10. 1987

Davey Johnson‘s reward for being in the World Series is representing the NL as manager. He had Gary Carter and Darryl Strawberry in his starting lineup and Keith Hernandez off the bench, but it was Sid Fernandez who closed out the extra-inning victory.

Runs were at a premium thanks mainly to the late-afternoon sun at the Oakland Coliseum. The NL finally broke through in the 13th after Tim Raines‘ triple with “El Sid” preserved in the bullpen. Fernandez walked the leadoff batter but found his location from then on.

9. 1969

If the country wasn’t aware of the rapidly improving New York Mets—in second place at 53-39 and five games behind the Chicago Cubs by the time the All-Star Game arrived—it soon would. Three players who contributed to the turnaround were selected for the 40th midsummer classic at Washington D.C.’s RFK Stadium.

Cleon Jones started in left field for his first All-Star appearance and went 2-for-4, Jerry Koosman pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and eventual Cy Young Award winner Tom Seaver was present but was not called on to the mound in what turned out to be a 9-3 NL win.

8. 1964

In its debut season, Shea Stadium had already opened in conjunction with the New York World’s Fair. By July, it had already seen a perfect game (thrown by Philadelphia’s Jim Bunning on June 21), and now it hosted one of the greatest All-Star Games.

Mets fans who had little success to cheer for in the early years latched on to Ron Hunt, a scrappy second baseman elected to start for the National League in his home park. He would go 1-for-3, but more excitement was saved for the finish. Johnny Callison of the Phillies hit a walk-off homer to give the NL a 7-4 win, the last time in the contest’s history to end in such a fashion.

7. 1986

The Mets were the predominant story of ’86, so it was of little surprise that when the All-Star rosters were announced, the Mets had the most participants. At the Astrodome on July 15, the setting for future postseason drama, the Amazin’s had five selectees – Dwight Gooden, Carter, Hernandez, Strawberry, and Fernandez.

The recognition of the Mets’ accomplishments was apparent in the starting lineup. Fans voted in Carter at catcher, Hernandez at first base, and Strawberry in right field. At age 21, Gooden was making his third All-Star appearance in three seasons. He worked a scoreless first and was touched up for two runs in the second. The Hernandez-Carter-Strawberry trio combined to go 1-for-9 with Darryl logging the lone hit against Teddy Higuera in the bottom of the fifth.

6. 1979

The lowly Mets had one participant, but he was very much present even though he didn’t appear until the eighth inning. Nevertheless, Lee Mazzilli‘s cameo at the Kingdome was made worthwhile. Leading off with the NL down 6-5, Mazzilli took a Jim Kern pitch down the left field line that snuck just over the wall. The defensive heroics of MVP Dave Parker kept the score even into the ninth. That’s when the NL, and Mazzilli, took advantage of wild American League pitching.

Joe Morgan drew a one-out walk and moved to second on a balk. Parker was intentionally walked. Ron Cey earned the traditional free pass to load the bases for Maz with two gone. Ron Guidry came in, but his 3-1 pitch drifted outside. Mazzilli had driven in the tying and go-ahead runs. The 7-6 lead was placed into the hands of Bruce Sutter, who closed out the NL’s eighth straight win.

5. 1975

Jon Matlack was often second or third on the hierarchy of Mets pitchers during that era. But not long after Tom Seaver relinquished the lead by giving up a game-tying sixth-inning blast to Carl Yastrzemski, he bailed out this rotation cohort and kept the American League from scoring anymore. Matlack got two strikeouts (mixed in with a caught stealing) in the seventh inning and two more in the eighth.

It was certainly an MVP-caliber performance. Matlack shared the honor on this night at Milwaukee’s County Stadium with Bill Madlock of the Chicago Cubs, who produced the game-winning hit in the top of the eighth and allowed the lefty to get the victory.

4. 2006

Apparently, nobody told him the Home Run Derby was over. David Wright complimented his runner-up finish in the annual long ball contest with a drive off former Met Kenny Rogers, clearing the left-field fence to tie it up at one in the second inning.

Wright was one of six Mets selected to the NL squad in a season when the NL East was already a runaway by the unofficial midway point. Carlos Beltrán doubled in the first inning and later stole third and scored the tie-breaking run. That 2-1 lead held up until Trevor Hoffman let it get away in the ninth inning.

3. 2015
“Hi, I’m Jacob deGrom, and I have the chance with my stuff to just dominate baseball for years to come.”

Never has Joe Buck been so on point with a call. The 27-year-old defending Rookie of the Year wasn’t around long for his All-Star debut. That was of his own doing. DeGrom didn’t just strike out each of the three American League All-Stars he faced in the sixth inning at Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark. He was nearly immaculate, fanning Stephen Vogt, Jason Kipnis, and finally — OMG! — Jose Iglesias on a mere 10 pitches.

2. 2013

The Mets’ past, present, and future was on display as Citi Field hosted the game for the first time. David Wright was the unofficial ambassador, starting at third base and batting fourth. He caught the ceremonial first pitch from Tom Seaver, who not surprisingly has the most All-Star appearances of any Met.

The actual first pitch also came from a Met. Matt Harvey was the headliner, earning the nod in his first full big-league season. For those in the national audience still unaware of “The Dark Knight,” they got glimpses over 32 pitches. Harvey brushed off early jitters to toss two scoreless innings before the announced crowd of 45,186—the largest in the brief history of Mets’ new stadium. As for Wright, he singled in the seventh, the last of his three at-bats in the game and, as it turned out, his seventh and final All-Star appearance.

1. 1984

For All-Star K’s, no one did it better—in quantity and quality—than Carl Hubbell back in 1934. After Fernando Valenzuela struck out the side in the fourth inning at Candlestick Park, it was time for Dwight Gooden (and history) to make an appearance as one former sensation passed the baton to the current one.

The 19-year-old was the youngest All-Star in history and, in the fifth inning, did what had been doing to hitters thus far in his Rookie of the Year campaign, Gooden overpowered a succession of American League sluggers: Lance Parrish of Detroit, fellow Tiger Chet Lemon, and the Mariners’ Alvin Davis.

Gooden tossed another scoreless frame with future teammate Gary Carter behind the plate.

The post 10 Amazin’ All-Star Game Moments appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Triple-A

Syracuse Mets (4-4) 2, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (4-4) 7

Box Score

• DH Ben Gamel: 2-for-4, R, HR (2), RBI, 2K
• 3B Luke Ritter: 1-for-4, R, HR (1), RBI, K
• C Tomás Nido: 2-for-3, K
• 2B Luisangel Acuña: 1-for-4, K, SB (1)

The Mets and RailRiders played a closer game than the score would make it seem, with a three-run eighth inning by Scranton/Wilkes-Barre putting the game out of reach late. The game was scoreless for the first three innings before the RailRiders added three runs in the fourth off of Jon Duplantier. Syracuse quickly responded with back-to-back homers from Ben Gamel and Luke Ritter in the top of the fifth. That was all the RailRiders would allow, though, as they shut down Syracuse’s offense the rest of the way.

The game would remain 3-2 until the seventh inning when the RailRiders scored on a wild pitch, and the three runs they scored in the eighth gave Syracuse a five-run deficit to erase in the final inning. Syracuse didn’t score, and the team dropped to .500 through eight games.

• RHP Hunter Parsons: 2 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 3 BB, 4 K
• RHP Jon Duplantier (L, 0-1): 1 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 2 K
• RHP Carlos Guzman: 2 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 BB, 2 K
• RHP Shintaro Fujinami: 1 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP Grant Hartwig: 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 K
• C Matt O’Neill: 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 K

Yes, you read that right. Matt O’Neill, a catcher on the Triple-A roster, finished the pitching for Syracuse on a day where a few pitchers put together forgettable performances. Parsons and Guzman pitched well, combining for 4 2/3 hitless and scoring innings. Outside of them, though, Duplantier, Fujinami, and Hartwig surrendered seven runs, with Duplantier officially tabbed with the loss. The pitching didn’t get it done, but neither did the offense, as Syracuse’s series with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre comes to a disappointing close.

Double-A

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (2-1) 8, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (1-2) 4

Box Score

• SS Jett Williams: 2-for-4, R, SB (2), 2K
• RF Alex Ramírez: 2-for-4, 2 R, HR (1), RBI, SB (4), 2K
• 3B Jeremiah Jackson: 0-for-3, BB, R
• 1B Jose Peroza: 0-for-3, RBI, 3 K

Despite the lack of offense in this game from Binghamton, the Rumble Ponies jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning. Jett Williams and Alex Ramírez singled and pulled off a double steal to put runners on second and third with one out. A wild pitch scored Williams and advanced Ramírez to third before a walk and hit-by-pitch loaded the bases. A second wild pitch scored Ramírez before another walk, and a sacrifice fly gave Binghamton their third run of the inning.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

New Hampshire pitcher Adam Macko settled down after the dreadful first inning, and the only other run that Binghamton scored came on an Alex Ramírez opposite-field homer in the eighth inning. That was the first home run of the year for Ramírez, who has played well in the Rumble Ponies’ first three games this year. He has five hits, including the home run, and four stolen bases in his 11 at-bats.

• RHP Luis Moreno (L, 0-1): 3 2/3 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 4 K
• RHP Andre Scrubb: 1 1/3 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 K
• RHP Cameron Foster: 2 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 1 K
• RHP Trey McLoughlin: 1 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 3 K

Unfortunately for the Rumble Ponies, the Fisher Cats’ offense overcame the early deficit and took the lead in the fourth inning. Luis Moreno had locked it down for the first three innings, but it all unraveled in the fourth when he allowed four runs. Andre Scrubb replaced him and allowed another run. Cameron Foster struggled too, allowing three runs in the eighth inning to put the Rumble Ponies in a late five-run hole.

Trey McLoughlin closed it out with an impressive performance, but it was an ugly day for the pitching staff and the offense, which only recorded four hits despite three runs and two hits in the first inning. Binghamton’s series with New Hampshire ends after just three games, but the two teams will meet again in two weeks for a typical six-game series.

High-A

Brooklyn Cyclones (0-3) 0, Wilmington Blue Rocks (3-0) 1

Box Score

• RF Stanley Consuegra: 2-for-4, K
• C Drake Osborn: 1-for-3, BB
• LF Ryan Clifford: 0-for-4, 2 K

The Brooklyn Cyclones remain winless after three games, having been swept by the Wilmington Blue Rocks. The bad news is that the offense has been putrid, scoring just three runs in three games. The good news is the pitching staff has performed well, allowing eight runs in three games. The staff continued to pitch well in Sunday’s game, allowing just one unearned run, the ghost runner in the bottom of the tenth inning.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metmerized

The bright spot was Calvin Ziegler, who pitched four perfect innings and struck out nine batters. Ziegler’s fastball was up to 96 mph, and at one point he had struck out eight batters in a row. Ziegler was a 2021 second-round draft pick who pitched just one inning in 2023 after battling several injuries. If he can stay healthy, Ziegler has incredible potential, which he demonstrated in his 2024 debut. A 60-grade fastball and curveball highlight his impressive repertoire.

The rest of the staff behind Ziegler pitched well, striking out nine in 5 2/3 scoreless innings. Joshua Cornielly was the unlucky man to draw the loss in extra innings despite not allowing an earned run. Nine times out of ten, Brooklyn wins this game. The offense just hasn’t woken up through three games.

• RHP Calvin Ziegler: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 9 K
• RHP Josh Hejka: 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP Dakota Hawkins: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
• RHP Joshua Cornielly (L, 0-1): 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

The Brooklyn offense recorded just five hits, all singles, with Stanley Consuegra being the only man to record multiple hits. Ryan Clifford, one of the Mets’ top prospects, struggled in the leadoff spot, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. It’s still early, but the signs from the Brooklyn offense haven’t been encouraging.

Low-A

Daytona Tortugas (2-1) 2, St. Lucie Mets (1-2) 0

Box Score

• 3B Colin Houck: 1-for-4, 2 K
• 1B Ronald Hernandez: 2-for-4
• 2B Diego Mosquera: 2-for-3

If you can’t already tell, the theme of Sunday’s minor league games was a severe lack of offense (six combined runs in four games between the four affiliates). However, like Brooklyn, St. Lucie got a brilliant pitching performance from prospect Jonah Tong. Tong is a starter, but he came into the game from the bullpen after two outs from rehabbing pitcher Max Kranick. Tong then put together an outing where he struck out 11 batters over 4 1/3 scoreless innings. That means 11 of the 13 outs he recorded were via the strikeout.

Tong’s curveball was especially impressive, as he recorded a 53% Called Strike + Whiff rate (CSW%) and consistently had 66-68 inches of drop. Like Ziegler in Brooklyn, though, he got no run support and was taken out during a scoreless game.

The St. Lucie Mets recorded six hits, also all singles and four of them came from Ronald Hernandez and Diego Mosquera. Other top prospects on the offensive side of things were Colin Houck, who went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts, and Nick Morabito, who led off and went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

• RHP Max Kranick: 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 K
• RHP Jonah Tong: 4 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 11 K
• RHP Austin Troesser (L, 0-1): 3 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 2 K
• RHP Brett Banks: 1 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 K

The scoreless game lasted into the seventh inning when Austin Troesser, a 2023 fourth-round pick, allowed an RBI single to put the first run on the board. Brett Banks surrendered the second and final run of the game in the ninth, allowing a solo home run. The 2-0 score would hold as the final score, giving St. Lucie a series loss to the Daytona Tortugas.

The post Calvin Ziegler, Jonah Tong Dominate Despite Losses appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Ohtani had a great night at the plate, as he always seems to. He only recorded one hit, but he reached base three other times via the walk, one of which was intentional. He made his one-hit count, as it was a 115.4 miles-per-hour laser double to right field in the third inning. That set up runners on second and third with nobody out and both runners came around to score on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single off the bat of Mike Moustakas, giving the Angels an early 2-0 lead.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Outside of facing Ohtani and those two runs he gave up, Senga had a really strong night on the mound. He had good swing-and-miss stuff, especially with his ghost forkball against an Angels lineup that was seeing him for the first time. That led to a terrific outing in which he struck out 10 batters over 6 2/3 innings. With his performance, he lowered his already stellar season ERA from 3.19 to 3.17.

As good as Senga was, though, Angels’ starter Patrick Sandoval was arguably even more impressive. Like Senga, Sandoval also generated plenty of swings and misses, particularly with his changeup. That led to seven strikeouts over six innings in which he only gave up one run and two hits, his lone blemish being a Francisco Lindor solo home run to make it a 2-1 game. Sandoval did walk four batters, including Pete Alonso three times, but those free passes never came back to bite him.

The Mets had a chance to tie or take the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, with Sandoval being replaced by lefty reliever Matt Moore. Danny Mendick greeted him with an opposite-field double before Jonathan Araúz laid down a bunt that the catcher Logan O’Hoppe couldn’t gather cleanly, putting runners on the corners with still nobody out.

However, a brutal sequence followed in which Tim Locastro struck out on three pitches and Brandon Nimmo hit a shallow fly ball to left field. Mendick tagged up, a questionable decision given where the ball was caught and the fact that Lindor was on deck, and he was easily thrown out at the plate which put a disappointing end to a once-promising inning.

Adam Kolarek and Trevor Gott pitched 1 1/3 combined shutout innings behind Senga out of the Mets’ bullpen before Sam Coonrod found himself in trouble with runners on the corners in the ninth inning. With Coonrod needing just one more out to escape the inning, Nolan Schanuel kept his hitting streak to start his big league career alive by throwing his bat out and looping a tough pitch into shallow center field which scored the runner on third, giving the Angels a massive insurance run and making it a 3-1 game.

The Mets brought the tying run to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but 2023 All-Star closer Carlos Estévez struck out Daniel Vogelbach to put the finishing touches on this one. The 3-1 loss was the Mets’ third in a row as their season record drops to 59-70.

Stat of the Game

With a Nationals victory earlier tonight and the Mets losing this one, the Mets find themselves in last place in the NL East for the first time all year and for the first time since August of 2020. It has been a year of unforeseen lowlights for the Mets and being in last place in late August might just be the worst of them all.

On Deck

The series with the Angels will continue Saturday evening with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET. Carlos Carrasco (3-7, 6.42 ERA) will take the mound for the Mets as he hopes to find any sort of glimmer of hope in what has been a really tough season. For the Angels, 23-year-old Chase Silseth (4-1, 4.00 ERA) will take the mound as he comes off of a rough start against the Rays. The game will be broadcast on SNY.

The post Mets Fall to Last Place With 3-1 Loss To Angels 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.

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.

pic.twitter.com/UvgR4ijqgT

— 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. 

The post Scherzer Dominates, Alonso Homers in 11-2 Victory Over Rays appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Max Scherzer took the mound for the Mets on Wednesday in an exhibition game against Nicaragua as teams prepare for the World Baseball Classic. While the Nicaragua lineup was not filled with All-Stars like some other lineups will be in the WBC, nearly every hitter in the lineup had played Minor League Baseball in the last three years. Scherzer was dominant in his three-plus innings of work, as he allowed just one hit and one walk while recording strikeouts for all nine outs he recorded on the night.

Scherzer struck out the first three batters he faced on the night before Cheslor Cuthbert came to the plate to lead off the second inning. The former Kansas City Royal (and Mets’ minor leaguer) turned on a fastball and homered for the only hit Scherzer would allow on the night. After another strikeout, back-to-back hitters reached base on errors. Scherzer struck out the next two Nicaraguan hitters to get out of the jam, then he struck out the side again in the third to give him five consecutive strikeouts. The Mets’ right-hander took the mound to start the fourth and face Cuthbert again, but lost him to a walk to put an end to his outing.

Mad Max’s final line: 3+ IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K.

3 more strikeouts for Max Scherzer!

All 9 of his outs in his 3 innings of work have come via the strikeout. pic.twitter.com/Y5NAZcDcy5

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 8, 2023

Aside from Cuthbert, Scherzer faced 11 batters with only two balls put in play resulting in errors on the infield. The Nicaraguan team did make him work for his outs, as they fouled off 12 two-strike pitches, but the future Hall-of-Famer was too much for them to handle.

With exactly three weeks remaining until Opening Day, it has still not been determined if Scherzer or his co-ace Justin Verlander will be on the mound for the season’s first game. While a strong outing against an inferior opponent in Nicaragua may not be the determining factor in Buck Showalter‘s decision, it is an encouraging sign to see that Scherzer is on his game early in spring.

The post Max Scherzer Racks Up Strikeouts Against Nicaragua appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mandatory Credit: Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports

Mets fans likely remember how good Taijuan Walker was in the first half last year, and then how bad he was in the second half.

To those fans, this season probably feels like a similar story. Walker has once again had a strong opening half of the season, posting an ERA below 3.00 in 13 starts. The obvious question going into the remainder of the season is whether he can keep up this success, or if he’s just going to fall off a cliff again.

When looking at his numbers, the short answer is that he’s due for some regression, but not as much as last year. Some of his numbers are up from where they were last year, while others are down.

He’s striking out fewer batters, with his K/9 going from 8.26 to 6.44. And that’s despite two recent starts where he struck out 19 in 12 2/3 innings. It’s hard to explain that random spurt of dominance, but outside of those two starts, he’s struck out just 4.95 batters per nine innings. However, he’s also walking fewer batters. His current 2.60 BB/9 would be his lowest mark since 2016.

The average exit velocity of balls hit against him and his expected batting average have both improved, according to his Baseball Savant percentile rankings. This is despite his fastball velocity going from the 68th percentile to the 44th percentile. His ground ball percentage has gone up from 41.9% to 49.3%, with his fly ball percentage going down from 41.2% to 29.2%.

All this means that he’s throwing the ball softer than last year, which has resulted in a decrease in strikeouts. But he’s getting the ball on the ground more, where the Mets are well-equipped with infielders like Francisco Lindor and Luis Guillorme. With all the various analytics taken into account, Baseball Savant has Walker’s expected ERA at 3.82 — over a full run higher than his current mark, but still not bad. For reference, his expected ERA last year was 4.60, while his actual ERA was 4.47. If Walker can finish the season with an ERA around the 3.60-3.80 mark, that certainly wouldn’t be a failure of a season by any means.

As for the velocity decrease, it mostly has to due with him simply throwing his fastball less often. He’s actually averaging the same speed on his fastball that he did last year — 94 mph — but he’s throwing it only 38% of the time, compared to 57% last year. He’s thrown his changeup a lot more this season, which is largely why he’s getting fewer strikeouts but more ground balls.

If his changeup continues to be effective, then he should absolutely roll with it. It was actually that high-80s split-finger changeup that induced most of those strikeouts in his random, impressive burst of punchouts against the Angels and Marlins. But it wouldn’t hurt him to go back to the fastball a little more often, especially if regression does start tumbling his way.

It will be interesting to see how the rest of Walker’s season plays out. Like last year, he seems to be over-performing his metrics. With any luck, he learned something from last season that’ll help him ease the blow of his inevitable regression after the All-Star break. And despite the curious nature of Walker’s numbers, he is, overall, performing like a better pitcher this year than last. Whether that means he’ll keep up this level of success all season, we shall have to wait and see.

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Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

There is such an inundation of statistics to illustrate the greatness of Jacob deGrom that it becomes somewhat baffling and mostly awe-inspiring. But for the pitcher who comes out to the song “Simple Man,” the figures which best describe deGrom’s brilliance against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field a year ago are quite straightforward: 15 strikeouts, two hits, nine shutout innings.

And for anyone who might think that’s not enough (and I’d love to find out who did), he can also swing the bat. DeGrom was slotted in the No. 8 spot in the batting order, and made a case he should be higher. Because in the fifth inning, he broke a scoreless tie with a double to left field to extend a five-game hitting streak dating to 2019. “M-V-P!” chants reigned down from the pandemic-limited Citi Field crowd of 8,000-plus for the man who can literally do it all. They continued when he singled in the eighth. On a night he gave up just two hits, he got two hits.

Back to deGrom’s specialty. Of the 109 pitches he threw to Nationals batters, ten were at least 100 miles per hour. Five of those were thrown in a typically breezy first inning. Since the start of the 2020 season, deGrom had reached triple figures on 33 first-inning pitches. According to MLB Statcast, the next highest was eight.

Andrew Stevenson doubled with two outs in the third. He would be the last National to reach base. Of the last 19 deGrom set down in order, nine were retired via strikeout. He struck out the side in the sixth and seventh innings — giving him a career-high 15. That bested his previous high of 14, which included the last two times he took the mound in Miami and Colorado. He joined Pedro Martinez in 1999 and Gerrit Cole in 2019 as the only pitchers to fan 14 or more in three straight appearances.

It was the 49th time in deGrom’s career that he tallied 10 Ks or more, and his 50 over the first four starts of 2021 was a major league record.

When he got Josh Harrison on a grounder that Pete Alonso fielded and fittingly fed to deGrom on the bag, the Mets’ two-time Cy Young winner had a razor-thin ERA of 0.31 and a WHIP of 0.55.

He didn’t needed to show off his hitting ability — which frankly had been better than some actual Mets hitters to this point — but deGrom did anyway. He was the first Mets pitcher not to bat ninth since he was the eight-place hitter for his last start of his epic 2018 season on Sept. 26. After his eighth-inning single, deGrom had six hits in 11 at-bats — a .545 batting average.

When considering the greatest performance in the career of Jacob deGrom, you’d have to consider the deciding game of the 2015 NLDS in which he battled through the sixth inning without his elite stuff and gave the Mets an opportunity to advance as well as his one-hitter against the Phillies in 2017. The April evening at Citi Field against the Nats was Jacob deGrom at his all-around best.

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Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Needing to add some pitching depth at the major league level this past offseason, the New York Mets traded starter Steven Matz to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for a package of Sean Reid-Foley, Yennsy Diaz and Josh Winckowski, which is a move this team has largely benefited from so far.

While Winckowski remained with the organization for all of just a few weeks, as he was ultimately sent in a three-team trade that brought outfielder Khalil Lee to the Mets, Reid-Foley has already made a fairly significant impact up to this point and is making a very strong case to remain in the majors through the rest of the season.

Since the 25-year-old spent the majority of his tenure with the Blue Jays as a starter and only primarily moved to the bullpen last season, he entered this spring with an undefined role and was later assigned to the club’s alternate training site. But after making one appearance with Triple-A Syracuse, where he allowed just two hits and struck out three batters over two innings, the right-hander was quickly recalled to the majors and has traveled back-and-forth between those two levels all season long.

In total, Reid-Foley has been promoted to the Mets six different times in 2021, making him one of the busiest players in the game through the first three months of the campaign. With one minor league option remaining, the youngster has been victimized by the numbers game throughout his inaugural season with the Mets, although that hasn’t prevented him from performing effectively.

Serving as a multi-inning reliever, the 6′ 3″ hurler has made 11 appearances from out of the bullpen, producing a respectable 3.98 ERA, 3.50 xERA, 3.69 FIP, 3.59 xFIP, .234 AVG, 30.6% strikeout rate (career-high), 9.4% walk rate and a 0.1 fWAR rating through 20 1/3 innings.

Given that reliever Robert Gsellman recently suffered a torn right lat and is currently on the 60-day injured list, there’s a chance Reid-Foley’s latest promotion to the majors could last significantly longer than any of his other brief cameos. Considering this team is now without its regular bulk-innings pitcher, they’ll need someone else to fill that role potentially for the rest of the season.

Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Based on the Mets’ active roster, both Corey Oswalt and Reid-Foley appear to be the only capable arms of throwing multiple innings in relief, and for now, there might be enough space to keep each of them in the majors. Sure, starter Thomas Szapucki could eventually transition into this type of role too, but since this club’s starting rotation has been riddled with injuries, it’d probably make more sense to keep him stretched out moving forward.

When the time comes to clear a roster spot, the coaching staff will likely need to choose between these two pitchers to create an opening for a returning player, however, deciding which hurler to send down could become a challenging decision to make.

At first glance, optioning the former Blue Jay back to the minors would seem to be the obvious choice, especially since Oswalt doesn’t feature any minor league options. Having said that, it’ll be more important for the coaching staff to favor quality over pitching depth, meaning sending the former second round selection back to Triple-A might not be the wisest decision.

While Oswalt has only surrendered one run and has also recorded six strikeouts through 6 1/3 innings in the majors this season, the 27-year-old has allowed eight hits, seven hard-hit balls and a 42.1% LD rate during that same span. As a result, he currently owns a 5.42 xERA and a 3.67 xFIP, meaning he hasn’t performed nearly as well as his traditional results may suggest.

Even though Reid-Foley has been plagued by home runs at times, as he’s given up three long balls this month, he’s taken significant strides in improving his ability to generate high amounts of strikeouts and has also reduced the number of walks allowed as well. After creating an 18.9% strikeout rate and a 15.0% walk rate over 38 1/3 innings from 2019-2020, the Sandalwood HS standout has improved his strikeout rate by 11.7% and his walk rate by 5.6% this season.

Gaining additional experience as a full-time reliever, the former top prospect has continued to refine his repertoire, which now includes his mid-90s fastball, mid-80s slider and high-80s changeup, and has excelled with his improved off-speed weapon up to this point.

As a starter, Reid-Foley barely utilized his changeup, as its usage ranged from 6.0% to 8.7% from 2018-2020, and primarily threw it against left-handed hitters. But thanks to some key adjustments over the winter, he’s now using it against both lefties and righties, allowing its usage to rise to 14.0% this season.

Building off the success he enjoyed last season, where his changeup posted a career-high 50.0% whiff rate, the native of Guam has continued dominating hitters with his newly developed offering and has produced a .083 AVG, a .090 xAVG, a .083 SLG, a .143 xSLG, a .121 wOBA, a .144 xwOBA and a 42.9% whiff rate with it in 2021.

Comparing these stellar results to the rest of the majors, Reid-Foley owns the third-best xAVG, the sixth-best xSLG, the seventh-best xwOBA and is tied for the 16th-highest whiff rate among all pitchers who’ve compiled at least 10 plate appearances with their respective changeup, according to BaseballSavant.com.

Unlike previous seasons, the young right-hander’s changeup has developed into a reliable strikeout weapon and its progression is one of the biggest reasons for the dramatic increase in his overall strikeout rate. Despite not recording a single strikeout with it before 2021, his off-speed pitch has changed that narrative completely as it currently owns a 46.2% strikeout rate.

Source: BaseballSavant.com

Similar to its strikeout rate, Reid-Foley’s changeup is also generating significantly more swings and misses inside the strike zone this season, which has resulted in a career-high 31.3% in-zone whiff rate.

Source: BaseballSavant.com

Given that Reid-Foley is now able to rely on three separate pitches as a reliever, there’s a very strong chance he’ll continue thriving in a multi-inning role, making him the ideal candidate to serve as Gsellman’s injury replacement. Furthermore, his encouraging first-half performance has certainly earned him an extended look in the majors.

Looking ahead to next season, the soon-to-be 26-year-old will be out of minor league options and would need to be placed on waivers before being eligible to be sent to the minors. With that in mind, it’ll be crucial for the Mets to receive a greater understanding of his value through the remainder of the campaign, which could allow him to solidify his spot in the majors long-term.

But even if Reid-Foley proves he still requires a little more development in the minors, this club probably won’t be able to gain that information unless he remains in the big leagues for an extended stretch.

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On August 28, 2021, prior to their tilt with the Washington Nationals, the New York Mets will permanently honor the winningest left-hander in franchise history. Jerry Koosman will have his number 36 raised to the rafters (or at least into the outfield) of Citi Field forever. He will join Tom Seaver, Mike Piazza, Gil Hodges, Casey Stengel and Jackie Robinson as players who have had their numbers retired.

Koosman pitched for 12 seasons for the Mets, amassing 140 regular season victories and three World Series wins.

What follows is a re-print of my tribute to Jerry Koosman, a man the Mets paid all of $1600 to obtain.

To most Mets fans, especially in this generation, Koosman is part of a familiar idiom, Seaver and Koosman, denoting the excellence in pitching the Mets had during the late sixties and seventies.

Unfortunately, Koosman’s accomplishments and inspiration to his teammates often go unnoticed due to the enormous prowess of Tom Seaver, one of the greatest pitchers in the history of baseball.

Playing a sport in the shadow of a legend is never easy, but Jerry Koosman cast a large shadow of his own and was an invaluable member of the Mets and here we will take a look at some of his career highlights, and pay tribute to a man that the Mets will rightfully honor next year as they retire his uniform number.

“This honor isn’t only for me and my family, it’s for the legions of fans I grew to love,” Koosman said in a statement. “To know that my number will be retired and sit alongside other team legends is one of the greatest tributes I could ever be granted. I was always proud to be a Met. Today, I am even prouder.”

Jerry Koosman joined the Mets in 1967. He became part of the starting rotation for the Major League club the following year. He posted a 19-12 record with seven shutouts, 178 strikeouts, and a 2.08 ERA. The wins, shutouts, and ERA set franchise records for a rookie, breaking those set by teammate Tom Seaver a year earlier.

Koosman was chosen for the All-Star game, his first of two appearances. He pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save for the victorious National League, striking out Carl Yastrzemski for the final out to secure the win. Koosman was second in Rookie of the Year voting to Johnny Bench in 1968.

“Finally the Kooz gets his due! Jerry Koosman was such a terrific pitcher & important part of the ‘69 Mets. Having his number retired is fitting for what he’s meant to the Met organization & his teammates. Congratulations & well deserved.” That from teammate Art Shamsky.

In 1969 Koosman posted a 17-9 record with a 2.28 ERA and 180 strikeouts in another All-Star season. But this season was special as the newly formed NL East had a surprise winner.

After trailing the Chicago Cubs for most of the season, the Mets caught them and won the division going away. Koosman won eight of his last nine decisions to help in the cause. After getting hit hard in the first-ever NLCS, he was the clear pitching star in the 1969 World Series.

Koosman pitched 17 2/3 innings in the 1969 Fall Classic, notching two wins including a complete-game victory in game five. Koosman, in only his second major league career, was getting the reputation as the Mets’ money pitcher, their go-to guy in a must-win situation. After Seaver lost to the Baltimore Orioles in Game 1, they needed a stopper, and Koosman was every bit of this and more.

In Game 2, Koosman took the mound and proceeded to no-hit the Orioles for six innings. He won the game after going 8 1/3 innings, allowing only one run on two hits. The Mets won games three and four and then Koosman pitched what turned out to be the final game of the Series.

Who can forget Koosman leaping into Jerry Grote‘s arms after the last out was made…an enduring image in Mets lore. Shortly thereafter, Cleon Jones, who made the last out of the World Series, gave Koosman the game ball for game 5. There are many baseball historians who feel Koosman was the better choice for MVP of the Series than winner Donn Clendenon.

“Jerry Koosman is a Mets legend, will be an honor to be alongside of him!”. Mike Piazza, whose #31 is also retired by the Mets, made this quote upon learning the Koosman was to receive the same honor.

In 1970, Koosman was 12-7 with a 3.14 ERA. He was often the victim of poor run support. In 1971 and 1972, he had losing records after suffering an arm injury in 1971. Koosman won his first five starts in 1973 but finished with a 14-15 record.

Koosman was strong down the stretch in 1973, pitching a then-record 31 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings. He, Seaver and defending Rookie-of-the-Year, Jon Matlack led the way as the Mets once again overcame a deficit to the Cubs to win the National League East.

In the playoffs, Koosman once again showed his mettle. In game three of the NLCS against the Cincinnati Reds, Koosman pitched a complete game for a 9–2 victory in a game that was headlined by Pete Roses‘s altercation with Mets’ shortstop Bud Harrelson. Koosman and Rose would get together years later in an historic moment.

Koosman also won game five of the World Series against the Oakland Athletics holding the A’s scoreless for 6 1/3 innings. The win gave the Mets a three games to two lead in a series they eventually lost in seven.

“I’m enormously proud of the time I played in the orange and blue uniform of the Mets”, Koosman said in a statement after the announcement his number was to be retired.

Koosman’s best year may have been 1976. He went 21-10 with 200 strikeouts. Koosman finished second in the Cy Young voting to Randy Jones, even though Koosman’s stats were for the most part decidedly better.

After Seaver was traded in 1977, the Mets went downhill and with no foreseeable changes on the horizon, Koosman requested a trade in 1978. He went on to pitch for the Twins, White Sox, and Phillies. As a member of the Phils, he allowed Pete Rose‘s 4000th hit, a double, in 1984.

“The excitement of playing for the Mets when we won the 1969 World Series was an experience I never thought I’d be able to repeat,” Koosman said in a statement. “But the news that the Mets Hall of Fame Committee has voted to retire my number is another life-changing thrill and honor.”

Jerry Koosman was a dominant pitcher for the New York Mets. He won 140 games and pitched to a 3.06 ERA in his 12 years with the team. He still holds the franchise record for wins by a lefthander. His performances in big spots were unmatched on a team that carried a Tom Seaver and was known for its pitching. He was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 1989.

The collection of quotes here is just a small sample of what others feel about Koosman and how Koosman feels about having his number retired. He was often in the shadow of a great man, but cast a large shadow of his own. The make-up of this man is described nicely when he said:

“For me it was that you can dream big. I was born and reared on a farm in western Minnesota and dreamed of winning the World Series as a kid. So to see that come true it’s almost overwhelming.”

“If I would have told somebody that I was going to win the World Series in New York City when I was a kid, they probably would have laughed. I did it, though, proving that anything is possible if you set your mind to it and work hard. It doesn’t matter where you come from or how you are raised. Anything is possible in this country. Anything.”

This quotation, from World Series Winners: What it Takes to Claim Baseball’s Ultimate Prize by Ross Bernstein, accurately describes the man who from humble beginnings, became a big-city icon. It was uttered by Jerry Koosman after the Mets won the 1969 World Series. It is a phrase that shows both his humbleness and motivation. It is a quote that, in a nutshell, captures Jerry Koosman perfectly.

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