What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾
The Mets swept a doubleheader from the Braves on Saturday, winning game 1 by a score of 8-5 (box) and game 2 by a score of 6-2 (box)
David Peterson started game 1 for the Mets and was splendid over 5.1 IP, allowing just three hits and three walks with five strikeouts
Max Scherzer started game 2 for the Mets and was lights out over seven innings, allowing just four hits with 11 strikeouts, the 109th time in his career he has struck out at least ten batters in a game (tied with Pedro Martínez for fourth most all-time)
Tomás Nido delivered an eighth inning suicide squeeze to plate the sixth run in game 2
Francisco Lindor delivered a three-hit, three-RBI performance in the afternoon game - two of his three RBI came with two outs. He reached base five times and scored three runs in the doubleheader
Pete Alonso got the scoring started in both games - he plated the first of two runs for the Mets in the first inning of game 1 and the first of three runs in the third inning of game 2. He now has 20 game-winning RBI for the season, which is the second highest-single season total since 1974 (Keith Hernandez had 24 in 1985)
The Mets are now 11-3 in doubleheaders this season and their fourth doubleheader sweep of the year. They’re running a streak of 22 consecutive doubleheaders without getting swept, the longest such streak in club history (Elias Sports Bureau)
The Mets are 13-0-2 in series against National League East opponents in 2022
For the first time since the end of the 2006 season, the Mets are 30 games over .500 at 69-39
Who’s Hot 🔥
Francisco Lindor has reached base safely in 14 straight games, his longest such streak since reaching base in 14 straight games from September 11, 2020 to September 26, 2020. He is hitting .423/.500/.692 with five doubles, three home runs and 11 RBI during that span. His 77 RBI tie him with Trea Turner for the most among all MLB shortstops
David Peterson has a 2.39 ERA over his last seven starts with 54 strikeouts during that span. He has held opposing batters to a .036 average with runners in scoring position during that span as well. Overall, he is 5-2 with a 3.17 ERA in the major leagues as a starter in 2022
Max Scherzer has a 1.37 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 46 innings over seven starts since he returned from the injured list on July 5
Over his last 16 games, Pete Alonso is hitting .383/.471/.717 with five doubles, five home runs and 16 RBI. His 93 RBI on the year is tied with Aaron Judge for the most in MLB
Jeff McNeil is hitting .425/.439/.700 with five doubles, two home runs and six RBI during his nine-game hitting streak
Mets recent acquisitions:
Daniel Vogelbach: .324/.477/.559, two doubles, two home runs, six RBI in 12 games since joining the Mets
Tyler Naquin: .348/.348/.739, double, triple, two home runs, four RBI in eight games since joining the Mets
Darin Ruf: 3-for-9, Double, three RBI in three games since joining the Mets
Roster Moves 📰
Recalled LHP David Peterson from Triple-A Syracuse before the doubleheader
Placed RHP Tommy Hunter on the injured list with lower back tightness
Recalled RHP Yoan López from Triple-A Syracuse as the 27th man for the doubleheader
Optioned LHP David Peterson to Triple-A Syracuse after game 1 of the doubleheader
Recalled RHP Adonis Medina from Triple-A Syracuse before game 2 of the doubleheader
Injury Updates 🏥
Dominic Smith (sprained ankle) played seven innings at first base and went 0-for-3 with a walk for Triple-A Syracuse
Playoff Odds Tracker 🎲
The Mets are 69-39 and lead the Braves by 5.5 games in the National League East with 54 games to go. They are on-pace for 103 wins which would be their highest mark since 1986 (108):
Playoff odds (FanGraphs):
Make the playoffs: 100 percent ↔️
Win the National League East: 86.3 percent ⬆️
Clinch first round bye: 85.6 percent ⬆️
Win the World Series: 16.4 percent ⬆️
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (69-39) at Braves (64-45)
Where: Citi Field - Flushing, New York
Starters: RHP Jacob deGrom (0-0, 1.80 ERA) vs RHP Spencer Strider (6-3, 2.79 ERA)
When: 4:10 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
The Mets capitalized and won their biggest day to-date of the 2022 season 📝
What a day Saturday was for the New York Mets. There was so much to digest and unpack, I don’t even know where to begin or end.
So, I’ll just ramble on about how great everyone was for the Mets in what could prove to be a season-defining day for the club in 2022.
I suppose I will start with David Peterson who once again stepped up big time for the Mets and their starting rotation on Saturday. Having not started at this level in three weeks, it was difficult to gauge any kind of expectation coming into this start. The Mets were coming off a loss and the Mets really needed both a quality and lengthy effort from Peterson with a long day of baseball ahead of them.
It was a little adventurous - he dealt with traffic through his entire outing, but in the end didn’t allow a single run to come across. He leaned on his back foot slider a lot during this game and it saved him on more than one occasion, inducing seven swings and misses on that pitch among the 16 attempts the Braves made at it over the course of his 5.1 IP.
He left with a three-run lead and gave the Mets exactly what they needed in the first leg of the doubleheader. And like so many players on this Mets roster, Peterson understands and embraces the role he is in, once serving as a fill-in for their injured star pitchers and now serving as a spot starter and potentially a reliever down the stretch of the season. He seems to excel in a role defined by unknowns and his 3.30 season ERA just tells the story about how valuable and clutch he has been for this pitching staff, literally from day one when he filled in for Max Scherzer or Jacob deGrom, depending on how you look at it.
Then there is the Mets offense which has experienced an awakening over the last month or so. They’re hitting .267/.340/.436 as a team and averaging 4.9 runs per game over their last 29 games since July 4. What’s more, since July 24 - a span of 13 games - the Mets are hitting .313/.381/.521 with 19 home runs and are averaging nearly 6.1 runs per game. And that offense couldn’t be anymore on-point than it has in this series as the Mets have defeated three of the Braves starting pitchers so far, pounded out 42 hits and 26 runs and have hit .304 against the Braves pitching staff. They’ve hit .348 with runners in scoring position and notched 13 two-out RBI over the first four games of this series.
Yahtzee.
But perhaps more important has been a recurring theme of tack-on runs, and they’ve unquestionably come in handy for the Mets due to a shaky performance from their bullpen. Ten of their 26 runs have come in the sixth inning or later so far in this series, which has proven to be hugely important in keeping the Braves at bay late in these games.
Francisco Lindor had a huge day for the Mets offensively, going a combined 4-for-7 with a double and three RBI and three runs scored in game 1 of the twin bill on Saturday. He has been massive for the Mets as of late and came up big in big moments for this club during the doubleheader. He has unquestionably put 2021 behind him and re-emerged as an elite player in this game, posting am .805 OPS with 19 home runs and now 77 RBI on the year.
But then there’s Pete Alonso who seems to be one of those players in the sport who relishes it’s biggest moments and brightest of lights. He has three game-winning RBI in this series alone, two multi-hit games and five RBI in the first four games of this series. And between the new DH platoon combination of Daniel Vogelbach and Darin Ruf, he has a little extra pad of protection in this lineup, forcing pitchers to challenge him in the process.
And as Alonso has shown in the early years of his career, no challenge is too big for him, no spotlight is too bright and no pressure is ever too high. He has become a mega-star in this game.
The stamp on this series came in the form of Max Scherzer. With the win in game one, a series win was setup perfectly for the Mets with both Scherzer and Jacob deGrom to follow. The Mets needed to only split the final two games to ensure they would come away from this series with at least a 4.5 game lead over the Braves in the National League East.
And as one would expect, Scherzer delivered a series win for the Mets in the nightcap in typical Scherzer fashion. He dazzled the Braves with his assortment of magic tricks, not really touch him at all over seven innings, scattering four hits to go along with 11 strikeouts and no walks.
It was for moments like this why the Mets needed Scherzer this past winter, and why he is worth every penny he gets paid on the 15th and last day of every month.
All-told, it was unquestionably the biggest day for the Mets to-date this season. Yes, they’ve had unbelievable comebacks, won games they probably had no business winning at times, comeback on countless occasions and before this series established themselves among the league’s best with previous statements against the Braves, quality play against the Dodgers and a two-game sweep of the Yankees just last week.
But each game against the Braves comes with a guaranteed two-game swing in the standings. That means each of these games - especially at this point in the baseball calendar - come with even greater import. Imagine if the chips fell the other way yesterday and it was the Braves who executed better and won the two games. Suddenly, the Mets lead would’ve been down to 1.5 games - the conversation and pressure is unquestionably different today. Even if the two teams had split the series, the lead would be 3.5 games versus 5.5 games.
That's how important Saturday, August 6, 2022 might turn out to be for the Mets.
Instead, the Mets continued their strong performance against the Braves (7-4 so far in 2022), the National League East (36-14 against the division) and among the league’s best (they’re 30-22 against teams over. 500 this season). They’ve now created some distance and margin for error again between themselves and their closest competitor in the division. What’s more, they’ve taken away opportunities for Atlanta to get closer, which only positions the Mets better the rest of the way and cakes the pressure on for Atlanta even more.
And with all of that, Jacob deGrom is pitching for the Mets this afternoon.
Down on the Farm 🌾
Brandon Mcllwain (OF, Double-A): 2-for-4, 2B, RBI
Jordan Yamamoto (RHP, Double-A): 5 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 6 K
Junior Santos (RHP, No. 16 Prospect, Single-A): 7 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 4 K
Jeffrey Cólon (RHP, Low-A): 5 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K
Box Scores: Triple-A | Double-A | Single-A | Low-A
Around the League 🚩
The Phillies put a six-spot up on the Nationals in the first inning on Saturday and rolled to an 11-5 win at Citizens Bank Park - they are 9.5 games behind the Mets in the NL East
The Dodgers have taken the first two games of their series against the new-look Padres at Dodger Stadium - they have won seven in a row and now have the best record in baseball at 74-33
Jordan Montgomery allowed just two hits over five innings against his former team on Saturday night as the Cardinals blanked the Yankees 1-0 at Busch Stadium
Tyler Glasnow - who underwent Tommy John Surgery just over a year ago - is still hoping to return to the Rays in 2022 as he will throw live batting practice for the first time in two weeks
The Guardians designated 1B/DH Franmil Reyes for assignment
The Mariners reinstated OF Mitch Haniger from the 60-day injured list, who has missed most of the year with a grade 2 ankle sprain
The Reds placed hard throwing RHP Hunter Greene on the injured list with a strained right shoulder
It was a good day to be a Mets fan !!!