Mets set a franchise mark, more hit by pitches, and Chris Bassitt has brought order to chaos
Mets set a franchise mark, more hit by pitches, and Chris Bassitt has brought order to chaos
The Mets were hit by three more pitches in their win against the Cardinals on Tuesday
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets shutout the Cardinals by a score of 3-0 Tuesday night at Busch Stadium (box)
Chris Bassitt (3-1, 2.26 ERA) was fantastic, allowing just two hits and three walks with six strikeouts over six innings
James McCann’s bat continues to heat up - he had three hits, scored and drove in a run on Tuesday
The Mets were hit three times by Cardinals pitching, one of which was a pitch that hit and broke Pete Alonso’s helmet - they’ve now been hit by a pitch 18 times in 19 games this season
For the first time in club history, the Mets have won their first six series of the season
The Mets earned their fourth shutout and are already enjoying their fourth three-game winning streak of the season
The Mets will try for their first series sweep of the Cardinals in St. Louis since 2007
Roster Moves 📰
The Mets signed RHP Tommy Hunter to a minor league contract and assigned him to extended spring training
Who’s Hot🔥
Jeff McNeil had two more hits on Tuesday - he has a five-game hitting streak, hitting .400/.400/.700 during that span
RHP Adam Ottavino has been unscored upon in six of his seven outings and has recorded 11 strikeouts in seven innings so far in 2022
Starling Marte recorded another two-out RBI on Tuesday - 10 of his 15 RBI have come with two outs
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (14-5) at Cardinals (9-7)
Where: Busch Stadium – St. Louis, MO
Starters: RHP Carlos Carrasco (1-0, 1.47 ERA) vs. LHP Steven Matz (2-1, 5.27 ERA)
When: 1:15 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
Chris Bassitt has brought order to chaos in the Mets rotation 📝
Recall, about a month ago, it was Panic City in Flushing all over again.
It was just days after both Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer pitched on the same day at Clover Park in an otherwise meaningless and mundane Sunday Grapefruit League game when deGrom experienced tightness in his right shoulder which was later determined to be a stress reaction in his right scapula.
deGrom was out.
A day or so later, Max Scherzer tweaked his hamstring, which led to uncertainty about his Opening Day status.
Then, Taijuan Walker was making what appeared to be a final tune-up before the regular season, at which point he was showing reduced velocity and effectiveness. He reported knee soreness although he was able to make his first start of the regular season against the Phillies. But in a flash, Walker was removed from that start after two innings with shoulder discomfort.
Now, Walker was out.
It was mayhem in Panic City.
Between the losses in the rotation, the uncertainty around Carlos Carrasco, and the need to continue to ramp the starting pitching up thanks to a shortened spring training, the Mets pitching staff was an absolute mess before they threw one meaningful pitch in the regular season.
But here we are, 19 games into the season, and Scherzer has been healthy and is only appearing to get stronger. Tylor Megill has been a godsend for the Mets, Carlos Carrasco is showing what kind of pitcher he is when he is healthy, and don’t forget David Peterson who stepped up in the absence of Walker over the last couple of weeks.
And then there’s Chris Bassitt, who start after start continues to put together quality, bulldog-like efforts, has stabilized the Mets rotation and provided order to the chaos in Panic City.
He did that once again on Tuesday, this time against the formidable Cardinals. While he had just one 1-2-3 inning on Tuesday he didn’t allow a runner to reach third base the entire night, shutting the Cardinals down for six innings with his tantalizing assortment sinkers, cutters and sliders.
“He was outstanding,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said after the game. “Chris is very convicted in what he does and how he goes about it, and nothing’s going to change it.”
When the Mets acquired Bassitt in mid-March, it was clear they had procured a top-shelf, Cy Young caliber all-star. But as good as his track record has been he has unquestionably exceeded expectations over his first four starts. He did allow five fly balls against four ground balls on Tuesday but in large measure, he has been able to keep the ball on the ground and in the park with a 45.6% groundball rate, helping to limit the damage despite some of the traffic he has encountered.
Bassitt has been particular stingy against right-handed hitters so far this season - five of his six strikeouts on Tuesday came against right-handed hitters and they’re just 3-for-39 with no extra-base hits against him in 2022.
And he has yet to allow a hit with two outs and runners in scoring position.
He often serves as a reminder of Tim Hudson. Obviously, Bassitt is quite a bit taller than Hudson but the stuff and movement on Bassitt’s pitches seem similar, as does his delivery, demeanor and mound presence.
And if Bassitt is a reflection of Hudson, he’s the perfect fit for this rotation right now and perhaps in the future.
Down on the Farm 🌾
Mark Vientos (INF, No. 4 prospect, AAA): 1-for-4, RBI, one run scored
JT Schwartz (1B, No. 19 prospect, High-A): 2-for-2, 2 BB, 3 runs scored
Alex Ramirez (OF, No. 6 prospect Single-A): 0-for-4, K
Box Scores: Triple-A | Double-A (PPD) | High-A | Single-A
Around the League 🚩
Yankees 1B Anthony Rizzo hit three home runs in the Yankees 12-8 win over the Orioles in the Bronx
Brewers OF Andrew McCutchen stole his 200th career base, joining Mike Trout as the only active players with 200 home runs and 200 stolen bases
White Sox OF Eloy Jimenez underwent surgery to repair a torn hamstring tendon, and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks
The Yankees were fined $100,000 by the league office for rules violations regarding the decoding of signs in 2017 (SNY)
Twins SS Carlos Correa is open to a long-term deal with the Twins (Athletic)