Did Grimace save the Mets' summer?

New York wins for the 10th time in their last 14 games. Plus, did Grimace save the season?

Rich MacLeod

Jun 16, 2024

What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️

The Mets beat the Padres by a score of 5-1 on Saturday afternoon for their fourth consecutive win (box)
DH J.D. Martínez had a huge day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two home runs (8), three RBI, two walks and two runs scored
LHP José Quintana bounced back with a strong performance, allowing one earned run on two hits and six strikeouts in six innings
LF Brandon Nimmo went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in the victory
RHP Dedniel Núñez continued his strong breakout campaign, pitching two perfect innings with two strikeouts and lowering his ERA to 2.04 this season
After six attempts, the Mets finally won their first game in their City Connect uniforms this season
New York has now won four straight games, is 8-4 in the month of June and has won 10 of their last 14 games

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Injury Updates 🏥

RHP Kodai Senga (right posterior shoulder capsule strain) had another bullpen session on Saturday, throwing 30 pitches over two simulated innings – he will have another session during the middle of next week and then, hopefully, throw live batting practice soon thereafter

Who’s Hot 🔥

So far on this homestand, J.D. Martínez is 7-for-17 (.412) with three home runs, two doubles, seven RBI and four runs scored in five games

Down on the Farm 🌾

RF Ryan Clifford (No. 4 prospect, Double-A): 2-for-4, 2 HR (7), 2 RBI
RHP/DH Nolan McLean (No. 19 prospect, Double-A): 5.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K

BOX SCORES

Single-A STL | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR

Today’s Game 🗓

Match-up: Mets (32-37) vs. Padres (37-37)

Where: Citi Field — Flushing, NY

Starters: RHP Tylor Megill (1-3, 3.51 ERA) vs. RHP Dylan Cease (6-5, 3.36 ERA)

When: 1:40 PM EDT

Where to Watch: WPIX, MLB Network

How The Grimace Saved the 4th of July ✍️

For awhile, it appeared as if all was lost. The dark storm clouds had rolled in on yet another season, presumed to stay hovering above for the duration.

Hope was in short supply, if not lost to the darkness completely, as sadness, soon followed by apathy, threatened to consume everything in its path. As yet another season of Mets baseball was on course to be cast asunder, nothing looked as if it would be able to save this franchise from their own doomed fate.

Things were bleak and it appeared as if there was no way out and no one capable of changing this dismal trajectory.

That is until one day He arrived… A glimmer of hope. An unlikely savior. A big amorphous purple monster throwing a baseball.

While no one man was adept enough to turn around the fate of the New York Mets, perhaps this baseball team did not need a man at all. They just needed a Grimace.

Upon his arrival, everything changed. The vibes instantly shifted, propelling the Mets to play some of their best baseball of the season as they have begun to dig themselves out of a hole that seemed impossible to escape from. The starting pitching started performing well, the offense began coming up with timely hits, the defense is now excelling and the bullpen is shutting the door at the end of games.

Suddenly things don’t seem so bleak now, do they? The air smells fresher, food tastes better, the baseball is actually watchable. People are even talking about the playoffs again, if you can believe it. And it’s all because of one creature made of felt.

“Where did he come from,” you may ask. Was this stubby purple blob sent to us from the heavens? Was he a manifestation by a fan base desperately seeking salvation? Did he get lost on the way to his local McDonald’s? Whatever his origins may be, it is clear that he had something greater in store for himself. A higher purpose, if you will.

And that higher purpose was to lift up the entire Mets organization and, by proxy, all of New York City itself. With Grimace backing them, the sky is officially the limit for this baseball team, as Mets fans can dare to dream once again all because of him.

Think of it this way: The Mets were nine games under .500 before his arrival, and now they’re on-pace to finish the season 93-0. You can’t argue those stats.

The summer is back on. The 4th of July has been saved. Meaningful baseball is here once again.

Who cares that it’s only been four games? Who cares that they’re still five games under .500? With Grimace at their side, nothing is impossible.

Or hey… maybe not. But it’s nice to have fun for a few days, right?

Around the League 🚩

Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto exited his start after two innings due to triceps tightness
Orioles young RHP Grayson Rodriguez pitched seven impressive innings of two-hit ball in the club’s 6-2 win over the Phillies
Cubs LHP Shoto Imanaga continued his dominant rookie season, allowing just one run over seven innings and lowering his season ERA to 1.89