and after that it would be granted only at the umpire’s discretion if the request is made while in the batter’s box. There will be a limit of two of what MLB calls disengagements—pickoff attempts or steps off the rubber—per plate appearance, and a balk would be called for a third or more unless there is an out. The disengagement limit would be reset if a runner advances.

From The Athletic article cited above, here are the thoughts of Dodgers’ pitcher Alex Vesia:

“I’ve asked a couple of my buddies who are in the minor leagues, and they say that it’s definitely fast. The only thing that is tough is if you’re three balls, two strikes and you don’t know what pitch you want to throw, and the clock times out. That’s ball four? You’re now predicting the game.”

While some do not favor the idea of “messing with the game,” and there is a concern of taking pitchers out of their routine and the possibility of injuries (especially to those established major leaguers to whom the clock will be new), much of the feedback on the pitch clock suggests that the games move more fluidly, and there is less “dead air,” which will hold fans’ interest.

The most intriguing part of the pitch clock rule is the limit on the number of times a pitcher can throw to a base. Get ready to see more stolen bases, as leads can get very large after two attempted pickoffs.

Shift Restrictions

Limiting shifts by requiring two infielders on each side of second base and all infielders to be positioned on the dirt will be very noticeable. Consider this from the cited article in SI.com:

Use of shifts has exploded in the past decade, from 2,357 times on balls hit in play in 2011 to 28,130 in 2016 and 59,063 last year, according to Sports Info Solutions. Shifts are on pace for 68,000 this season.

The Mets are among the teams that use the shift the most. Changing defensive rules to encourage offense is quite common in sports. The NBA eliminated zone defenses, and the NFL outlawed defensive contact with receivers beyond five yards from the line of scrimmage, to name just two.

From The Athletic article mentioned above, Gavin Lux of the Dodgers had this to say about shift restrictions:

“It makes kind of being able to be a versatile defender actually be more important and then obviously you can move the ball around, there’s more hits. From a hitter’s perspective, I like it because there’s more hits.”

Time will tell if there are more hits and fewer strikeouts with the shift modifications. Baseball has fallen into the “three true outcomes” mentality of a home run, strikeout, or walk. This may be exciting for some, and not for others.

In any case, commissioner Rob Manfred wants to see the game migrate away from this, and back to the idea of manufactured runs. Will restricting shifts bring the game to that endpoint? Manfred seems to think so.

Larger Bases

The bases will now be 18-inch squares instead of 15-inch squares. This will result in the distance between bases being reduced by four and one-half inches. The idea is to increase player safety, particularly on double plays when infielders use the base as a barrier, and to encourage more stolen bases.

If you’re going to try to encourage “small ball,” it makes sense to take this step, as stolen bases are part of that concept, and are exciting plays. However, this rule change lands a bit differently.

There does not seem to be a spate of injuries caused by runners barreling into infielders on double-plays, so what problem is MLB trying to solve? Further, is making stolen bases a little easier fair to prior base thieves such as Lou Brock and Rickey Henderson?

Think about some stolen bases that are very close and perhaps reviewed. A change of four and one-half inches can have a significant impact on successful stolen base attempts. Does this add excitement? It does. Does it also impact the record books? It probably will. In the end, if the game is more exciting and more people are drawn in, the net effect will be seen as positive.

From The Athletic, Orioles’ manager Brandon Hyde sums things up this way:

“I think it’s going to better the fan experience. I think it is going to better the player experience on the field — I’m hoping.

“The other sports have made a lot of changes in recent years and have made adjustments, and it’s nice to see our guys, the league and the players and the umpires, come together and try to better the game for the fans and the players.”

Baseball revels in its history, a wonderful history, more than other sports. However, as Hyde says, changes are always necessary. MLB is going in fairly hard on a new set of rules in 2023. Are these the right ones? That depends on the desired endpoint. In this case, increased fan interest (greater attendance and higher television ratings) is the goal.

It may take a few years, but eventually, we will see if Manfred made the correct choices.

The post Reactions To MLB’s Rule Changes Effective in 2023 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Deservedly so, Seth Lugo was not pegged with the loss in last night’s frustrating 10-8 implosion against the Colorado Rockies, instead taking a no-decision. Between the thin air of Coors Field, an inconsistent strike zone, questionable shifts, and some shoddy fundamental defense, it would be unfair to drop what evolved into a dysfunctional back-and-forth affair on Lugo’s shoulders.

With that in mind, however, it’s still easy to understand why Lugo’s 72-pitch effort – where only 40 even registered as strikes – was ultimately a disappointing response to Jason Vargas‘ horrid outing the night before. A frantic, staccato second inning and monotonous 29-pitch third, although finished under his own power, ultimately sealed Lugo’s fate, as his final line was mottled by six runs (three earned), six hits, one homer, and two walks amidst five strikeouts.

Up 3-0 in the bottom of the first inning, Lugo secured two quick outs – the latter a strikeout of Charlie Blackmon – by serving up a cookie to Nolan Arenado that swiftly landed in another zip code.

After his teammates put up a run of their own to keep him ahead, Lugo fell victim to a Todd Frazier throwing error to lead off the second inning. 11 pitches later, Gerardo Parra had singled in the runner while Ian Desmond walked to put two on with none out. After a pitch miscommunication triggered a Devin Mesoraco passed ball and put men at second and third, Lugo got the timely double-play grounder that, because of this prior snafu, instead went down an RBI 4-3 to bring the Rockies within a run. DJ LeMahieu soon singled to tie things up before Lugo again whiffed Blackmon to end the inning.

The real sticking point in Lugo’s start seemed to be his inability to hit his spots, and the inconsistencies manifested themselves at the beginning of the third inning, when Colorado used a first-pitch Arenado single and a four-pitch walk to the aging, slumping Carlos Gonzalez to their advantage.

Granted, two total walks don’t necessarily enforce the standard narrative of inaccurate pitching, but whether or not altitude was a factor, Lugo really only demonstrated effective use of his curveball when he managed strikeouts of Desmond and opposing pitcher Chad Bettis for his final two outs on the evening. These sequences aside, Lugo made use of the breaking ball just ten times across the final two innings – with only one curveball even being called for a strike.

“We saw a bit of that,” said manager Mickey Callaway when asked about Lugo’s hiccups with his curveball “…so he probably didn’t trust it as much as he could, and his overall command with his fastball wasn’t there… We probably would’ve left him out there, had he not thrown 27 and then 33 pitches, and then we started worrying about his health.”

With the medical picture surrounding ailing flamethrower Noah Syndergaard becoming clearer, there’s plenty of reason to believe Lugo will have another chance or two to get off the west coast schneid and work as efficiently as he had done through his first two starts at home.

His 4.23 starter ERA this year is a little more comparable to what he had managed as a starter the year before, but between the two shortened shutouts and the volatile nature of the last two hitter-friendly parks he’s been dropped in, Seth Lugo should not be judged in the aggregate. Rather, he should be given every opportunity to rebound the next chance management gives him.

The post Poor Control the Culprit in Lugo’s Rocky Mountain Struggles appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

On a day that the Mets parted ways with a moody Matt Harvey, another surgically repaired pitcher couldn’t find his rhythm on the mound.

Zack Wheeler struggled right out of the gate, gifting the Rockies five runs in the first on four base hits by Charlie Blackmon, Gerardo Parra, Nolan Arenado, and Daniel Castro. This was followed up by a sac fly from Carlos Gonzalez and a pair of doubles off the bats of Trevor Story and Ian Desmond.

“I think obviously there’s a trend there in the first inning,” Mets manager  Mickey Callaway said. “I think we have to be proactive in getting ready to go out and compete from pitch one. I think you see a lower velocity, not as crisp of stuff. So he’s got to go out there close every inning. We don’t care how deep in the game he pitches. We want the most effective innings as possible. If it’s two innings, it’s two innings. If it’s seven, it’s seven.”

After Thursday’s demoralizing 11-0 loss to Atlanta that capped a three game sweep, Cleveland transplant Callaway’s early season dream looking team has turned into a New York nightmare.

With their fourth consecutive loss, the Mets are flailing in desperate need of a lifeline from two more solid starting pitchers, an effective catcher and contributions at the plate from their future franchise outfielder, Michael Conforto.

Consistent timely hitting has morphed into men left on base or hardly out of the batter’s box. Starting pitching ends early and on the rare occasions it doesn’t, the Mets are either out of the running, or the bullpen lets it slip away.

Friday night, they made a valiant effort at a comeback down 8-2 in the eighth. Todd Frazier’s two-run blast with Yoenis Cespedes on board ignited the crowd keeping the fans from an early Citi Field exit.

Wilmer Flores came off the bench in the bottom of the ninth belting a booming double to deep center and Ahmed Rosario’s single closed the gap 8-5. Wade Davis, the ex-Royals closer who tortured the Mets in the 2015 Fall Classic, did it again, but this time, he teased them before getting the final out.

Asdrubal Cabrera, the Met who continues to be money, launched an RBI triple off of Davis’ 94 MPH four-seam fastball. Jay Bruce walked and was quickly replaced by the speedier Jose Reyes. Frazier lined a clutch base hit to left center, scoring Cabrera, sending Reyes to third. The Rockies forgot about Frazier who then stole second.

Conforto, mired in a 0-for-12 slump, with three strikeouts on the night, missed a 2-2 89 MPH cutter, and with it, an opportunity to be mauled on the field by driving in the winning runs.

“It’s just a grind that it’s the beginning of the season,” Conforto said. “That being said, I don’t think I have 80 at-bats yet, so we’re not going into panic mode yet here. I think it’s something I can work through for sure.”

In the recent string of losses, however, Callaway sees positives.

“That’s the one thing throughout this real rough patch that we’re in — and it’s rough, it’s tough — the energy’s always been there,” he said. “You’ve got guys like (Frazier,) those veteran guys, those young guys. We’re not losing our energy, that’s for sure.”

Saturday, Steven Matz will try to get the better of Chad Bettis who is riding a 1.71 ERA in five road starts this season.

The post Reeling Mets Drop Fourth Straight as Losses Pile Up appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Major League Baseball’s annual Silver Slugger Awards were handed out on Thursday night with Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve and San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey both winning their fourth straight award.

The winners are voted on by coaches and managers that cannot vote for players on their own teams.

Here is the entire list of 2017 Silver Slugger Award winners:

American League

Catcher: Gary Sanchez – Yankees
First base: Eric Hosmer – Royals
Second base: Jose Altuve – Astros
Third base: Jose Ramirez – Indians
Shortstop: Francisco Lindor – Indians
Outfield: Aaron Judge – Yankees
Outfield: Justin Upton – Angels
Outfield: George Springer – Astros
Designated hitter: Nelson Cruz – Mariners

National League
Catcher: Buster Posey – Giants
First base: Paul Goldschmidt – D-backs
Second base: Daniel Murphy – Nationals
Third base: Nolan Arenado – Rockies
Shortstop: Corey Seager – Dodgers
Outfield: Giancarlo Stanton – Marlins
Outfield: Marcell Ozuna – Marlins
Outfield: Charlie Blackmon – Rockies
Pitcher: Adam Wainwright – Cardinals

The last Met to win a Silver Slugger was Yoenis Cespedes in 2016 and previous to that was David Wright in 2008.

The post Altuve, Posey Win Fourth Straight Silver Slugger Awards appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Following Sunday’s 13-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies, the Mets optioned reliever Chasen Bradford to Triple-A Las Vegas. In a corresponding move, the Mets recalled right-hander Hansel Robles.

Bradford, 27, appeared in just five games at the big league level after receiving a promotion late last month.

On Sunday, he tossed two innings and allowed a two-run home run to Charlie Blackmon.

Robles, 26, was just 4-1 with a 6.23 ERA, 6.23 FIP, 1.569 WHIP and 9.6 K/9 in 21 games with New York earlier this season before being sent down at the end of May.

However, Robles has allowed zero runs in his last five outings (6 2/3 innings)  and seven of his last eight appearances after getting off to a rocky start in pitcher-friendly Las Vegas this season.

For the 51s this season, he is 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA in 23 1/3 innings tossed.

The post Bradford Optioned To Triple-A; Hansel Robles Recalled appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

According to Buster Olney of ESPN, it’s doubtful that Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon gets dealt because they’re looking for an Adam Eaton like package for him.

Blackmon, 30, will become a free agent after the 2018 season while Eaton is under the Washington Nationals through the 2019 season.

Original Post – Dec 13

The Colorado Rockies surprised quite a few people with their recent signing of Ian Desmond. The team also currently remains in talks with free agent first baseman, Mark Trumbo, leading many to believe that they may look to deal a player like Charlie Blackmon.

The Rockies are said to be in the market to flip one of their bats in return for a top of the rotation starter. This is where the Mets could possibly swoop in.

Blackmon, 30, is coming off his best season yet, hitting to a .324/.381/.552 batting line with 29 homers and 82 RBI. He also has the ability to swipe a bag or two, taking 17 in 2016 and 43 the season before.

He has put himself into conversations as one of the better center fielders in the game today. Blackmon plays a position the Mets could use some help with and adding him certainly would give the team a big boost.  That of course, would probably require trading both Jay Bruce and Curtis Granderson to get the team below that $150 million threshold.

Rumors circulated at the MLB Winter Meetings this past week that the Rockies had offered up Blackmon to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for starting pitcher, Marcus Stroman, a deal that was rebuffed.

It may behoove the Mets to try to swoop in and offer the Rockies a package revolving around Steven Matz or Robert Gsellman. Matz of course could provide Colorado that top of the line starter they crave while Gsellman has also shown flashes of being a dominant force himself.

It is unknown exactly how much Colorado may be looking for in return for a player of Blackmon’s caliber. A pitcher though like Matz could possibly entice them. Injuries though are what may hold back such a deal as Matz has proven unable to pitch a full season thus far without injury.

Ultimately the Rockies seem as though they would like to shift Desmond back to the outfield and not have him play first base as currently constructed. If they sign Trumbo, the likelihood of them trading either Blackmon or Carlos Gonzalez seems quite high.

If Blackmon is indeed in play, the Mets should take every opportunity to attempt to make that trade happen. Blackmon could be the final piece of the puzzle type player to really put the Mets over the top.

The post Doubtful That Charlie Blackmon Gets Traded appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Stat Line:  7 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 10 SO, 4 BB

Jacob deGrom threw the sharpest moving pitches of his season last night against the Colorado Rockies.  With a quick, compact pitching motion, deGrom used incredible hand speed attacking the Rockies hitters resulting in 10 strikeouts.  The most pivotal strikeout came in the bottom of the fifth inning against Charlie Blackmon.

After the Mets took the lead scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, deGrom allowed a double on the first pitch of the fifth inning to All-Star second baseman DJ LeMahieu.  DeGrom quickly found himself with baserunners on second and third base with two outs and leadoff hitter Blackmon at-bat.

Blackmon is a 29 year-old strong left-handed hitter batting .285 with 13 homeruns and 46 RBI thus far in 2015.

In Blackmon’s first two at-bats against deGrom, he rolled over on outside changeups with groundballs to second baseman Wilmer Flores.  Since Blackmon only swung at the two pitches that he put in play (no foul balls or swing and misses), deGrom didn’t have in-game information to work off of other than, Blackmon struggles with his low and outside changeup.

DeGrom narrowly missed with a 96 mph fastball on the outside corner to fall behind 1-0.  In this spot, deGrom needed to challenge Blackmon with another fastball for two reasons:

1. Blackmon had not shown any attempt to swing at a fastball in his previous at-bats.  It’s fair to assume Blackmon either takes another fastball for a called strike or swings slightly behind a 96 mph fastball.
2. Although first base was open, deGrom did not want to load the bases with two veteran lefties on deck in Jose Reyes and Carlos Gonzalez.

DeGrom proceed to blow a 97 mph fastball past Blackmon for a swinging strike.

Consequently, deGrom challenged Blackmon again with another 96 mph fastball.  Blackmon was noticeably late, fighting off the pitch foul down the left field line.

With the count at 1-2, deGrom threw a 96 mph fastball high and inside to brush Blackmon off the plate.  This fastball was important for two reasons:

1. It forced Blackmon to feel uncomfortable in the batter’s box.  Not only is a 96 mph fastball under his chin terrifying but also forces Blackmon to refocus on the at-bat after distracted by getting up off the ground, walking around outside the batter’s box and collecting his thoughts.
2. More importantly, it changed Blackmon’s eye level from knee and thigh pitches seen in both his previous at-bats and current at-bat, to chest and shoulder high.

This change in eye level sets up deGrom’s 2-2 curveball low and outside.  Blackmon showed strong discipline laying off called ball, pushing the at-bat to a full 3-2 count.

Typically, deGrom throws this curveball low and inside at the left-handed hitters back foot.  Traditionally, lefties struggle with a curveball in the location, either fouling it off their inside foot or swing and missing for a strikeout.

Blackmon is a different lefty.  According to ESPN Hot Zone Charts, in 2014 Blackmon batted .417 with two strikes on low and inside pitches.  Conversely, he batted only .222 with two strikes on low and outside pitches.  Although deGrom may not specifically know this statistic, he has access to video of all Blackmon’s swings in any count dating back to 2014 along with countless scouting reports giving him this information.

Many pitchers live by the motto, “Never get beat on anything but your best pitch”.

DeGrom proceeded to fire a 97 mph fastball low and outside past Blackmon’s swing and miss for a strikeout.

DeGrom made an excellent decision in pitch selection.  He threw his best pitch, in the most important moment of the game, against Blackmon who showed he couldn’t keep up with deGrom’s fastball, in the location where Blackmon is least successful.

Crisis averted.

Follow Chris Zaccherio on Twitter @ziography for more Mets pitching insight that goes beyond statistics.

The post Pitching Analysis of Jacob deGrom Pivotal 5th Inning Battle Against Charlie Blackmon appeared first on Metsmerized Online.