The New York Mets are no longer proving they are a resilient team. They are a resilient team.
As noted in yesterday’s article, the Mets are manufacturing runs in addition to their homeruns. This is common trait in championship teams. Although championship teams hit homeruns, more importantly they succeed situationally hitting, moving runners over and sacrificing runs in, understanding the importance of 90 feet.
Here are six takeaways from last night’s exciting victory.
1. Sean Gilmartin
Another solid bridge bullpen performance from Gilmartin, pitching 1.2 innings allowing no hits and striking out three. Gilmartin exhibits strong pitch selection coupled with enough fastball velocity (92 mph maximum velocity last night) to set up his sharp curveball and slider, accounting for five swing and misses last night (50% miss rate).
This strikeout ability will be tremendously valuable, not only as a middle or longer reliever but in jam situations where balls in play, regardless the amount of contact, result in runs scored (example: Man on third with less than two outs, any ball in play other than a popup or groundball back to the pitcher predominantly results in opposing runs scoring).
2. Carlos Torres
Torres showed an above average curveball with sharp downward movement. Although the curveball didn’t result in a high miss rate, four were taken for called strikes due to difficulty in recognizing the tight spin.
His problem lies in poor command. Every pitch thrown could end up on the opposite side of home plate compared to his target.
Normally, this approach is considered effectively wild (See articles on Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard) but he does not show the strike throwing ability needed to constitute the word “effective”.
Torres has strikeout potential but Terry Collins can’t insert him into strikeout situations because the fear of a walk or hard contact is too high. This was seen in Tuesday night’s game, allowing a bases clearing double in the eighth inning before Tyler Clippard closed the inning.
Don’t put too much value in Torres based on his success last night.
3. SportsCenter Top 10
Make fun of Daniel Murphy consistently making easy plays look difficult. Having said that, from the moment Murphy stopped the baseball from Jeff Francoeur’s groundball until Carlos Torres touched first base for the out, it truly was a great play.
Impressively, Murphy stayed with the baseball after his diving stop proceed by a difficult blind flip of the baseball based on what he saw out of the corner of his eye.
Second, the catch by Torres is not easy. People contend, “Pitchers practice covering first base 50 times per day in spring training, it should be easy!” In theory, that is correct. Unfortunately, it rarely happens during games, creating many pitchers lacking consistent game experience covering first base.
Additionally, Torres was in a dead sprint to the first base bag. I can tell you from experience, it is not easy at your apex of speed to look up, find and catch a baseball, then find and step on the first base bag when you either see or know in the back of your head there is a baserunner fully committed to strictly sprinting to the bag.
4. Jeff Francoeur Still Has a Hose
After catching a routine fly ball with Carlos Torres on second base in the 13th inning, Francoeur threw an absolute missile from mid-right field to third base. Almost as entertaining as Rick Ankiel from center field (Scroll to 2:35) or a more relevant, Yoenis Cespedes.
5. Jon Niese’s Performance: 6 IP, 5 R, 5 H, 5 SO, 5 BB
A major reason for Niese’s success during the second half of this season is he has not allowed his walks hurt him. However, last night this was not the case.
In the Phillies five run third inning, he allowed a leadoff single, strikeout, walk, walk and single scoring two runs.
If either walk is a groundball instead, it’s likely an inning ending double play.
Remember, four consecutive singles manufacturing runs is a rare occurrence, especially pitching to: Aaron Harang, Cesar Hernandez, Andres Blanco and Odubel Herrera. Force these four inexperienced MLB hitters to beat you.
6. Last Pitch of the Night
@msimonespn tweeted this pitch location chart. What in the blue hell was Darin Ruf attempting to swing at?
Stat of the Night
@ESPNStatsInfo: The Mets have scored 73 runs in their last 7 games. That’s the most runs they’ve scored in a 7-game span in franchise history.
@ESPNStatsInfo: 13 HR hit by Mets this week are their most ever in a series of any length. Hit 11 vs Astros in 4-game set in May 1990
@ESPNStatsInfo: Most HR in a month in Mets history: August 2015 43 HR, June 2006 40 HR
Follow Chris Zaccherio on Twitter @ziography for more Mets insight going beyond statistics.
