Mets sweep doubleheader, making their first big statement of the season

New York brings home two wins in one day against the Giants. Plus, analyzing how the sweep shows these Mets fear no one.

(Photo courtesy of ESPN)

What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️

• The Mets swept their doubleheader against the Giants winning by scores of 5-4 (box) and 3-1 (box)

• The Mets became the first team to beat RHP Logan Webb after 22 straight starts without a defeat (12th longest streak all-time)

• New York recorded their first walk-off win of 2022 following Francisco Lindor’s game-winning hit in Game 1

• RHP Max Scherzer took a no-hitter into the 6th inning and finished with a dominant home debut in Game 2: 7 IP, H, ER, 3 BB, 10 K

• This is the first time New York has swept a doubleheader from the Giants since 1979

• 3B Eduardo Escobar went 3-for-7 with a double, two RBI and a walk in the pair of Tuesday victories

• Buck Showalter is “happy” with the progress of RHP Jacob deGrom (stress reaction in shoulder), whose next MRI will be on Monday, April 25th

• The Mets are unsure if RHP Taijuan Walker (shoulder bursitis) will need a second rehab start — he will make a rehab start in extended spring training today

• Showalter will not be with the team on Wednesday — he is undergoing a medical procedure but hopes to return for Thursday’s game

• The Mets are the first team in MLB to reach nine wins

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Roster Moves 📰

• The Mets activated OF Brandon Nimmo from the COVID-19 injured list — to make room on the active roster, OF Nick Plummer was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse

• The Mets recalled RHP Yoan López and activated him as the 29th player for Tuesday’s doubleheader

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Who’s Hot🔥

• RHP Max Scherzer (2.50 ERA) becomes the first Mets pitcher to go 3-0 in their first three starts of the season since Jorge Sosa in 2007 and has now gone 22 straight starts without a loss, tied for the 12th longest streak in modern MLB history

• SS Francisco Lindor went 4-for-9 with a walk-off single, two doubles, two RBI, a walk and a run scored on Tuesday

• RHP Drew Smith is unscored upon in his last 12.2 innings pitched dating back to the 2021 season

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Today’s Game 🗓

Match-up: Mets (9-3) vs. Giants (7-4)

Where: Citi Field — Flushing, NY

Starters: Chris Bassitt (2-0, 0.75 ERA) vs. Carlos Rodón (1-0, 1.50 ERA)

When: 7:10 PM EST

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These Mets back down to no one 📝

(Photo courtesy of Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post)

It may have only seemed like an unseasonably cool Tuesday in April but make no mistake, the New York Mets made their first statement of the 2022 season last night.

Entering a litmus test doubleheader matchup with the San Francisco Giants, a team that won 107 games last season and an MLB-best 7-2 coming into the afternoon, New York quickly found themselves down 4-1 in the first game. After San Francisco — who came into the game with a clear game plan on offense — ambushed Tylor Megill early and often in the count, for a moment it looked as if the Mets were quickly being outclassed by this Giants club once again.

After all, the Mets flopped against these same Giants last year, going 2-5 against them in a pivotal stretch in the second half which all-but ended their season.

Not a single fan would have been surprised if this turned into a blowout and became a lost day at Citi Field, and in other years that may have very well been the case, but as we’re seeing early this season… that just isn’t in the DNA of these new Mets.

Instead, they rallied against Alex Cobb to tie the game in the 5th, held down the fort in their bullpen until going into extras where once again it looked as if the ghosts of Mets past were rearing their ugly heads. Francisco Lindor threw a ball low on what should have been the final out of an inning, but was instead charged with a critical run-scoring error. It’s a moment we’ve all certainly seen with this franchise before. But that isn’t how it went this time. No, because after a replay review, it was shown that Pete Alonso — the heart and soul of this club — made an incredible play keeping his toe on the bag while maintaining the catch. So the run was taken off the board, Alonso fired his fist into the sky, and the near-goat Lindor soon became the hero with a walk-off knock.

Game 2 presented its own challenge, as the club had the difficult task of facing Logan Webb, one of the NL’s best starters over the last season-plus. But once again, this team was up to the challenge as they put up three runs and knocked out the Cy Young contender in the 4th inning. And Max Scherzer, their big offseason prize, put together his most dominant performance in orange and blue after taking a no-hitter into the 6th and ending his night with seven one-hit innings (and 10 strikeouts, too). No bullpen meltdowns, no defensive brainfarts, just a victory. Two victories, to be accurate.

And with that represents a fundamental change in the makeup of this baseball team. Once an organization that found new ways to lose as if they were the magnet and Ryan Church missing third base was the paper clip, this team is finding ways to win. Key hits on offense, aggressive baserunning, fundamentally sound defense and big-time pitching have been a staple for these Mets already just 12 games into this young season.

There is just something different about this group. There is a swagger, and a f*ck you attitude toward their opponents that we haven’t seen in a long time. Take Eduardo Escobar, for example. In Game 2, he was brushed back by an errant fastball from the Giants. And even though there’s been no history of HBPs or bad blood between these teams, the Mets have made it known that they’re not pleased with being close to the most-plunked team in the league, so Escobar gave the pitcher a long stare as we’ve seen so many times already from his manager Buck Showalter in similar situations. This is the kind of thing I’m talking about. They are not taking anyone’s shit this year, and they will back down to no one.

This resonates from so many people on this team, but no more than from Scherzer. He brings a fearless and competitive energy that everyone craves for in an athlete, and it permeates throughout this clubhouse. The energy, the endless pacing, the screaming at himself on the mound is not an act but a way of life. And it isn’t for show. He brings such a new edge to the Mets and it’s why his signing over the offseason was such a game-changer for this organization.

“We can compete with the best,” Scherzer said after the game.

And not only do they have a newfound confidence and hunger — as opposed to the arrogance and complacency of years past — but it helps that this team is pretty damn talented, too. Just look at who they added this offseason.

It’s for reasons like this why this season already feels like it could be a different one in Queens. It’s not just that the roster is improved, it’s not just the fact that this team is pitching out of their minds right now. It’s because they’re doing whatever they have to do to win baseball games and they don’t care who is in their way. It’s that kind of intangible that can take you a hell of a long way…

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Down on the Farm 🌾

• Ronny Mauricio (SS, No. 4 prospect): 3-for-5, three doubles, an RBI and a run scored

• Brett Baty (3B, No. 2 prospect): 1-for-3, walk, two runs scored

• Dominic Hamel (RHP, No. 9 prospect): 4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 6 K

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Around the League 🚩

• Tigers DH/1B Miguel Cabrera picked up two hits on Tuesday, putting him four shy of 3,000

• Braves OF Ronald Acuña began a rehab stint in Triple-A Gwinnett after tearing his ACL in July 2021

• Rays SS Wander Franco hit his first home run of the season in the club’s 6-5 win against the Cubs

• RHP Gerrit Cole was pulled after five walks in 1.2 innings during the Yankees’ 4-2 win in Detroit

• Astros 2B Jose Altuve will be out “at least a few days” with a left hamstring strain, according to manager Dusty Baker

• The Reds placed 2B Jonathan India (right hamstring strain) and 3B Mike Moustakas (right biceps strain) on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday

• The Nationals swept a doubleheader vs the D-backs in Washington, D.C.