Two solo home runs in the fourth inning by Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony were enough. The lone Dominican Republic run came via a second-inning solo shot by Junior Caminero.

Paul Skenes started the game for the United States and went 4 1/3 innings allowing just the one run. Former Met, Tyler Rogers, got current Met, Juan Soto, to ground into a huge inning-ending double play in the fifth inning to preserve the slim lead.

Behind Rogers, Griffin Jax, David Bednar, Garrett Whitlock, and Mason Miller all turned in scoreless outings of their own.

Bednar got out of big trouble in the seventh as he struck out Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ketal Marte back-to-back to strand the tying and go-ahead runs on base. Meanwhile, Miller ended the game with a controversial called strike three against Geraldo Perdomo. Perdomo was the winning run as the tying run was only 90 feet away at third base.

Two more former Mets factored in greatly on the pitching side of things for the Dominican Republic. Luis Severino started the contest and gave up the solo shot to Henderson. Shortly after, in relief, Gregory Soto gave up the other homer to Anthony.

As for current Mets, Juan Soto ended the game 0-for-4 with the aforementioned costly double play and a strikeout on a pitch well below the zone. Unfortunately, the final strike call was not the only that home plate umpire Cory Blaser got wrong. On a positive note, right-handed relief pitcher Huascar Brazobán overpowered the United Staes striking out three over his 1 1/3 innings of work.

The other semifinal game is slated for a 8:00 pm ET first pitch on Monday. As mentioned, the United States awaits the winner of that match between Venezuela and Italy. The championship game will be Tuesday, March 17.

The post U.S.A. Defeats The D.R. To Advance To The WBC Title Game appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The United States is set to face off against the Dominican Republic for a spot in the World Baseball Classic championship game.

The U.S. defeated Canada in the quarterfinals while the D.R. mercy-ruled Korea, 10-0, in their quarterfinal match. The Dominicans have not loss a game at the tournament while the United States’ lone loss was against Team Italy.

The winner will take on either Italy or Venezuela in the championship.

Team USA Lineup

1. Bobby Witt Jr. – SS
2. Bryce Harper – 1B
3. Aaron Judge – RF
4. Kyle Schwarber – DH
5. Gunnar Henderson – 3B
6. Will Smith – C
7. Roman Anthony – LF
8. Brice Turang – 2B
9. Pete Crow-Armstrong – CF

Starting Pitcher: Paul Skenes

Team Dominican Republic Lineup

1. Fernando Tatis Jr. – RF
2. Ketal Marte – 2B
3. Juan Soto – LF
4. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 1B
5. Manny Machado – 3B
6. Junior Caminero – DH
7. Julio Rodríguez – CF
8. Austin Wells – C
9. Geraldo Perdomo – SS

Starting Pitcher: Luis Severino

Three Things To Watch For

1. Juan Soto. The New York Mets superstar is slashing .316/.458/.632 (1.090 OPS) across 19 at-bats. He also has more walks (five) than strikeouts (four). Soto is the lifeblood of the Dominican Republic’s attack which will surely have the American Mets fans feeling very conflicted.
2. Paul Skenes. You really could not script it much better. Arguably the best pitcher in baseball against arguably the best lineup at the tournament. Skenes tossed four innings of one-hit ball his first World Baseball Classic outing. What does he have in him tonight?
3. Pitch Counts. In the World Baseball Classic, pitches are capped at a certain amount of pitches and it varies by each round. Skenes and his counterpart, Luis Severino, are capped at 80 pitches. If they begin an at-bat up against that number, they can exceed 80, but must be removed after that at-bat concludes. The title game pitch cap is 95 pitches.

The post WBC Game Chat: United States vs. Dominican Republic, 8:00 P.M. appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Before we get into it, we also want to quickly share that we have some new WBC merch up on our website. Go check it out! 

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

David Melendi

The Dominican Republic. And I learned while doing extensive research for the MMO’s WBC team previews that ex and future Mets have won a few MVPs. Daisuke Matsuzaka, Robinson Cano, and Marcus Stroman have all taken home the hardware. This time it’s Amed Rosario’s turn.

Mathias Altman-Kurosaki

The USA will defeat Japan in a rematch of the 2023 finals. Even with Tarik Skubal’s early departure, the Stars and Stripes have plenty of pitching depth in addition to their stacked lineup. I’ll go with Cal Raleigh for the WBC MVP.

Matt Mancuso

It’s difficult not to select the Dominican Republic, a squad that contains the offensive prowess of the 1927 Yankees. Betting against a team whose worst hitter was 30% better than league average last year seems like a fool’s errand. MVP: Juan Soto

Michael Mayer

I have a hard time picking between the US, Japan, the DR, and Venezuela. Those top four teams are really really good. I like the team the US has built quite a bit; it’s balanced well between offense and pitching. I believe they take home the WBC crown, and Bobby Witt Jr. will be the MVP.

Brandyn Pokrass

In a tournament with so much star power, I am going to go with the Dominican Republic. The U.S. would be my other pick, but I see the DR’s lineup having a huge impact game in and game out. As for the MVP, I’ll go with Fernando Tatis Jr.

Christian De Block

2026 will be the year the USA returns to the top. The Dominican Republic and Japan are deep, talented teams that will certainly have something to say. But in the end, USA will get it done, with Aaron Judge taking home the MVP.

Michelle Ioannou

DR isn’t going to be easy to beat, but I’m going to go with Team USA with Paul Skenes as the MVP.

The post MMO Roundtable: Who Do We Think Will Win The World Baseball Classic And WBC MVP? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

With Matt Harvey being a former Tar Heel, and David Wright‘s brother having been a student at Virginia Tech, this Mets team has connections to the NCAA Tournament even if Todd Frazier (Rutgers) and Michael Conforto (Oregon) are looking for another team to root for this year.

Like the Mets players and all of you, our writers have filled out our brackets, and with games set to start imminently, our staff presents our Final Four Picks. The tourney kicks off Thursday at 12:15 p.m. with Rhode Island vs Oklahoma with the NCAA Championship game taking place on April 2.

John Sheridan – Villanova

Final Four: Arizona, Xavier, Villanova, Michigan State
Champion: Villanova Wildcats
Note: Onward Setonia!

Michael Mayer – North Carolina

Final Four: Tennessee, North Carolina, Villanova, Michigan State
Champion: North Carolina Tar Heels

Josh Finkelstein – Michigan

Final Four: Kentucky, Michigan, Wichita State, Duke
Champion: Michigan Wolverines

Tim Ryder – Villanova

Final Four: Arizona, Gonzaga, Villanova, Kansas
Champion: Villanova Wildcats

Jack Ramsey – Missouri

Final Four: Virginia, Missouri, Purdue, Kansas
Champion: Missouri Tigers

Dilip Sridhar – Villanova

Final Four: Arizona, Michigan, Villanova, Duke
Champion: Villanova Wildcats

Logan Barer – New York Mets

Final Four: Indians, Astros, Mets, Cubs
Champion: New York Mets
Note: This was Logan’s protest answer as he believes it’s only baseball season.

Jacob Resnick – Arizona

Final Four: Arizona, North Carolina, Villanova, Kansas
Champion: Arizona Wildcats

Roberto Correa – Florida State

Final Four: Kentucky, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Syracuse
Champion: Florida State Seminoles

President Obama – Michigan State

Final Four: Virginia, North Carolina, Villanova, Michigan State
Champion: Michigan State Spartans

Dick Vitale – Michigan State

Final Four: Virginia, Gonzaga, Villanova, Michigan State
Champion: Michigan State Spartans

Okay, so President Obama and Dick Vitale do not write for MMO, but it’s still fun to see how our staff’s picks stack up against the former President of the United States and a college basketball expert.  It will also fun to see how our picks stack up against our readers.  We look forward to seeing your picks in the comments section.

The post MMO’s Final Four Predictions appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Sometimes, no matter how hard we use sports to distract us and give us a reprieve from a tedious and exhaustive news cycle, a tragedy unfolds that gives us pause, tugs at our hearts, and leaves us stunned and saddened.

Last night, during an outdoor concert on the Las Vegas strip, a lone gunman armed with over a dozen military grade rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition, unleashed a barrage of bullets from his 32nd floor perch of the Mandalay Bay Hotel across the street.

The carnage was devastating and currently the death toll has risen to over 50 victims with well over 400 people injured, many of them in critical condition. It is the deadliest and worst mass shooting in United States history.

On behalf of myself and my staff, our deepest prayers and condolences go out to all the victims and their loved ones as we all struggle to make sense of this senseless tragedy.

The post Our Thoughts and Prayers Go Out To Victims of Las Vegas Shooting appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The United States and the Dominican Republic will battle it out for a spot in the World Baseball Classic semifinals with an elimination game tonight at 10:00 PM ET. The game will be televised on MLB Network.

LHP Danny Duffy will get the start for the United States and will be opposed by RHP Ervin Santana for the Dominican Republic.

The winner of tonight’s game will advance and join Puerto Rico, Japan and the Netherlands in the semifinals in Los Angeles next week. The loser of course goes home.

On Friday night, Puerto Rico punched its ticket to the World Baseball Classic semifinals in Los Angeles with a 6-5 win over the United States at Petco Park. Puerto Rico remains unbeaten in this year’s tournament.

United States

1. Ian Kinsler, 2B
2. Adam Jones, CF
3. Christian Yelich, LF
4. Nolan Arenado, 3B
5. Eric Hosmer, 1B
6. Andrew McCutchen, RF
7. Brandon Crawford, SS
8. Giancarlo Stanton, DH
9. Jonathan Lucroy, C

Dominican Republic

1. Jose Reyes, SS
2. Manny Machado, 3B
3. Robinson Cano, 2B
4. Nelson Cruz, RF
5. Carlos Santana, 1B
6. Starling Marte, CF
7. Adrian Beltre, DH
8. Gregory Polanco, LF
9. Wellington Castillo, C

The post WBC Game Thread: United States vs Dominican Republic, 10:00 PM appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets will hold their annual winter blood drive on Thursday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm at Citi Field’s Caesars Club, the team announced.

All donors will receive a voucher redeemable for two tickets to a Mets home game in April, excluding Opening Day.

Donors can park in Lot G off 126th St. and enter Citi Field via the Hodges VIP entrance. For those seeking photo opportunities, Mr. Met will be in attendance from noon to 1:00 pm.

The Mets are hosting their drive in conjunction with the New York Blood Center, one of the largest community-based, non-profit blood collection and distribution organizations in the United States.

The post Mets Blood Drive At Citi Field On Thursday appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

In the social media and Twitter world, Mets fans are known to be very vocal. For those of us that are active on the medium, we are very familiar with the hashtag #MetsTwitter.

So when it comes to the actual number of accounts that are following the Mets on Twitter, where does our team rank?

To no surprise, the Yankees rule the Twitterverse, with nearly 360,000 more followers than the next most followed team. While the average Met fan may be down on the team right now, considering we’re still in the largest media market in the country, surely the Mets would be near the top, right?

Not quite. The Mets have the 13th most followers, more than 46,000 behind the Cincinnati Reds and less than 5,000 ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Yankees have more than quadruple the number of followers than the Mets.

By sheer numbers, not only has attendance dwindled and frustration set in among fans – nearly twice as many people are interested in hearing what the Braves have to say than the Mets.

So how many followers do each of the MLB teams official twitter accounts have (as of Sunday evening, September 14th, 2014)

1. Yankees -1,214,518
2. Phillies – 855,619
3. Red Sox – 853,444
4. Giants – 645,743
5. Dodgers – 572,513
6. Braves – 535,743
7. Cardinals – 500,509
8. Blue Jays – 495,041
9. Tigers – 487,450
10. Rangers – 421,587
11. Cubs – 385,803
12. Reds – 328,461
13. Mets – 282,251
14. Pirates – 277,501
15. Orioles – 249,417
16. Indians – 239,075
17. Twins – 233,445
18. White Sox – 218,233
19. Mariners – 217,213
20. Brewers – 216,062
21. Royals – 213,110
22. Angels – 212,725
23. Athletics – 204,930
24. Nationals – 204,701
25. Rays – 187,280
26. Astros – 161,079
27. Diamondbacks – 149,675
28. Rockies – 149.115
29. Padres – 134,422
30. Marlins – 133,357

The post Mets Are 13th Most Followed MLB Official Team Account appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets have selected Oregon State OF Michael Conforto with the 10th overall pick in MLB draft.

That wraps up the evening for the Mets as they forfeited the second round pick to sign Curtis Granderson.

Conforto, a 6’2″ and 217 pound outfielder, is considered a good power prospect with a great approach.

Through 43 games this season the left-handed hitting Conforto is batting .351 with seven home runs, 18 doubles a .557 slugging percentage and a .508 OBP representative of his 55 walks.

During his college career, he hit .341 with a .463 OBP, 43 doubles and 31 home runs in 179 games.

Here’s what Baseball America had to say about the player and the pick:

The Mets feel like they’re about to turn the corner in the big leagues and are well stocked with young pitching, so they would like a college bat who could move through the system quickly. Turner would be tempting if he’s available, but Conforto is the consensus best college hitter and has the polished approach the team is looking for.

The Mets greeted Conforto, a two time Pac-12 Player of the Year, on Twitter:

Please join us in welcoming the 10th overall pick in the 2014 #MLBDraft, to the #Mets, @mconforto8! #LGM pic.twitter.com/wNjFF4bx5d

— New York Mets (@Mets) June 6, 2014

6:00 PM

MMO’s Clayton Collier has arrived and discovered a surprise guest in Mike Piazza who will join Frank Viola.

5:00 PM

The MLB First Year Player Draft begins tonight at 7:00 PM EST, when the first two rounds of the draft will be conducted.

The New York Mets have the 10th pick in the first round, but forfeited their second round pick when they signed free agent Curtis Granderson to a four-year, $60 million dollar deal during the last offseason.

The draft resumes on Friday at 1:00 PM EST, beginning with the 3rd round and ending with the 10th, and finally concludes on Saturday when they wrap up rounds 11-40 beginning at 1:00 PM EST.

2014 Draft Schedule

Thursday – Live Draft (Round 1, Comp. A, Round 2, Comp. B) on MLB Network and MLB.com

Friday – Live Draft (Rounds 3-10) on MLB.com

Saturday – Live Draft (Rounds 11-40) on MLB.com

Mets Draft Information

Paul DePodesta has stressed more than a few times, that they don’t go into the draft with a mindset of taking either high school or college players. Each draft is different and their focus is on taking the best players available regardless of their age. They also look at each draft through the prism of a 4-year outlook down the road.

Draft Bonus Spending Pool

The Mets have $5,308,300 to spend which ranks 22nd among all other teams. In other words, 21 other teams will have more to spend than the Mets. If the Mets exceed their spending allotment, penalties come into play.

The post Mets Select Outfielder Michael Conforto appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

A career minor leaguer, Clark played for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan last season and batted .238 with 25 home runs, 70 RBI, and a .785 OPS.

Clark, 27, was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 12th round of the 2008 draft. He last played for them in 2012 when he batted .290/.367/.506 for the Triple-A Tucson Padres in the Pacific Coast League. The lefthanded slugger belted 22 home runs and drove in 77 runs that season.

Clark has hit for power at every level of his six year pro career, averaging 24 homeruns and 90 RBI over his four full seasons in the Padres system. But with Ike Davis and Lucas Duda already on the roster, he will certainly be assigned to Triple-A Las Vegas when camp breaks.

The post Mets Sign 1B Matt Clark To Minor League Contract appeared first on Metsmerized Online.