The performance of the pitching staff was once again the highlight for the Mets, as the Marlins couldn’t score a single run. Kodai Senga started the game and tossed just five innings for the second consecutive start, but he held the Marlins without a run. Senga’s biggest obstacle was in the first inning, where he allowed the first two batters to reach base, but he escaped the inning unscathed.

The next four innings were relatively smooth for Senga, who finished the day allowing five hits and two walks while striking out four. Through two starts, both of which have been against the Marlins, Senga’s ERA sits at 1.80.

Following Senga, the bullpen was once again stellar. Danny Young pitched a clean sixth inning, allowing a hit and striking out a batter, while José Buttó eased through the seventh and eighth innings. Buttó allowed a hit and a walk but struck out two batters as he lowered his ERA through five games to 1.23. Ryne Stanek drew the ninth inning with Edwin Díaz having pitched the previous two games, and he locked down the save with a 1-2-3 inning. Stanek has yet to allow a run in three games this year.

Francisco Lindor scores on a Juan Soto RBI double are words that make us happy pic.twitter.com/bkjab8pR0H

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) April 8, 2025

On the offensive side, the Mets’ bats were once again quiet, with the top of the order the exception. Francisco Lindor recorded three hits (including his 1,500 career hit), while Juan Soto and Pete Alonso recorded two each. Lindor and Soto combined to score the Mets’ first run in the third inning off of Marlins starter Valente Bellozo. Lindor reached first base after dropping down a timely bunt, and Soto immediately drove him in with a double into the left-center field gap.

The Mets added a big insurance run in the ninth inning, with Jose Siri scoring after taking over for Mark Vientos, who reached on a walk. Siri used his speed to steal second base before coming around to score on a Tyrone Taylor ground ball single up the middle.

It wasn’t a pretty win, but then again, most of the Mets’ wins this season haven’t been pretty; they’ve won their last three games by a combined score of 7-3. But with the pitching staff excelling the way they are, the Mets keep finding ways to win and have now won five consecutive games.

Statistic of the Game: 1,500th Hit

With his leadoff single in the bottom of the fifth inning, Francisco Lindor recorded his 1,500th career hit. The milestone comes in Lindor’s 11th season in what has been a fantastic career thus far.

Player of the Game: Juan Soto

Juan Soto had a great night at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. Soto’s double in the third inning drove in the first run of the game and put the Mets on top for good. Through 10 games with the Mets, he owns a .286 average and a .905 OPS.

On Deck

The Mets and Marlins play the second game of their series at 7:10 p.m. ET Tuesday night. Clay Holmes (0-1, 2.89 ERA) takes the mound for his third start of the season while Connor Gillispie (0-1, 3.60 ERA), who got the better of the Mets his last time out, will go for the Marlins. The game will be broadcast on SNY.

The post Mets Blank Marlins to Win Fifth Straight Game appeared first on Metsmerized.

Latest Mets News

The Mets (4-3) defeated the Blue Jays (5-3) 5-0 in their home opener on Friday. It was a brilliant effort all around, but it was the pitching that really stood out. Tylor Megill looked great, tossing 5 1/3 scoreless innings, while Reed Garrett, A.J. Minter, and Max Kranick combined to strike out six in 3 2/3 scoreless innings. The Mets’ bullpen in particular has been phenomenal this year, and they were again in the first game in front of the home crowd.

Jesse Winker, Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor

Latest MLB News

The Rockies are calling up top prospect Chase Dollander, who will make his major league debut on Sunday. Dollander, the ninth overall pick in the 2023 draft, is listed as MLB Pipelines’ No. 24 overall prospect.

The Rangers placed starting pitcher Jack Leiter on the 15-day injured list with a blister on his right middle finger. Leiter looked phenomenal in his last start and has a 0.90 ERA in two starts so far this season. In a corresponding move, the Rangers called up former National Patrick Corbin.

The Yankees announced that they reinstated Devin Williams from the paternity list. In a corresponding move, the team designated Adam Ottavino for assignment. Ottavino was just recently signed and pitched in two games for the Yankees.

The Braves re-signed Jesse Chavez to a minor-league deal, per the transaction wire. Chavez pitched two innings in a game for the Braves early this season and was later DFA’d, but he now returns to the team on a new deal.

Latest on MMO

Mathias Altman-Kurosaki lists some overreactions to the first week of the Mets season.

Kai Chang breaks down where each of the Mets’ top 30 prospects will start the 2025 season.

Michael Simon highlights the great effort from the bullpen to start the season.

Nick Kalantzopoulos gives updates on some of the Mets’ injured players.

On This Date in Mets History

1983: Tom Seaver made his 11th and final Opening Day start as a member of the Mets on this date 42 years ago. It was his first game in a Mets uniform since he was infamously traded away in 1977. Seaver pitched six shutout innings in a 2-0 win over the Phillies.

Born on This Date: John Curtiss (1993), Lastings Milledge (1985), Jimmie Schaffer (1936).

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Record Shutout in Home Opener appeared first on Metsmerized.

Binghamton’s win comes in their final game of the year, and it’ll leave a good taste in their mouths as they pitched a shutout in addition to their ninth-inning offensive heroics.

Triple-A

Syracuse Mets (74-69) 3, Worcester Red Sox (76-68) 4

BOX SCORE

• RF Carlos Cortes: 1-for-4, HR (15), R, 2 RBI (49), K (.806 OPS)
• DH Austin Allen: 1-for-4, HR (8), R, RBI (27), K (.726 OPS)
• LF José Azocar: 2-for-4, K (.677 OPS)
• C Joe Hudson: 1-for-2, 2 BB (.770 OPS)

The Syracuse Mets suffered a devastating loss on Friday, holding the Worcester Red Sox scoreless through eight innings but allowing them to score four in the bottom of the ninth to walk it off. The Mets scored three runs earlier in the game on home runs from Carlos Cortes and Austin Allen, and while that seemed to be enough offense to win the game, the ninth-inning implosion ensured that wouldn’t be the case.

• RHP Blade Tidwell: 5 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K (6.15 ERA)
• RHP Grant Hartwig (H, 5): 1 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, K (4.08 ERA)
• RHP Joey Lucchesi (H, 1): 1 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 2 BB, K (4.78 ERA)
• RHP Shintaro Fujinami (L, 1-2)(H, 5): 1/3 IP, 4 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, K (6.53 ERA)
• RHP Max Kranick (BS, 3): 0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, BB, 0 K (3.60 ERA)

Shintaro Fujinami and Max Kranick allowed the Red Sox to come back and win, combining for four hits and three walks allowed while recording just one out in the ninth inning. Fujinami had most of the damage done against him, earning the loss, though Kranick also struggled when he took over. Before the ninth, Blade Tidwell, Grant Hartwig, and Joey Lucchesi impressed, allowing just three hits in eight scoreless innings.

Double-A

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (69-67) 4, Portland Sea Dogs (78-60) 0

BOX SCORE

• LF Matt Rudick: 1-for-4, HR (8), R, 3 RBI (41), BB (.718 OPS)
• 1B Ryan Clifford: 1-for-4, 2B (21), BB, 2 K (.815 OPS)
• RF Alex Ramírez: 1-for-4, K, SB (40) (.590 OPS)
• DH Kevin Parada: 1-for-3, HR (13), R, RBI (43), K (.663 OPS)

In their final game of the season, the Rumble Ponies shut out the Portland Sea Dogs to win 4-0. The two teams entered the ninth inning in a scoreless tie, but a solo shot from Kevin Parada and a three-run homer from Matt Rudick put them up 4-0 and in prime position to pull off the victory.

Following the game, the Mets announced that Jett Williams would report to Triple-A Syracuse for the Mets’ final few games. Williams missed most of the year due to injury, which explains his .172 average and .528 OPS for the Rumble Ponies, but he’ll now get a chance to experience Triple-A pitching for the first time.

• RHP Luis Moreno: 3 IP, 0 ER, H, BB, K (4.27 ERA)
• RHP Jordany Ventura: 3 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, BB, 3 K (0.00 ERA)
• RHP TJ Shook (W, 3-4): 2 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K (3.92 ERA)
• RHP Joshua Cornielly: 1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, K (1.13 ERA)

The Binghamton pitching staff was excellent in this game, with Luis Moreno and Jordany Ventura combining to pitch the first six innings, allowing no runs on two hits and three walks between them. TJ Shook and Joshua Cornielly pitched the final three innings. Shook earned the victory with three strikeouts in two perfect innings, while Cornielly shut the door with a perfect inning of his own in the ninth.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Binghamton Wins Season Finale Nail-Biter appeared first on Metsmerized.

After winning the first two games of their series against the Marlins, the Mets were well on their way to what would have been an important sweep.

Instead, a lack of offense doomed this team again in a 3-2 loss on Sunday. Given the Braves also won on Sunday, New York’s failure to finish the sweep could prove costly.

And, on that note, let’s dive into the latest version of 3 Up, 3 Down …

Lucas Boland-USA TODAY Sports

3 UP

SHUTOUT GEM

Luis Severino has no doubt been the Mets’ best pitcher this year. Easily. And he backed that up with an all-time gem on Saturday. The righty pitched a complete game shutout, allowing just four hits and a walk with eight strikeouts. He became the first Mets pitcher since 2021 to accomplish the feat. Watching Severino stay out on the mound to complete his heroics will go down as one of the most electrifying moments of the entire year in Queens. Severino has turned back the clock in 2024 to return to the peak of his powers. And Saturday’s dominant outing may very well go down as one of the best of his career.

MVP RACE

Francisco Lindor deserves to be heavily involved in the National League MVP conversation. He just does. What the shortstop is doing right now is jaw-dropping. Entering Sunday, Lindor led the NL with a 5.9 fWAR. He ranks high in a handful of other categories since being moved to the leadoff spot in May. Lindor hit a leadoff home run in Saturday’s win, and he’s willing this team to the finish line on his own. While Shohei Ohtani is probably the NL MVP favorite, what Lindor is doing for the Mets shouldn’t be disregarded. He has kept this team afloat time and time again.

WELCOME RETURN

Starling Marte was activated from the IL for Sunday’s game, and the outfielder’s return proved to be a case of perfect timing. Marte went 1-for-3 with a single against the Marlins while getting the start in right field. Getting the veteran back was always crucial for the stretch run. But, with doubts now lingering over Brandon Nimmo‘s availability (more on that below), having Marte back in the lineup could take on even more importance.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

3 DOWN

HOPING FOR THE BEST

Sunday proved to be a mixed day for Brandon Nimmo. The outfielder continued to break out of his slump with a go-ahead solo home run in the sixth inning. However, he was forced to leave the game due to right shoulder discomfort. Nimmo will now undergo an MRI on Monday. Losing Nimmo for any time would be a brutal blow for the Mets, who need all the help they can get from their big hitters. Therefore, it is time to cross our fingers and hope for the best.

LOST OPPORTUNITY 

With the Padres and the Diamondbacks almost unstoppable, it looks like the battle for the final Wild Card spot in the NL will be between the Braves and the Mets. Therefore, every win will count. As will every loss. Consequently, dropping the finale to the depleted Marlins was a horrible outcome for New York on Sunday. The Mets remain two games behind Atlanta, and life won’t get any easier with a do-or-die chunk of the schedule now on deck. Sunday was a huge missed opportunity. There’s just no other way to look at it.

FAMILIAR SIGHT 

Watching the bullpen implode is hardly a new phenomenon for Mets fans this year. However, that didn’t make Sunday’s ugly ending easier to swallow and digest. Reed Garrett walked three straight batters and allowed an earned run to hand the game to Miami. Garrett has given up six earned runs and five walks in his last five outings. Garretts’ struggles came after Huascar Brazobán had allowed the game-tying run to score. Again, those kind of mistakes could prove fatal comeSeptember.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Fail To Clinch Miami Sweep appeared first on Metsmerized.

It was a classic pitcher’s duel for much of the game, with Manaea and Olson cruising without much trouble. Manaea was perfect through the first four innings and didn’t allow a hit until the sixth. Seeing Manaea navigate the Tigers’ lineup with ease was a pleasant sight after Mets starters allowed nine earned runs in 13 2/3 innings against the Brewers.

The first hit Manaea allowed appeared to be a devastating one at first, as Andy Ibáñez hit a two-out single with Jake Rogers on second base. Rogers was waved home by old friend Joey Cora, but Brandon Nimmo made a fantastic throw to gun him down at the plate and keep the Tigers scoreless.

Brandon Nimmo makes the throw, Francisco Alvarez gets the tag and we stay scoreless! 😤 pic.twitter.com/GeEu9cQ2WA

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 2, 2024

That ended Manaea’s night and it was a wonderful debut for the southpaw. Through six innings he allowed just one hit and walked two while striking out eight. Those eight strikeouts tied Manaea’s season-high from just a year ago, so his outing was a resounding success.

The Mets’ bats, however, continued to struggle after a brutal opening series. Like Manaea, Olson had very little trouble. He allowed the first two Mets batters of the game to reach base via a hit-by-pitch and a walk, but he managed that situation marvelously and got into very little trouble the rest of the way. Ultimately, he left the game after 5 2/3 innings, and with both pitchers dominating the game, it was a 0-0 score entering the seventh inning.

Jorge López pitched a clean seventh inning before Brooks Raley pitched a scoreless eighth. Alex Faedo of the Tigers matched both of them with two scoreless innings, bringing the game into the ninth still scoreless. Edwin Díaz was tasked with pitching the ninth inning, and he put together a vintage performance by striking out two and inducing a weak pop-up out. That set the Mets up with an opportunity to walk the game off in the bottom of the inning, but like the first eight innings, they couldn’t muster any offense.

Michael Tonkin took the mound for the Mets to start extras, their first extra-inning game of 2024. With runners on first and third and one out, Joey Wendle mishandled a ground ball at second that probably wouldn’t have been a double play but would have surely recorded an out. Instead, no outs were recorded, and the Tigers drove across the first run of the game. Tonkin then tried to snatch a chopping ground ball that would have been a double play to end the inning, but the ball caromed off his glove and resulted in another play in which no outs were recorded.

With the bases loaded and one out, Javier Báez hit a sacrifice fly to center field, followed by a three-run homer from Carson Kelly to give the Tigers a seemingly insurmountable 5-0 lead. The Mets couldn’t even manage to drive the ghost runner home in the bottom of the inning, securing a disheartening loss while still searching for that first win of the season.

Statistic of the Game: Historic No-Hit Bid

Sean Manaea’s 5 2/3 inning no-hit bid was the longest by a Mets pitcher in their debut, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com. He’s also the first Mets history to throw at least six innings, allow one or fewer hits, and strike out at least eight in their debut, per MMO’s Mike Mayer. It was a terrific first start of the season for Manaea, who could be poised for a big year out of the rotation should he continue to pitch this efficiently and effectively.

Player of the Game

Naturally, Manaea is the player of the game. Starling Marte gets a shoutout as he recorded two hits in what has been a strong start to the season, but Manaea singlehandedly did everything he could while the Mets’ bats stayed asleep.

On Deck

The Mets continue their series with the Tigers on Tuesday at Citi Field, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET. Adrian Houser makes his Mets and season debut, going up against Casey Mize, who hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2022. The game will air on SNY.

The post Mets Drop to 0-4 With Shutout Loss to Tigers appeared first on Metsmerized.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets swept the Phillies on Thursday as they defeated Taijuan Walker in the third game of the three-game set. On Friday, the Mets faced another member of their 2022 team as Chris Bassitt and the Blue Jays traveled to Citi Field to start a three-game series. For the Mets, Justin Verlander took the mound hoping to rebound from a poor performance in Colorado.

The game, originally scheduled for a 7:10 p.m. ET start, was delayed due to rain and officially started 90 minutes later at 8:40 p.m. ET. Overall, Verlander pitched well but Bassitt pitched better as he shut down the Mets offense, leading the Blue Jays to a 3-0 win.

On just the second pitch of the game, George Springer took his former teammate Verlander deep to center field to give the Blue Jays a 1-0 lead, as Verlander’s struggles in the first inning this year continued. He retired the next two batters before walking Brandon Belt, and was then able to strike out Matt Chapman to put an end to the inning.

Bassitt retired the first two Met hitters before Jeff McNeil took the first pitch of his at-bat into right-center field for a double. Alonso wasn’t able to take advantage of the runner in scoring position as he popped out in foul territory to give Bassitt a clean first inning.

After a 1-2-3 second inning, Verlander got the first two outs of the third inning before allowing a single off the bat of Bo Bichette. That brought up the powerful Vladimir Guerrero Jr. but he struck out on three pitches to keep the Jays’ lead at one.

Leading off the bottom of the third, Canha worked a full count after falling behind 0-2, and ripped a single through the left side of the infield to continue his recent hot stretch. He then stole second base for his third stolen base of the year. Francisco Álvarez then hit a grounder to the right side of the infield that hit off the glove of Guerrero and Álvarez was able to get to first safely, putting runners on the corners with nobody out.

The top of the Mets order, however, put together three brutal at-bats in a row as Brandon Nimmo popped up on the infield on the first pitch he saw, Francisco Lindor struck out looking, and Jeff McNeil popped up on the infield on the first pitch he saw to allow Bassitt to escape the inning without giving up a run.

The Mets once again put together three straight poor at-bats in the bottom of the fourth inning, putting two more balls in play on the first pitch just as they had in the previous inning. This time, Pete Alonso popped up on the infield, Brett Baty struck out, and Starling Marte grounded out, allowing Bassitt to get through the inning on just six pitches.

Bichette led off the sixth inning for the Blue Jays with a comebacker off of Verlander and he reached first base safely after Verlander couldn’t recover the ball cleanly. Guerrero then walked to put runners on first and second base with no outs. Verlander then struck out Brandon Belt and Matt Chapman back-to-back before Whit Merrifield hit an infield single to load the bases.

With Daulton Varsho at the plate, Verlander attacked him with fastballs before putting him away with a slider, striking out three in the inning to avoid disaster. That would be all for him for the night as he tallied a whopping 117 pitches through six innings, giving up just the one run on five hits while walking three and striking out eight.

With the top of the order coming up in the bottom of the sixth and needing runs, Nimmo hit a deep fly ball to left-center field that flew all the way to the warning track but was tracked down by Kevin Kiermaier for the first out. After Lindor struck out in a full count, McNeil also got to a full count but flew out to center field to end the inning. Since the Mets had first-and-third with no outs in the third inning, Bassitt had now retired twelve straight.

Dominic Leone came on in relief for the Mets to start the seventh inning and he needed just nine pitches to set the Blue Jays’ hitters down in order. In the bottom of the inning, Bassitt extended his streak to retire 14 straight as he retired Alonso and Baty, but Marte broke that streak by hitting a ball the other way for a two-out opposite-field single. Marte then stole second base to put the tying run in scoring position with Mark Vientos up at the plate, but a groundball out ended the inning with the Mets still down 1-0.

Drew Smith was called on to pitch the eighth inning against the heart of the Toronto lineup. After a Bichette groundout, Guerrero singled into center field but he was erased on the next pitch after Belt grounded into a double play to end the inning. Bassitt stayed on for the bottom of the eighth and retired Canha and Álvarez before Tim Mayza was called on to relieve him. With a two-strike count and two outs in the inning, Nimmo was called for a pitch-clock violation to give Mayza an easy out to end the inning.

After pitching a scoreless inning the previous night against the Phillies, Jeff Brigham was asked to pitch for a second straight game as he came on in the ninth inning. After giving up a one-out single, Brigham gave up a two-run homer to Varsho to give the Blue Jays some insurance and a 3-0 lead. The next two batters were retired in order, putting the Mets offense back on the field for the bottom of the ninth.

Jordan Romano relieved Mayza to start the ninth inning, looking to get the save with a three-run lead. Lindor led off the inning by hitting a ball to deep left field, but it died on the warning track for the first out. McNeil popped up on the infield to bring the Mets to their final out, but Alonso kept the game alive by singling through the infield. However, Baty struck out on three pitches to put the game to bed, giving the Mets their eighth shutout of the year.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Player Spotlight

Justin Verlander started the night off by giving up a leadoff homer, but that was his lone blemish as he threw six innings and kept the Mets in the game. He threw 117 pitches and got out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning, getting a massive strikeout to keep the Mets’ deficit at just one. Unfortunately, the Mets couldn’t score a single run in the game putting the loss on Verlander, but he was clearly the best player on the field tonight for the Mets.

On Deck

The Mets continue the series with the Blue Jays on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. ET. Tylor Megill, who has failed to go past four innings in each of his last two starts, will look to turn things around as he starts for the Mets. Meanwhile, José Berríos is in the middle of a fantastic stretch of starts for Toronto and will look to keep it going as he gets the start tomorrow for the Jays. The game will be broadcast on SNY.

The post Bassitt Dominates Mets in Blue Jays’ 3-0 Win appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mark Vientos, Photo by Herm Card

Good morning, Mets fans!

On Thursday afternoon, the New York Mets faced off against the Cincinnati Reds with hopes of securing a series win. However, the game didn’t go as planned for the Mets, as they struggled in the first inning once again. Kodai Senga took the mound for the Mets, but he was unable to keep the Reds at bay in the opening frame, giving up four runs. The Mets were unable to make up the deficit, ultimately losing 5-0. This loss marked the seventh time this season that the team has been shut out, the most in the majors. For more on this game, check out our recap.

During the pregame show by Visit Syracuse, Mets prospect Mark Vientos spoke with Triple-A Syracuse Mets play-by-play man Evan Stockton about his approach to his successful start this season, saying “I live in the present. How can I get one percent better today? I don’t hear what they’re saying.”

Now onto the morning briefing!

Latest Mets News

As per Sportico, New York City Football Club (NYCFC) has released new renderings of their upcoming soccer-specific stadium in Queens, New York. The stadium is currently under construction and is expected to be ready for the 2027 Major League Soccer season. The stadium will be located across the street from the right field area of Citi Field.

David Griffin, a former Division III college player who also played in the independent leagues, has become a successful Triple-A pitcher this season. After initially being held back in extended spring training, he was called up to fill a spot in Syracuse and went on to dominate in his first two Triple-A outings, catching the attention of the Mets front office. While he still has room for improvement to become an MLB caliber pitcher, he has the potential to climb the ladder and eventually pitch for the Mets. MetsMinors.net has more on Griffin and his progress!

Latest MLB News

Kansas City Royals pitcher Aroldis Chapman is reportedly receiving early trade interest, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Chapman, who is a seven-time All-Star, has started the season strong, with 12 2/3 innings pitched out of the bullpen, and a .174/.269/.196 line against opposing hitters. His 38.5% strikeout rate ranks him eighth among relievers with 10+ innings pitched.

According to Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, pitcher Jacob deGrom will be sidelined for an additional two to three weeks due to elbow inflammation.

Ken Giles, who spent five weeks training at Driveline in Phoenix, will reportedly begin throwing live batting practice on Friday for any interested team looking to improve their bullpen, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Driveline will provide data on Giles’ pitching metrics, such as ride, spin rate, and slider depth, to help teams assess their comfort level with the pitcher.

Latest on MMO

On This Date in Mets History

2011: In a game against the Rockies, Carlos Beltran hit home runs to all three fields. He hit one over Coors Field’s center field fence in the first inning, went long to left in the seventh, and completed the trifecta with a bomb to the upper deck in right field in the game’s final frame.

1925: Hall of Famer Yogi Berra was born. Berra became a coach for the Mets in 1965 and played a brief stint as a player that year. He later took over as the team’s manager after Gil Hodges‘ death in 1972 and led the Mets to the World Series in his second year. However, the team slumped in 1974 and Berra was let go in 1975 due to rising tensions in the clubhouse. He had a 292-296 record in his four-year stint, which is fifth on the team’s career managerial wins list. Berra passed away on September 22, 2015.

Birthdays: Jack Egbert (40), Mark Clark (55), Kenny Greer (56), Kevin Bass (64), Joe Nolan (72), Bob Heise (76)

The post Morning Briefing: Mark Vientos Trying to ‘Live in the Present’ appeared first on Metsmerized.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Coming off of a shocking and disappointing three-game sweep at the hands of the Tigers, the Mets took the field on Friday night looking to right the ship against the Rockies who entered the game on a four-game win streak. Kodai Senga got the start for New York and Antonio Senzatela, making his first appearance since last August, got the start for Colorado.

There wasn’t much offense from either team in the game and a solo home run from Brandon Nimmo was all the difference as the Mets won the game 1-0.

Senga was in constant trouble in his last start against the Nationals and he put himself in trouble again to start this game, issuing back-to-back walks with two outs to put Kris Bryant and C.J. Cron on base. That brought up Elías Díaz, Colorado’s catcher who entered the game batting .337 with an .882 OPS, but he lined out to second base to end the inning.

After getting through the second inning cleanly, Senga again worked himself into trouble in the third inning by issuing back-to-back walks with two outs. Facing the dangerous bat of Cron, Senga got him to fly out to center field to get through the third inning scoreless.

Randal Grichuk recorded the first hit for the Rockies with two outs in the fourth inning as he hit a weak single into the outfield. He was swiftly erased on a ground ball out just two pitches later, preserving Senga’s scoreless start through four innings.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Nimmo broke up Senzatela’s perfect start by launching the first pitch he saw over the right field fence to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. That was Nimmo’s third home run of the season and a hit he needed badly after slumping recently. Lindor recorded the Mets’ second hit of the inning in his at-bat but was thrown out at second after trying to stretch a single into a double.

.@You_Found_Nimmo crushes this one! #LGM pic.twitter.com/K2kcDILjnp

— New York Mets (@Mets) May 6, 2023

Nimmo made another great play, this time defensively, in the top of the fifth inning. After Ezequiel Tovar fought off a few pitches in a two-strike count, he sent a ball into shallow center field that looked light it might fall, but Nimmo made a diving catch to rob Tovar of a hit. Senga retired the next two batters including a strikeout of Jurickson Profar for his second 1-2-3 inning of the night.

.@You_Found_Nimmo's got it! pic.twitter.com/wpERIIxJw1

— New York Mets (@Mets) May 6, 2023

The Mets threatened to score in the bottom of the fifth after Brett Baty walked and advanced to third on a two-out single off the bat of Daniel Vogelbach. That brought up Tomás Nido who has struggled from the plate since the season began. He was unable to extend the Mets’ lead as he hit a slow ground ball to third base for an out to strand the two runners on base.

With two outs and nobody on in the top of the sixth, Elías Díaz hit a weak ball that landed right on the first base line to give the Rockies their second hit of the night. Running the count full to Ryan McMahon in the next at-bat, Senga got him to hit a weak ground ball to get out of the inning, ending his night after six scoreless innings. Although he walked four batters, he gave up just two hits and struck out four in a performance the Mets desperately needed.

Leading off the bottom of the sixth inning, Nimmo doubled into the left-center field gap, giving him his second extra-base hit of the night. He was stranded on second base, though, as Marte, Lindor, and Alonso all failed to get the ball out of the infield.

Drew Smith relieved Senga in the seventh, trying to preserve the Mets’ one-run lead and the shutout. He allowed a single to Harold Castro but otherwise struck out two and got through the inning cleanly.

For the second time in the game, Brett Baty found himself in scoring position after he hit an opposite-field, one-out double off of the lefty Brent Suter in the bottom of the seventh. Once again, though, he failed to score. Tommy Pham struck out and Vogelbach, who entered the game 0-for-5 against lefties on the year, remained in the game and also struck out to end the inning.

The Rockies threatened the Mets’ one-run lead in the top of the eighth inning, as David Robertson issued two walks to put the tying run in scoring position. Ryan McMahon then hit a scorching ground ball that looked as though it would get through the infield and potentially tie the game, but it hit the pinch-runner Brenton Doyle to get the Mets out of the inning.

Adam Ottavino entered the game in the ninth inning looking for his fourth save of the year. On his first pitch of the night, Grichuk sent the ball the other way for a single, putting the tying run on first base with no outs. Grichuk then stole second base without a throw and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Mike Moustakas came in the game to pinch-hit for Tovar and worked the count full, but struck out to give Ottavino the result he desperately needed. Charlie Blackmon then hit a rope to right field but it was an easy play for Marte to give the Mets the victory and end their three-game skid.

Player of the Game

Although Senga’s six scoreless innings cannot be discounted, the Mets could not have won this game without Brandon Nimmo. Nimmo entered this game in a slump and was heavily criticized for his decision to unsuccessfully steal in a two-run game in the ninth inning on Thursday. He rebounded exceptionally well, though, going 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, and a walk as well as making a great diving play in the outfield.

On Deck

Game two of the series against Colorado continues Saturday at 4:10 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on SNY. Tylor Megill (3-1, 4.11 ERA) will be on the mound for the Mets going against Austin Gomber (2-4, 7.57 ERA) who has rebounded nicely in his last two starts after a brutal start to the season.

The post Senga, Nimmo Shine in Mets 1-0 Win Over Rockies appeared first on Metsmerized.

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

In a sea of leftover Halloween costumes and hackneyed, “Houston We Have A Problem” posters, the Phillies blanked the Astros 7-0, setting World Series records to boot.

The rainout on Monday was a gift from god for Philly on Tuesday with Ranger Suarez taking the reins from Noah Syndergaard. Who knows what the ex-Met with the Thor moniker would have done, and frankly, who cares?

Suárez took the mound and owned the Astros for five scoreless innings. His cutter cut, his breaking ball broke and his slider sunk. And unlike Game 2, Jose Altuve and Jeremy Pena’s first pitches produced a pair of outs, and Yordan Alvarez’s big stick struck out swinging.

Phil’s outfielder Nick Castellanos, having a field day in right, added another highlight to his resume with a sliding catch that set the stage for the hungry home team.

‘Stros starter Lance McCullers walked the first batter he faced, Kyle Schwarber, and two batters later, he got a not so nice how do you do from Bryce Harper, who crushed his knuckle curve into the right field seats. The ex-Nat returned to the dugout to a series of hugs and high fives – the fans soaking it up – wildly waving their red October rally towels.

In the top of the second,  Suárez with trouble when Yuli Gurriel beat out an infield single, and rookie David Hensley, in his Postseason debut, singled the guy with the weirdest haircut under a Helmut, Gurriel, to third. Chas McCormick was then caught looking.

Matinee idol looking Alec Bohm greeted McCullers with a first pitch lead off home run – setting World Series record – three home runs in the first two innings. Then Brandon Marsh, who I’ve learned has wet, not greasy locks, launched a hanging breaking ball over the right field Budweiser banner. Tacking on yet another historical stat.

In between frames, sports reporter Ken Rosenthal tried to get some inside skinny on what Harper whispered to Bohm before his at-bat. The cagey third baseman didn’t bite – smiling, and in so many words politely inferred, that it wasn’t his business.

After a two-out walk in the top of the fifth,  Suárez allowed a single to Martin Maldonado, and questions from the booth surfaced as to whether Phil’s skipper Rob Thomson should keep his starter in the game. He did – and that’s why sports announcers shouldn’t manage because the young lefty got Altuve to foul out to first.

Dusty Baker on the other hand, with his black latex gloves, making him look like a stylist waiting to color his clients’ hair, kept his guy on the mound – which turned out to be a very bad move. Schwarber and Rhys Hoskins jacked two-strike back-to-back shots – the fourth and fifth of the game – for yet another record – the most in the World Series for the first five innings of play.

A slew of relievers, look it up in the box score, picked up the slack for the remainder of the night with the Phillies wrapping it up with a big, strike-out-looking, bowtie.

I’ve been pretty transparent that I’m rooting for the team that spawned the film, “Rocky”. So, as not to jinx this monumental statement of a win, I’ll say nothing. And hope, just by bringing it up, I didn’t jinx them in the process.

The post Phillies Take Game 3 With a 7-0 Shutout appeared first on Metsmerized.

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

The Mets had a tough night Tuesday as outfielder Starling Marte left the game with left quad tightness and first baseman Pete Alonso left the game after getting hit by a pitch on the right hand. However, X-Rays on his hand came back negative.

The rubber game is tonight at 9:40 p.m. Chris Bassitt will get the start against Sean Manaea and will be televised on SNY and on the radio at WCBS 880.

Latest Mets News

The Mets are among the teams scouting Trevor Rosenthal’s showcase today.

— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) June 7, 2022

The Mets attended relief pitcher Trevor Rosenthal‘s showcase Tuesday, as the club looks to potentially improve its bullpen.

Buck Showalter says he's considering using Tylor Megill (right biceps tendinitis) either Friday or Saturday in Anaheim. He'll come off the injured list to pitch one of the two.

Megill returned to the clubhouse today and said his arm feels great. The SoCal native is raring to go.

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) June 7, 2022

Pitcher Tylor Megill should be making his return to the Mets this weekend following his stint on the IL.

Latest MLB News

A new rendition of the movie “A League Of Their Own,” will be streaming on Amazon Prime Aug. 12.

Former Mets outfielder Kevin Pillar underwent shoulder surgery and will miss the rest of the 2022 season. Pillar tweeted out a message following the surgery.

From the League:
-Héctor Neris has received a 4-game suspension and undisclosed fine for intentionally throwing at Eugenio Suárez in the area of the head while warnings were in place.
-Dusty Baker has received a 1-game suspension and undisclosed fine.

— Julia Morales (@JuliaMorales) June 7, 2022

Following the benches-clearing skirmish Monday between the Astros and Mariners, MLB announced it has suspended Hector Neris for 4 games and Dusty Baker for 1 game.

The Angels fired manager Joe Maddon following the team’s 12-game losing streak Tuesday. Phil Nevin has been named the interim manager.

Latest On MMO

Rich Sparago ponders whether MLB has seen an increase in competition following the lockout.

On This Date In Mets History

1965: The Mets selected pitcher Nolan Ryan in the inaugural free agent draft of high school and college players.

Birthdays: John Gibbons (60)

Let’s go Mets!

The post Morning Briefing: Two Mets Hurt In Shutout Loss appeared first on Metsmerized.