Photo by Ed of MMO

The New York Mets (7-6) took on the Miami Marlins (7-6) in the team’s 13th game of spring training. Chris Bassitt took the mound for New York and Pablo López for the Marlins. Led by a strong offensive performance, headlined by Robinson Canó and Starling Marte, the Mets won their seventh game of the spring, 8-4.

The scoring started early as new Marlin Jorge Soler took Bassitt deep to lead-off the game. The home run appeared to be heavily influenced by the wind as it only had an xBA of .190. Bassitt settled in nicely to get the next three Marlin hitters. In the bottom half of the inning, Marte continued his strong spring with a single and a steal of third base. He then came home on a 101.2 MPH ground out that had an xBA of .510 courtesy of Francisco Lindor. Mets and Marlins were tied at one after the first inning.

Photo by Ed of MMO

The Mets jumped to the lead courtesy of Eduardo Escobar‘s third home run of spring to lead-off the second frame. It was a 100 MPH shot out to right field. Like Marte, Escobar has also had a very strong spring. After the bases were loaded courtesy of Canó and Jeff McNeil singles, as well as Brandon Nimmo‘s second walk of the game, Marte ripped a ball that bounced off the third baseman’s glove. It resulted in a two-run double to extend the Mets’ lead to 4-1.

In the third, Canó tallied his second hit of the game. In doing so, he drove in Pete Alonso who doubled to begin the inning. This coming after a 10-pitch half-inning by Bassitt. The top of the fourth went much differently than the previous three innings for the Mets’ starter. Bassitt gave up a two-run shot to Jesús Aguilar. Then three consecutive base hits led to the Marlins getting another run. They cut the Mets’ lead to 5-4 before Bassitt got a strike out and picked off Miguel Rojas from second to end the inning.

The Mets got a run back in the bottom half of the fourth. Tomás Nido led off with a base hit, then chaos ensured. Nimmo hit a dribbler out in front of the plate and Lopez made an errant throw. Jazz Chisholm made it worse by throwing the ball away again which led to Nido coming home all the way from first base. Mets led 6-4 going to the fifth inning.

Bassitt responded in the fifth with two strikeouts. This was his final half inning of work and he finished the day at 90 pitches. His final line read five innings pitched, six hits, four earned runs, two walks, and six strikeouts. He gave up two long balls. He has now pitched 9 2/3 innings this spring and has allowed 10 hits and four runs while striking out nine.

The Mets got another run in the fifth. Canó doubled down the left field line for his third hit in as many at-bats. Nido then drove him home with two outs. Another run came home in the sixth as Canó picked up his fourth hit of the day. After a double earlier in the inning, Alonso came home during the play thanks to another Marlins’ error trying to field the Canó dribbler. The Mets were held scoreless the final two half innings.

Chasen Shreve (1 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 2 SO) pitched an extremely effective sixth inning. His spring hitless streak has extended to four innings where he has struck out five hitters. Trevor Williams (3 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO) then pitched the final three innings, not allowing a run despite quite a bit of traffic on the base paths.

In all, the Mets totaled 15 hits en route to eight runs. Cano, Nido, Alonso, and Marte each had multiple hits. Another strong offensive performance for the Mets.

Photo by Ed of MMO

Player of the Game: Robinson Cano

Canó had by far his best game of spring. He went a perfect 4-for-4 with a double. He drove in a run and scored two of his own. The most important aspect of all this is he was hitting the ball hard. Three of his four hits were struck at 92.4 MPH or harder. A very encouraging game for the 39 year old.

On Deck

After today, the Mets only have two spring training games remaining. That schedule continues tomorrow against the Houston Astros. The contest will be in West Palm Beach, FL and is scheduled for a 12:05 PM ET first pitch. Carlos Carrasco is currently slated make his second spring start.

The post Mets Tally 15 Hits in 8-4 Victory Over Miami appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo: Ed Delany, Metsmerized Online

On Friday afternoon, the New York Mets (6-6) faced the St. Louis Cardinals (7-5) at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida. The game was supposed to be Jacob deGrom’s final spring training tune up as he prepared to start opening day on April 7th. Unfortunately, deGrom experienced right shoulder stiffness on Thursday, and was scratched from his spring training start. He underwent an MRI that revealed a stress reaction, and the Mets announced that deGrom would stop throwing for at least four weeks. Then he would be re-evaluated. This was not the news the Mets nor Mets’ fans were hoping for.

Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Nonetheless, starting in deGrom’s place was Felix Peña, who signed a minor league deal with the Mets back in February of this year. Peña was aided by the defense in the first inning, including a nice diving catch by center fielder Travis Jankowski. The skies opened up in the second inning and so did the Cardinals’ bats, as they scored three runs. Unlike the Cardinals, the Mets’ bats were quiet to start the afternoon, as they went down 1-2-3 in the first two innings.

The umpires had enough of the rain in the top of the third and called for the tarp. After about an hour, the game resumed with many of the Mets’ starters replaced by minor leaguers. The Cardinals had started minor leaguers and role players in anticipation of the rain, so they made no changes.

The Mets scored their first run of the day in the resumed third inning. Alex Ramirez got his first hit of spring training, a two-out single. He scored on Wyatt Young’s two-out double. The Mets did not score again until the fifth inning, when Wyatt Young was once again responsible for another two-out RBI, this time via a single to left field. The bats stayed quiet through the rest of the game, besides doubles by Warren Saunders and Matt O’Neill in the eighth and ninth inning, respectively.

After the rain delay, Alex Claudio was the first pitcher up for the Mets. He was followed by Adam Ottavino for the fourth inning, Sean Reid-Foley for the fifth and sixth innings, Drew Smith for the seventh inning, and Colin Holderman for the eighth inning. Claudio, Reid-Foley, and Smith pitched well, but Ottavino and Holderman were knocked around a little, each giving up two runs.

The final score was 7-2 Cardinals. The Mets had seven hits, three walks, and left seven men on base. The defense was solid, other than one error by third baseman Jose Peroza.

Player of the Game: Wyatt Young

Wyatt Young has not seen a lot of major league playing time this spring, but the 2021 15^th round draft pick made the most of his chances in Friday’s game. He went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and was responsible for all the Mets’ offense. Certainly a prospect to monitor this season.

On Deck:

The Mets are off on Saturday. The next game is scheduled for Sunday at 1:10 PM ET against the Miami Marlins in Port St. Lucie. That game will be aired live on WPIX.

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After a strong first inning by Bassitt, Jeff McNeil got things going in the second. He lined a double down the right field line and advanced to third base on a poor pick-off attempt by Pablo Lopez. He was finally brought home via a hard-hit, two-out double off the first pitch seen by James McCann. McCann turned on an inside fastball and drove it to the gap. Bassitt again impressed in the second inning. He threw less than 10 pitches in the inning striking out one. The Mets led 1-0 going to the third inning.

Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets got right back to it in the third, as Starling Marte made his second start of the spring and drew a walk to lead-off. He then stole a base, something Mets’ fans should become accustomed to as he stole a MLB-best 47 bases last season. After the Marte walk and subsequent steal, Francisco Lindor blasted a two-run home run to right field. This was his fourth long shot of spring in only his 18th at-bat.

After McNeil’s second hit of the game, the Marlins removed their usually solid pitcher, Lopez, after a hefty 61 pitches in only 2 1/3 innings. Before the inning ended, McNeil stole a base on a 3-2 count. He then advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored via a two-out bloop single after a nine pitch at-bat by Dominic Smith. New York led 4-0 going to the bottom half of the inning.

After another successful half inning by Bassitt. The Mets struck for the third consecutive time, blowing the top off the game. After base hits by Luis Guillorme and Brandon Nimmo, Marte hit what ended up being a run-potting bloop double after the ball beat a sliding Avisaíl García. Lindor followed this up with great two-strike hitting with a deep sacrifice fly to center field which plated Nimmo and advanced Marte to third.

The damage did not stop there as Pete Alonso got in on the fun and drove in a run of his own courtesy of a single to center. J.D. Davis promptly drove in Alonso after a blistering ground ball beat Jon Berti at shortstop. In all, the Mets scored four runs on five hits in the inning to extend their lead to 8-0 going to the bottom of the fourth.

Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

Bassitt ran into his first high-leverage situation of the game in the bottom half of the inning. After a lead-off single, Jazz Chisholm hit a double that resulted in runners at second and third. However, Bassitt responded with a strikeout and an induced ground out to shortstop to get out of the inning. In the fifth he retired his last two batters of the night. Bassitt threw 69 pitches across 4 2/3 very successful innings. He struck out three and allowed only four hits. Most importantly, he did not walk anyone.

Meanwhile, the Mets kept the scoring streak alive as they struck for the fourth straight inning in the fifth. After a Guillorme walk, Lindor kept his scorching streak alive. He hit a deep double to center field which drove in Guillorme for his fourth RBI of the game. The Mets now led 9-0.

The Mets added to their lead in the top of the seventh thanks to a 406 foot home run to right field by Nimmo. This was their 10th and final run of the game. In all, the Mets tallied 15 hits, seven of which were for extra bases. Furthermore, each starter recorded a hit with Nimmo, Lindor, and Smith tallying two each. Hopefully performances like these carry-over to the regular season.

Other pitches that appeared for the Mets were minor leaguers Eric Orze (1/3 IP) and Felix Pena (2.0 IP). Chasen Shreve continued his strong spring with a 12-pitch eighth inning tallying two strikeouts. He has yet to allow a baserunner across nine at-bats. Sean Reid-Foley made an appearance in the ninth as he pitched a scoreless inning striking out two after allowing a double. Overall, the Mets’ pitching staff only allowed six hits and three walks.

Photo from Michael Mayer of MMO

Player of the Game: Francisco Lindor

Lindor is arguably the hottest hitter in the league right now. After his 2-for-2 and four RBI performance, featuring a long home run and a deep double, he is slashing .474/.500/1.211 this spring. Unfortunately, in a week or so, this will all not matter. However, great to see the Mets’ franchise shortstop looking sharp early on.

On Deck:

The Mets continue their spring training schedule tomorrow. New York is slated to take on the Houston Astros at 6:10 PM ET in Port St. Lucie, FL. Carlos Carrasco is slated to make his first formal spring appearance. The game will be televised on SNY.

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Photo: Ed Delany, Metsmerized Online

The New York Mets hosted the St. Louis Cardinals at Clover Park in St. Lucie, FL on Sunday afternoon. Strong performances from Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, and Francisco Lindor led the way to a 7-3 Mets’ victory. 

DeGrom took the mound for his second appearance in spring training, quickly making an impact by striking out Dylan Carlson on a check-swing. He followed that up by striking out Cardinals’ designated hitter Lars Nootbar. After giving up a base-hit to Harrison Bader, deGrom regrouped to strike out his third batter of the inning to retire the side.

DeGrom pitched three strong innings, following up his successful first outing last Tuesday. DeGrom’s final line read three innings pitched, five strikeouts, four hits allowed, zero walks, and one earned run. The lone run came in the third inning after a Carlson lead-off double, and a Bader single that just got past the glove of Lindor.

The Mets’ bats provided some early support by driving in three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Pete Alonso led off by ripping a double off the glove of left-fielder Alec Burleson. After a Robinson Cano ground ball that allowed Alonso to advance to third base, Eduardo Escobar brought in the first run with a sacrifice fly. A two-out walk from Travis Jankowski gave Tomas Nido the opportunity to drive one deep to right-center field for a two-run home run. In the third inning, Lindor hit a line-drive shot to right-field to make the Mets’ lead 4-1.

Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

Scherzer took over for deGrom in the fourth inning, also making his second appearance in exhibition play. It only took Scherzer eight pitches to finish a 1-2-3 inning. Scherzer allowed one earned run via a double off the bat of former Mets’ catcher Ali Sanchez shortening the Mets’ lead to 5-2. After back-to-back hits to start the seventh-inning, Scherzer settled down to allow no further damage in the inning.

The Mets would add to their lead in the seventh. Lindor hit a towering two-run homer over the left-field wall, his second home run off the day. This expanded the Mets’ lead over the Cardinals to 7-2.

A lead-off solo home run from Cardinals’ prospect Anderson Tejada in the ninth inning off of Scherzer cut the Mets lead to 7-3. Scherzer would allow nothing further after setting down the final three Cardinals’ hitters in order. His final line read six innings pitched, seven strikeouts, three hits allowed, one walk, and two earned runs.

The Mets’ offense as a whole had a terrific day. Arguably the strongest they have been all spring. As a team, the Mets tallied 12 hits, seven runs, drew three walks, and struck out only seven times. Eight different players contributed hits.

Photo by Michael Mayer of MMO

Player of the Game: Francisco Lindor

Lindor would finish the day by going 3-for-4 with two home runs and a single. He drove in three runs and scored two of his own. He also made a nice play in the field that saw him leave his feet to glove a large infield hop. He then made a laser of a throw to help ensure the inning did not become more threatening. Overall, he continued his strong start in spring training.

On Deck:

The Mets’ next game will take place on Tuesday night at 6:40 PM ET against the Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, in Jupiter, FL. Mets’ newly acquired starting pitcher Chris Bassitt is expected to make his first formal spring start.

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Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets took care of the Washington Nationals by a score of 4-2 at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, FL today. Led by some timely hitting and solid pitching, the orange and blue were able to stave off the pesky Nationals from any late inning rally.

Taijuan Walker made his 2022 debut after his winter surgery and pitched two solid innings to open the game. Outside of a sun-induced dropped ball between Luis Guillorme and Robinson Cano in the infield, Walker allowed only the one hit and did not allow a walk. David Peterson piggybacked and followed suit with 3 2/3 innings in his second spring stint. Lane Thomas’s two-run home run over the batter’s eye in the fourth inning was the extent of Peterson’s faced damage in an otherwise calm one walk, five strikeout outing.

The Mets’ bats awoke in the bottom of the fourth as a Cano groundout drove in Jeff McNeil who tripled to lead off the inning. After an Eduardo Escobar walk, and a Dominic Smith ground-rule double, Guillorme was unable to drive in the pair after a dribbler in front of the plate. 

In the bottom of the fifth, catcher Hayden Senger was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame. After a Brandon Nimmo fly out, Mark Canha doubled in Senger. McNeil followed suit with a single of his own, bringing in Canha to give the Mets a 3-2 edge. Escobar added an insurance run via the long ball in the bottom of the sixth. 

Stephen Nogosek, Chasen Shreve, and Sean Reid-Foley closed out the game with a combined 3 1/3 innings. Together, they allowed one hit, no runs, one walk, and struck out three. Other positive results was Nimmo having himself a two-hit game. Touted prospect Brett Baty also chipped in with a hit off the bench.

Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

Player of the Game: Jeff McNeil

Getting some prep time in right field, McNeil filled the score sheet going 2-for-3 with a single and a triple. He also drove in a run and scored a run of his own. McNeil will surely see time in multiple positions this season. He, like several Mets this year, is looking for a bounce back in 2022.

On Deck: 

The St. Louis Cardinals will be in Port St. Lucie for Sunday’s contest as the Mets look to stay above .500 this spring. The weekend finale is set to feature the unusual occurrence of piggybacked aces. Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer are both scheduled to pitch ahead of the opening series in Washington, D.C tomorrow.

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Photo by MMO’s Ed Delany

The New York Mets (3-3) took on the Houston Astros (3-4) at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, FL. It was the Mets’ sixth spring training game this season. The contest was a low scoring affair, as the Astros ultimately emerged victorious by a score of 2-1.

Tylor Megill started the game for the Mets in his second appearance of spring. He went 3 2/3 innings tallying four strikeouts. Megill pitched well enough but was hampered by two errors and timely hitting by the Astros. He ultimately left the game with the Mets down 2-0.

Marcel Renteria faced one batter in relief of Megill before new Met Adam Ottavino came in to pitch in the bottom of the fifth. Ottavino pitched well, tossing a 1-2-3 inning while posting a strikeout.

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Trevor May pitched the sixth inning for the Mets, his first appearance of the spring. The Astros’ radio announcers commented that May did not look sharp. They explained he was throwing hard but missing his locations. May gave up a single and tossed a wild pitch before settling down and striking out the next two batters.

Lefty Rob Zastryzny came in for the seventh inning. The bullpen hopeful worked quickly and pitched another 1-2-3 inning. Alex Claudio finished up the game for the Mets, pitching the eighth inning. It was his third appearance of the spring, and he also sat down the side in order.

In the field, Travis Jankowski’s great defense was on display once again. He made a diving catch in the first inning to rob Alex Bregman of a hit. Unfortunately, J.D. Davis’s struggles at third continued. He had two errors and could not corral a hard-hit ball from Bregman in the bottom of the sixth that was ruled a hit. In that same inning, Emmanuel Valdez tried to take advantage of Davis’s arm by attempting to score from second on a single to third base. He was ultimately thrown out at the plate by Dominic Smith.

At the dish, things started out slow when the Mets went down 1-2-3 in the first. They got runners into scoring position the next three innings, but did not score. Tomas Nido came up with the bases loaded in the second inning but grounded into an inning-ending double play.

The Mets finally broke through in the fifth inning. Luis Guillorme led off with a walk and Francisco Lindor followed with a ground ball single. Guillorme would end up scoring on Daniel Palka’s two-out single up the middle. Jankowski’s skills were on display again in the sixth inning, when he led off with a bunt single. He stole second on a pick off attempt, but was ultimately stranded.

The Mets’ bats were quiet in the seventh inning, with Lindor, Smith, and Pete Alonso going down in order. Other than a Palka walk, the Mets were stifled again in the eighth. Brett Baty (who came in the bottom of the seventh to play third) singled in top of the ninth to give the Mets a sliver of hope. However, Francisco Alvarez struck out as a pinch hitter to end the game.

In all, the Mets left 11 runners on base and were 2-for-9 as a team with runners in scoring position. They also struck out 12 times and only recorded seven hits. Luckily, this is only spring training. On a more positive note, the Mets’ batters collectively had six walks.

Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Player of the Game: Travis Jankowski

There was not a whole lot individually that stood out for the Mets. However, Jankowski excelled. He went 2-for-3 at the plate and also swiped a bag. In the field, he flashed the reason why he was brought to New York: his glove, as he made a diving play. Overall, a nice showing for a player trying to win a job this spring.

On Deck:

The Mets are back in action Saturday at 1:05 PM ET against the Washington Nationals at Clover Park in Port Saint Lucie. David Peterson will start for the Mets and Taijuan Walker is also scheduled to pitch.

The post Bats Stifled As Mets Fall To Astros 2-1 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets announced on Sunday that they have signed left-handed pitcher Mike Montgomery and right-handed pitcher Tommy Hunter to minor league contracts and invited both pitchers to Spring Training.

Montgomery, 31, was drafted by Kansas City Royals in the first round (No. 36 overall pick) of the 2008 MLB Draft out of Hart High School in Newhall, California. Since begin drafted, Montgomery has spent time with the Royals, Mariners and Cubs. He made his MLB debut in June of 2015 and was most notably part of the Chicago Cubs’ 2016 World Series championship team.

In his last full season of 2019, Montgomery split the season between the Cubs and Royals. He was 3-9, with a 4.45 ERA. He accumulated 69 strikeouts and had a 1.62 WHIP over the course of 91 innings pitched between Chicago and Kansas City.

He spent the shortened 2020 season back with Kansas City. He was 0-0 with a 5.06 ERA. He struck out four and had a 1.31 WHIP over the course of just five innings pitched. He missed time from July to September with injury. In October of 2020 the Royals outrighted Montgomery to the Omaha Storm Chasers before the 31-year old elected free agency.

Left-handed pitcher Tommy Hunter was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the first round (No. 54 overall pick) of the 2007 MLB draft out of the University of Alabama. He made his MLB debut a year later, in August of 2008 with the Rangers. He has since spent time with the Rangers, Orioles, Cubs, Indians, Rays, and most recently the Philadelphia Phillies.

During his time with Philadelphia (2018-2020), Hunter was 5-5 with a 3.64 ERA. He struck out 81 and had a WHIP of 1.170 over the course of 94 innings pitched in Philadelphia.

In the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, Hunter was 0-1 with a 4.01 ERA. He struck out 25 and had a WHIP of 1.14.

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