You know that Super Bowl LVIII is happening this Sunday, February 11. The Kansas City Chiefs return to the big game to defend their title, taking on the  San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.

Will Taylor Swift make it from her Tokyo concert in time for the big game? That’s a question on lots of people’s minds (not mine, for the record, but I had to mention it). Speaking of other things I need to mention, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is the son of former Mets player Pat Mahomes, which you obviously already knew, and may be a reason you’re rooting for the Chiefs.

The game is set to start at 6:30 PM EST. It’ll be broadcasted on CBS and Univision, with a kids telecast also happening on Nickelodeon. Streaming services Paramount+, Vix, and NFL+ will also carry the game.

So, who are you betting on (figuratively or literally) this Sunday? Here’s what we think.

Chiefs vs. 49ers. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

MMO Staff Predictions:

Christian De Block Chiefs 27, 49ers 23, MVP: Chris Jones

Matt Mancuso: Chiefs 20, 49ers 14, MVP: Travis Kelce

Patrick Glynn: Chiefs 24, 49ers 17, MVP: Patrick Mahomes

Mojo Hill: Chiefs 49, 49ers 3, MVP: Patrick Mahomes

Jorge Eckardt: Chiefs 23, 49ers 16, MVP: Travis Kelce

Rich Sparago: Chiefs 31, 49ers 27, MVP: Isaiah Pacheco

Allison Waxman: Chiefs 24, 49ers 21, MVP: Travis Kelce

Andrew Steele: Chiefs 24, 49ers 13, MVP: Patrick Mahomes

Ricky Keeler: 49ers 27, Chiefs 23, MVP: Christian McCaffrey

Chris Bello: Chiefs 30, 49ers 24, MVP: Patrick Mahomes

Ricky Keeler: 49ers 28, Chiefs 27, MVP: Brock Purdy

Michelle Ioannou: Chiefs 31, 49ers 24, MVP: Taylor Swift – JK – Patrick Mahomes

Did You Know…

Usher will be the halftime show. On average, the performance is 13 minutes long, but he got the OK for his to be 15 minutes long.

Reba McEntire will be performing the National Anthem, Post Malone will be performing “America the Beautiful” and Andra Day Will be performing “Life Every Voice and Sing.”

CBS charged $6.5 million – $7 million for a 30-second commercial.

This is the first time the Super Bowl will be played in Las Vegas.

This is the second time that the Chiefs and 49ers are meeting in the big game. The last time was 2020, and you probably remember that the Chiefs won. That win gave Mahomes, Kelce, and head coach Andy Reid their first title.

This is the eighth time the 49ers are in the Super Bowl. They have five SB wins, but have lost the last two times they’ve played in the big game.

If the Chiefs win again, they will be the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since the New England Patriots did so in 2004 and 2005. It’s a feat that’s only happened eight times in SB history.

Patrick Mahomes is only the eighth QB to start four Super Bowls. He’s joining an impressive club that includes Roger Staubach, Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, Jim Kelly, John Elway and Peyton Manning.

You know we have to give a Taylor Swift fun fact, too. You know her lucky number is 13… and that just so happens to be the number of 49ers QB Brock Purdy. Will this work in Taylor or Brock’s favor? Guess we’ll just have to wait and see on Sunday.

The post MMO Super Bowl LVIII Staff Predictions appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, May 13, 2023 • 4:05 PM
Nationals Park • Washington, DC
LHP Joey Lucchesi (1-0, 4.43) vs. RHP Trevor Williams (1-1, 4.25)
SNY

Just like that the New York Mets have won two of their last three games.

The Mets left seven runners on base over the first three innings on Friday night and the game started to feel like more of the same. The Mets were getting hits, working walks and not doing anything with it. They were hitting the ball hard straight into outs. The Nationals were getting soft hits and timely hits and built up a 2-0 lead that felt like a 20-0 lead. Then Francisco Lindor came up with the bases loaded and cleared them with a double. The Mets bullpen took it from there and we were all finally able to put it in the books.

Now the Mets look to do that again for the second day in a row for the first time in 73 years (or three weeks).

Mets Lineup

Saturday in the nation’s capital. #LGM

🆚 Washington
💪 @JoeyFuego44
📺 @SNYtv
📻 @wcbs880 pic.twitter.com/5gHuZO1Q21

— New York Mets (@Mets) May 13, 2023

Joey Lucchesi makes his fifth start of the season on Saturday. Over 20 1/3 innings he has a 4.43 ERA, 5.21 FIP, 1.230 WHIP and a 95 ERA+. Since his amazing 2023 debut, he has allowed 10 runs from 14 hits and five walks over 13 1/3 innings (6.75 ERA). He’s already faced Washington this season, allowing three runs from five hits and two walks over 5 1/3 innings. These numbers are a bit skewed though. Lucchesi was pulled in the 6th inning with two runners on and both of those runners scored, taking him from one run to three on the day. The Nationals have the following numbers against Joey:

• Alex Call 2-2, HR, BB
• Jeimer Candelario 0-3, K
• Corey Dickerson 0-3
• Joey Meneses 1-3
• Keibert Ruiz 1-3
• Lane Thomas 1-2, BB, K
• CJ Abrams 0-2
• Michael Chavis 0-2
• Carter Kieboom 1-2

Opposing Lineup

Bloom Day Pt. II#BloomDay🌸 pic.twitter.com/tqmeuUcuBO

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) May 13, 2023

The Mets bats will get to face an old friend in Trevor Williams this afternoon. Across seven starts (36 innings) Williams has a 4.25 ERA, 4.85 FIP, 1.33 WHIP and a 97 ERA+. Williams is coming off of a rough start where he allowed five runs from seven hits and two walks over 4 1/3 innings. Williams was also the opposing pitcher last time Lucchesi started against the Nationals. Williams in that game allowed four runs over five innings from nine hits and two walks. The Mets have the following career numbers against Williams:

• Tommy Pham 3-16, 2 2B, HR, 2 BB, 3 K
• Jeff McNeil 3-10, 2B, 2 BB, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 2-11, 2B, 3 K
• Pete Alonso 2-10, 2B, HR, BB, 2 K
• Brandon Nimmo 1-7, 3 K
• Eduardo Escobar 2-6, 2B
• Daniel Vogelbach 1-3, BB, 2 K
• Starling Marte 0-2, BB
• Luis Guillorme 0-3
• Mark Canha 1-2, K
• Brett Baty 3-3, HR
• Francisco Álvarez 1-2, BB, K

Game Notes

Max Scherzer (2-2, 5.56 ERA) will be on the mound for the Mets on Sunday against his former team. David Peterson (1-5, 7.68 ERA) will then get the start in the series finale in Washington on Monday.

It was a milestone night for David Robertson on Friday as he struck out four batters to record his 1,000th career strikeout. He became just the 14th pitcher in MLB history to record 1,000 strikeouts solely in relief.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Brett Baty Bounce Back: Brett Baty immediately made his bat known in the Mets lineup. He’s cooled off a bit over the last four games going 0-for-11 at the plate with two walks and two runs scored. He’s only struck out once though in this stretch, so it’s not like he’s lost out there. The last time he faced Trevor Williams he went 3-for-3 with a homer.
2. Who’s closing the door today? The Mets put Ottavino in for the 7th inning on Friday and asked Robertson to get six outs. Robertson looked great in the 8th but tired in the 9th and eventually Drew Smith had to come get the last out. In the last three days Robertson has thrown 53 pitches, including 40 on Friday. Ottavino has thrown in three of the last four games, but has only thrown 27 pitches (he’s gone 12, 13 and then 14 pitches which is kind-of neat to look at). Drew Smith the most fresh, only throwing once in the last three games, with that game being only four pitches on Friday night.
3. Brandon Nimmo broke his strikeout streak! Going into Friday’s game, Brandon Nimmo had at least one strikeout in each of his last 12 games, making for 16 strikeouts total. He went 2-for-4 at the plate with a walk and has now gone 6-for-12 in his last three games. He has a ridiculous .571 OBP in that stretch.

Let’s go Mets!

The post MMO Game Thread: Mets vs Nationals, 4:05 PM appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets and Rockies continued their series on Saturday afternoon at Citi Field. Austin Gomber took the mound for the visiting Rockies against Tylor Megill for the Mets.

It was a back and forth battle between the two teams through the first four innings. The Rockies landed the first blow in the first inning, before the Mets answered back in the bottom half of the inning. The Rockies regained the lead in the second, and the Mets answered back in the bottom of the third. Both teams were scoreless in the fourth.

The Rockies regained the lead in the fifth and extended their lead in the sixth to take the 5-2 lead they did not look back on as they went on to defeat the Mets. The last two runs were driven in by Ezequiel Tovar who hit a 2-run home run to ultimately give the Rockies the win.

Colorado took an early lead in the top of the first as Megill struggled early. He walked Charlie Blackmon to open the game and two batters later hit Kris Bryant to put two on with one out. Two batters later, Elias Díaz singled to right field to score Blackmon and give the Rockies a 1-0 lead before Megill struck out Ryan McMahon to get out of the inning.

The Mets answered back in the bottom of the first. Brandon Nimmo hit a leadoff single to open the bottom half of the inning. Two batters later Lindor doubled to put two runners in scoring position with just one out. Pete Alonso then came up and drove in Nimmo to tie the game 1-1. Tommy Pham then grounded out to end the inning.

The Rockies regained the lead in the second. Tovar hit a one-out single on a line drive to left field, followed by a single by Brenton Doyle to put two on. Blackmon then came back around and hit a sacrifice fly to score Tovar and give the Rockies a 2-1 lead over the Mets before Megill again got out of the inning.

The Mets went down in order in the bottom of the second and the Rockies went down quiet in the top of the third on a strike out and double play.

The Mets regained the lead in the bottom of the third. Francisco Álvarez and Brandon Nimmo hit back-to-back singles to put two runners on. Starling Marte then hit a sacrifice bunt to move the runners. Next up was Francisco Lindor who grounded out to score Álvarez and tie the game 2-2. Alonso flew out to end the inning as the game was tied heading into the fourth.

Francisco Lindor drives in a run with a ground out and ties the game at 2: pic.twitter.com/FS4Eoeai2o

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 6, 2023

Megill gave up a one-out single to Harold Castro in the top of the fourth, but Megill retired the other three batters he faced to retire the Rockies and keep the game tied. The Mets also put a runner on in the fourth on a walk to Pham, but Gomber retired the other batters he faced to get out of the inning.

In a game of pinball, the Rockies regained the lead in the fifth. Megill gave up back-to-back one-out walks. Two batters later Díaz hit an RBI single that scored Grichuk to give the Rockies a 3-2 lead over the Mets.

That was all for Megill as Stephen Nogosek came in to replace Megill on the mound for the Mets. Megill allowed three earned runs on six hits while walking three and striking out four in just over four innings of work.

Nogosek  forced McMahon to fly out to end the inning. The Rockies led the Mets 3-2 at the half way point of Saturday’s matchup. The Mets went down fairly quiet again in the fifth. Álvarez walked with one out, but that was all for the Mets as Gomber retired the side to get out of the inning.

The Rockies began to pull away a little bit in the sixth as they extended their lead over the Mets. Castro walked to lead-off the inning and then Tovar followed with a two-run home run to left field that scored Castro as well. Nogosek retired the next three he faced to avoid further damage.

The Mets put another runner on in the sixth as Alonso hit a one-out single. But the Mets were unable to move the runner as Gomber retired the next two he faced to get out of the inning. Nogosek retired the Rockies in order in the top of the seventh on three straight strikeouts and Jake Bird, who replaced Gomber on the mound for the Rockies, retired the Mets in order in the bottom of the seventh as both teams went down quiet.

Dominic Leone replaced Nogosek on the mound for the Mets in the top of the 8^th. He walked one and gave up a double to Tovar, but retired the other three batters he faced to get out of the inning. The Mets had some momentum in the bottom half of the eighth. Lindor singled with two outs, followed by a walk to Alonso to put two runners on. But Jeff McNeil, who pinch-hit for Tommy Pham, struck out to end the inning as the Mets stranded two more runners in the eighth.

Jeff Brigham replaced Leone on the mound for the Mets in the ninth. He gave up a lead-off single to left field, but retired the next two he faced on a fly out and double play to end the top half of the inning. Pierce Johnson replaced Jake Bird on the mound for the Rockies in the ninth.

Johnson gave up a single to Mark Canha, but retired the side to get out of the inning and end the game as the Rockies secured the 5-2 win over the Mets on Saturday.

Player of the Game

Lindor was the pick of a bad bunch for the Mets. He was 2-for-4 on Saturday and hit a double and RBI. He has a .222 AVG and a .754 OPS through Saturday. The offense again was the undoing for the Mets, but Lindor at least played his role to try and get the bats going.

On Deck

The Mets and Rockies continue their series on Sunday at 1:40 PM ET as they close out their series. Joey Lucchesi (1-0, 3.86 ERA) will take the mound for the Mets. Ryan Feltner (2-2, 4.45 ERA) will get the start for Colorado.

The post Mets’ Offensive Struggles Continue in 5-2 Loss to Rockies appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, May 6, 2023 • 4:10 PM
Citi Field • Flushing, New York
LHP Austin Gomber (2-4, 7.57) vs. RHP Tylor Megill (3-1, 4.11)
SNY

The hope on Friday was that the Mets would have a big inning to resurrect their offense on their way to winning their first baseball game this week. The Mets instead skipped the first step and went ahead and won the game 1-0. Senga had one of his best starts as a Met, the bullpen was fairly flawless, and Brandon Nimmo broke out of his slump to hit a solo homer.

The Mets have the opportunity to take the next two steps on Saturday. Have a big inning and wake up the bats. Win two games in a row. Let’s go!

Mets Lineup

Saturday in the Citi. #LGM

🆚 Colorado
💪 Tylor Megill
📺 @SNYtv
📻 @wcbs880 pic.twitter.com/R7NJUl8J0j

— New York Mets (@Mets) May 6, 2023

Tylor Megill looks to lead the Mets on Saturday afternoon. Over six starts and 30 2/3 innings he has a 4.11 ERA, 5.65 FIP, 1.435 WHIP and a 104 ERA+. In his last three games he has allowed 10 runs from 17 hits and eight walks, leading to a 6.14 ERA over 14 2/3 innings. Only two players on the Rockies have seen Megill in a major league game before. Kris Bryant is 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and Randal Grichuk is 0-for-2. Will this be the Megill bounce back game?

Opposing Lineup

More baseball in the Big Apple! pic.twitter.com/YXRxKzxXTr

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) May 6, 2023

Austin Gomber has made six starts and pitched 27 1/3 innings with a 7.57 ERA, 6.36 FIP, 1.638 WHIP and a 68 ERA+. Despite those awful numbers, which are heavily influenced by a game in Pittsburgh where he allowed nine runs over two innings, he’s been quite good his last two starts. In those two games he has allowed only one run from six hits and five walks over 11 innings. He pitched against the Mets once last year in Colorado where he held the Mets to two runs on seven hits over seven innings. The Mets have the following numbers against him:

• Tommy Pham 1-8, BB, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 3-8, 2 K
• Starling Marte 0-6, BB, 3 K
• Tomás Nido 0-6, K
• Daniel Vogelbach 1-3, BB, K
• Pete Alonso 0-3
• Mark Canha 1-3
• Eduardo Escobar 0-3
• Luis Guillorme 2-3
• Jeff McNeil 1-3, 2B
• Brandon Nimmo 1-3

Game Notes

According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, the Mets have informed the Rockies that Joey Lucchesi will start the final game of the series on Sunday. Lucchesi, who has a 3.86 ERA this year, will be pitching on short rest after throwing only 46 pitches last time out.

Carlos Carrasco has been throwing at Citi Field but won’t be able to make his scheduled rehab start this weekend due to a virus. Carrasco, who has been dealing with a bone spur in his elbow, was slated to return by mid-May but that is likely to be pushed back due to this latest setback.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Can the Mets take the series? One of the things that made last year’s team so amazing was their ability to win series. They rarely got long winning streaks, but rather consistently took two of three games or three of four games and watched the wins pile up. The Mets haven’t been in a position to take a series since April 22nd in San Francisco. They can take the series against the Rockies on Saturday.
2. Is Brandon Nimmo back? Brandon Nimmo went 2-for-3 with a walk on Friday. His two hits were a double and a homer. Nimmo has shown to be a streaky hitter this season, essentially starting the season cold, then becoming the hottest hitter in the league before going ice cold again. If he gets a hit on Saturday, it will be the first time since April 22nd that he had at least three consecutive games with a hit.
3. Checking in on the Mets bullpen. The Mets bullpen was excellent on Friday and used their three most consistent pitchers: Smith, Robertson and Ottavino. Robertson and Ottavino both didn’t pitch on Thursday (although Ottavino blew the first game on Wednesday) so they should be good to go today if the Mets need them. Drew Smith has now tossed 35 pitches in back to back days.

Let’s go Mets!

The post MMO Game Thread: Rockies vs Mets, 4:10 PM appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY

Thursday, April 27, 2023 • 7:10 PM
Citi Field • Flushing, New York
RHP Trevor Williams (1-1, 3.38) vs. LHP Joey Lucchesi (1-0, 0.00)
SNY

The Mets need a win Thursday night in the worst way. On Wednesday, the Mets lost the series to the Nationals and their fourth game in a row, the first time since 2021 they’ve lost four games in a row. A win in the series finale prevents the sleep and can help the team get it’s swagger back. The last several games have felt lackluster.

Like everything in baseball, it all starts with one game. The Mets’ home opener this year came right after the team got swept in dramatic fashion by the Brewers. It was an ugly series in every way possible for the Mets. However, they were able to regroup and go 4-2 at home. They then swept the Athletics and then went 2-1 against the Dodgers. It all starts with one game. Here’s hoping that’s the case on Thursday!

Mets Lineup

Tonight’s starters. #LGM

🆚 Washington
💪 @JoeyFuego44
📺 @SNYtv
📻 @wcbs880 pic.twitter.com/XBCEXMkY4N

— New York Mets (@Mets) April 27, 2023

Joey Lucchesi played the role of hero in his first start of the season on April 21. He allowed no runs from four hits and two walks while striking out nine batters over seven innings. It was the longest start by a starter this season for the Mets (which highlights the current rotation issues the team has). Lucchesi started to turn his season around in 2021 with a string of successful starts before injury brought things to a sudden halt. He required Tommy John surgery and missed all of last season. He now finds himself in an interesting situation. With Scherzer and Verlander due back next week, if Lucchesi has another strong start in the rotation he could end up pushing another starter out. A few players on the Nationals roster have seen Lucchesi before:

• Víctor Robles 4-8, 2B, HR, 2 K
• Corey Dickerson 0-3
• Carter Kieboom 1-2

Opposing Lineup

The Return Pt. II#NATITUDE pic.twitter.com/fFfJr92huf

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) April 27, 2023

The Mets get to see an unsung hero from last year’s team – Trevor Williams. Williams pitched in 30 games, including nine starts for the 2022 Mets with a 3.21 ERA, 3.88 FIP, 1.227 WHIP and 120 ERA+. As a member of the Nationals this season he has made four starts, pitching 21 1/3 innings with a 3.38 ERA, 4.65 FIP, 1.087 WHIP and a 124 ERA+. In his last two starts he has allowed only three runs over 11 innings (2.45 ERA, 4.52 FIP). Furthermore, Williams is pretty stretched out now, tossing at least 93 pitches in three of his four starts this season. The Mets have the following career numbers against Trevor:

• Tommy Pham 3-13, 2 2B, HR, 2 BB, 3 K
• Jeff McNeil 2-7, 2B, 2 BB, 2 K
• Pete Alonso 2-7, 2B, HR, BB, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 1-8, 2 K
• Eduardo Escobar 2-5, 2B
• Brandon Nimmo 0-4, 3 K
• Luis Guillorme 0-3
• Daniel Vogelbach 0-0, BB

Game Notes

RHP Adam Ottavino was placed on the Paternity List prior to Tuesday’s game. RHP Denyi Reyes was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse.

New York’s loss on Wednesday was a season-high fourth straight. The last time that happened was when the Mets lost five straight from September 21-26, 2021. It was the first time the Mets had dropped four straight under manager Buck Showalter.

The Mets will be looking to avoid their second sweep of the season and their first at home. The last time they got swept by the Nationals was April 2017.

Justin Verlander will make a rehab start for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in Double-A on Friday. If all goes well, the three-time Cy Young winner is expected to make his Mets debut against the Tigers in Detroit on May 3.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Pete cannot carry the team by himself. The past four games have shown that the Mets offense needs another player to step up as a run producer besides Pete Alonso. Alonso cannot carry the team all by himself. In the four losses, Alonso is hitless in 16 trips to the plate with no walks and six strikeouts. In the 14 games before that, Alonso was hitting .339/.413/.714. Those are fantastic numbers for Alonso but also hot streak numbers. Cold streaks happen. As we saw Wednesday night the Mets can still get on base in a cold streak, but who is going to knock them in?
2. Jeff McHits: Over the last six games, McNeil has gone 10-for-22 at the plate with a homer leading to a .455/.539/.591 batting line. There has not been a strong correlation yet between his hot streak and the Mets winning games. McNeil, who has been on base a total of 14 times over the last six games, has only scored five times. The Mets bats need to take advantage of this streak McNeil is on right now.
3. Eduardo Escobar has been better recently then we all probably think. Brett Baty should be playing every day. That being said, the Mets need to find another way to get Escobar in the lineup because he is starting to heat up. In the last five games he’s played in, dating back to the Oakland series, Escobar is 5-for-18 with a double, triple and a homer and has scored four times (.278/.316/.611). He has also struck out only three times and grounded into one double play during this stretch. Before this stretch of five games, Escobar was hitting .103/.143/.205.

Let’s go Mets!

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

Five-and-two-thirds innings into his outing against the San Diego Padres at Shea Stadium on April 22, 1970, Tom Seaver had faced 22 batters. Two managed hits and nine struck out. For an ordinary pitcher, it would be a great day. For Seaver, who in three seasons had established himself as arguably the best at his position, it was any other day. 

Seaver would eventually deliver a performance befitting of the Cy Young Award he received prior to the game. Then he took it to new heights. We often hear of a pitcher being untouchable. In Seaver’s case, specifically for the last 3 1/3 innings, this was no overstatement.

During that span, nobody reached base. Nobody put the ball in play. When Seaver got Al Ferrara swinging to end the ninth, it was an exclamation point on one of the most brilliant chapters of his Mets career. The 19 strikeouts tied a major league record at the time. The 10 strikeouts in a row is a record that went unmatched for over half a century. And the fact that those ten concluded the game only elevates the feat.

“I might as well have played without a glove,” said Bud Harrelson. That wasn’t an exaggeration. The Gold Glove shortstop never saw a ball come within his reach all day. Harrelson was able to help out with a third-inning triple that delivered a go-ahead run and a slim 2-1 lead.

Seaver refused to give the Padres – a club in its second season of existence – any idea of a threat. Ferrara was the only Padre to give Seaver any trouble. He led off the second with a tying home run and drew a walk in the top of the fourth. Dave Campbell followed with a two-out single.

Campbell’s hit was the second and final one for San Diego. When Cito Gaston flew out to Art Shamsky in right, no one knew there would be no more fair balls from the Padres lineup. 

Seaver avenged his earlier struggles with Ferrara by getting him on a swinging strike three to end the sixth. He breezed through the seventh by fanning Nate Colbert, Campbell, and Jerry Morales. He did the same in the eighth, punching out Bob Barton, Ray Webster, and Ivan Murrell to surpass Nolan Ryan’s franchise single-game record of 15 K’s – which lasted all of four days.

The paid crowd of only 14,197 generated a noise that made Shea feel as if it was at capacity. It got louder as Seaver swiftly dispensed with his ninth-inning opponents. First, Van Kelly – down on three successive fastballs. Then, Gaston – caught looking.

Only Ferrara stood in Tom’s way. On top of the Mets’ single-game record, Seaver had already set the mark for most consecutive strikeouts and tied the mark for most K’s in a nine-inning day game, while just one away from matching Carlton’s magical 19.

Preserving the one-run lead while facing the man responsible for the Padres’ only score, the margin for error remained small.

He used a pair of sliders and a fastball to bring the count to 1-2. Up to this point, Seaver had thrown 135 pitches, 95 for strikes. Eighty of those pitches were fastballs. Sixty-four of those fastballs were strikes. Seaver, with a mind as brilliant as anyone who ever took the mound, understood that he had to go with his best – even if it meant using the pitch Ferrara took deep earlier in the game.

There are many methods by which to measure pitching greatness. The handful who’ve thrown perfect games and the select pitchers – Seaver included among them – who’ve tossed no-hitters have their deserved spot in baseball history. But what Seaver accomplished against the Padres is uniquely his.

The post OTD 1970: Tom Seaver’s 19-Strikeout Performance appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Saturday, April 15, 2023 • 4:07 PM
Oakland Coliseum • Oakland, California
RHP Carlos Carrasco (0-2, 11.42) vs. RHP Shintaro Fujinami (0-2, 17.55)
WPIX

The Mets finally had a breakout day for the offense! The Mets worked a franchise record 17 walks on Friday and scored 17 runs as they took the series opener from the Oakland Athletics. The 17-6 win was enough to flip the Mets’ run differential all the way to a +10 on the season.

Francisco Lindor had the most memorable night at the plate, hitting a grand slam in the second and getting three more RBIs on a double later in the game. The Mets have struggled all season to get the big hit and Lindor essentially did that twice as the offense finally showed signs of life.

Jackie Robinson Day

Saturday marks the 76th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in the major leagues. In 1997, at Shea Stadium, #42 was retired across the major leagues to honor Jackie Robinson’s legacy. Jackie Robinson Day started in 2004 with celebrations across Major League Baseball and Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholars throwing out the first pitch (something that will continue in Oakland today as the Athletics honor 21 scholars this afternoon). As per tradition since 2009, all players will be wearing #42 this afternoon.

Mets Lineup

Jackie Robinson Day starters. #LGM

🆚 Oakland
💪 @Cookie_Carrasco
📺 WPIX
📻 @wcbs880 pic.twitter.com/1qNN8lMoc1

— New York Mets (@Mets) April 15, 2023

Friday was a redemption day for the Mets offense. Here’s hoping Saturday is a redemption day for Carlos Carrasco. The first two starts of the year have been tough for Carrasco. He has allowed 11 runs from 10 hits and seven walks. In previous years, Carrasco has struggled when he allows homers, and he’s already allowed three this year. His troubles this year seem to be related to a drop in velocity. The Athletics have the following career numbers against Carrasco:

• Jesús Aguilar 5-13, 2 2B, 3 BB, 2 K
• Tony Kemp 3-7, HR, BB
• JJ Bleday 1-5, HR, 2 BB
• Aledmys Díaz 0-2, K
• Jace Peterson 0-2, BB, K

Opposing Lineup

Lining up for #JackieRobinsonDay pic.twitter.com/w8oBGpcOrX

— Oakland A's (@Athletics) April 15, 2023

The Mets bats will get a look at Shintaro Fujinami, making his third start of his major league career. Fujinami struck out four batters over two scoreless innings in his first start. Since then, he has tossed 4 2/3 innings allowing 13 runs from eight hits and seven walks. The 29-year old pitched in Japan for 10 years before this season, posting a career 3.17 ERA over 252 games and 1,302 1/3 innings.

Game Notes

Entering Saturday, the Mets lead the majors with 76 walks. Brandon Nimmo leads all of MLB with 14 walks, while Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso have 10 walks each.

With the Mets continuing their Interleague schedule on Saturday, they own a 236-227 record in Interleague play. Their .510 winning percentage ranks second-best among National League teams.

Through 14 games of the 2023 season, the Mets have committed just two errors. They lead the majors in fielding percentage with .996.

The rule changes introduced for the 2023 season were always going to encourage more stolen bases, and the Mets are taking full advantage. They are currently fifth in the majors and third in the NL with 15 stolen bases. Starling Marte ranks fourth in the National League with five steals. Brandon Nimmo has three steals in 13 games in 2023, matching the total he put up in 151 games in 2022.

Justin Verlander will throw a bullpen session on Saturday as he continues his road to recovery.

Max Scherzer (2-1, 4.41 ERA) will get the start for the Mets on Sunday in the series finale against Oakland, before they head to LA to take on the Dodgers on Monday.

Prior to Saturday’s game, the Mets announced that they selected the contract of RHP Jimmy Yacabonis from Triple-A, and recalled RHP José Butto from Triple-A. In addition, the Mets also announced that RHP Dennis Santana has been designated for assignment, and RHP Stephen Nogosek has been placed on the 15-day IL with a left elbow bone bruise.

Three Things To Watch For

1. The Athletics’ Overworked Bullpen: Going into Saturday’s game, the Athletics have the least effective, in terms of ERA, starting rotation in the majors. Their last day off was 4/6 and they don’t have another day off scheduled until 4/20. The Mets were able to knock James Kaprielian out before the end of the fourth inning on Friday, further exasperating the bullpen. Can the Mets do it again and take advantage of the bullpen?
2. Work those counts! The Mets worked 17 walks Friday night and now have 76 on the season, good for 1st in the league. While Friday was extreme, the Mets have been working walks all season. Last night was the first time the Mets fully capitalized on the free passes.
3. Possums. Gary Cohen revealed last night that the Mets broadcast booth is not actually in the visiting TV booth this series. Wayne Randazzo discovered during his first broadcast of the year that there is a possum living in the visiting TV booth. When the SNY crew tried to set up for this series they found some possum droppings and decided to go to another booth. Today is the first WPIX game of the year so first, we’ll look to see if the “new” visiting booth has signage more centered than last night. Second, a camera man still had to operate out of the possum booth. Here’s hoping he can coexist with our new fury friend for the rest of the weekend.

Let’s go Mets!

The post MMO Game Thread: Mets vs Athletics, 4:07 PM appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Kodai Senga. Photo by MMO’s Ed Delany

It was Senga Saturday in Queens, New York as Kodai Senga made his Citi Field debut against Trevor Rogers and the visiting Miami Marlins. The Mets defeated the Marlins 9-3 on Friday and were looking to take the series win on Saturday as their three game series continued.

Senga looked strong in his Citi Field debut, giving up just one home run in the sixth to Jazz Chisholm Jr. He struck out six and took the win.

The Mets got a pair of home runs on Saturday in Pete Alonso’s fifth of the year (a two-run home run off of Rogers) and Eduardo Escobar’s first of the year (also a two-run blast). Those two home runs accounted for four of the Mets’ five runs. The other came from a walk as the Marlins continued to struggle to find the zone. The Mets emerged as 5-2 winners to take the series.

Senga opened the game against the Marlins with a four-pitch strikeout of Chisholm Jr. He then allowed two singles before retiring the next two batters he faced to retire the side.

The Mets gave Senga the quick lead in the bottom of the first. Brandon Nimmo led off the inning with a hit-by-pitch. Rogers retired the next two batters he faced, but walked Pete Alonso and gave up a single to Mark Canha to load the bases. The birthday boy Jeff McNeil came up next and patiently earned a walk to score Nimmo and give the Mets an early 1-0 lead over the Marlins before Rogers struck out Tommy Pham to get out of the inning and avoid further damage. The two walks earned by the Mets, however, represented the 13^th and 14^th Mets walked in the series.

Senga settled in nicely in the second as he struck out the side. Through two innings he had five strikeouts. Rogers followed suit in the bottom of the second with a one-two-three inning, retiring the Mets in order after a rocky first inning.

Senga continued to pitch well in the top of the third. He walked one but retired the three other batters he faced to cruise through the inning. Starling Marte led off the bottom of the third with a single to get the offense started, but the Mets were unable to move the runner as the game remained a 1-0 Mets lead after three innings.

Senga had his second straight one-two-three inning in the fourth as he retired the Marlins in order once again in a strong Citi Field debut. The Mets then put one base runner on with one out in the bottom half of the inning, but Rogers retired the next two to get out of the inning.

NASTY 👻 pic.twitter.com/UYk7lx3ynO

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) April 8, 2023

An impressive Citi Field debut for Senga continued in the fifth as he struck out one on his way to retiring the Marlins in order for the third inning in a row.

The Mets extended their lead in the bottom of the fifth. After Francisco Lindor hit a two-out single, Alonso followed and launched a long home run to deep left center field that got out in a hurry. It was a two-run blast that extended the Mets’ lead over the Marlins to 3-0. That was Alonso’s fifth dinger of the season as his home run streak continued. He has now hit a home run in three straight games this season.

Pete Alonso makes it a 3-0 Game! This is Alonso’s 5th home run of the year. He has now homered in three straight games!

B5: Marlins 0 | Mets 3 pic.twitter.com/uO1lQJrpug

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) April 8, 2023

That was all for Trevor Rogers as well as the Marlins went to their bullpen. They brought in Huascar Brazobán to replace Rogers on the mound with two outs. Brazobán struck out Canha to end the inning.

Senga showed his first signs of struggle in the sixth. He gave up a lead-off home run to Chisholm Jr. and walked two batters. But with two on he got out of the inning to avoid further damage. The Mets defended their starter in the bottom of the sixth by answering back and extending their lead and then some. McNeil earned a birthday double to lead-off the inning. Two batters later, Escobar finally got the momentum he needed with a two-run home run to make it a 5-1 game.

Eduardo Escobar gets the offensive spark he needed! A long 2-run home run makes it a 5-1 game as the Mets answer back in the 6th! pic.twitter.com/jdV8hXUHpv

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) April 8, 2023

The Mets acquired two more base runners in a single by Nido and a walk by Marte, but they were unable to advance those runners, keeping it a 5-1 game.

Senga’s Citi Field debut came to an end after six innings as Drwe smith came in to replace him on the mound in the top of the seventh. Senga’s final line read: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO, 1 HR, 1.59 ERA.

Things began to unravel for the Mets as the Marlins found their groove in the seventh. Bryan De La Cruz led off the inning with a walk. Two batters later Jon Berti hit a single to put two on.

That was all for Smith as Buck Showalter went back to his bullpen. He brought in Brooks Raley to replace Smith on the mound.

Raley also struggled. He gave up a two out walk to Garrett Cooper to load the bases. Luis Arraez then singled to right field to earn an RBI and make it a 5-2 game.

That RBI single ran Raley right out of the game as Showalter went back to his bullpen for the second time in the inning. bringing in John Curtiss to replace Raley. Curtiss forced Soler to pop out to get out of a bases loaded jam and end the inning with the score still 5-2.

Matt Barnes replaced Andrew Nardi on the mound for the Marlin in the bottom of the seventh. Nardi gave up a one-out double to Canha, his second double of the day, but retired the next two he faced as the Mets left one stranded in the seventh. Curtiss remained in the game in the eighth for the Mets. He retired the Marlins in order on three groundouts as the game advanced to the bottom of the eighth inning.

JT Chargois came in to replace Barnes on the mound for the Marlins in the eighth. He retired the Mets in order in quick fashion. The veteran David Robertson came in to close out the game in the ninth for the Mets. He retired the Marlins in order to solidify the win as the Mets also secured the series.

Senga (2-0, 1.59 ERA) got his second win of the year. Rogers (0-2, 6.00) took the Marlins loss (his second credited loss of the year), and Robertson (2 saves, 0.00 ERA) was credited with the save.

Player of the Game

Saturday night’s Metsmerized Player of the Game goes to Pete Alonso. Alonso was 1-for-3 with a home run, a walk, and two RBIs. As mentioned earlier in the recap, Alonso has now homered in three straight games and has five home runs this season. It seems that the slugger has settled into a groove and he’s now really starting to do some big-time damage early on in the 2023 season.

On Deck

The Mets and Marlins conclude their three-game series on Sunday. Left-handed pitcher Braxton Garrett (0-0, 6.00 ERA) will get the ball for the Marlins against right-handed pitcher Carlos Carrasco (0-1, 11.25 ERA) for the Mets.

Also of note, top prospect Francisco Álvarez is expected to get the start behind the plate on Sunday for the Mets.

The post Kodai Senga, Pete Alonso Shine As Mets Beat Marlins 5-2 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Saturday, April 8, 2023 • 4:10 PM
Citi Field • Flushing, New York
LHP Trevor Rogers (0-1, 6.23) vs. RHP Kodai Senga (1-0, 1.69)
SNY

Winning cures all ails! The Mets came home to Citi Field on Friday after a terrible three game set with the Brewers. The team record was only 3-4, but it felt like the Mets were in this spiral of ineffective pitching and lackluster hitting.

Winning changes everything though! Tylor Megill became the first starter in 2023 to not allow any runs. The Mets offense turned walks into runs, getting a 6-0 lead against the Marlins. When the Marlins capitalized on walks in the 8th inning, cutting the lead to 6-3, the Mets bats responded back by picking up three more runs and cruising to a 9-3 win. Now the Mets look to win the series on Saturday behind Kodai Senga, who makes his Citi Field debut.

Mets Lineup

Saturday starters. #LGM

🆚 Miami
💪 @kodaisenga
📺 @SNYtv
📻 @wcbs880 pic.twitter.com/1e1Gulqwph

— New York Mets (@Mets) April 8, 2023

Kodai Senga pitched 5 1/3 innings in his debut, allowing one run on three hits and three walks while striking out eight. It was a rocky start for Senga, who had to wait through a long first half of the frame and then allowed a run and loaded the bases before he even recorded his first out. Then everything came together for Senga as he chopped up the Marlins lineup. All eight of his strikeouts came on the ghost fork. The Marlins have the following numbers against him:

• Luis Arraez 2-3
• Jorge Soler 1-3, 2B, 2 K
• Jazz Chisholm Jr. 0-2, BB, 2 K
• Avisaíl García 0-1, BB
• Yuli Gurriel 0-2, K
• Jesús Sánchez 0-2, 2 K
• Jon Berti 0-2
• Jacob Stallings 0-1, BB, K

Opposing Lineup

#Marlins lineup vs the Mets and Kodai Senga. Jazz batting leadoff. Arraez down to three hole. Soler cleanup. Stallings catching Trevor Rogers. De La Cruz in left today. pic.twitter.com/YJZLOpaXdK

— Jordan McPherson (@J_McPherson1126) April 8, 2023

Trevor Rogers, like every other starting pitcher so far in this series, is making his second start of the season against the same team he pitched against the first time around. Last week the Mets were able to tag him for four runs, three earned, over 4 1/3 innings from two walks and four hits. Additionally, he hit two Mets with pitches. The Mets batters were patient on Friday and worked a dozen walks. Look for the Mets to do something similar on Saturday to keep getting into the Marlins bullpen. The Mets have the following career numbers against Rogers:

• Pete Alonso 1-15, HR, BB, 6 K
• Brandon Nimmo 4-13, 2 2B, 2 BB, 2 K
• Francisco Lindor 3-12, 2B, 2 K
• Jeff McNeil 4-11, 3 2B, 2 BB, 2 K
• Eduardo Escobar 1-8, 5 K
• Starling Marte 3-9, 4 K
• Mark Canha 1-5, 2 BB,2 K
• Luis Guillorme 1-5, BB, 2 K
• Tommy Pham 3-5, HR, K
• Tim Locastro 1-3, 2B, K

Game Notes

Jeff McNeil celebrates his 31st birthday on Saturday. Interestingly, the two-time All-Star has homered on each of his last two birthdays. Let’s hope for a similar result on Saturday. Mike Piazza owns the franchise record having homered three times on his birthday.

The Mets have now set a franchise record after not committing a defensive error in any of their first eight games of the 2023 regular season. The San Diego Padres went 17 games without committing an error in 2022, the longest stretch to start a season since 1900.

Jeff McNeil will be presented with his 2022 Silver Slugger Award by Mets Coaches Eric Chavez, Jeremy Barnes and Eric Hinske prior to Saturday’s game. McNeil became the first player in franchise history to lead the majors in batting average.

Mets manager Buck Showalter confirmed on Saturday that phenom catcher Francisco Álvarez will get the start behind the plate for the Mets on Sunday against the Marlins.

Three Things To Watch For

1. What adjustments have the Marlins made? The Marlins are the only team that has seen the ghost fork so far as Kodai Senga threw it very rarely in spring training this year. What adjustments are they going to make? They only struck out on the ghost fork itself last week. When the pitch was working, it traveled in a similar trajectory as Kodai’s other pitches until the last moment when it broke way out of the zone. Are the Marlins going to take more pitches late in counts? Are they going to aggressively swing at the first pitch they see? The Marlins are essentially writing the major league blue print right now on how to approach Kodai.
2. Three-Pete: After going 0-for-11 in a three game stretch, Alonso has really turned it on over the last two games. He is 4-for-9 with three homers and six RBIs. His homer on Friday provided the Mets with their 9th run of the day and made the game feel out of reach for the Marlins. The Mets need this Pete Alonso all season.
3. Brandon walks again and again (x2): Brandon Nimmo became the 28th Met in history to walk four times in a major league game. He has now walked 10 times this season. That’s 10 times in only eight games! Furthermore, this was Nimmo’s third multi-walk game of the year. Shockingly (or disappointingly?) Nimmo has only scored three times this season. He’s doing his part by getting on base. Can the Mets please bring him home?

Let’s go Mets!

The post MMO Game Thread: Marlins vs Mets, 4:10 PM appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Tylor Megill. Photo by: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, April 1, 2023 • 4:10 PM
loanDepot Park • Miami, Florida
RHP Tylor Megill (0-0, -.–) vs. RHP Edward Cabrera (0-0, -.–)
SNY

The Mets look to bounce back from Friday’s loss as they take on the Marlins for the third game of this opening four game series. On Friday, the Marlins took an early 1-0 lead and the Mets weren’t able to muster a run until the ninth inning when Pete Alonso hit the Mets’ first homer of the season. A 2-1 loss is definitely frustrating. The starting pitching behind David Peterson and relief pitching, led by two scoreless innings from Tommy Hunter, kept the Mets in the game the whole night.

Now the Mets will pivot as they look to guarantee at least a series split with the Marlins with a win on Saturday. This was originally supposed to be Justin Verlander day, but with Verlander landing on the IL at the start of the season, the Mets turn to Tylor Megill.

Mets Lineup

Saturday’s squad. #LGM

🆚 Miami
💪 Tylor Megill
📺 @SNYtv
📻 @wcbs880 pic.twitter.com/Hwb10pwsez

— New York Mets (@Mets) April 1, 2023

In 15 games and 47 1/3 innings last season, Tylor Megill had a 5.13 ERA, 3.77 FIP, 1.246 WHIP and a 76 ERA+. When I think about last season, I remember Megill more as the 3.77 FIP pitcher, rather than the 5.13 ERA pitcher. Megill barely saw the Marlins last season, only catching them in relief in September where he pitched a scoreless inning when he walked two batters and struck out two. The Marlins have the following numbers against him:

• Jean Segura: 1-5
• Jacob Stallings: 1-3
• Jazz Chisholm Jr.: 2-3
• Bryan De La Cruz: 0-2, K
• Avisaíl García: 0-2
• Jon Berti: 0-1

Opposing Lineup

Es sábado y el cuerpo lo sabe.

👀: @BallySportsFL
👂: @FoxSports940, @radiomambi710
⌚️: 4:10PM EThttps://t.co/5rOTQv6054 // #MakeItMiami pic.twitter.com/9pVRmZpmzq

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) April 1, 2023

The Mets’ bats will look to get back on the right track on Saturday against Edward Cabrera. Cabrera is coming off a successful second season in the Majors where he made 14 starts and pitched 71 2/3 innings with a 3.01 ERA, 4.59 FIP, 1.074 WHIP and a 135 ERA+. He made one start against the Mets last season where he allowed three runs from five hits and two walks while striking out four. That start was the first of four starts in a row where he allowed 11 runs over 19 2/3 innings, raising his season ERA from 2.39 to 3.15. Which Edward Cabrera will the Mets see? The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso: 3-8, 3 HR
• Francisco Lindor: 1-6, BB, K
• Jeff McNeil: 1-7, 2B
• Brandon Nimmo: 3-5, 2 BB, K
• Mark Canha: 1-2
• Eduardo Escobar: 0-2
• Tomás Nido: 1-2, 2B, K
• Daniel Vogelbach 0-2, K
• Omar Narváez 0-1, K

Game Notes

The Mets are now 1-1 to open the 2023 season and they have two games left against the Marlins in which they will hope to secure at least a series split. They will then head to Milwaukee for a three-game series against the Brewers to close out this season-opening seven-game road trip.

New York is 52-47 at loanDepot Park and Saturday’s game marks the Mets’ 100th game at the ballpark. The team has won three of their last four there and eight of their last 11 games at the ballpark.

Even without Edwin Díaz, the Mets’ bullpen has been dealing early on in 2023. Through the first two games of the season, the bullpen has allowed just one run and have struck out six in 6.0 innings, good for a stellar 1.50 ERA. They are also yet to allow a walk.

Kodai Senga will make his official Major League debut on Sunday when he takes the mound in the series finale. Trevor Rogers will get the start for the Marlins.

Three Things To Watch For

1. A thorn in the Mets side: Garrett Cooper has four hits in eight trips to the plate this year against the Mets, including a triple and a homer. He’s also made several terrific plays at first base. The Mets need to figure out how to keep Cooper off the base paths for the rest of the weekend.
2. Stealing Second: In the first two games of the season Starling Marte has stolen second base twice and has been caught stealing second once. He’s the only Met this year to steal a base. Marte’s career high in stolen bases is 47, which he has done twice. Last season he stole only 18 bags. He can’t keep this pace up the whole season but right now it feels like he’s going to get close, if not pass, that career mark.
3. Happy Sidd Finch Day! The Mets and Sports Illustrated collaborated on one of the best April Fools stories in history in 1985. “The Curious Case of Sidd Finch” introduced the world to a fictious, barefoot starting pitching who threw some serious heat at 168 mph. How many times is this mentioned in the broadcast today?

Let’s go Mets!

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