Sep 12, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the fourth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

After a bullpen session on Friday, former Met Max Scherzer told reporters that he was good to go for the ALCS. “I’ve pressed all the buttons I can,” Scherzer said. “I’m ready to go.” Scherzer hasn’t pitched in a month since suffering a strained teres major muscle in his right shoulder, but he pitched well for the Rangers following his trade from the Mets, posting a 3.20 across eight starts with the club. The Rangers have fared well without Scherzer this postseason, going 5-0 up to this point, but he would still serve as a massive addition to a crucial series with the Astros.

Latest MLB News

Sean McAdam of MassLive reports that the Red Sox are targeting Michael Hill to potentially fill their vacant general manager role. Hill currently serves as MLB’s Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations. Hill previously served as both general manager and president of baseball operations for the Marlins before being let go after the 2020 season.

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America released a statement defending reporter Jake Mintz of Fox Sports, who was questioned and criticized on MLB Network because of the controversy that he used Orlando Arcia‘s “atta-boy Harper” comment in an article.

The St. Louis Cardinals Academy in the Dominican Republic was the subject of an armed robbery, with players being robbed for jewelry and money at gunpoint. Cardinals president John Mozeliak commented on the incident, confirming that nobody was harmed and that the security measures at the academy will be looked into.

Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff underwent surgery on his right shoulder on Friday. Woodruff is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2024 season.

Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Diamondbacks will use Zac Gallen in Game 1 against the Phillies, with Merrill Kelly starting Game 2 and Brandon Pfaadt starting Game 3.

Because he covered the salaries of some of the Angels’ Dominican Republic staffers during the pandemic, Albert Pujols was honored by them this week, receiving a small ceremony and a plaque.

Latest on MMO

Michael Mayer breaks down the latest news out of the Arizona Fall League, including continued struggles by Mets’ prospect Kevin Parada.

Rich Sparago examines whether or not it is necessary to change the format of the MLB postseason.

Ricky Keeler recaps the Brooklyn Cyclones’ 2023 season.

Jack Markowski analyzes the Mets’ non-tender candidates.

On This Date in Mets History

1969: The Mets defeated the Orioles in Game 3 of the World Series, 5-0. Gary Gentry and Nolan Ryan combined for nine shutout innings, while Tommie Agee and Ed Kranepool both went deep in the winning effort. It was a key victory for New York as it put them ahead in the series 2-1, and it was also the first-ever World Series game to be played at Shea Stadium.

1973: The Mets defeated the Athletics in Game 2 of the World Series, 10-7. It took 12 innings, with the Mets being helped out by Oakland recording five errors in the contest. Tug McGraw came out of the bullpen and threw for six innings, recording the win, while Cleon Jones and Wayne Garrett homered off Vida Blue. The Mets’ win tied the series up at one apiece.

Birthdays: Patrick Mazeika (30), Duaner Sánchez (44), Ryan Church (45), Brent Strom (75), Art Shamsky (82)

The post Morning Briefing: Max Scherzer Ready To Go For ALCS appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mets top prospect Kevin Parada is going on the injured list with a right ankle sprain. Parada was injured on Thursday night when going from first to third on a base hit. The 21-year-old catcher who is generally considered the Mets’ no. 1 prospect, has built up to a .797 OPS for High-A Brooklyn after a slow start to the year.

Kevin Parada. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Latest Mets News

The Mets defeated the Nationals 5-1 on Friday night for their second win in a row. Max Scherzer struck out seven batters and allowed only one run in seven innings, while Pete Alonso provided all five runs behind two homers. After their win on Friday, the Mets sit at 49-54 on the season.

Scherzer expressed to reporters following Friday night’s game that he was upset with the Mets for trading away David Robertson and that he “needs to have a conversation with Mets brass” about the organization’s vision.

Ben Clemens of FanGraphs detailed why he believes the trade between the Mets and Marlins for Robertson was a win-win for both clubs. In the article, Clemens cited Miami’s need for a closer in 2023, while also stating the Mets got a great return, and that Marco Vargas was tearing up the Florida Complex League.

Mets got SS Marco Vargas & C Ronald Hernández for a rental reliever.

Vargas, 18, is a helium prospect (.899 OPS in FCL) that will be in conversations for top 100 MLB prospect lists this offseason.

Hernández, 19, is switch-hitter w/.916 OPS in FCL.

pic.twitter.com/6QWXNzYmKd

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) July 28, 2023

The Mets announced that Bartolo Colón will officially retire as a Met on September 17. The first 15,000 fans in attendance for the game that day will receive a “Big Sexy” long-sleeve shirt.

Will Sammon of The Athletic wrote about Tommy Pham and his outlook on the possibility of being traded.

The Mets recalled reliever Reed Garrett from Triple-A to take Robertson’s spot on the roster. In 29 1/3 innings across two Triple-A teams this season, Garrett has a 2.45 ERA

The Mets introduced a new mocktail menu with several new options around Citi Field.

Latest MLB News

The Dodgers acquired Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly from the White Sox. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the White Sox would be receiving Trayce Thompson and two Double-A pitchers in return.

Passan also reported that the White Sox traded reliever Kendall Graveman to the Astros. In return, Chicago received the Astros’ number five overall prospect, catcher Korey Lee.

The Yankees activated their captain Aaron Judge from the injured list after nearly two months on the shelf. In a corresponding move, they sent Oswald Peraza to Triple-A. The Yankees also reinstated outfielder Willie Calhoun from the 10-day injured list and designated him for assignment.

Miles Mikolas was suspended five games for intentionally throwing at Ian Happ on Thursday night after Happ’s backswing struck Willson Contreras over the head. Mikolas is appealing the suspension. Additionally, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol is receiving a one-game suspension.

Chris Flexen is slated to start for the Rockies today. Flexen had struggled with the Mariners earlier this year after being relegated to the bullpen, then was traded to the Mets and subsequently released.

The Reds announced that they signed manager David Bell to an extension through the 2026 season.

Shohei Ohtani left Friday night’s game against the Blue Jays with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth inning, leading to Michael Stefanic pinch-hitting in his place. Manager Phil Nevin told reporters after the game that Ohtani was dealing with leg cramps, marking the second game in a row that Ohtani left early due to cramping.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post was told by executives that the Mariners may be open to trading closer Paul Sewald, believing they could get a strong return for him.

A defamation suit filed by a fired employee of the Angels for the use of sticky stuff in baseball is set to go to trial next week. The employee, who was fired in 2020, is alleging that he was made a “public scapegoat” after being with the Angels for over four decades.

Latest on MMO

Michael Mayer wrote about the report that the Rangers are likely the frontrunners for Justin Verlander if he gets traded.

Patrick Glynn looked at what might be next for the Mets in the wake of the Robertson made.

John Sheridan outlined Billy Eppler’s thoughts on the prospects the Mets received from the Marlins.

Michael Mayer wrote about the trade interest in Pham and Mark Canha.

Michael Famulari wrote about Kodai Senga and his continued success on the mound.

In the latest Mets Minors Recap, Michael Mayer highlighted Luke Voit and his five-game home run streak in Triple-A.

On the latest MMO Weekly, Michael Mayer and Sal Manzo spoke to the Mets’ 2023 first-round pick Colin Houck.

On This Date in Mets History

2004: Eric Valent became the eighth Met to hit for the cycle, doing so in a 10-1 victory over the Expos.

Birthdays: Félix Mantilla (89)

The post Morning Briefing: Top Prospect Kevin Parada Lands on Injured List appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

During Friday night’s game, Brandon Nimmo recorded a stat line that has only been achieved four other times since 1901. He went 2-for-2 with two triples and three walks which, before he did it on Friday night, hadn’t been done since 2010 when both Shane Victorino and Dexter Fowler put up the same stat line. Mike Schmidt also did it in 1977. With his performance, Nimmo raised his on-base percentage from .373 to .387 and his OPS from .802 to .842.

Latest Mets News

In addition to Nimmo’s stellar performance in Friday night’s game, the Mets also got great performances from Francisco Lindor (2-for-4, HR, 4 RBIs) and Max Scherzer (7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO) in a 5-2 victory against the Rockies.

Neil Best of Newsday wrote about Gary Cohen and Howie Rose, their friendship, and their induction into the Mets’ Hall of Fame in early June.

On the show Foul Territory, Pete Alonso told a story from earlier in the season. In a game against the Reds, he badly needed to go to the bathroom as he came up to bat against Hunter Greene so he decided to swing at the first pitch no matter what. That pitch ended up being a hanging slider which Alonso hit for a home run.

Mets players selected Brandon Nimmo as their MLBPA player representative for the 2023 season. Francisco Lindor also holds a position on an eight-player executive subcommittee within the MLBPA.

The Get Metsmerized Podcast announced a giveaway in collaboration with Athlete Logos who is set to appear on the podcast soon. Retweet this post on Twitter and subscribe to the podcast for a chance to win a shirt featuring the Baby Mets.

Latest MLB News

With Liam Hendriks set to return to the majors soon, Stephen Nesbitt of The Athletic wrote about Hendriks’ personality, reputation, and the cancer diagnosis that led to his absence from baseball.

Matt Snyder of CBS Sports wrote about MLB’s attempt to embrace legalized gambling.

Prior to Friday’s game, the Yankees recalled pitcher Randy Vásquez from Triple-A and officially released Aaron Hicks. Vásquez started Friday’s game against the Padres and gave up two earned runs in 4 2/3 innings pitched.

With the Hall of Fame Classic being played today in Cooperstown, former Met Glendon Rusch tweeted about his excitement in representing the Mets in the game. Rajai Davis and James Loney are other former Mets participating in the game.

During the Giants vs. Brewers game on Friday, Brian Anderson hit a foul ball into the Brewers’ dugout that struck Willy Adames. According to reports, Adames appeared okay and was able to walk into the clubhouse before going to the hospital for “tests and scans.”

With his save against Atlanta on Friday, Craig Kimbrel became just the eighth reliever ever to reach 400 career saves.

Luis García of the Nationals went 6-for-6 on Friday night. At 23 years and 10 days old, García became the second-youngest player ever to record six hits in a nine-inning game. Only Jesús Alou was younger when he achieved the feat in 1964.

Latest on MMO

Michael Mayer broke down the latest Mets minor league news, including Ronny Mauricio extending his on-base streak to 16 games.

Michael Mayer also updated his top 35 Mets’ prospect list.

Michael Famulari recapped Carlos Carrasco‘s wonderful start of one run in 6 2/3 innings against the Cubs.

On This Date in Mets History

2010: The Mets completed a three-game series against the Phillies in which they shutout the Phillies in each game. This was just the second time in the team’s history and the first time since 1969 that the Mets swept a three-game series while giving up zero total runs.

Birthdays: Todd Hundley (54), Ed Núñez (60)

The post Morning Briefing: Nimmo Makes History in Friday Night’s Game appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier this month, the New York Mets lost two out of three at home against the Colorado Rockies. On Friday night, the Mets began a series, this time on the road, with the Rockies hoping to avenge their previous series loss against the team. Game 1 of the series presented a great chance with a favorable pitching matchup for the Mets as Max Scherzer faced off against Connor Seabold.

Scherzer threw seven phenomenal innings as he bested Seabold and Francisco Lindor drove in four runs, as the Mets came away with the first game of the series in a 5-2 victory.

Brandon Nimmo worked a seven-pitch walk to lead off the game, and immediately after, Lindor crushed a home run to right-center field to give the Mets a rare first-inning lead, putting them up 2-0 early. The ball traveled 439 feet, no doubt aided by the Denver altitude, but it was a great swing and result nonetheless, one the Mets have seen far too infrequently in the first inning of games this year. The next three batters for the Mets flew out to keep their lead at two.

First inning runs!

Francisco Lindor clubs a two-run homer for the early lead! #LGM
pic.twitter.com/IQiAUWf3T0

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) May 27, 2023

Leading off the bottom of the first, Charlie Blackmon bounced an 0-2 pitch right back up the middle for a single. Scherzer would keep Blackmon on first base, though, as a strikeout, popout and flyout allowed him to complete the inning having thrown just 11 pitches.

The Mets’ lead was cut in half in the second inning as a hanging curveball by Scherzer was knocked out of the park by Ryan McMahon. Like the first inning, Scherzer set the next three batters down in order after allowing the leadoff baserunner, but now the Mets were playing with a 2-1 lead.

A hit by pitch with Francisco Álvarez at the plate and Nimmo’s second walk of the game put runners on first and second with nobody out to begin the third inning. Lindor worked a full count, but on the ninth pitch of the at-bat he popped the ball up behind home plate to record the first out of the inning. Jeff McNeil then hit a ground ball that looked like it could have been a double play to end the inning, but the throw to second base from the first baseman Nolan Jones hit Nimmo in the back, resulting in everyone being safe.

That brought up Pete Alonso with the bases loaded and one out. After throwing an up-and-in fastball, Seabold got Alonso to chase a slider away for a strikeout for the second out of the inning. Seabold then got Brett Baty to go down swinging, escaping what could have been a disastrous inning without giving up a run.

In the bottom of the third inning, Scherzer put up his first 1-2-3 inning of the night with the help of two strikeouts at the expense of Ezequiel Tovar and Jurickson Profar. He also got Blackmon to pop a ball up on the infield, ending his inning after just nine pitches.

With one out in the top of the fifth inning, Nimmo lined a ball into the left-center field gap for a triple, his second game in a row with a three-base hit. Then with a full count, Lindor lined a ball into center field for a single to drive in Nimmo and make it a 3-1 game. In a nearly identical at-bat to the one he had in the third inning, McNeil hit a ground ball that probably should have been a double play, but once again, an awkward throw to second base allowed everyone to be safe.

With still just one out in the inning, Alonso flew out to right field, which advanced Lindor to third base. In the next at-bat, Baty drove in Lindor with an opposite-field line drive to give the Mets a 4-1 lead. That was all for Seabold, as he exited the game after 4 2/3 innings. Matt Carasiti relieved Seabold and got Starling Marte to ground out to end the inning.

With two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, Scherzer had been pitching wonderfully having retired his last 11 in a row. Alan Trejo broke that up with a line drive that just escaped the reach of Baty down the third base line for a double. Scherzer, however, remained composed and struck out Tovar for the second time to get out of the inning and strand Trejo in scoring position.

With a single up the middle with two outs in the top of the sixth inning, Francisco Álvarez extended his hitting streak to six games. Nimmo then walked for the third time to put two runners on for Lindor. Falling behind in the count 0-2, Lindor lined out to right field to end the inning.

Having thrown 85 pitches through six innings, Scherzer came out for the seventh inning for the first time this season. After a ground ball out, Harold Castro hit a bloop single but Scherzer was able to get Nolan Jones to strike out to record the second out of the inning. Alan Trejo then recorded his second extra-base hit of the night by lining a double down the left field line to put runners on second and third and bring the tying run to the plate. A fly ball out off the bat of Tovar allowed Scherzer to get out of the inning without giving up a run and end his outing after seven brilliant innings.

David Robertson relieved Scherzer to start the bottom of the eighth inning and was immediately greeted with a solo homer off the bat of Blackmon to cut the Mets’ lead to 4-2. Robertson was able to set the next three batters down in order, including a strikeout of Kris Bryant, to ensure the Mets would pitch in the bottom of the ninth with at least a two-run lead.

Leading off the top of the ninth inning, Nimmo hit another line drive, this time to the right-center field gap, that allowed him to advance to third yet again for his second triple of the game. Nimmo’s two-triple, three-walk game is a feat that has only been achieved four other times since 1901. Lindor then hit a deep fly ball for a sacrifice fly that allowed Nimmo to score, giving the Mets some insurance and extending the lead to 5-2.

Brooks Raley came in to pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning with a chance for a save. Raley walked the leadoff batter McMahon, a lefty. Randal Grichuk stepped up to the plate to pinch-hit and hit a sharp line drive to center field that was caught by Nimmo for the first out of the inning. Raley then walked another lefty in Nolan Jones in four pitches to bring the tying run up to the plate. Buck Showalter had seen enough, as he pulled Raley to give Adam Ottavino a chance to record the final two outs.

Alan Trejo hit a sharp ground ball to third base that Eduardo Escobar had trouble coming up with, and it bounced just beyond the dirt into the outfield. It appeared that the Rockies might score, or at the very least have the bases loaded with one out. But as the baserunner Jones rounded second base, Lindor made a heads-up play by recovering the ball and throwing behind Jones as he attempted to dive back into second base. Jones was called out to give the Mets a crucial second out. Ottavino then struck out the pinch-hitter Mike Moustakas to put the game to bed and secure the 5-2 victory.

Player(s) of the Game

Despite Nimmo’s historic performance in which he went 2-for-2 with two triples, three walks, and three runs, the players with the biggest impact on the game were Lindor and Scherzer. Lindor was able to take advantage of Nimmo getting on base ahead of him by hitting a home run, a single and a sacrifice fly to record four of the Mets’ five runs batted in, giving him 38 RBIs on the year which is good for third in the National League.

For Scherzer, this game was his best outing of the year as he went seven innings and gave up just one run on six hits while walking none. He also struck out eight batters and lowered his season ERA to 3.54. Entering tonight’s game Scherzer had never recorded a win in Coors Field, but in a ballpark notorious for being friendly to hitters, he shut them down in a dominant performance.

On Deck

The series with the Rockies continues on Saturday night as Justin Verlander (2-2, 3.60 ERA) hopes to build off of his previous start against the Guardians in which he gave up just one earned run in eight fantastic innings. For the Rockies, Chase Anderson (0-0, 1.15 ERA) will be making his third start with the team after beginning the season with the Rays. The game will begin at 9:10 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on PIX11.

The post Lindor, Scherzer Shine as Mets Defeat Rockies 5-2 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

Max Scherzer threw a 30-pitch bullpen session on Friday and it went well enough that he is now expected to start for the Mets on Sunday against the Nationals. Scherzer has been dealing with neck spasms and they have evidently calmed down enough. With that, the probable starters for the Mets’ next few games are Joey Lucchesi later today, Scherzer tomorrow, then David Peterson on Monday and Justin Verlander on Tuesday in what will be his first start at home for the Mets.

Latest Mets News

The Mets defeated the Nationals in the first game of a four-game series on Friday, 3-2. Francisco Lindor was the difference with a massive three-run single, and four scoreless innings from the bullpen allowed the Mets to secure the victory.

Latest MLB News

Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic wrote about how mental health is coming more into focus in Major League Baseball. Former big league catcher and current Syracuse Mets’ bench coach J.P. Arencibia talked about his struggle with panic attacks during his playing days, saying “There wasn’t really (an) example that would tell you, you’re open to speak freely.'”

Former Met Chris Bassitt threw a complete game shutout against the Braves on Friday night, allowing just two hits and throwing 103 pitches for the second complete game of his career.

Drew Rasmussen of the Rays was diagnosed with a flexor strain and was placed on the 60-day IL.

The Rockies claimed pitcher Chase Anderson who last pitched with the Rays this season.

The Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League signed former big leaguer Alex Dickerson and pitcher Wladimir Pinto.

Latest on MMO

Michael Mayer recapped impressive minor league performances from Mike Vasil and Gary Sánchez.

Michael Famulari wrote about Francisco Álvarez and his recent hot stretch.

The latest MMO Weekly discussed Álvarez as well as when we could see Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio promoted.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Mychal Givens (33), Bobby Valentine (73)

The post Morning Briefing: Max Scherzer to Start Sunday vs. Nationals appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Max Scherzer took to the mound against the Rays on Friday knowing that he would be the Opening Day starter for the New York Mets. He paid back the faith shown in him by absolutely dominating on the mound in his final spring training tune-up.

It was reported on Friday by Mike Puma of the New York Post that Scherzer would get the start on Opening Day against the Miami Marlins, with the Mets later confirming that news.

Scherzer will become the Mets’ 28th all-time Opening Day starter. He missed out on pitching on Opening Day for the Mets in 2022 after suffering a hamstring injury. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is likely to go up against Miami’s Sandy Alcantara, in what will be one of the most highly-anticipated pitcher duels of Opening Day.

Starting on Opening Day is a big deal for pitchers and it will be the seventh time Scherzer has had that honor, with the previous six all coming with the Washington Nationals. And, despite achieving pretty much all there is to achieve in the majors, Scherzer still gets excited about the prospect of pitching on Opening Day.

“It’s awesome,” Scherzer said after Friday’s game. “It’s a heck of a day to pitch on, the atmospheres are crazy every single venue that you’re in. It’s going to be a great day and it’s really fun to get out there and get the ball in that situation.”

It appears as though Scherzer is more than ready for Opening Day, too.

Making his final start of spring training, the righty was locked in against the Rays and he breezed through an easy first inning at Tropicana Field. Scherzer did run into some trouble in the second, however, giving up a walk, a single and a hit by pitch in consecutive plate appearances to load the bases with two outs. Yandy Díaz was able to tie the game with a single to left field that drove in two runs, before Scherzer forced Wander Franco to ground out to end the inning and escape before any further damage was done.

“This last start, this is a full kind of dress rehearsal,” Scherzer said. “I was going to get 100 pitches and you go. You’re facing the lineup two, three times now. When you get into your Opening Day start, you get into that 90-plus pitch count and now I can tell Buck (Showalter) ‘look I’ve been here, I’m strong, I can go,’ or ‘hey, I know where I’m physically at and I’m starting to fatigue.’ It makes the conversation with Buck in that situation just a lot more confident if I say I’ve got one more hitter.”

That's strikeout No. 11 for our Opening Day starter. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/yrEVf2fBe0

— New York Mets (@Mets) March 24, 2023

However, after getting those kinks out of the way, Scherzer absolutely dominated and he allowed just one more batter to reach base over the next four innings. He struck out five of the last six Tampa Bay hitters he faced, finishing with two runs on four hits while walking one and striking out 11. According to Jacob Resnick, Scherzer’s 11 strikeouts set a new Mets spring training record going back to 2006 when spring training box scores became available.

Scherzer’s impressive outing against the Rays capped off what has been a strong spring for the veteran. He finished his Grapefruit League campaign with a 1.53 ERA with three earned runs on 16 hits and 25 strikeouts in just over 17 innings of work. After using the duration of spring training to ramp up and get his body right, Scherzer feels good and as close to the peak of his powers as possible.

“That’s where I’ve been paying attention to how I ramp up,” Scherzer said. “You know the pitch count and seeing how my body responds to that. And here I am, I’ve ramped up, I’ve got to 100 pitches and I feel great. My side is responding well, I’m not having any lingering effects from it and that’s the good news, I’ve got my side built up and strong like my arm as well.”

With his spring training campaign now firmly in the rear mirror, Scherzer can fully focus on getting himself ready for Opening Day and going up against one of the best in Alcantara.

“It’s everything,” Scherzer said. “You feel like you are at the starting line of a marathon, of the season, everyone is playing on the same day, you’ve got the best pitching matchups across the league and the whole day is awesome. It is fun. I enjoy competing against the best. He’s obviously one of the best in the game and that’s what Major League Baseball does, it constantly puts you against the best and constantly puts you in high intensity positions. You’ve got to rise to it and match it every single time. That’s the challenge of the big leagues and that’s what makes it great.”

The post Max Scherzer Dominates Rays, Raring To Go For Opening Day appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Good morning, Mets fans!

On Friday, it was officially announced that Justin Verlander will start the home opener on April 6. To line him up for that, he is slated to start the third game of the year for the Mets, which will be April 1 in Miami. With Scherzer scheduled for Opening Day and Verlander set to pitch the third game of the year, Tim Healey of Newsday tweeted what is likely to be the Mets’ rotation, at least for the start of the year: Scherzer, Peterson/Megill, Verlander, Senga, Carrasco.

With this rotation, Kodai Senga will avoid making his first major league start in the heightened environment of the home opener, leaving that job to the more-than-experienced Verlander. The winner of the battle for the final spot in the rotation, either David Peterson or Tylor Megill, is likely to pitch the second game of the season to make this ideal rotation structure work.

Latest Mets News

Today, March 25, is the first ever Amazin’ Day, a chance for Mets fans around New York City to attend exclusive events and access giveaways by wearing a Mets hat or any Mets gear.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post wrote that a trade for Reds reliever Alexis Díaz might take a combination of Alex Ramírez and Kevin Parada.

During the Mets’ spring training game on Friday, Francisco Lindor decided to test the new shift rules by playing illegally behind second base after the Rays had done the same thing without being penalized.

Latest MLB News

The Marlins announced that they will be wearing retro Florida Marlins uniforms for Friday home games this year.

Jeff Passan of ESPN detailed some of the best Opening Day pitching matchups. In total, eight previous Cy Young Award winners will be pitching on Opening Day.

Some of the roster cuts from Friday include Kevin Plawecki being released by the Pirates, Jeurys Familia being released by the Diamondbacks, Chase Anderson, Brandon Williamson, Matt Reynolds, and Chad Pinder being released by the Reds, and Keston Hiura and Tyler Naquin being released by the Brewers.

Matt Gelb of The Athletic wondered if the Phillies would make a trade to replace Rhys Hoskins, questioning among other options if they might target former Phillie and current Met Darin Ruf. Gelb also posted an appreciation of Hoskins now that his Phillies career might be over.

Kenley Jansen left the Red Sox spring training game due to injury and went directly to the clubhouse with a trainer.

Latest on MMO

Colby Morris broke down pitching prospect Mike Vasil‘s start against the Braves on Thursday.

The latest MMO Roundtable looked at some of our favorite moments from the World Baseball Classic.

Tyler Antonelle recapped Friday’s spring training game against the Rays.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Tom Glavine (57), Lee Mazzilli (68)

The post Morning Briefing: Justin Verlander to Start Home Opener appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Pete Alonso. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

The Mets traveled to Tropicana Field to take on the Rays Friday afternoon. Max Scherzer got the start for New York in what will be his final appearance before Opening Day. Luis Patiño was the starter for Tampa Bay.

The Mets struck early as a leadoff Luis Guillorme walk and a Francisco Lindor double made it a 1-0 ballgame. Pete Alonso then ambushed Patiño with a base hit on the first pitch he saw, advancing Lindor to third base. A Daniel Vogelbach sacrifice fly then scored Lindor and gave the Mets a 2-0 lead before Scherzer even took the mound.

After an easy first inning, Scherzer appeared to be through an easy second with two outs and nobody on, but he surrendered a walk, a single, and a hit by pitch in consecutive plate appearances to load the bases. Yandy Díaz then hit a blooper that landed in shallow left-center field and the Rays were able to tie the game at two. Scherzer was able to avoid further trouble by getting Wander Franco to ground out to end the inning.

The Mets were able to respond in the top of the third with Guillorme leading off the inning with his second walk of the game. Starling Marte then hit an opposite field double, setting up runners on second and third with nobody out. While Lindor wasn’t able to drive anyone in with a shallow flyout to center field, Alonso cleared the bases in the next at-bat with a strong home run to dead center to retake the lead and make it a 5-2 game.

Pete Alonso’s fourth spring homer gives the Mets a 5-2 lead.

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— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) March 24, 2023

Not satisfied with a three-run lead, the Mets’ offense continued to produce in the top of the fourth. In consecutive at-bats to start the inning, Tommy Pham grounded a single through the infield, Omar Narváez walked, and Guillorme reached base for the third time in the game with an RBI single that scored Pham. Following a Marte strikeout, Lindor recorded his second RBI hit of the game with a single through the infield to score Narváez and make it 7-2.

In an otherwise mundane sixth inning, Narváez led off the inning by hitting his first home run of the spring. Narváez had been struggling in spring training up to this point, albeit in a small sample size, but with his home run he demonstrated the power he possesses that allowed him to hit 22 home runs in 2019. The Mets will be hoping to see more of that in the regular season after catcher was a position that hurt them offensively last year.

After his shaky second inning, Scherzer was able to settle in against the Rays’ hitters allowing just one baserunner over the next four innings and striking out the side in the bottom of the sixth. Scherzer ended his outing through six innings having thrown 100 pitches, giving up two runs on four hits, a walk, a hit-by-pitch, and striking out 11. In his last outing before Opening Day, Scherzer already appears to be in midseason form.

The offensive onslaught continued for the Mets in the top of the seventh inning as a leadoff Alonso walk and a Darin Ruf single set up an opposite field double for Mark Canha that scored both baserunners, extending the Mets’ lead to eight. An infield single by Eduardo Escobar put runners on the corners with still nobody out and a Danny Mendick ground ball double play scored the runner from third to make it 11-2.

Dennis Santana, Zach Muckenhirn, and Trey McLoughlin pitched the final three innings for the Mets with relative ease, each throwing a scoreless inning and putting the game away for a Mets victory.

After the game, Buck Showalter told reporters that Justin Verlander will start the Mets’ third game of he season which will line him up for the Mets’ home opener. Buck also said he expects Brandon Nimmo to be in the lineup on Saturday.

Players of the Game

Max Scherzer and Pete Alonso both played so well, there can’t just be one player of the game. Scherzer was dominant except for a rocky second inning, recording 11 total strikeouts which, according to Jacob Resnick, is a Mets’ spring training record going back to 2006 when spring training box scores became available.

Alonso went 2-for-3 with a home run, a walk, stolen base, and three RBIs in his four plate appearances. His single in the first inning led to a run as he advanced Lindor to third before he scored on a sacrifice fly. His three-run homer in the third inning, however, was the biggest hit of the game as it broke a 2-2 tie and gave the Mets a lead they would hold on to for the rest of the game.

On Deck

The Mets head back to Clover Park on Saturday to face the Cardinals in their penultimate spring training game. The game is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. EDT and can be watched on WPIX and MLB TV. Tylor Megill gets the start for the Mets. 

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Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Updated Post – March 24, 12:40

The Mets announced on Friday that Max Scherzer will indeed get the start on Opening Day against the Marlins in Miami. The three-time Cy Young champ will face off against reigning NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara.

The game starts at 4:10 p.m. and will be on MLB Network.

Original Post – March 15, 14:49

Max Scherzer will be the Mets Opening Day starter when they face off with the Marlins in Miami on March 30, according to a report from the New York Post’s Mike Puma.  Additionally, Puma reports that the team’s co-ace, Justin Verlander, will get the Mets home opener on April 6, also against the Marlins.

The Mets open up the season with seven road games in Miami and Milwaukee, meaning Verlander’s spot would come up on the 6th if he starts the team’s second game in Miami on the March 31, and the team uses a six-man rotation (likely consisting of Scherzer, Verlander, Kodai Senga, Carlos Carrasco, David Peterson, and Tylor Megill) to start the season.

When asked about the possibility of starter the Mets’ home opener after his spring start on Wednesday, Verlander said the day he pitches is not something he’s focused on.

Justin Verlander on maybe starting Mets' Home Opener:

"I don't know how things are lining up, I'm just taking the ball when they tell me to take it. Opening Day, Home Opener or any major league start, it's an honor. To be honest, it's not something I'm focused on whatsoever."

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) March 15, 2023

Scherzer has made six previous Opening Day starts, all as a member of the Washington Nationals. He was slated to be the Mets Opening Day starter last season following the injury to Jacob deGrom, but was replaced by Megill after experiencing a hamstring injury.  Scherzer will become the Mets 28th all-time Opening Day starter. The Franchise Tom Seaver holds the franchise record with 11.

Mad Max’s likely opposition will be reigning National League Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara, making for one of the days best starting pitching matchups on a slate filled with aces.

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Max Scherzer. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Max Scherzer contributed a sensational performance in the New York Mets’ 2-0 win over the Houston Astros Saturday afternoon. The right-handed pitcher looked quite sharp, throwing seven scoreless innings and striking out eight along the way. Scherzer is in great shape as he prepares for his first start of the 2023 regular season.

Astros‘ starter Framer Valdez and Scherzer battled it out for the first four innings, before the Mets opened in the scoring in the top of the fourth. Mark Vientos put the team ahead with a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Tommy Pham. Tim Locastro would extend the Mets lead in the top of the seventh, as the outfielder hit a solo home run to center field. That would be all they needed, as Scherzer and the bullpen kept the Astros bats quiet all afternoon.

The 38-year-old’s final line on Saturday read: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 SO. He only threw 71 pitches, 52 of which were strikes.

Overall, Scherzer has dominated in his limited spring training action, pitching to a 0.77 ERA in 11 2/3 innings. His seven innings of work against the Astros is great sign, especially with Opening Day just 11 days away. It looks more and more likely that Scherzer will be ready to give the team length to open up the season, something the Mets so desperately need.

The state of the rotation has some questions with José Quintana out until at least July. Kodai Senga dealt with a bit of nagging finger injury, but he has since returned to the mound. The Mets need Scherzer and Justin Verlander to stay healthy and give the team as many quality innings as they can, especially early in the season.

Early returns show Scherzer should be in line for another stellar season.

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