The New York Mets are in crisis mode after being swept by the Guardians at Citi Field. The offense looks completely lost. This team doesn’t look like a World Series contender right now. Not even close.

Furthermore, the Mets have now lost four straight, eight of nine, and each of their last three series. We’re now in August, and this team is going in the completely wrong direction.

Therefore, let’s recap all the bad and the few good points from the Cleveland series in another edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Pete Alonso (20) Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

3 UP

CLOSER TO HISTORY

Pete Alonso is just one home run away from becoming part of forever. The slugger went 4-for-5 with four RBIs in the series opener, including hitting his 251st career home run. As a result, Alonso is now on the precipice of accomplishing something incredibly special. Once he does match and then surpass Darryl Strawberry‘s franchise home run record, Alonso will cement his standing as the best power hitter in Mets history. It was just a shame he couldn’t tie the record before the home stand came to a close.

STEADYING THE SHIP

Clay Holmes has been on a downward spiral lately. He had allowed a total of nine earned runs and six walks in his previous four outings. However, in his latest start on Tuesday, Holmes got the train back on the tracks somewhat. The righty pitched well over five innings, allowing just two runs on three hits and two walks with six strikeouts. He shut down a dangerous Cleveland offense and had good command of all his pitches. Furthermore, Holmes looked like the pitcher he was earlier in the season. Hopefully, Tuesday’s start will act as a defining turning point in Holmes’ first season as a starter.

DOING THEIR JOBS

This series was a quiet success for the bullpen. Yes, the Mets got swept. But it wasn’t because of their relief pitching. In total, the bullpen allowed just three runs – one earned – in the three games against the Guardians. Five relievers combined to allow just two runs in the opener (not their fault either), while four relievers combined to allow just one run over four innings in the second game of the series. Then, in the series finale on Wednesday, Reed Garrett and Justin Hagenman joined forces to provide three innings of scoreless ball in relief. All in all, the bullpen is starting to look formidable. It was a strength, and not a weakness, in this series.

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

GUT PUNCH LOSS

Certain losses throughout a 162-game season have the potential to be defining. File Monday’s heartbreaking crusher under that category. The Mets overcame a 5-0 deficit to get right back into the series opener, setting up what could have acted as a real turning point for this team. Instead, the offense wasted golden opportunities to score the winning run late in the game. Then, in extra innings, an inexcusable Brett Baty throwing error led to Cleveland scoring the winning runs. Baty’s fatal mistake, coupled with the offensive failures, set the tone for the remainder of the series. Some losses you don’t get up from, and this was one of them.

NO PULSE

This offense is lifeless right now. We’re in August and, unless something changes drastically, this lineup could doom the Mets’ chances of doing something special this year. As of now, this team doesn’t look like one capable of going on a deep postseason run. Heck, unless the offense fixes itself, maybe even reaching the playoffs could be in doubt. Because, to be brutally honest, we’re way past the point of panic time with this offense now. The lineup doomed the Mets in this series. After failing to drive the winning run home in the opener, the lineup proceeded to go 13 consecutive innings without a single hit. Only Juan Soto‘s ninth-inning home run prevented the Mets from being no-hit in the finale. That’s embarrassing.

Furthermore, the Mets have lost eight of their last nine games and are averaging just 3.8 runs per game over that stretch. They’ve also produced a .674 OPS since June 13 – the third-worst mark in all of baseball during that span. Plus, between June 22 and August 7, New York is hitting just .224 as a team – ranked dead last in all of baseball. All in all, this offense is an absolute abyss right now, and it could end up ensuring this season is a total bust.

ONE STEP BACK

Things were going swimmingly for Sean Manaea on Monday. The lefty cruised through five innings, allowing just two hits and needing just 57 pitches to do damage. However, hopes of Manaea going deep into the game for the first time this season were soon wiped out. The wheels fell off in the sixth, with Manaea allowing five runs on seven hits. And, just like that, Manaea’s night was over. Not only did the implosion lead to a series-defining loss, but no starter other than David Peterson has now finished the sixth inning since June 7.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Sink To New Low Against Cleveland appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Contradicting the later stages of the game, the first five innings were a breeze as both Sean Manaea and Slade Cecconi cruised through five easy scoreless innings. Both kept relatively low pitch counts, especially Manaea, who was at just 57 through five frames.

But as Mets fans know, the sixth inning has not been kind to Mets starters this year. It was no different in this game, as the sixth inning was nothing short of a nightmare. Manaea faced eight batters and only retired two of them. Steven Kwan led off with a single to right field before Ángel Martínez was hit by a pitch while attempting to bunt. José Ramírez then flied out to right, putting runners on the corners with one out. That’s when things started to get out of hand.

A Manaea wild pitch nearly brought home Kwan from third, but Kwan opted to stay at the base while Martínez advanced to second. Manaea then surrendered three straight hits, two singles and a three-run homer off the bat of Gabriel Arias, to put the Guardians ahead 5-0 after entering the inning in a scoreless tie. Manaea then struck out Nolan Jones before allowing a single to Brayan Rocchio, ending Manaea’s night.

Through five innings, it appeared a near certainty that Manea would become the first Mets starter not named David Peterson to complete six innings in almost two months, but a blowup of epic proportions saw him exit the game just one out shy of that mark. In all, he allowed five runs over 5 2/3 innings, watching his ERA balloon from 2.08 to 3.52.

Cleveland’s starter Cecconi was equally as strong as Manaea through five innings. He didn’t allow a run, even working out of a runner-on-second, no-out scenario in the fifth. Like Manaea, though, Cecconi also faltered in the sixth, but not to the same extent and not entirely by his own doing.

Francisco Lindor reached base to lead off the inning on a strikeout and wild pitch before Juan Soto grounded a ball that got by the second baseman for an error. With runners on first and third and no outs, Pete Alonso socked a three-run homer to left-center field to get the Mets back within two. It was the 251st home run of Alonso’s career, putting him just one behind Darryl Strawberry‘s club record. The Mets couldn’t add on further, however, as the next three batters went down in order.

Tyler Rogers and Reed Garrett each pitched a relatively easy scoreless inning in the seventh and eighth to keep the Mets within striking distance. The Mets were unable to get anything going in the seventh but jumped all over Hunter Gaddis in the eighth.

Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, and Jeff McNeil started off the inning with four straight singles, scoring a run and loading up the bases with no outs. Mark Vientos hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game, and Cedric Mullins nearly gave the Mets the lead, but a great defensive play kept the game tied, and it stayed that way into the ninth.

Edwin Díaz faced immediate trouble in the top of the ninth as he allowed a leadoff single, a stolen base, and an advance to third on a throw that made it to center field. With the Guardians threatening to take the lead right back, Díaz—coming right off a National League Reliever of the Month award for July—induced a strikeout, a popup, and another strikeout to strand the runner at third and give the Mets a chance to walk it off in the bottom of the inning.

Francisco Alvarez started the bottom of the ninth with a single off Cade Smith, promptly being removed from the game so Tyrone Taylor could pinch-run for him. Brandon Nimmo struck out for the fourth consecutive plate appearance before Francisco Lindor ripped a line drive double into right field. Taylor was held up at third, though there’s a chance he could have made it home safely to win the game. Juan Soto was intentionally walked to load the bases, setting up Pete Alonso to put an end to one of the best games of his career. Alonso worked a 2-2 count but struck out on a high fastball before Jeff McNeil hit a soft liner to the shortstop to put a sudden end to the game-ending threat.

José Ramírez was intentionally walked in the top of the 10th to put runners on first and second with no outs and Ryan Helsley on the mound. Disaster ensued when David Fry dropped down a bunt and Brett Baty sailed the throw to second wide and into the outfield, scoring a run and putting runners on second and third with still nobody out. A sacrifice fly gave the Guardians a massive insurance run, putting them ahead 7-5 as the game turned over to the bottom of the inning.

The first two batters of the inning, Mark Vientos and Cedric Mullins, both hit the ball hard, but both at-bats resulted in outs. Brett Baty then singled home Jeff McNeil, the ghost runner, to get the Mets back within a run. However, with Francisco Alvarez having been removed from the game, Luis Torrens was next up to bat with the game on the line. Torrens took a couple of pitches before skying a fly ball to deep right field, very close to the wall, but it ultimately fell short and was caught for the final out.

One of the most exciting wins of the season quickly turned into one of the worst losses of the season. It is the Mets’ sixth loss in their last seven games as they are now 1.5 games out of first place in the National League East.

Player of the Game

Pete Alonso had a fantastic game despite not coming through with a chance to win in the bottom of the ninth. He went 4-for-5 with a three-run homer and three singles, totaling four RBIs on the night. With almost the entire top of the lineup slumping before the past few games, Alonso appears to be fully back.

On Deck

The Mets will continue their series with the Guardians Tuesday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET. Clay Holmes (9-6, 3.45 ERA) will look to give the Mets a rare lengthy outing, while Logan Allen (7-9, 4.06 ERA), coming off a really good start against the Rockies, will take the mound for Cleveland. The game will be broadcast on SNY.

The post Mets’ Thrilling Comeback Attempt Ends in Agonizing Extra Innings Loss appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

You are probably trying to convince yourselves that it can’t, but based on what we’ve seen over the first two months of the season, this is perhaps just the beginning of the bad times.

After all, it will only get worse before it gets better, as the old saying goes.

The Mets are the perfect picture of ineptitude right now, and an embarrassing stretch of losses and performances only continued in a three-game sweep to the Guardians.

The bats never really showed up, and when they did, the pitching was a horror show. This team also seems incapable of playing fundamentally sound baseball over sustained stretches.

As a result of the three losses in Cleveland, New York is now a season-worst seven games under .500.

All in all, things seem pretty bleak for the Mets right now. With no game until Friday, let’s linger in the losing for a while longer in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Francisco Alvarez. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

3 UP

REINFORCEMENTS 

Not a whole lot of good came out of Cleveland for the Mets, that’s for sure. However, there was some good news with Francisco Álvarez set to take batting practice soon. That’s a positive development for the catcher, who has been out for over a month following thumb surgery. New York has struggled to get any substantial offense from either Tomás Nido or Omar Narváez in Álvarez’s absence. As a result, the fact that Álvarez is closing in on a return sometime in June should be seen as a major boost for a beyond-struggling lineup.

MAKING HIS MARK

Mark Vientos has held up his end of the bargain since being recalled to the majors. The power hitter went a combined 3-for-7 in two games in Cleveland, hitting two doubles, one homer and scoring two runs. Since rejoining the Mets, Vientos is 7-for-21 with four doubles, one homer and three walks. He also owns a 1.067 OPS in six games since returning from Triple-A Syracuse. Vientos was given another chance and has run with it so far.

SIGNS OF LIFE

I’m still not convinced that this lineup will be consistently dangerous over the long haul, but it did show some signs of life in Cleveland. Aside from being limited to just one run on six hits in the opening game, the offense did some damage in this series. The Mets hit three home runs in the second game, scoring six runs in total. That arguably would have been enough to clinch the win were it not for another mammoth Adrian Houser stinker on the mound. Then, on Wednesday, the lineup hit three home runs for the second consecutive game. Again, pitching proved to be the downfall. However, arguably the biggest positive was the struggling Jeff McNeil hitting homers in back-to-back games—something to build on for both McNeil and the lineup in general.

Photo by David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

3 DOWN

FINDING NEW WAYS TO LOSE

Okay, it’s time for the painful part of this feature—the bad stuff. And, spoiler alert, there was plenty of bad and a lot of ugly from the three-game set in Cleveland. Let’s start with a more general point: this team keeps finding new ways to lose. If it wasn’t putting up just one run and being embarrassingly awful on the basepaths, it was being outscored thanks to another collapse on the mound. Then, and perhaps worst of all, the Mets clubbed three homers in the finale and seemed in control, only to implode and end up losing anyway. The fact that former Met Andrés Giménez clubbed the game-tying three-run homer just adds insult to injury. As a result of the sweep, the Mets have lost 20 of their last 29 games and 10 of the last 13. They are seven games under .500.

With a tough stretch coming back at Citi Field, things could get even bleaker for New York.

CRUSHING BLOW

It is official. Brooks Raley is officially done for the year. The lefty reliever will undergo season-ending elbow surgery next week, it has been confirmed. What that means for the long-term future of the 35-year-old pending free agent remains to be seen. What we do know, however, is that losing Raley for the year is a crushing blow for the bullpen. The lefty hadn’t given up an earned run in eight outings this year. While other left-handed options are available in the bullpen, Raley’s loss can’t be overstated for what is already a taxed pen.

THE END IS NIGH

Adrian Houser may as well be a cat. With the amount of chances he keeps getting in the rotation, he sure is leading nine charmed lives. However, after another stinker on Tuesday, it has to be a matter of time before Houser’s future with the Mets comes into real doubt. The righty was shelled for six earned runs on six hits, elevating his ERA to an ugly 7.88. Furthermore, Houser’s latest implosion doomed the Mets despite the best efforts of the lineup. With a bad outing out of the bullpen to boot, has Houser now used all nine of his lives?

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Reach New Lows In Cleveland Sweep appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets begin a three-game series against the Guardians at Progressive Field this evening, with Tylor Megill (0-1, 2.25 ERA) slated to make his return to the rotation against righty Ben Lively (2-2, 3.06 ERA). Megill has been sidelined since April 1 due to a shoulder injury. This is the Mets’ first series in Cleveland since 2016 and Francisco Lindor‘s first time playing there since the Guardians traded him. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 p.m.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

The Mets attacked Sixto Sánchez for four runs in the first inning on a two-run double by Tyrone Taylor and a two-run single by Harrison Bader, setting the tone for a 7-3 victory over the Marlins on Sunday to avoid a sweep. Brandon Nimmo cracked a two-run homer, Francisco Lindor collected two hits, and Brett Baty reached base three times, including an RBI single. On the mound, Sean Manaea held Miami to two runs and five hits over five innings, and Reed Garrett struck out four in a six-out save.

The Mets announced the promotions of three of their prospects on Sunday – moving two-way player Nolan McLean to Double-A Binghamton, while right-hander Blade Tidwell and outfielder Rhylan Thomas will both head to Triple-A Syracuse. McLean has posted a 2.57 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 28 innings, while also owning an .801 OPS with four homers and seven doubles in 70 plate appearances. As for Tidwell, he’s posted a 2.44 ERA with 44 strikeouts while only allowing one homers in 37 1/3 innings. Thomas is currently sporting a .315/.373/.391 batting line with six steals across 105 plate appearances.

The Mets have signed right-hander Matt Festa to a minor league deal, and he made his debut with Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday. A native Brooklynite, Festa has pitched in five seasons with the Mariners, posting a 4.32 ERA with 102 strikeouts in 93 2/3 innings.

Latest MLB News

Left-hander Amir Garrett has cleared waivers and elected free agency after he was designated for assignment by the Angels on May 15. In six appearances for the Angels, Garrett has allowed three earned runs and walked five, though he’s struck out 11 batters in 5 1/3 innings.

The Cardinals are calling up right-hander Ryan Loutos from Triple-A Memphis. Loutos was signed by the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2021 after an impressive career at Division-III Washington University of St. Louis. Loutos has four saves and a 1.72 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings this year.

Latest on MMO

James Villani recaps the Mets’ win in their series finale against the Marlins.

Christian De Block looks at the recent signs of life from the Mets’ offense.

John Wilson breaks down Jeff McNeil‘s rough start to the season.

On This Date in Mets History

1999: Robin Ventura becomes the first player ever to hit grand slams in both ends of a doubleheader as the Mets sweep the Brewers in a twin bill. Ventura’s grand slam in the opener comes in the first inning off Jim Abbott, and the Mets get two homers from Benny Agbayani and an additional long ball from Mike Piazza to win a barn-burner, 11-10. In the nightcap, Ventura’s slam caps a six-run fourth inning, and Masato Yoshii holds Milwaukee to one run in seven innings as the Mets cruise to a 10-1 win.

2017: Jose Reyes singles in the first inning for the 2000th hit of his career, and Terry Collins becomes the longest-tenured manager in Mets history by managing his 1,013th game with the team. The Mets hold off a ninth-inning rally by the Angels, with Addison Reed striking out Danny Espinosa with the bases loaded to earn a 7-5 win. Reyes collects three hits on the night, while Michael Conforto reaches base four times.

Birthdays: Wayne Housie (59), Wilson Valdéz (46)

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Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Coming off the team’s first series win in a month, the Mets hosted the Guardians on Friday for the first game of a three-game series. In the first game between the two teams since the blockbuster trade that brought Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco to New York and sent Andrés Giménez and Amed Rosario to Cleveland, Carrasco got the start for the Mets against his former team while Cal Quantrill got the start for Cleveland.

In a wild game in which the Mets played virtually all of it from behind, they came back multiple times, including down two in extra innings, to defeat the Guardians 10-9 in a thriller.

Carrasco took the mound to start the game for the first time since April 15, his last appearance before he was sidelined due to injury. After getting a weak contact out off the bat of Steven Kwan, Rosario hit a ground ball up the middle for a base hit. José Ramírez then walked and in the next at-bat, Josh Naylor took Carrasco deep to put the Mets in an early three-run hole. Josh Bell then flew out and Giménez struck out to put the inning to bed, but not before major damage was done.

The Guardians added another run in the top of the second inning. Myles Straw led off the inning with a double and advanced to third base on a fielder’s choice. Then Cam Gallagher, who entered the game with a .070 batting average and a .223 OPS, dumped a ball into left field for an RBI single to make it 4-0. A ground ball double play off the bat of Kwan ended the inning to limit the damage.

The Mets recorded their first hit of the night in the bottom of the second, after Brett Baty pulled one down the right field line for a one-out double. The Mets wouldn’t cut into the Guardians’ lead, though, as a Starling Marte strikeout and a Mark Vientos fielder’s choice ended the inning.

The Mets got another one-out baserunner in the bottom of the third after Francisco Álvarez was hit by a pitch in a full count. They were unable to do anything with the baserunner again, though, as the next two batters went down in order due to a flyout and a groundout.

Quantrill appeared to be through a quick 1-2-3 inning in the fourth but a two-out error by the first baseman Bell and another hit-by-pitch, this time at Marte’s expense, put two runners on. That brought up Vientos who hit a sharp ground ball to third base, but Ramírez scooped it and stepped on the bag to end the threat.

Although it appeared Carrasco had settled in after a rough start to the game, throwing 1-2-3 innings in the third and fourth, he would surrender another run in the fifth inning. Will Brennan led off the fifth inning with a walk and quickly stole a base. Advancing to third base on a fielder’s choice, he was driven in with a two-out single by Rosario to give the Guardians a 5-0 lead.

With one out and nobody on in the bottom of the fifth, Francisco Álvarez ran the count full once again and this time sent a ball well over the left field wall for a solo shot, his fifth home run of the year. That put the Mets on the board to make it a 5-1 ballgame. Francisco Lindor then recorded his 15th double of the year to put a runner in scoring position with two outs. Jeff McNeil brought him home with an RBI single, extending his hitting streak to six games, to cut the Guardians’ lead to three.

Francisco Álvarez's 5th homer of the season gets the Mets on the board pic.twitter.com/oLtRAMb4UA

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 20, 2023

The inning ended after Pete Alonso hit a weak liner to the shortstop Rosario. Rosario dropped the ball after attempting to catch it, but was able to corral the ball and throw out Alonso at first.

Carrasco exited the game after giving up five runs in five innings, driving his season ERA up to 8.68. Along with the five runs, Carrasco allowed five hits and two walks and struck out three. Dominic Leone relieved Carrasco to start the sixth and gave up a leadoff single to Naylor. A single up the middle by Bell created a threat with runners on first and second base and nobody out. Naylor advanced to third on a flyout but the Mets were then able to double up the speedy Straw to escape the inning.

After a troublesome fifth inning, Quantrill remained on for the sixth and was immediately greeted with an opposite-field homer off the bat of Baty to make it a 5-3 game. Then with two outs and nobody on, Mark Canha recorded an infield hit to chase Quantrill out of the game. Lefty reliever Sam Hentges came out of the bullpen to face the young Álvarez who came to the plate as the tying run. Álvarez hit the first pitch he saw to deep right field but it wasn’t deep enough as it was caught to end the inning.

Brett Baty drives one the other way! 💪 pic.twitter.com/0VKurgwo6P

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 20, 2023

Leone remained in the game in the seventh but for the second straight inning, he gave up a leadoff single, this time off the bat of Brennan. Another hit by the catcher Gallagher put runners on the corners with nobody out. Leone then walked Kwan to load the bases, driving Leone out of the game and bringing in Stephen Nogosek to try to clean up the mess.

In a 3-1 count, Nogosek threw a fastball down the heart of the plate to Rosario who hit a sharp line drive right into the glove of Nimmo in center field. Brennan tagged for home but wasn’t close to scoring, getting tagged out in a rundown for a massive double play.

A walk to Ramírez loaded the bases for the second time in the inning, bringing Naylor to the plate. The Mets couldn’t pull off another miracle, as Naylor drove a single the opposite way to bring in two runs, giving him five RBIs on the night and giving the Guardians a 7-3 lead. Another walk by Nogosek loaded the bases yet again, and this time he was relieved for Tommy Hunter who got Giménez to ground out to end the inning.

With the top of the order up and a chance to rally, Nimmo led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk. A single up the middle by Lindor put runners on first and second with nobody out and the heart of the order coming up. Struggling to throw strikes, Hentges then walked McNeil to load the bases for Alonso who came to the plate as the tying run.

With James Karinchak coming into the game to relieve Hentges, Alonso drove a ball over the wall in right-center field for an opposite field grand slam to make it a 7-7 tie. Alonso’s grand slam extended his home run streak to four games and brought him to 71 career home runs at Citi Field, tying Lucas Duda for the most in the stadium’s history. After Alonso’s mammoth home run, Karinchak struck out three around a two-out walk by Vientos to keep the game tied.

THAT. JUST. HAPPENED. pic.twitter.com/517eystfng

— New York Mets (@Mets) May 20, 2023

Adam Ottavino took the mound in the eighth inning hoping to keep the game tied. Facing the bottom of the Guardians’ lineup, Ottavino induced a flyout and two groundouts in a 1-2-3 inning. Enyel De Los Santos came in to pitch for the Guardians in the bottom of the inning and recorded a 1-2-3 inning of his own.

For the first time this year, David Robertson pitched in three straight games as he came on to pitch in the ninth inning. Robertson needed just nine pitches to induce three ground balls from the top of the Guardians’ order, recording two of the outs on excellent defensive plays from McNeil and Alonso.

Like Robertson, Trevor Stephan also needed just nine pitches to set the Mets down in order in the bottom of the ninth, striking out Alonso and Baty in the process to send the game to extra innings.

Drew Smith took the mound in the tenth inning, hoping to strand Ramírez who was serving as the Guardians’ free runner. Smith got Naylor to pop up to record the first out of the inning. However, Gabriel Arias, who entered the game to pinch run and for defense, hit an opposite field home run in his first at-bat of the game to give the Guardians a 9-7 lead. Smith recorded the next two outs to get out of the inning, but not before giving the Mets another hill to climb.

Emmanuel Clase, one of the elite closers in baseball, came into the game in the bottom of the tenth to try to close it out for Cleveland. Marte recorded a loud out as he hit one just shy of the warning track, able to advance the free runner Baty to third. Vientos then hit a ball up the middle for an RBI single, bringing the Mets back within one.

Daniel Vogelbach, who had been struggling recently, came on to pinch hit for Canha. During his at-bat, Eduardo Escobar came into the game to pinch run for Vientos and swiped second base, his first stolen base of the year. However, Vogelbach struck out which brought Álvarez to the plate as the winning run with the tying run on second.

Down to his last strike, Álvarez grounded a ball through the left side of the infield to bring Escobar home and tie the game once again. Álvarez advanced to second on an errant throw home, putting the winning run in scoring position. Also falling behind in the count 0-2, Nimmo chopped a ball to the left side of the infield and reached for an infield hit with Álvarez advancing to third. And then in what was nothing short of a storybook ending, Lindor lined a ball into the outfield on the first pitch he saw to give the Mets a thrilling 10-9 victory.

BALLGAME WON!!! pic.twitter.com/fI3mSAsbFa

— New York Mets (@Mets) May 20, 2023

Player(s) of the Game

Not only did Pete Alonso extend his major league home run lead with his 17th of the year, but he extended his home run streak to four games in a row with arguably his biggest home run of the year. Continuing to deliver in clutch situations, he hit a grand slam while down four to tie the game in the seventh inning after the team had been playing from behind all game.

In his first game against his former team, Francisco Lindor was the hero going 3-for-6 with a double and the game-winning RBI in the bottom of the tenth to walk it off. In a game that seemed nearly impossible to win at times, both Lindor and Alonso provided moments that allowed the Mets to enjoy a memorable win.

On Deck

The Mets will play the second game of the three-game set against the Guardians on Saturday afternoon at 4:10 p.m. ET. Max Scherzer (3-2, 4.88 ERA), coming off a start in which he gave up one run in five innings, will be on the mound for the Mets looking to provide length and consistency. For the Guardians, impressive rookie Tanner Bibee (1-1, 3.22) gets the start after a fantastic performance in his last start in which he gave up one run in 7 2/3 innings. The game will be broadcast on PIX11.

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The Cleveland Guardians and All-Star Andrés Giménez have agreed to a contract extension that will lock the second baseman to the Guardians through potentially the 2031 season, according to ESPN‘s Jeff Passan.

The extension, which will start in 2024, is for seven years and $106.5 million. The Guardians have a club option for 2031, as well. As Passan points out, the deal will buy out Giménez’s three arbitration years and potentially five years of free agency. He will make just above the league minimum in 2023.

The 24-year-old Giménez posted a massive 7.4 bWAR season in 2022 with a .297/.371/.466/.837 slash line, 141 OPS+ and elite defense at second base. He earned his first All-Star selection last year, too. The Guardians acquired Giménez from the Mets in January 2021 along with Amed Rosario and prospects Josh Wolf and Isaiah Greene in exchange for Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco. If you ask both teams, they probably feel they won their side of the trade.

In 2024, Giménez can theoretically move to shortstop and provide the team a boost defensively there after Rosario hits free agency. If Giménez maintains solid offensive production and plays Gold Glove-caliber defense at short, this would be an extremely team-friendly contract in a world where top shortstops are earning $300 million contracts.

Giménez was signed by the Mets out of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, in 2015 for $1.2 million. Over the next five years, he developed within the Mets system and debuted in 2021 after becoming one of the team’s top prospects. He showed enough promise playing as a regular in 2020 to become a centerpiece of the team’s trade for Lindor. He struggled his first year in Cleveland, but he showed his full potential a year later, culminating in an extension that will secure him over $100 million.

The post Andres Gimenez Signs Massive Extension with Cleveland Guardians appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Oct 14, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins celebrates after hitting a three-run home run against the Atlanta Braves during the 3rd inning in game three of the NLDS for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

Three Division Series games took place on Friday, with the underdog coming away victorious in all three. It started with the Cleveland Guardians defeating the New York Yankees. With the game headed to extra innings, Jameson Taillon came on for a rare relief appearance and surrendered two runs in the top of the 10th without recording an out. Emmanuel Clase earned the save for Cleveland, recording the final seven outs of the game as Cleveland evened the series 1-1.

In the next game, the Philadelphia Phillies’ offense exploded at the expense of Spencer Strider and the Atlanta Braves, winning 9-1. Rhys Hoskins provided the big blow with a three-run homer in the third inning. With the victory, the Phillies took a 2-1 series lead.

The night game saw the San Diego Padres come out on top over the Los Angeles Dodgers, 2-1. Jake Cronenworth and Trent Grisham drove in the only two runs the Padres needed, as they now lead the series 2-1.

Now onto the morning briefing!

Latest Mets News

During a press conference Friday morning, general manager Billy Eppler reflected on the sudden end to the Mets season, the team’s trade deadline, and the team’s relationship with Jacob deGrom.

"We did build the team to be able to pitch in the postseason…ultimately we fell short at the very end"

Billy Eppler reflects on the Mets' season: pic.twitter.com/WN5m321jfP

— SNY (@SNYtv) October 14, 2022

Latest MLB News

The St. Louis Cardinals announced Friday that Hall of Famer and Cy Young award winner Bruce Sutter passed away late Thursday night due to cancer at the age of 69. Sutter won the Cy Young Award in 1979 as a member of the Chicago Cubs, and he is one of just a handful of relievers to ever win the award. He was also a member of the 1982 St. Louis Cardinals World Series championship team. At the time of his retirement, he sat at an even 300 saves for his career.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports the qualifying offer this offseason will be $19.65 million.

Ken Rosenthal reports that Bruce Bochy met with Rangers GM Chris Young about the team’s open managerial position. Bochy last managed with the San Francisco Giants in 2019.

The Baltimore Orioles have claimed Jake Cave off of waivers from the Minnesota Twins. In a corresponding move, the team designated former Mets pitcher Jake Reed for assignment.

Today marks Opening Day in the Dominican Winter League, with streaming available via MLB.TV.

Latest on MMO

Chris Bello grades Taijuan Walker‘s season with the Mets.

Jack Markowski argues that the Mets need to invest in power hitters this offseason.

Michael Mayer describes the highlights of Billy Eppler’s press conference on Friday.

On This Date in Mets History

1969: The Mets defeated the Orioles in Game 4 of the World Series, 2-1. Tom Seaver led the way with a 10 inning complete game, surrendering just one run, and bringing the Mets one win closer to their first World Series title.

1986: The Mets defeated the Astros in Game 6 of the NLCS, 7-6, as they won the National League Pennant for the first time in 13 years. The game lasted 16 innings, the most ever for a postseason game at that time, and ended with Jesse Orosco pitching the final three innings and earning the victory.

Birthdays: Lou Klimchock (83)

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