Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

The Mets and Pirates had their game postponed due to inclement weather. The teams will play a split doubleheader on Wednesday, with the games scheduled to start at 12:35 and 6:35 p.m. As for the Mets’ rotation, they will still roll out the same three pitchers as scheduled for this series.  Taijuan Walker (10-3, 3.45 ERA) will take the hill against Mitch Keller (4-10, 4.43 ERA) tonight, though rain is once again in the forecast. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

Latest MLB News

The Dodgers announced that Jake Reed was claimed off waivers by the Orioles. Reed was designated for assignment over the weekend. The former Met picked up the first save of his career at Citi Field last Tuesday.

The Nationals shut out the Cardinals 6-0 and made some history in the process. Washington is the first team in MLB history to win three straight games by six or more runs while facing teams that have over 30 more wins than them.

The Rays designated right-hander Matt Wisler for assignment and called up Luis Patiño from Triple-A Durham. The former Braves top prospect struggled to find his footing as a starter but appeared to figure things out as a reliever over the past few seasons.

The Blue Jays activated righty Julian Merryweather from the 60-day IL and optioned reliever Casey Lawrence to Triple-A Buffalo. In addition, Toronto designated catcher Zack Collins for assignment.

The Red Sox agreed to a one-year extension with utility man Kiké Hernández worth $10 million. The versatile Hernández has battled injuries this year but was a force during the playoffs in 2021.

Latest on MMO

Liz Evangelou previews the Mets’ series in Pittsburgh.

John Sheridan writes about the Mets’ disappointing performance against the Nationals in “3 Up, 3 Down.”

On This Date in Mets History

1986: Gary Carter hits two homers against the Padres, including the game-winning blow in the eighth inning off Lance McCullers to hand the Mets their 90th victory of the season, 4-3. Ron Darling scatters 12 hits across seven innings, and Jesse Orosco earns his sixth win of the year in relief.

1999: Kenny Rogers tosses a complete-game, four-hit shutout with nine strikeouts as the Mets defeat the Giants 3-0. The win is the Mets’ third in a row and moves them 30 games over .500.

2006: Shawn Green hits his first home run as a Met as the team beats the Braves 4-1. Carlos Delgado hits his 36th homer of the season, and David Williams tosses six innings of one-run ball to earn the win. Billy Wagner pitches a clean ninth inning to earn his 35th save of the year.

2016: Curtis Granderson, Jose Reyes, Yoenis Céspedes, and Alejandro De Aza all hit homers and the Mets’ bullpen combines for 4 2/3 shutout innings in a 5-3 win over the Reds in Cincinnati. The Mets have now won four games in a row and 13 of their last 17.

Birthdays: Álex Escobar (44), Jerry Blevins (39), Donnie Hart (32)

The post Morning Briefing: Rotation Remains Unchanged After Rainout appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good morning, Mets fans!

There was plenty of excitement pre-game as Timmy Trumpet arrived for his first-ever baseball game, before meeting the man who has made him even more famous in Edwin Diaz. Timmy Trumpet then gave a sneak preview of what Diaz’s iconic walk-out song would sound like, although he didn’t get the chance to actually play it live with Diaz not coming into the game.

Taijuan Walker had a solid outing with five strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched, giving up three earned runs on five hits, but the Mets were unable to rally and former Met Jake Reed came into the ninth to close out the game and get the save in a 4-3 win for the Dodgers. LA is now the first team in the majors to 90 wins, and they are an absolute wagon for a reason.

The Mets will look to take the second game of the series tonight and the good news is they have Jacob deGrom (3-1, 2.15 ERA) on the mound, going up against Dodgers LHP Tyler Anderson (13-2, 2.69 ERA). That should be quite the pitching duel, and first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Timmy Trumpet will also be back, looking to give the Mets some more luck and possibly have another chance at playing “Narco” live.

Latest Mets News

There was good news to come out of Mets land on Tuesday with Carlos Carrasco getting through a sim game unscathed, throwing 55 pitches. And, per manager Buck Showalter, if there are no further setbacks then Carrasco could be back in the rotation by the end of the week. And that would be perfect timing for this Mets team who will need every bit of quality pitching they can get down the stretch.

Speaking of pitchers on the comeback trail, Joey Lucchesi made his third rehab appearance for the St. Lucie Mets on Tuesday, tossing a scoreless inning with one strikeout. Lucchesi threw 18 pitches with 10 of them strikes, and his fastball was back up to 91 mph in what should be seen as a positive development. He’s now not allowed an earned run in three one-inning appearances.

With Anderson – who is having a very nice season – going up against deGrom later today, the Dodgers announced that Clayton Kershaw will start on Thursday in the final game of the series. Chris Bassitt is expected to go for the Mets.

Per Anthony DiComo, Brett Baty was unavailable on Tuesday night due to a minor thumb injury suffered over the weekend. That’s why Baty wasn’t an option as a pinch-hitter in either the sixth or ninth inning against the Dodgers.

For those disappointed that Timmy Trumpet didn’t get the chance to play Narco live for Edwin Diaz on Tuesday, don’t be too downhearted. The artist will be at Citi Field again tonight so we may well get our wish after all.

Latest MLB News

Justin Verlander was officially placed on the IL by the Houston Astros on Tuesday, as first reported by Jon Morosi. The veteran ace is 16-3 this season with a 1.84 ERA, but he will now miss at least the next 15 days with a right calf injury. After undergoing an MRI, the injury isn’t considered too serious which is good news for the Astros and their AL Cy Young candidate.

Fancy a good read with your morning coffee? Well, you are in luck. Head over to The Athletic to find out about the 1987 Salt Lake Trappers, who still own the longest winning streak (29 games) in American pro baseball history. Oh, and Bill Murray may have been serving beers too.

The Yankees have signed Chi Chi Gonzalez to a minor league deal, per Jon Heyman of the Post. The RHP last pitched for the Brewers this season, pitching to a 6.35 ERA in four games.

The Atlanta Braves claimed RHP Jesse Chavez off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels. The veteran was 1-0 with a 7.59 ERA in 11 games for the Angels this season.

The Dodgers made some transactions prior to Tuesday’s game. They selected Heath Hembree – who came in to relieve Andrew Heaney in the sixth inning on Tuesday – and recalled Jake Reed. The Dodgers also optioned Michael Grove and Phil Bickford.

Shane McClanahan – who is having a hell of a year for the Tampa Bay Rays – was scratched from his start on Tuesday with what looked to be a nasty left shoulder injury. It was later confirmed as left shoulder impingement with further imaging needed. McClanahan is 11-5 this year with a 2.20 ERA and 182 strikeouts.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on Tuesday that Harrison Bader is now ramping up his rehab. The outfielder, acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals at the trade deadline, is unlikely to play in games next week but he is nearing a debut in pinstripes.

Seattle Mariners righty Chris Flexens got an out on Tuesday to pass the 300 innings mark over the last two seasons. His option for the 2023 season vests at $8 million.

The Boston Red Sox acquired minor league RHP Taylor Broadway from the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, which completed the August 1 trade for LHP Jake Diekman.

Jake Reed got DFAed by the Dodgers, went to the Mets, got DFAed by the Mets and then returned to the Dodgers, culminating in the RHP coming into the game on Tuesday and shutting down the Mets. He was full of emotion after earning the save, and Reed talked about the emotions he was going through at that moment.

The Baltimore Orioles are in a playoff race – yes, you read that right – and they have called for reinforcements by calling up two of their top prospects. Infielder Gunnar Henderson and reliever DL Hall are flying to Cleveland to join up with the Orioles where they will join the taxi squad, per Roch Kubatko. Henderson is the No. 1 overall prospect in baseball, according to Baseball America, while Hall is ranked No. 56.

We all know the Dodgers have a stacked farm system. Want more proof? James Outman has just hit for the cycle for the second time in four days with the Oklahoma City Dodgers. Pretty incredible stuff.

Latest on MMO

Alex Horowitz gave Player of the Week honors to Pete Alonso and Adam Ottavino after the pair helped the Mets get through a .500 week.

Matt Lazzaro recapped the Mets’ 4-3 loss to the Dodgers in the opening game of their three-game series.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Ramon Ramirez (41), Hideo Nomo (54), Pat Howell (54)

The post Morning Briefing: DeGrom Looks To Slow Dodgers appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets resumed their home stand against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night. It was the battle of the top two teams in the National League, with the Dodgers pushing 90 wins and sitting comfortably in the No. 1 seed and the Mets itching to close the gap in their own ballpark.

Taijuan Walker got the ball for the Mets, his second start since leaving a game after two innings in Atlanta with back spasms. He pitched well in his last start against the Yankees allowing two runs over five innings in the Bronx. With a star-studded Dodgers lineup, the task would prove to be large for Walker.

Ultimately, the Mets fell short to the Dodgers 4-3 in a close game one of the series with two former Mets relievers getting the best of the team.

Walker struck out former MVP Mookie Betts to begin his night, then proceeded to get Trea Turner to roll over to short. He allowed a free pass to Freddie Freeman, but was able to get out of the inning when Max Muncy lined out to second base.

Andrew Heaneym on the other side, made his 10th start of the season for Los Angeles. The veteran southpaw is enjoying the best season of his career. Coming into the game, he boasted a 1.94 ERA in nine starts.

Brandon Nimmo led off the bottom of the first inning with a base hit up the middle. Starling Marte followed that up with a bunt single, where Nimmo ended up scoring and Marte reached safely all the way to third. Heaney made an errant toss to Freeman at first base that rolled down the right field line. After Francisco Lindor walked, Pete Alonso struck out with runners on the corners for the first out of the inning. Lindor was then caught stealing, and Darin Ruf struck out swinging to end the inning.

Walker ran into trouble in the third inning after allowing hits to the first two Dodgers, including Betts’ double off the left field wall. Despite the rough beginning, he struck out Turner for the second time of the night. He sawed-off Freeman with an inside cutter for out number two. A walk to Muncy loaded up the bases for another former Yankee Joey Gallo. He recorded an RBI after being hit by a pitch.

The inning didn’t stop there. Gavin Lux lined a single the other way to bring Betts and Muncy across the plate. After an early lead, the Mets fell behind 3-1 after three.

The Mets got a run back quickly. Marte launched a solo shot into the left field seats to cut the lead to one, then an inning later, Mark Canha continued his recent success by hitting a towering home run to left field that tied the game at three. This one marked his 100th career long ball.

After allowing a one-out double to Trayce Thompson in the sixth, Buck Showalter made the decision to bring Seth Lugo to face the bottom of the Dodgers lineup. Although he allowed a walk to Betts, he got out of the jam with no harm done. Lugo has allowed just one run over his last nine innings, seemingly hitting his stride in the month of August.

Los Angeles regained the lead in the seventh inning off Joely Rodriguez when Lux struck again, singling to center and bringing in Freeman, who reached on a soft double to left.

To add salt to the wound of the loss, two former relievers on the Mets 2021 roster held down the fort in the late innings for the Dodgers.

Heath Hembree picked up his third win of the year after shutting the Mets down in the sixth inning, while Jake Reed notched his first career save in then ninth.

Joely Rodriguez was on the long side after allowing two hits, one walk and one run in 2/3 innings. He now owns a 5.17 ERA this year for the Mets, probably not what they had in mind when they acquired him from the Yankees before the regular season.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Player of the Game: Starling Marte

Marte was the steady cog in the lineup, constantly putting pressure on the opposing pitcher and defense. He did it with speed in the first inning, and power in the third. He showed how many ways he can impact the game. He ended the night with two hits that led to two runs: the first-inning single and third-inning solo homer.

On Deck

The Mets will play game two of three against the Dodgers on Wednesday evening with a chance to bounce back and even the series. The ace, Jacob deGrom (3-1, 2.15 ERA), faces off against Tyler Anderson (13-2, 2.69 ERA) in a game you won’t want to miss.

The post Former Relievers Best Mets in 4-3 Loss to Dodgers appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mandatory Credit: Mary Holt-USA TODAY Sports

As first reported by Matt Gelb of The Athletic Philadelphia, and confirmed by Michael Mayer of Metsmerized, the New York Mets claimed left-handed relief pitcher Sam Clay off of waivers and designated right-handed pitcher Jake Reed for assignment on Sunday.

Sam Clay, prior to being claimed off of waivers Sunday by the Mets, was designated for assignment by the Nationals earlier this month. He was then claimed off waivers by the Phillies earlier this week, and then on Sunday the Mets won the waiver claim on the left-hander.

Clay had an ERA of 10.38 over the course of 4 1/3rd innings pitched for the Nationals in 2022. He appeared in six games, gave up five earned runs on five hits and three walks. He struck out three and had a WHIP of 1.38.

Over the course of his career, Clay is 0-5 with a 6.02 ERA across 49 1/3rd innings pitched. He has given up 33 earned runs in 64 games. He has struck out 37 and has a WHIP of 1.68 in his career.

Clay has been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, who are currently in Buffalo finishing a series against the Buffalo Bisons. They open a six-game series on Tuesday against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Jake Reed had been with the Mets since they claimed him off of waivers in August of 2021 after the Rays had designated him for assignment. He split his time with the Mets between Triple-A Syracuse and New York.

Reed pitched 6 1/3rd innings for the Mets in 2022, posting a high 11.37 ERA. He allowed eight earned runs on four hits, struck out six and had a WHIP of 1.58 this season.

The post Mets Claim Reliever Sam Clay, Designate Jake Reed for Assignment appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets are set to call up right-handed reliever Tommy Hunter according to MMO’s own Mike Mayer. Hunter returned to the Mets organization in April when he signed a minor league deal with the team.

On the year in Triple-A with Syracuse, Hunter has a 4.61 ERA with 14 strikeouts, one walk, and has allowed seven earned runs across eight games in 13 2/3 innings. He’s been better in his last five appearances, allowing only one run and striking out 11 in 8 2/3 innings.

In 2021 for the Mets, Hunter appeared in four games across eight innings of work with six strikeouts while allowing just four hits and no runs while pitching to a 0.87 WHIP. The veteran Hunter had his highlight of the season come on May 18 when he picked up his first big league hit. Hunter was traded to the Rays with Mets prospect Matthew Dyer for Rich Hill in July.

Hunter’s pitched for seven major league teams across his 14-year career and owns a 4.04 ERA for his career, but since 2016 the righty has a 3.10 ERA in 192 games with a 1.11 WHIP.

Hunter is not on the 40-man roster, so the Mets will have to make a move before adding him to the roster. Right-hander Jake Reed is a DFA candidate after allowing five runs and only getting two outs on Wednesday night in the Mets 10-2 loss to the Brewers.

With question marks still surrounding the Mets’ bullpen after Edwin Díaz and Drew Smith, hopefully, Hunter will be able to give the Mets another consistent arm out of the pen.

The post Reliever Tommy Hunter Will Join Mets Soon appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that Jacob deGrom‘s return will be somewhere in July. For Max Scherzer, Rosenthal thinks that the best case scenario is probably late June. But he suspects that Scherzer’s return will probably later than that.

Now, it is time for the morning briefing.

Latest Mets News

The Mets lost Wednesday to the Brewers, 10-2. David Peterson (4 ER in 4.0 IP) was outdone by opposing starter Corbin Burnes (2 ER in 6.0 IP). Liz Evangelou has a more complete recap of last night’s game. The Mets will have their chance to clinch the series victory tonight at 7:10 p.m. EST at Citi Field.

Evan Drellich of The Athletic reports that the Mets recently sat down with Advocates for Minor Leaguers and New York State Senator Jessica Ramos to discuss potentially improving pay and working conditions for minor leaguers in the Mets system.

Andy Martino of SNY confirmed that Max Scherzer is no longer part of MLBPA leadership after being the face of the MLBPA during the MLB lockout.

Michael Mayer reports that The St. Lucie Mets have captured the Florida State League East division first-half title. St. Lucie has a 39-19 record behind the best team OPS in the league and third lowest ERA.

Michael Mayer also reports that Stephen Nogosek‘s ERA was adjusted from 3.55 to 0.71 without him throwing a pitch. A missed foul catch by J.D. Davis on June 8th was switched from a no-play to an error.

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports that James McCann (recovery from left hamate surgery) will begin his minor league rehab assignment tomorrow for Double-A Binghamton. He’s hopeful that assignment will not last long.

Latest MLB News

There were two immaculate innings in yesterday’s Astros vs. Rangers game. But even crazier, it was the same three hitters both times for the Texas Rangers. It was the first time in MLB history that a team had two immaculate innings in the same game.

Chris Cotillo of Mass Live reports that Josh Winckowski and Kutter Crawford are getting their chances in the Red Sox rotation, showing yet again that Chaim Bloom (Red Sox Chief Baseball Operator) has built up a tremendous amount of starting pitching depth.

MLB Pipeline reports that Brock Porter was named the Gatorade baseball player of the year. Francisco Lindor presented the award to Porter.

Justin Toscano of Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Braves say Ozzie Albies underwent successful surgery to stabilize a fracture in his left foot. Dr. Robert Anderson of Green Bay, Wisconsin, performed the procedure. The club placed Albies on the 60-day injured list on Tuesday.

Latest on MMO

Nate Mendelson thinks that Brandon Nimmo is turning into s gold glover.

Alex Horowitz reports that Chris Bassitt credits his teammates for his strong start to the season.

John Sheridan notes that Dominic Smith is excelling in Syracuse,

On This Date in Mets History

Happy 60th birthday to Calvin Schiraldi. Schiraldi was drafted by the Mets in 1983 and was traded to the Red Sox at the end of the 1985 season. In the 1986 world series, Schiraldi allowed three consecutive singles to Gary Carter, Kevin Mitchell, and Ray Knight in the tenth inning of game six to spark one of the greatest comebacks in World Series history. Two days later, Knight again got the better of Schiraldi, taking him deep for a world series clinching solo home run in the seventh inning of Game Seven.

Other birthdays: Bob Rauch (73)

Let’s go Mets!

The post Morning Briefing: Jacob DeGrom Likely To Return In July appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good morning, Mets, fans!

Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler’s MRI showed a ligament strain in his elbow, Dave Roberts said. Surgery is not required, however Buehler will be shut down from pitching activity for six to eight weeks. 

Meanwhile, the Mets lost a clunker in Anaheim to even the series. They scored four in the ninth but still lost 11-6.

New York will look to bounce back in the rubber game tonight. They conclude their series and their West Coast road trip with a nationally televised 7:08 P.M. ET rubber match. Taijuan Walker will be on the mound for the Mets against Patrick Sandoval for the Angels.

Latest Mets News

Per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, the Mets placed Colin Holderman on the 15-day injured retroactive to June 8th with right shoulder impingement. New York recalled Jake Reed.

Latest MLB News

Per Cody Stavenhangen of The Athletic, according to manager A.J. Hinch, Detroit Tigers’ pitcher Casey Mize will need Tommy John surgery.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, John Sax, son of former MLB All-Star Steve Sax, passed away.

Latest on MMO

Sam Klein recapped the Mets’ minor league affiliate performances from Friday, June 11.

Mathias Altman-Kurosaki recapped Tylor Megill’s first start since returning from the injured list.

Barry Duchan recalled the day Ron Hunt was announced as a starter in the 1964 All-Star game.

Andrew Steele-Davis recapped Brandon Nimmo’s three-RBI game in Friday night win over the Angels.

Joe D looked at ten Mets’ players who have won gold glove awards.

Mojo Hill discussed Colin Holderman heading to the injured list.

On This Date in Mets History

1964: Mets signed left-handed pitcher Tug McGraw.

2009: Luis Castillo’s loses a game for the Mets with defensive errors against the Yankees.

Birthdays

• Thomas Szapucki (26)
• Damon Buford (29)
• Keith Miller (35)
• Gerry Arrigo (81)

Let’s go Mets!

The post Morning Briefing: Walker Buehler Out Six To Eight Weeks appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Colin Holderman was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement, Anthony DiComo of MLB reported before Saturday’s game. The move is retroactive to June 8.

Holderman has found success in his first in his first taste of Major League Baseball. He didn’t allow a run through his first six appearances. The news comes off the worst outing of his young major league career, when he gave up three runs in 1/3 of an inning. That shot his ERA up to 3.18.

The 26-year-old was taken by the Mets in the ninth round of 2016 draft. He posted a 2.92 ERA in 12 1/3 innings for Triple-A Syracuse this year.

In his place, right-hander Jake Reed was called back up. Reed has pitched three scoreless and hitless innings for the Mets this year. He threw 4 2/3 innings for New York last season and has racked up 13 innings between this year and last year.

The post Colin Holderman Placed on IL With Shoulder Impingement appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Jake Reed, Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

AAA: Columbus Clippers (8-3) 10, Syracuse Mets (1-9) 1 BOX SCORE

• Carlos Rincon – 1B: 2-4, R
• Khalil Lee – CF: 1-3, 2B, RBI, BB
• Wyatt Young – SS: 1-3, BB

It was a relatively lackluster day offensively for the Mets, as the team scored one run on five hits. Carlos Rincon hit a pair of singles in this game, and scored in the top of the 6th inning on Khalil Lee’s RBI double. Wyatt Young also reached base twice in this game, rising his season on-base percentage to .409. The offense will have to be more productive when Syracuse faces Worcester on Tuesday night.

• Félix Peña (0-1, 18.00 ERA): 2.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, BB, 2 K
• Trey Cobb (0-0, 8.31 ERA): 2.2 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 5 BB
• Eric Orze (0-1, 7.20 ERA): 2.0 IP, 6 K

After allowing eleven runs to Columbus on Thursday and 15 runs on Friday, the Mets failed to control the Clippers’ bats yesterday, allowing 10 runs on nine hits on Saturday. Félix Peña started the game for the Mets and gave up a pair of home runs to Gabriel Arias and Alex Call in the 1st inning, putting Syracuse in an early 3-0 deficit. Peña was removed from the game shortly after giving up an RBI double to Richie Palacios.

Trey Cobb also had a poor showing on the mound, walking five batters in two innings and allowing a crushing three-run double to Gabriel Arias that gave Columbus a 10-0 lead. The bright spot for Mets pitching was Eric Orze, who pitched the seventh and eighth innings and retired every batter via the strikeout.

AA: The Binghamton Rumble Ponies

The team’s game was postponed today due to rain. The makeup date is to be determined.

A+ – Game 1: Brooklyn Cyclones (4-3) 4, Jersey Shore BlueClaws (1-6) 3 BOX SCORE

• Rowdey Jordan – LF: 2-4, 3 RBI
• JT Schwartz – 1B: 2-2, BB
• Matt Rudick – CF: 1-3, 2 R

In the first game of the doubleheader, the Cyclones scored four runs on six hits. It was a big day for Rowdey Jordan, who knocked in three runs in the game. In the bottom of the second, Jordan singled to right field, scoring Matt Rudick. Then in the bottom of the 6th inning, Jordan tripled into right field, scoring Ethan Wilson and Matt Rudick. Also, JT Schwartz reached base three times and Matt Rudick scored two runs and hit a triple in the first inning.

• Jose Chacin (0-0, 1.00 ERA): 5.0 IP, 2 H, ER, 4 K
• Nolan Clenney (2-1, 4.25 ERA): 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB
• Sammy Tavarez (0-0, 0.00 ERA): 1.0 IP, 2 BB, K

Jose Chacin had a good start. He only allowed two hits and one earned run while walking no batters. Chacin threw 64 pitches in this game and 49 of them were strikes. In the sixth inning, Nolan Clenney entered with a 2-1 lead. However, a wild pitch allowed McCarthy Tatum to score and moved John Rojas to third. Then, Luis Garcia knocked in the game-tying run, giving Clenney his first blown save of the year. Sammy Tavarez got the save in the 7th inning after Brooklyn scored two runs in the bottom of the 6th inning.

A+ – Game 2: Brooklyn Cyclones (5-3) 6, Jersey Shore BlueClaws (1-7) 1 BOX SCORE

• Joe Suozzi – RF: 1-2, HR, 4 RBI
• Rowdey Jordan – CF: 1-4, RBI
• Nic Gaddis – C: 2-3, 2 R

In the second game, the Cyclones offense produced six runs on only four hits. In the bottom of the second inning, the Cyclones scored two runs on a hit-by-pitch and then a wild pitch by Mick Abel. Then in the bottom of the fourth inning, Joe Suozzi homered to left field, scoring Nic Gaddis and Matt Rudick. Finally, Jordan hit an RBI single into right field that scored Rudick. Gaddis had a couple of singles in the game, helping to boost Brooklyn’s offense.

• Oscar Rojas (1-0, 1.00 ERA): 5.0 IP, 3 H, ER, 5 K
• Reyson Santos (0-0, 0.00 ERA): 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K

Oscar Rojas got the win in yesterday’s game two for Brooklyn, pitching five solid innings with only one mistake: a home run by D.J Stewart in the second inning. Part of Rojas’s success in this outing was due to his control. He threw strikes 75% of the time (64 pitches, 48 strikes) and did not walk any batters. Reyson Santos finished off the game with two scoreless innings.

A: St. Lucie Mets (6-2) 5, Clearwater Threshers (1-7) 4 BOX SCORE

• Justin Guerrera – DH: 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, R
• William Lugo – 3B: 1-2, 2B, 2 R, BB
• Alex Ramirez – LF: 1-4

Wild pitching by the Threshers (eight walks) and three hits allowed the Mets to score five runs in yesterday’s game. Justin Guerrera hit a big RBI double in the bottom of the seventh inning to left field, scoring William Lugo. Guerrera got on base two more times by drawing walks. Lugo also had a double and two walks in the contest and Alex Ramirez had a single to reach base. Overall, the offense had a productive night as the Threshers pitching staff could not limit their mistakes.

• Luis Moreno (0-0, 13.50 ERA): 4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• Dylan Hall (1-0, 0.00 ERA): 2.0 IP, H
• Grant Hartwig (1-1, 2.16 ERA): 1.0 IP, H, K

After the rehabbing Jake Reed pitched a scoreless opening inning, Luis Moreno pitched four innings and allowed two earned runs in the top of the 3rd inning. Dylan Hall took over for Moreno and earned the win, pitching two innings and only allowing one hit. Finally, Hartwig earned the save for the contest, pitching a scoreless ninth inning while allowing one hit.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Jake Reed Makes Rehab Appearance appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Monday is MLB’s self-imposed deadline to strike a deal for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement so the 2022 regular season can begin as scheduled on March 31st. After a week of meeting every day in Florida, the chances of that happening are looking slim, no matter what some league insiders are reporting. There are still a few hours left to get a deal done before the proverbial buzzer, so I suppose we can hold out some hope, even though it’s not looking good.

While we do that, I figured it was a good idea to finish a little series I began a couple of weeks ago. After all, these projections may not mean anything soon if games start getting canceled. I first looked at the New York Mets’ position-player projections for the upcoming season and compared them to the organization’s past winning teams since 1997. I followed that by doing the same exercise for the starting rotation, so naturally, it’s now time to finish things up with the bullpen.

This is an area of the Mets’ roster that has been a thorn in their side in recent years, but the 2021 bullpen proved to be more reliable, as their collective 4.4 fWAR ranked 10th in baseball. Instead of tallying up 2.0-plus and 3.0-plus fWAR seasons, we’ll bump it down to 0.5 and 1.0 to see how past bullpens from winning teams compare to New York’s current projections.

Current Projections for 2022 Bullpen

As a unit, ZiPS is projecting the Mets’ bullpen to rack up 4.7 fWAR. Here’s what some of the main contributors to that area of the roster are getting projected to produce, along with how many innings pitched is included in each equation:

• Edwin Díaz: 1.1 fWAR in 62 IP
• Seth Lugo: 1.1 fWAR in 92 1/3 IP
• Trevor May: 0.6 fWAR in 58 IP
• Miguel Castro: 0.5 fWAR in 72 1/3 IP
• Drew Smith: 0.1 fWAR in 41 2/3 IP
• Trevor Williams: 0.9 fWAR in 118 IP
• Jake Reed: 0.0 fWAR in 50 IP
• Sean Reid-Foley: 0.4 fWAR in 90 IP

While those fWAR projections add up to the 4.7 mentioned above, there are a couple of caveats to mention here. In the projections for Lugo, Williams, and Reid-Foley, there are a significant number of starts baked into it (like at least 12 for each). So, their fWAR projections aren’t necessarily exclusive to the bullpen, which we’ll keep in mind for the remainder of this exercise.

Even if we completely take them out of the equation, the Mets are projected to have at least three guys with 0.5-plus fWAR in 2022: Castro and May, along with Díaz, who is the lone reliever with a projection above 1.0. Although the 2021 squad didn’t finish with a winning record, New York’s bullpen boasted three hurlers in this club: May (0.5 fWAR), Díaz (2.0 fWAR), and Aaron Loup (1.5 fWAR).

So let’s look back at winning Mets seasons over the past 25 years to see how impactful the bullpen performance has been on their overall results.

Comparing This to Past Winning Seasons

As mentioned previously, the Mets have produced 12 different winning seasons since 1997. Outside of 2001 (82-80) and 2005 (83-79), they’ve registered at least 86 wins the other 10 times, which includes eight seasons of 88-plus victories.

Going back through the individual reliever production for each of these squads, I tallied up the number of players with 30-plus innings pitched who accumulated at least 0.5 fWAR that year. I then took it a step further to see how many of those performances resulted in at least 1.0 fWAR. Here are the results.

There are a few things to call out here. That 1999 season is an outlier in Mets history for many reasons, and this occasion is no different. While they only had one reliever above 1.0 fWAR, it was the best relief pitcher season in franchise history. This was by Armando Benitez (really), as he accumulated 3.1 fWAR during his first season in Queens.

After seeing how lackluster the rotation performance was overall, it’s not surprising to see the 2006 Mets had the most players in each of these categories of all New York’s recent winning clubs. They rode an elite offense and bullpen on their way to winning the NL East for the first time since 1988.

The 2016 campaign also stands out because it’s one of just four times the Mets had multiple relievers post greater than a 1.0 fWAR. In this instance, Addison Reed (2.4) and Jeurys Familia (2.1) both finished above 2.0.

Looking Ahead to The Upcoming Season

While having multiple hurlers post at least 1.0 fWAR in a single season out of the Mets’ bullpen doesn’t appear essential, multiple dependable arms need to be ready to contribute. In each of the years where New York reached the postseason (1999, 2000, 2006, 2015, 2016), there were at least two relievers with 0.5-plus fWAR recorded. And if we take 2000 out of the equation, all the others had at least three pitchers reach that benchmark.

It was nice to see the Mets have multiple arms in the bullpen that were dependable more times than not in 2021, especially since that hasn’t necessarily been a luxury for the club in recent years. We also know that an effective bullpen is essential in October, as “bullpenning” has become all the rage. Sure, that’d include some of the starters not in the playoff rotation. But when there’s a tight spot late in games and big outs are needed, manager Buck Showalter must have dudes at the ready that don’t make him feel sick with worry when they take the mound.

The top portion of New York’s bullpen looks decent heading into the season. As with many teams this winter, though, they haven’t had a chance to supplement the depth of their rosters because of the lockout. It’ll be interesting to see the directions in which the Mets head to put the finishing touches on their offseason, whenever they’re actually allowed to do so.

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