Let The (London) Games Commence...
The Mets finally play baseball today, and it is important to remember that there is some real business to contend to...
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets took part in a workout day at London Stadium on Friday prior to the opening game of the London Series on Saturday
1B Pete Alonso and LHP Sean Manaea met with the world media on Friday to talk about the London Series and about being tourists for the weekend (MLB.com)
Alonso also took batting practice with a couple of former soccer players to used to play for West Ham United - the full-time tenants of London Stadium
3B Brett Baty joined the Mets in London and is expected to get reps at second base (NY Post)
DH J.D. Martinez, who played in London with the Red Sox in 2019, organized a sight-seeing trip for several Mets on Friday, taking in historical tourist spots such as Buckingham Palace (NY Post)
Former Met Daniel Murphy defeated Phillies Icon Chase Utley in a Home Run Derby in Trafalgar Square, London on Friday night
Injury Updates 🏥
C Francisco Álvarez (thumb ligament surgery) has flown home to Venezuela for family reasons. As a result, his return off the IL will be delayed
RHP Edwin Díaz (shoulder impingement) remains on track and is scheduled to make one more rehab outing in Brooklyn on Sunday
RHP Kodai Senga (triceps tightness, right shoulder strain) is expected to throw a bullpen session on Monday or Tuesday as he looks to step up his rehab program
Top prospect Jett Williams underwent a right wrist TFCC debridement procedure on Thursday. A typical return to game activity for this type of procedure is 8-10 weeks.
Roster Moves 🗞️
3B Brett Baty was added to the Mets’ London roster as the 27th man
Down on the Farm 🌾
RHP José Buttó (Triple-A): 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, 1 HR
OF Luisangel Acuña (No. 5 prospect, Triple-A): 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 3B
RHP Joander Suarez (No. 28 prospect, Double-A): 6.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 K, 1 HR
OF Alex Ramírez (No. 16 prospect, Double-A): 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 1 2B
OF Stanley Consuegra (High-A): 3-for-5, 4 RBI, 1 2B
BOX SCORES
Single-A STL | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (27-35) vs. Phillies (44-19)
Where: London Stadium - London, ENG
Starters: LHP Sean Manaea (3-2, 3.63 ERA) vs. LHP Ranger Suárez (9-1, 1.70 ERA)
When: 1:10 PM EDT
Where to Watch: FOX
Time to get down to business… ✍️
The Mets have certainly embraced their role as tourists since landing in London on Thursday morning.
Francisco Lindor took a trip to a local New Balance store to hangout and talk all things fashion.
J.D. Martinez - a London veteran having been part of the 2019 London Series with the Red Sox - took several teammates on a sightseeing tour around the English capital.
There was also time for a team dinner on the Cutty Sark with players’ wives and girlfriends in attendance.
Oh, and Pete Alonso also made sure to grill English reporters about the best place to hunt down a traditional English roast dinner.
All in all, it has all been fun and games for the Mets so far and the entire team has taken it upon themselves to help sell the game of baseball to the other side of the world.
That’s what the London Series is designed to do, after all. Major League Baseball wants to sell America’s National Pastime to new locales all over the world and spread the gospel of the most beautiful game on the planet to a wider and brand new audience.
However, it is also worth remembering that the Mets have actual real and serious business to contend to this weekend.
These two games against the Phillies aren’t just for show. There are actual regular season games on the line. There’s potential ramifications ahead based on the outcome of Saturday and Sunday.
As I outlined in my last newsletter earlier this week, this was always going to be a defining stretch for the Mets.
It began so well with a necessary sweep of the Nationals - New York’s first series sweep since April - and they have a opportunity to extend their current winning streak this weekend.
If the Mets are able to do just that, then they will head back Stateside full of confidence and with a boatload of momentum to build on heading into an even more important span of games as we get closer to the trade deadline.
It won’t be easy, however.
This Phillies team is an absolute juggernaut, one that currently owns the best record in the National League (44-19).
Heading into Saturday, the Phillies are averaging 5.08 runs per game, the second-best mark in baseball. The pitching staff has been elite, owning a stellar 2.92 ERA - also the second-best in the league. They will have Ranger Suárez on the mound on Saturday, who has been otherworldly this season with a 1.70 ERA.
The Phillies are operating at the highest-level possible, they are getting contributions from up and down the lineup, their pitching has set a new gold standard and they are going to be a lot to handle this weekend for a Mets team that has still yet to play a long stretch of fundamentally sound baseball.
But, if the Mets can find a way to take advantage of the weird backdrop and sweep the London Series, then maybe, just maybe, that will start to convince the front office that this season could be salvaged after all.
Of course, a five-game winning streak won’t be enough to flip the script on everything we’ve seen up to this point, but it could give the Mets some tangible life and at least make things interesting heading into the dog days of summer.
However, if things get ugly in the capital city of England this weekend and the Mets revert back to the hard-to-watch, fundamentally poor baseball team we’ve been used to for much of the 2024 season, then it will be a long trip back to Queens and arguably an even longer summer.
The London fun is now over. It is time for the real games to begin.
Around the League 🚩
The Yankees avoided a major scare with superstar Juan Soto expected to avoid the IL with left forearm inflammation
Yoshinobu Yamamato tossed seven scoreless innings and Teoscar Hernández hit a game-winning double in extra-innings as the Dodgers beat the Yankees, 2-1, in the series opener in the Bronx
Bobby Witt Jr. hit a ninth-inning triple to help the Royals come from behind to beat the Mariners in walk-off fashion
The Orioles picked up their 40th win of the season thanks to homers from Anthony Santander, Ryan Mountcastle and Jordan Westburg in a 6-3 victory over Tampa Bay
Blake Dunn’s first major league hit - a double - helped rally the surging Reds in a 3-2 comeback win over the Cubs
June is a fairly easy schedule with this one of the few real tough ones. I think a split would do it especially with the Marlins coming up. At least, it's the best they now can hope for. One catch, and this could have been a real close game.