There was a moment between 6 and 7 yesterday that it looked like the Mets were going to make a historic step together as a team and withhold their labor to make a collective stand against racism and police brutality. Around 6:45-ish the players came out and it became clear that the Mets would not be joining the Brewers, Reds, Dodgers, Giants, Mariners and Padres in making a stand. Dominic Smith though did kneel during the National Anthem and he has my full support.

The Mets won. deGrom pitched a fantastic game and the bullpen almost blew it but Brach was able pull everyone back together and keep the lead. The win feels insignificant with everything else going on right now.

Michael Wacha makes his return to the rotation for the Mets. He made three starts before hitting the IL totaling 14.0 innings with a 6.43 ERA, 4.66 FIP, 1.643 WHIP and a 67 ERA+. After starting the season with a 5.0 inning, 1 run performance, he has allowed 9 runs over 9 innings in his following two starts including 4 runs in 5.0 innings against the Marlins. The Marlins have the following numbers against him:

• Jorge Alfaro 3-5, 2B, K
• Matt Joyce 2-4, K
• Jesus Aguilar 4-15, 2 2B, HR, BB, 3 K
• Jonathan Villar 3-14, 2 2B, HR, BB, 7 K
• Logan Forsythe 1-3, BB, K
• Corey Dickerson 2-8, BB, 3 K
• Miguel Rojas 0-1, BB
• Brian Anderson 0-4, 2 BB, 2 K

Sixto Sanchez makes his second major league start tonight. In his first start he allowed 3 runs over 5.0 innings from 6 hits, including 2 homers while striking out 4. Sanchez was traded from the Phillies to the Marlins in the Realmuto trade. Last year between high A and AA ball, Sanchez made 20 starts tossing 114.0 innings with a 2.76 ERA and 1.070 WHIP. He was mostly in AA, making 18 starts with a 2.53 ERA while being 4.3 years younger than the average player in the league.

Let’s Go Mets!

The post MMO Game Thread: Marlins vs Mets, 7:10 PM appeared first on Metsmerized.

Good Morning, Mets fans!

Despite a tough 9-3 loss for the Mets, Saturday was a good day because it marked the start of exhibition baseball! They play the Yankees again tonight at Yankee Stadium, with a 7:05 p.m. EST scheduled start time.

Latest Mets News

The Mets lost the first of two exhibition games against the Yankees by a score of 9-3.

Middle infielder Jed Lowrie will not participate in either of the teams two exhibition games due to concern over his lack of mobility.

Latest MLB News

The Blue Jays were denied approval from the Canadian government to play in Toronto for the upcoming 2020 season. The team is in conversations about possible locations as well as apartment leases for players.

Bart Braun, long-time scout for the Rays and Phillies, passed away on Saturday.

After posting on his Instagram that he was going to leave the game of baseball, Domingo German clarified on Saturday that he will continue to pursue a career in the sport.

Latest NL East News

Braves star first baseman Freddie Freeman went into detail on his battle with COVID-19.

The Phillies made a flurry of roster moves Saturday, with former Met Neil Walker making the opening day roster, and both Logan Forsythe and Francisco Liriano being released.

Latest on MMO

Richard Sparago relives the Mets subway series sweep in 2013.

On This Day in Mets History

Birthdays: Rick Ankiel (41), Mark Carreon (57), Gordie Richardson (82), David Segui (54), Preston Wilson (46), Jack Reinheimer (28), Luis Avilan (31).

Stay safe, and let’s go Mets!

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Look To Split Exhibition Series Tonight appeared first on Metsmerized.

We heard on Wednesday that the Mets had interest in infielder Pablo Sandoval before he signed with the Giants. That got me to wondering what was left on the market in terms of infield depth.

Without assuming  Yoenis Cespedes is healthy, the Mets bench right now would likely be catcher Tomas Nido, outfielder Jake Marisnick, IF/OF Dominic Smith, infielder Luis Guillorme, and banged up veteran Jed Lowrie.

The bizarre health situation of Lowrie could be exactly why the Mets looked at Sandoval and might want to sign someone else. Lowrie was finally activated in September after dealing with knee, calf, hamstring, and hip issues since the start of Spring Training. Even then, the Mets never played Lowrie in the field and only had him take eight plate appearances.

Just eight days ago, Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen said they were pleased with Lowrie’s progress physically and optimistic that Jed would participate in a “meaningful way” this spring. Meaning, Lowrie wasn’t 100% when the Mets activated him last season. Who knows what to expect from Lowrie in 2020, his final season of a two-year deal.

Another spot on the bench can be created by optioning Guillorme to the minors. The talented glove-man does have options remaining and has hit .227.303/.297 in 144 big league plate appearances. Though, he did hit .300/.391/.475 in the second half last season.

Bench depth could be key for a team that has no idea what Lowrie is going to give you and your starting second baseman Robinson Cano is 37 years old coming off from a down season.

Let’s take a look at a few veteran infielders still available on the free agent market.

Brock Holt  – SS, 2B, 3B, 1B, RF, CF

The left-handed hitter has posted 109 wRC+ and 103 wRC+ the past two seasons while playing six different positions. Overall, he had three outs above average defensively last year, with second base (4 OAA) being his best spot.

Jason Kipnis – 2B, CF

He was close to being a Mets a few years ago, but his offense has been on a downward spiral. The left-handed hitter has slashed .236/.305/.403 over the last three seasons and hasn’t posted a wRC+ over 100 since 2016. The former All-Star has also struggled defensively in that time span with -14 DRS at second and -4 DRS in center.

Wilmer Flores – 2B, 1B, 3B

Former Met posted a career-high 120 wRC+, though injuries limited him to only 285 plate appearances. His .361 OBP was a career-high and he struck out only 10.9% of the time. He hit .337/.367/.615 against left-handed pitching in 2019 for Arizona.

Logan Forsythe – 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, LF

The former first rounder hasn’t hit much such leaving Tampa in 2016 when he posted a .778 OPS. In 2019 for Texas, he hit .227/.325/.353 in 367 plate appearances. DRS and UZR has him as roughly scratch defender still at second, short, and third base.

Ben Zobrist – P, SS, 2B, LF, RF, 1B

Oh yes, the former All-Star that is 38 years old and coming off a -0.1 WAR season, this has the Mets written all over. The former Mets target, hit .260/.358/.313 in only 176 plate appearances for the Cubs in 2019. Still showed his versatility by playing four positions and even threw a scoreless inning. The switch hitter did post an .817 OPS in 2018.

Brad Miller – SS, RF, 3B, 1B, RF

The former big-time Mariners prospect finished the 2019 season strong with the Phillies, hitting 12 home runs in only 118 at-bats. His sprint speed was still above average and he had a .368 wOBA last year. The left-handed hitters 1.4 WAR was his highest since 2016 with the Rays.

Brian Dozier – 2B

Clearly, Dozier doesn’t have the versatility of the other players on the list, but the Mets showed interest in him last year for what was likely a utility role before signing Lowrie. He hit .238/.340/.430 with 20 doubles and 20 homers last season, though his offense was below league average for the second straight year at 99 wRC+.

Tim Beckham – SS, 2B, 3B, 1B, LF

The former first round pick hit .237/.293/.461 with 21 doubles, 15 homers, and a whopping 102 strikeouts in 304 at-bats last year for the Mariners. Outs above average has him as the one of the worst defenders in baseball for 2018 and 2019, with -11 each season. That includes -7 OAA at shortstop each season.

Conclusion

Holt would be my target here, though he absolutely deserves and will get a major league deal. Miller would be another interesting option as a guy that hit well with the Phillies and was actually decent defensively in several spots.

My guess is the Mets end up signing another veteran to a minor league deal – like they did with Eduardo Nunez recently.

The post Best Infield Depth Options Left on Free Agent Market appeared first on Metsmerized.

Good Morning Mets fans! Yesterday was a wild one that included Rockies third basemen, Nolan Arenado receiving a massive contract extension as Logan Barer of MMO covered. Tuesday also added much more drama in the Bryce Harper saga. Check out all the wild news from the hot stove, below!

Dodgers May Push Phillies Hand

As Randy Miller of NJ.com tweeted out, a source close to Harper claims that his top choices “all along” have been the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs and that he does not “prefer” to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies. Miller cited Harper’s non-desire to play for Phillies Manager, Gabe Kapler due to his strategy of analytics and overall “quirkiness,” as crucial factors.

After meeting with Harper for a second time over the weekend and being looked at as the favorite in this sweepstakes, the Phillies are reportedly “worried” that Harper may take a long term deal if the Dodgers offer one, after L.A met with the superstar last weekend, as well, says Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Morosi also notes Harper’s desire to play close to his home town of Las Vegas, along with being able to train in Arizona, as attractive persuasions.

This news also comes after reports that the Phillies have made an offer to Harper that exceeds $300 million for 10 years, but that the superstar and his agent, Scott Boras are demanding an opt-out after the 3rd year, which Philly is unwilling to agree upon right now, says broadcaster, Angelo Cataldi.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports believes that the Arenado extension, which includes a third-year opt-out, could “pave the way” for the Phillies to give one to Harper. This factor, along with the Dodgers sudden re-emergence in this sweepstakes may push the Phillies to ultimately ante up if they want their guy.

Nightengale says the expectation is that Harper makes his decision by the end of the week. Will it be the Phillies, or will the Dodgers offer a long term deal and steal the highly touted free agent away? Stay Tuned!

Cardinals Extend Mikolas 

According to Derrick Goold of St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the St. Louis Cardinals have signed their ace pitcher, Miles Mikolas to a contract extension. According to Jon Heyman of Fancred, the deal is for four years and is worth $68 million, with the potential to reach a total value of $70 million in overall value. This contract also has a full no-trade clause, says Heyman.

As Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic noted, this deal will not include Mikolas’s 2019 salary, but will cover 2020-2023. This extension allows the Cardinals to control Mikalos through his age 34 season. Mikolas’s new deal also includes a $5 million signing bonus, along with a yearly salary of $15.75 million, per Nightengale.

After spending three seasons with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan, the 30-year-old pitcher had a breakout campaign with the Cardinals in 2018. Mikolas burst onto the scene last year with an astounding 18-4 record, 2.83 ERA, 3.28 FIP, and 1.07 WHIP in 32 starts.  He also induced a 36.6% swing and miss rate on balls out of the strike zone, which was ranked third behind Cy Young winner, Jacob DeGrom and Nationals new ace, Patrick Corbin.

Rangers Sign Forsythe 

The Texas Rangers have signed infielder, Logan Forsythe to a minor league deal with an invite to major league spring training, per club announcement. According to Heyman, Forsythe could potentially earn up to $2 million if he reaches the big leagues this season.

At age 32, Forsythe split time with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Minnesota Twins last year. The veteran infielder struggled mightily at the plate last season slashing .232/.313/.391, 70 wRC+, and only 2 home runs in 416 at-bats. Despite his offensive woes the past two seasons, Forsythe experienced success in 2015 and 2016 with the Tampa Bay Rays. During this stint, he hit .273/.347/.444 in 1200 plate appearances.

Cards Add a Catcher 

After extending their number one starter, the Cardinals were not finished yesterday adding former Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals catcher, Matt Wieters to a minor league deal, per Goold.

Wieters spent the last two seasons with the Nationals, where he averaged a .231/.309/.359 stat line and 82 wRC+ in 199 games. Before signing with the Nats, the veteran catcher played his first 8 big league seasons with the Orioles, where he was a four-time All-Star and hit .262/.320/.427.

The post Rumor Roundup: Dodgers Pressuring Phillies in Harper Saga appeared first on Metsmerized.

The New York Mets offense struggled as a whole in 2018, though one of their biggest weaknesses was against left-handed pitching, where they ranked among the bottom of the league in virtually every category.

Their 82 wRC+ against left-handed pitching ranked 26th, .285 wOBA ranked 28th, 24.7 strikeout percentage was 29th and their .224 batting average tied for the worst in Major League Baseball.

The numbers actually get worse when you look at Mets right-handed hitters vs. left-handed pitchers in 2018, they had a MLB low 75 wRC+ and only 17 home runs.

Finding at least one bat that crushes left-handed pitching is a must this offseason for the Mets to have a balanced lineup. Three of the Mets best hitters from 2018, Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil, are all lefties that figure to hit towards the top of the lineup. The injury to Yoenis Cespedes and the likelihood of him missing a good portion of 2019, leaves the Mets vulnerable to left-handed pitching at the top of the lineup.

I must note, that Conforto showed marked improvement against left-handed pitching this season with a .808 OPS (.792 vs RHP) while Nimmo (.742 OPS) and McNeil (.812 OPS) did fair decent against lefties, though both of those numbers are below what they did vs. righties.

Time to look at what the free agent market has to offer for right-handed bats with the obvious top guy being Manny Machado. The marquee free agent had a 145 wRC+ against lefties in 2018 including more extra base hits (22) and walks (27) than strikeouts (18).

Signing Machado would be an obvious upgrade at either shortstop or third base. You could move Rosario to third if need be or Frazier to first/bench role. Those type of decisions aren’t things that hold you back from signing a superstar like Machado.

When looking at the Mets positions by weakness you likely think of catcher as a big need.  Yasmani Grandal and Wilson Ramos represent two free agent catchers that would be big upgrades for the Mets.

Ramos is a right-handed batter and crushed lefties in 2018 to the tune of a .321/.360/.557 line. It was the fifth straight season in which Ramos had a higher OPS against lefties, and he has a career .825 OPS vs. lefties and .735 vs. righties. It was a good season overall for the former National, he posted a 2.7 bWAR in 111 games.

Grandal is a switch hitter, though he’s fared much better in his career against righties with a .797 OPS than lefties with a .728 OPS.

How the Mets will deploy their outfield for 2019 remains a question, and a potential answer could be right-handed hitting center fielder A.J. Pollock. The 30-year-old is headed to free agency coming off a 2.5 bWAR season. He’s been historically better against lefties in his career (.825 OPS vs LHP, .798 OPS vs RHP) despite having only a .742 OPS in 2018 vs. lefties.

Right field might be another spot the Mets could squeeze a lefty masher in if they decide to play Jay Bruce mostly at first. Andrew McCutchen had a solid 2018 season (2.7 bWAR) while hitting .264/.363/.456 against lefties. For his career, the former MVP, has crushed lefties with a .950 OPS off them.

One other spot they might look to add a lefty masher is on the bench, given the questions surrounding the health of Wilmer Flores and his struggles against lefties (.610 OPS) and overall (.736 OPS) in 2018.

The Mets would have multiple options on that front with lefty mashers Danny Valencia (.864 career OPS vs LHP) and Steven Pearce (.959 OPS in 2018/.852 career) available via free agency. Mark Reynolds (.791 career OPS) and Logan Forsythe (.784 career OPS) have also handled lefties better in their careers and play multiple spots.

Machado’s the clear answer here, given his overall talents other than just being a lefty masher, though it seems unlikely the Mets enter the sweepstakes for the young star. After that, Ramos might be the best fit for a team that has been starving for an everyday catcher.

Photo By Logan Barer/MMO

Of course, the Mets could also look to one of the best hitting prospects in baseball that mashes lefties, Peter Alonso. The 23-year-old hit .285/.395/.579 with 31 doubles, 36 homers and 119 RBI in 2018 between Double-A and Triple-A. Alonso’s OPS by season vs. lefties, .950 in 2018, 1.099 in 2017 and 1.331 in 2016. The first base prospect is now tearing up the Arizona Fall League, going 7-for-12 with two walks in the first three games.

As the Mets still search for their next GM – one thing is for sure – he will need to find a lefty masher or two if the Mets hope to score runs in 2019.

The post Lefty-Heavy Mets Need Robust Righty Bat appeared first on Metsmerized.

When Justin Turner walloped a walk-off home run in the National League Divisional Series 29 years to the day of Kirk Gibson’s famous dinger it felt like a sign that the Dodgers were the team fated to hoist the Fall Classic Trophy.

But Los Angeles was competing against a team from Houston whose destiny was etched in metal the moment their city was leveled by a devastating storm.

Wednesday night, given the plot line of Yu Darvish’s date with redemption, the Astros’ may have been considered the underdog, but in the world of baseball poker, the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey gave Houston the better hand.

And after six games that delivered enough drama to fill a television network’s Fall line-up, the final showdown did not live up to the hype as the Dodgers fell in a 5-1 loss, picked the absolute worst time to highlight their untimely hitting.

Game 7 got off to a bad start for Darvish when the man who would become Series MVP, George Springer, belted a leadoff double down line in left. Alex Bregman, who dines on defense, rattled the Dodger infield with a ground ball in the hole, inducing a wild throw from Bellinger that sailed past his pitcher covering first, allowing Springer to score. Bregman dealing with a shaky Darvish, stole third, and Altuve brought him home on a ground out to first.

Gurriel stepped into the box to a chorus of boos and tipped his helmet toward the mound as a mea culpa for his disrespectful gesture. He then forced the righty to toss 13 pitches before flying out to Puig in left.

Chris Taylor led off the home half with a double to center off Lance McCullers, who was actually warming up for Game 7 immediately after Game 6. He got Seager swinging on his signature curve then hit Justin Turner on a 0-2 count. Cody Bellinger coming off a four strike out night made it five in a row on a breaking ball down and in. McCullers played with fire hitting Yasiel Puig to load the bases for Joc Pederson, who stepped to the plate giddy at the prospect of a grand slam, only to end the inning on a ground out to Altuve.

In the second Brian McCann drew a walk, Marwin Gonzalez sent him to third on a double to right, Josh Reddick’s infield chopper kept the runners intact. McCullers made it 3-0 with an RBI groundout.

Springer then put Darvish out of business on his 47th (and final) pitch with a two-run blast to center, putting LA five in the hole. Dodger manager Dave Roberts sought relief in Brandon Morrow who delivered, striking out Bregman on three straight pitches. Morrow became only the second pitcher in MLB history to pitch in all seven games of a World Series. A’s pitcher Darold Knowles was the first to do so and he did it against the Mets in 1973.

Logan Forsythe led off the bottom frame with a base hit to left, landing at second on Austen Barnes’ infield ground out to Altuve. Roberts, desperate to capitalize on a runner in scoring position, removed Morrow for Enrique Hernandez, who was plunked by McCuller’s 94 MPH four-seam fastball. The best-laid plans were dashed when Taylor hit into an inning-ending double.

Clayton Kershaw came in to restore some order in the third, and did just that retiring the side on 10 pitches. Altuve flied out to center, Correa to right, and Gurriel got the count 3-2, before staring at a called strike three.

The crowd was pumped with the stuff their ace was offering, hoping it would ignite LA’s listless lumber. Seager answered the call with a sharp liner to center, Turner took another ball off of his body, and Bellinger, baited by knuckle curves, went down swinging. Brad Peacock came in for McCullers and put away Puig on a fly ball to Springer then enticed Pederson to swing past a 2-2 80 MPH slider for another golden scoring opportunity that turned sour.

Kershaw mowed down McCann to start the fourth and after surrendering a single to Gonzalez that eluded Seager’s glove, he erased Reddick on a grounder to short and retired Peacock on a fly ball to center.

In the bottom of the inning, Peacock plowed through the order getting Forsythe on a ground out to third, Barnes with a pop up to the same vicinity, finishing off his counterpart swinging on a 2-2 two-seam fastball.

The Dodger ace took the ‘Stros to the cleaners in the fifth with back-to-back punch-outs to Springer and Bregman, keeping Altuve hitless with a pop up to Bellinger in foul ground.

More run scoring was squandered in the bottom half when Seager drew a one out walk, reaching second on Turner’s single to left. With Bellinger coming to the plate, A.J. Hinch pulled Peacock for Francisco Liriano, who punched out the struggling rookie, the only hitter he faced, in Game 6. The one batter wonder got Bellinger to ground into a force at second, and was lifted for Chris Devenski who put away Puig on a liner into the first base glove of Gurriel.

Correa led off the sixth with a line drive to left. After Kershaw retired McCann and Gurriel on a couple of infield ground balls he intentionally walked Gonzalez and pinch-hitter Evan Gattis, escaping a bases loaded jam on Cameron Maybin’s pop out to Turner in foul territory. The ace of the place pitched four innings of two hits, four punch-outs and a pair of walks.

Charlie Morton, the starter who moonlights as a reliever replaced Devenski in the bottom of the inning and immediately surrendered a lead off single to Pederson, followed by a walk to Forsythe. After Barnes popped to short, Andre Etheer, the longest tenured Dodger, pinch-hit for Kershaw, and delivered an RBI single to center. But Morton reclaimed his cool, striking out Taylor then got Seager on a soft grounder to short.

The seventh brought an early arrival by Kenley Jansen who kept Springer off the bases with a line out to center, got the best of Bregman on a foul tip, gave Altuve a free pass then coerced Correa on a cutter for an inning ending pop up to Seager.

Morton put the Dodgers down in order in the bottom half with a four-seam fastball that Turner popped up to first, a curve that caught Bellinger for a called strike three, and 97 MPH heat that Puig grounded into Correa’s glove. Bellinger set a new major league record with 17 strikeouts in the entire postseason.

Alex Wood relieved Jansen in the eighth, retiring the side on a Gurriel line out to center, McCann looking, and Gonzalez on a grounder to third. Morton prevented Pederson from any further offense with a three-pitch strikeout, gave Forsythe a 96 MPH fastball that he couldn’t get past Springer in right, and said good-bye to Barnes on a fly out to center.

Wood’s work was done with a pair of strikeouts to Morton and Maybin, along with an inning-ending line out by Springer to Taylor. Hinch, not going analytical, trusted his eyes over some data, and let Morton close out the show with a strikeout to Chase Utley, and consecutive ground outs to Altuve by Taylor and Seager for Houston’s first World Series title in franchise history.

With all of the seconding guessing that filters in during a hard fought series, the decision made by Dave Roberts to start Yu Darvish over his sensational southpaw will haunt the Dodgers forever. I get the redemption aspect, but Darvish entered Game 7 with a postseason record of 2-3, and an ERA of 4.74 with seven home runs allowed in just 24 innings pitched. Kershaw would have been pitching on three days rest, but with the numbers that Darvish displayed, Kershaw was the surer bet for a crucial Game 7 in the World Series.

I’m officially exhausted, and will go into withdrawal counting the days until pitchers and catchers report next season.

The post Astros Secure First World Series Title In Franchise History appeared first on Metsmerized.

In a dire Game 6 of the World Series, what a difference a day of rest did for the Dodgers bullpen. Dave Roberts made the unpopular decision to pull his starter Rich Hill after 58 pitches, but this time it paid dividends as Los Angeles evened the series with a 3-1 victory over Houston for a winner take all seventh game.

On a misty Halloween night with the heartbreaking extra inning loss hovering over Chavez Ravine, the boys in blue overcame a one run deficit to beat Astros ace Justin Verlander, handing the hard fastball pitching specialist his first loss of the postseason.

Hill was impressive, almost identical to his Game 2 outing, tossing 4 2/3 innings of one run ball, on four hits with five strikeouts and a walk.

The southpaw set the tone early by punching out the first batter he faced, prolific powerhouse George Springer. After surrendering a base hit to Alex Bregman, Hill fanned Jose Altuve then got Carlos Correa on an inning ending force out at third.

In the home half, Verlander honed in with smoking hot heat, humbling Chris Taylor on a fly to right with one 95 mph four-seamer, chasing Corey Seager on a called strike three on five pitches, and retiring Justin Turner on a one pitch infield pop up.

Yuli Gurriel led off the second to a bellowing of Dodger fan boos then bounced after popping up in foul territory to Cody Bellinger. Brian McCann was put away on a fly ball to left and Marwin Gonzalez’s grounder into Turner’s glove ended the inning.

“The one thing was just to let the crowd speak their mind,” Hill said about Gurriel. “I didn’t think anything else would be as loud as that.”

The bottom frame saw more vintage Verlander with a pair of strikeouts to Bellinger and Joc Pederson. The Dodgers first base hit came off the bat of Yasiel Puig, but remained an idle threat after Logan Forsythe’s fly out to right.

Josh Reddick’s futile quest to make a dent against his former team continued with a leadoff fly out to Taylor. Hill struck out his counterpart, but wasn’t so lucky with Springer the second time around, surrendering a solo shot to the center field seats. The stunned crowd then breathed a sigh of relief when Bregman’s ground ball, bobbled by Seager, reached Bellinger’s glove just in the nick of time.

After Austin Barnes grounded out to Altuve leading off the bottom of the third, Verlander recorded a couple more strikeouts via Hill and Taylor.

Hill’s signature curve was in full bloom in the fourth retiring Altuve, Correa and Gurriel on a grounder to short and consecutive outfield fly balls.

Clinging to a lean one run lead in the bottom of the inning, the former Tiger held the Dodgers at bay sending Seager to the dugout on a fly out to left, then turning away Turner and Bellinger on a pair of swinging strike threes.

Houston’s hope for World Series hardware seemed imminent in the fifth when Hill surrendered a leadoff line drive single to McCann followed by Gonzalez’s double to left. With runners on the corners, Reddick made a mess of a 3-0 count by whiffing on a wicked curve, as did his pitcher on a 1-2 four-seam fastball. Springer was intentionally walked, while Hill was intentionally removed from the game, taking his frustration out on the Gatorade cooler in the Dodger dugout. Reliever Brandon Morrow, one of many goats in Game 5, redeemed himself by retiring Bregman on a ground ball to short.

The Dodger fifth was an easy 1,2,3 with Puig swinging on a first pitch fastball into Reddick’s right field glove. Three pitches later, Gonzalez grabbed Pederson’s fly ball to left and Forsythe fought off an array of Verlander’s arsenal before succumbing to a strikeout.

Another taste of hindering a seventh game was handed to Houston in the sixth after Gurriel’s two out single to center field. Roberts then played more pitching musical chairs summoning Tony Watson to the mound in place of Morrow. Chase Utley came in as a defensive sub for Forsythe at second. Watson wasted no time hitting McCann, whose hit by pitch in Game 5 was the catalyst in bringing home the winning run. But the Astros had no such luck securing any insurance with this free pass as the 32-year old lefty got Gonzalez to line out to second to end the inning.

In the bottom half, the Dodgers got more magical sixth inning sense tagging Verlander for a couple of runs as they did in his prior outing.

Barnes laced the veteran’s 2-0 fastball for a leadoff base hit to left, Utley was plunked by a 91 mph changeup, Taylor tied the score with a line drive double to right and Seager secured a go-ahead run with a sac fly to ex-teammate Reddick. The damage was kept to a minimum after Turner popped out to Gurriel in foul ground and Bellinger went down swinging for the third time.

Reddick got on base with a walk is as good as a hit to lead off the seventh. Evan Gattis pinch-hitting for Verlander reached first on a force out at second. Kenta Maeda replaced Watson and was greeted by Springer’s sharp ground ball that glanced off Seager’s glove for a base hit. Derek Fisher, the LA Laker namesake that destroyed the Dodgers in plating the winning run in Game five, replaced Gattis at second. With their fourth runner in scoring position they came up empty on Bregman’s fly out to center and Altuve’s ground ball to third.

After the seventh inning stretch, Joe Musgrove relieved Verlander, who ended his night with six frames of two runs on three hits and nine strikeouts. The 24-year old put out Puig on a pop up to short. Pederson, who homered off the righty in Game 4, hammered a solo shot on the same four-seam fastball to fatten the lead 3-1. He then retired the pinch-hitting Andre Ethier on a soft fly ball to left and Barnes looking at a called strike three.

Kenley Jansen, coming off a lousy 10-inning loss, put the side down in order in the eighth on seven pitches. Correa flied out to right, Gurriel popped out in foul territory off of first, and McCann was mowed down on an 86 mph slider.

A.J. Hinch brought Luke Gregerson in from his battered bullpen to face a deadly array of Dodger hitters. Charlie Culberson, the poster child for making the most out of given a chance to play in the postseason, singled on a 0-2 slider to left. Taylor grounded out to third, Seager went down swinging, Turner drew a walk, journeyman reliever Francisco Liriano got his first taste of the Fall Classic and kept it a two run game by handing Bellinger his fourth strikeout of the night.

The Astros last licks in the ninth were a mere formality for Jansen who got Gonzalez to pop up to first, then striking out Reddick and the forty-year old pinch-hitting Carlos Beltran to send the series to the best thing money can buy – a Game 7.

“We never stopped believing in ourselves, that we can win a championship,” Jansen said. “So here we are.”

The post Dodgers Even Series For Final Fall Classic Showdown appeared first on Metsmerized.

Picture courtesy of David J. Phillip from the Orange County Register.

In a raucous Game 5 of the World Series, a walk in the park was good for a run. Seven batters given free passes crossed the plate in Houston’s dramatic 10^th inning walk off win against the Dodgers to go up 3-2 heading back to Los Angeles.

For the better part of five hours and 17 minutes, the camera captured a cavalcade of dejected opposing pitchers sitting in the dugout after squandering seemingly safe leads.

Both teams traded back and forth celebratory high fives and helmet removals until the final hero, 23-year-old Alex Bregman, belted a game-winning single to center field off the suddenly stoppable Dodger closer Kenley Jansen.

The Game 1 rematch between Dallas Keuchel and Clayton Kershaw appeared to be déjà vu when the Dodgers scored three runs, two unearned, in the top of the first.

Keuchel lost Chris Taylor to a lead off single, got Corey Seager looking, then surrendered back-to-back walks on a bevvy of low four-seam fastballs to Justin Turner and Enrique Hernandez. After fanning Cody Bellinger on one of his few successful sliders, Logan Forsythe drove in two runs on a line drive to left. With Yasiel Puig in the batter’s box, Forsythe stole second, moving Hernandez to third, who scored on Yuli Gurriel’s wild throw to the plate.

The Houston southpaw settled down over the next two innings, retiring both sides in order. His lefty counterpart cruised through the first six batters not allowing a base runner until the third when Evan Gattis got a hold of an 89 mph slider for a lead off line drive single to center. The ‘Stros attempt of a rally was quickly squandered on Marwin Gonzalez’s double play ball and Brian McCann’s weak grounder to second.

In the top of the fourth, just when Houston manager A.J. Hinch hoped Keuchel could keep the Dodger damage in check, Forsythe delivered a double up the middle and was driven home by an Austin Barnes base hit to left. The long bearded ace was lifted for Luke Gregerson after Charlie Culberson’s sharp single eluded Jose Altuve’s glove, recording the shortest home game start of his career.

In the hole 4-0 going into the home half, Kershaw, perhaps sitting on the bench too long, started to lose his command of the situation. He walked George Springer on five pitches, but after Bregman flied out to left, Altuve singled on a 2-2 slider and Carlos Correa smacked a four-seam fastball for an RBI double.

With runners on second and third, Gurriel, the 33-year-old rookie who was ripped a new one for his insensitive racial gesture earlier in the series, crushed Kershaw’s first pitch slider into the left field seats for a game tying three-run homer. The suspension handed down by Commissioner Rob Manfred for Gurriel’s bad behavior coming too late for the Dodgers as the five games he will be denied playing in won’t occur until the beginning of next season.

In the top of the fifth Hinch took a gamble by replacing Gregerson with Collin McHugh, a reliever rarely used in the postseason. The plan backfired big time when the righty gave up consecutive walks to Seager and Turner. A pitching coach visit to the mound induced a strikeout to Hernandez, but nothing could silence Cody Bellinger’s awoken bat as the 23-year old rookie regained LA’s lead 7-4 with a rocket to the right center field seats. With Houston’s bullpen running on fumes, McHugh remained on the mound getting Forsythe to fly out to right, and striking out Puig on a 92 mph fastball.

Given a second life by his prolific line-up, Kershaw retired Gonzalez on a fly ball to left then McCann on a called strike three. After gifting back-to-back walks to Springer and Bregman, Dave Roberts went to the Kenta Maeda well, a move that was as certain as the sun rising. But Altuve was also a proven commodity, and the diminutive man that Houston fans chant MVP every time he steps into the batter’s box, hammered a 3-2 pitch into center to even the score.

The sixth inning came and went without a whimper, then in the seventh, Brad Peacock in lieu of McHugh, gave up a lead off double to Turner. Hernandez’s sac bunt had too much sauce allowing Peacock to nail Turner at third. The utility player reached first on a fielder’s choice and Bellinger, making up for all of his prior miscues at the plate, tripled home Hernandez with the go ahead run. Logan Forsythe was called out on strikes and Puig ended the inning with a fly out to left field.

Brandon Morrow replaced Tony Watson who came on the scene in the sixth, but the third consecutive game was not the charm for the rock solid reliever because George Springer, like Bellinger, had also gotten his mojo back. Springer led off launching Morrow’s first pitch for a solo shot to left and then the hits kept coming. Bregman singled, Altuve doubled, and Correa reached the seats on a two-run homer to left. Tony Cingrani came in to stop the bleeding striking out Gurriel, Reddick, getting Gattis to end the inning on a liner to right.

One would think that a three run advantage heading into the eighth was a pretty sure bet, but a lead in this game was less secure than a Hollywood executive’s employment.

Peacock started the inning with promise, winning an eight-pitch battle striking out Barnes. Joc Pederson, who doesn’t know on a daily basis if he’s even going to play, laced a double off the left field wall. Taylor was hit-by-a pitch, sending Peacock to the showers and Will Harris to the mound. Seager plated Pederson with a double of his own, and Turner’s sharp liner to right was caught by Reddick. Chris Devenski replaced Harris and got the pinch-hitting Andre Ethier to end the inning out on a ground ball to first.

After Gonzalez lined out to left leading off the bottom half, the Astros got some insurance on McCann’s solo shot to right. Ross Stripling replaced Cingrani, surrendering a single to Springer, then got Bregman to ground into an inning ending double play.

An ominous walk to Bellinger set the stage for the top of the ninth. Forsythe followed with a strikeout, then Puig, hitless in four at bats, somehow sailed a one-handed two-run homer into the seats in left. Barnes doubled into the gap, Pederson was put away on a grounder to short, and Taylor hit a, “you gotta be kidding me,” RBI base hit up the middle to tie the score. Seager then left the winning run on first with a liner to center.

“Drama is at an all-time high,” McCann said. “You’re on every pitch, your focus is through the roof. You have to be ready for anything, thinking two, three steps ahead, constant communication. It’s more mentally exhausting than physically.”

It appeared to be advantage Dodgers with ace closer Kenley Jansen on the mound. After retiring Altuve on a fly ball to center and Correa on a pop up in foul territory, Gurriel almost ended it with a walk-off home run that instead bounced off the wall for a double. And that’s where he remained, when Reddick, desperately looking to burn his old team, flied out to left.

Joe Musgrove came on in the 10^th and got Turner on a sharp line out to left. Ethier then singled putting the go ahead run on first. With Bellinger at the plate, the crowd breathed a sigh of relief when his fly ball landed into the glove of center fielder Cameron Maybin, and rejoiced even further when Forsythe grounded out on a force to short.

After Gattis grounded out to third and Gonzalez struck out swinging, McCann took one for the team and landed on first. Springer got a free pass and ironically, a guy with an LA Laker name, Derek Fisher, pinch ran for McCann and scored the winning run on Bregman’s clutch single to center field.

“This is not going to be finished on Tuesday,” said Los Angeles outfielder Yasiel Puig. “There is going to be a Game 7.”

Yeah, baseball’s pretty boring, eh?

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Houston starting pitchers are paying it forward this postseason with clutch multiple inning saves for their teammates who toed the rubber before them. Brad Peacock did it for Lance McCullers Friday night, and McCullers for his pal Charlie Morton in Game 7 of the ALCS.

“The ovation I got when I was in the bullpen — I got chills,” McCullers said. “I’ll probably never forget that. Our crowd, they bring it. I’ve played in a decent number of stadiums now, at least for postseason ball, and when Minute Maid gets rocking, there’s no place louder.”

The success Yu Darvish garnered against the Astros as a Ranger was derailed as a Dodger in just 1 2/3 innings of play. They got to the blue crew’s third in the rotation early and often with four earned runs on six hits. In the second, the first five batters he faced reached base with Yuli Gurriel rounding them for a leadoff home run, his first of the postseason.

Ex-Dodger Josh Reddick, who couldn’t hack it in LA, has found a productive home in Houston. Albeit in the ALCS he couldn’t buy a base hit, going 0-for-25, but in the World Series he’s taken his woes out on his former team. The right fielder followed up Gurriel’s solo shot with a double to left, scoring on Marwin Gonzalez’s single to a similar area code.

Catcher Brian McCann had a bountiful night with his first of two hits, a laser to right sending Evan Gattis, who previously walked, home and Gonzalez to third. George Springer was robbed by Logan Forsythe’s grab of his sharp line drive, but Alex Bregman did what every batter hopes to do with one out and a runner on third – he brought home the Astro’s fourth run on a sac fly to center field and Jose Altuve’s double delivered Kenta Maeda to the mound to relieve Darvish.

“It’s always good to play in front of your fans, especially in this city,” Altuve said. “They’ve been here since we lost 100 games three years in a row, and they kept coming to the ballpark and supporting us. I think this is the time for us to pay them back.

“This is one of the loudest places I’ve ever played, especially right now in the playoffs and the World Series. We feel the love between the fans and the players. There’s like a connection. They’re not just here to watch a game. They’re here to watch the guys who can make the dream come true for everybody.”

McCullers, who had retired six of seven Dodgers on a steady diet of four seam fastballs and knuckle curves, walked the bases loaded in the third with the same cuisine. But the nasty curve he relied on to save Houston’s hide in the ALCS, got Corey Seager out on a running scoring double play, with a close call at first, and put away Justin Turner on a ground ball to short.

Maeda was magical for manager Dave Roberts, holding Houston to the original runs they scored on Darvish, but after 42 pitches he summoned lefty Tony Watson who gave back the unearned run they gained with back-to back singles by Reddick and Evan Gattis, Watson’s wild throw to first and Yasiel Puig’s offline attempt to get Gattis at the plate.

The Dodgers chipped away in the sixth with a leadoff walk to Seager, followed by a line drive double to deep left from Justin Turner putting runners on the corners. After Cody Bellinger whiffed on three straight pitches, Brad Peacock took the reins from McCullers. On his first pitch Puig turned the score to 5-2 with a ground out to second. With Turner now at third, a wild pitch to pinch-hitter Chase Utley brought another run to the plate, lessening the lead by two. The Houston natives were getting a little restless until Peacock ended the inning on Utley’s pop up to third.

In the bottom frame, Watson was sent packing for Brandon Morrow who got out of runners on first and second via a throwing error by Turner and a walk of his own, with consecutive strike outs to Altuve and Carlos Correa.

Peacock had his high heat working in the seventh, retiring Yasmani Grandal on one pitch, striking out Joc Pederson with three, surrendering a lone walk to Andre Ethier, who was left running to second while Gurriel beat Chris Taylor by a hair as they both dove for the first base bag.

Roberts continued to empty his pen in the home half signaling for Tony Cingrani after Gurriel laced a leadoff double to left. Reddick had great intentions of laying down a bunt, but it sailed in the air and snagged beautifully by Bellinger. Gattis was intentionally walked, Gonzalez popped up to Utley, McCann slapped a single to the hole that Bellinger couldn’t handle to load the bases.

Another call to the bullpen brought in Ross Stripling to face George Springer. With four grand slams on his resume, Springer got the crowd on their feet sending a 2-1 92 MPH four seamer into the glove of Taylor, just shy of the center field seats.

The gift of Peacock kept on giving into the eighth with a pair of strikeouts to Seager and Bellinger and a pop up behind the plate by Turner.

Houston skipper AJ Hinch didn’t flinch keeping his 29-year old stallion to close out the ninth by sticking to the old adage, “if ain’t broke why fix it?” So in tossing analytics to the wind, Puig went down on strikes, Utley bounced one back to the box, and Grandal prolonged the inevitable by staying on the mechanical bull for seven pitches, before fittingly flying out to former Dodger, Josh Reddick.

The post Houston Dominates Yu Darvish in Game 3 World Series Win appeared first on Metsmerized.

Game 3 (Series tied 1-1)
Los Angeles Dodgers vs Houston Astros, 8:20 p.m. ET, FOX
RHP Yu Darvish (2-0, 1.59 ERA) vs RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (0-0, 2.08)

Dodgers Lineup

1. Chris Taylor CF
2. Corey Seager SS
3. Justin Turner 3B
4. Cody Bellinger 1B
5. Yasiel Puig RF
6. Logan Forsythe 2B
7. Austin Barnes C
8. Joc Pederson LF
9. Enrique Hernandez DH

Astros Lineup

1. George Springer CF
2. Alex Bregman 3B
3. Jose Altuve 2B
4. Carlos Correa SS
5. Yuli Gurriel 1B
6. Josh Reddick RF
7. Evan Gattis DH
8. Marwin Gonzalez LF
9. Brian McCann C

Of the 58 previous occasions, the home team in Game 3 of the World Series has gone on to win Game 3 just 26 times, and has only done so in three of the last 11 such occasions.

Of the previous 58 times that the World Series has been tied, 1-1, the team winning Game 3 has gone on to win the World Series on 37 occasions (63.8%).

The Astros are 4-0 at home this postseason while the Dodgers are 3-1 on the road.

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