Mets bumble away a lead, drop a frustrating loss to the Reds on Saturday
The Mets bullpen allowed five runs in the eighth, and the defense continued their sloppy ways as they let a game get away in Cincinnati
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets blew a lead late to the Reds and lost 9-6 at Great American Ballpark on Saturday (box)
Luis Severino started for the Mets and was better - he allowed only one earned run with two walks and seven strikeouts over five innings
The Mets were sloppy and ineffective in the field - they committed two errors but also made several mental mistakes, one of which came from Omar Narváez in the sixth when he decided to throw through to second with runners at the corners, allowing Spencer Steer to steal home
Yohan Ramirez entered in the eighth with a 5-4 lead, but coughed up five runs thanks in part to a three-run homer from Steer to help seal an ugly loss for the club
The Mets scored more than three runs for only the second time this season, but fell to 0-2 in such contests
Narváez, Brett Baty, Starling Marte. Brandon Nimmo each contributed multi-hit performances at the plate
Who’s Hot 🔥
Brett Baty: .333/.407/.458, HR, 5 RBI over his last seven games
Who’s Not 🥶
Francisco Lindor: 1-for-31, RBI, 4 BB, 6 K to start the season
Injury Updates 🏥
RHP Max Kranick (hamstring strain) will begin a rehab assignment soon
RHP Sean Reid-Foley (shoulder impingement) received a cortisone injection and will soon resume throwing
Mets stats 🧮
.185 team batting average (29th in MLB)
64 wRC+ (28th in MLB)
22 runs scored (28th in MLB)
RISP: .185/.308/.296
2 outs, RISP: .258/.361/.355
2.92 team ERA (6th in MLB)
2.18 ERA among starting pitchers (3rd in MLB)
3.86 ERA among relievers (14th in MLB)
-4 Outs Above Average (OAA, 24th in MLB)
9 errors (29th in MLB)
Down on the Farm 🌾
Mark Vientos (AAA): 3-for-8, HR, 2 RBI (doubleheader)
Wyatt Young (AA): 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB
RHP Felipe De La Cruz (High-A): 4 IP, H, BB, 3 K
DH JD Martínez (Low-A): 1-for-4, BB, R
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (2-6) @ Reds (5-3)
Where: Great American Ballpark - Cincinnati, OH
Starters: LHP Luis Severino (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. LHP Andrew Abbott (0-0, 3.38 ERA)
When: 1:40 PM EDT
Where To Watch: SNY
So much for speed, defense, and athleticism… ✍️
For a team that campaigned all winter long and into spring training they’d improved their floor, became more athletic, and greatly improved their defense, lets just say those returns have yet to be realized, which is probably putting it nicely for the Mets so far in 2024.
Saturday’s loss to the Reds was pitted with ugliness. Tyrone Taylor’s misplay in center early which allowed a run to score started the silliness for the Mets, which was immediately followed by a poor play on the part of Jeff McNeil at second to allow another run to score.
But then came the big mental mistake by Omar Narváez in the sixth when he had runners at the corners. He hesitated to throw down to second, decided to do it anyway, and then Spencer Steer decided to steal home. He couldn’t get Stuart Fairchild at second base, either.
Then in the eighth, Brett Baty was waiting for Francisco Lindor to field an excuse me swing from Elly De La Cruz, but that didn’t happen either since Lindor went to cover second instead. That tied the game, at 5-5, at which point Steer drove the nail in the coffin against Yohan Ramirez with a three-run homer.
In between, Ramirez was forced to pitch a second straight inning in the eighth because Mets manager Carlos Mendoza had nobody else available with the Mets depleting the rest of their bullpen over the course of the last three games, a span of two days. So, Ramirez was asked to wear it and it proved costly to the Mets from that perspective.
Still, while Ramirez didn’t execute that pitch to Steer, this game came down to a comedy of physical and mental mistakes with the Mets simply giving away runs and in-turn, the game as a whole.
We also haven’t mentioned the fact opposing teams are running wild on the Mets pitching staff so far this season.
Look - I’d much rather Ramirez and the bullpen just get mauled by the opposing offense. But for the Mets to bumble away games like this, which was a continuation of generally poor quality of play to start the season, is alarming. Especially after the voices for the Mets touted the improved defense and athleticism with this club. They’ve been generally bad defensively, and while they’ve compiled just five stolen bases so far this season. Considering the Mets continue to be poor at the part of the game which is now being emphasized by the new rules (speed, defense and general athleticism), that doesn’t bode well going forward unless the Mets make a fundamental shift in how they decide to tackle these game philosophically.
The opposition is beating them because of all of that.
Enough of what was bad about Saturday’s game, although that was one of those games that always sticks at me. There were some good things that happened.
Let’s start with Luis Severino.
It wasn’t the prettiest of outings thanks in large measure to the ridiculous defense behind him. But he rebounded nicely overall in his five innings. He probably could’ve gone a bit longer if not for having to throw those extra pitches in the second inning. But he looked crisper and his fastball had a lot of life to it as well. He wisely leaned on that pitch heavily on Saturday and induced a 39% swing-and-miss rate on that pitch, which would indicate how effective it really was for him.
With a little better defense behind him, I bet he gets into the sixth inning which might’ve changed the ultimate outcome of this game, considering Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was so thin in the bullpen. But that problem wasn’t Severino’s. He deserved better than he ultimately received thanks to what was (not) happening behind him.
The Mets did also show a spark offensively. Brandon Nimmo - who was serving as the DH as he nurses a sore hamstring - broke out a bit with two hits and two RBI. Brett Baty continued his very encouraging start to the year, and Starling Marte also showed some necessary progress. It was only the second time this season the Mets have scored more than four runs. Typically, the success rate for teams is very high when they hit the four-run mark, but the Mets are 0-2 in those games so far this season.
Considering all of that, today is a big game for the Mets. They don’t want to lose their third series in a row. There were good vibes coming out of Thursday and Friday but took a gut punch on Saturday, thanks to their own doing. The good teams bounce back, and with the Mets in an early hole, the Mets simply need to have this game against the Reds.
Around the League 🚩
Braves RHP Spencer Strider underwent an MRI on his right elbow, and he has damage to his UCL - he might need Tommy John Surgery for the second time in five years (MLB.com)
Guardians RHP Shane Bieber will also need UCL reconstructive surgery on his right elbow (MLB.com)
Yankees RHP Jonathan Loaisiga also has a torn UCL - he will miss the remainder of the season (MLB.com)
RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed three hits with two walks and eight strikeouts over five innings as the Dodgers beat the Cubs 4-1
Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton all homered as the Yankees held off the Blue Jays 9-8 in the Bronx
The Cardinals sent the Marlins to their ninth straight loss to open the season with a 3-1 victory at Busch Stadium