The first win of the Andy Green Era is in the books
A well-rounded, complete team performance stopped the Mets' latest losing streak
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets finally got back in the win column on Saturday, beating the Phillies 6-2 (box)
RHP Christian Scott was solid in his first start back from the IL, allowing two runs over 4.1 innings on three hits (including a homer to Bryce Harper) with six strikeouts against just two walks
Interim manager Andy Green said after the game that Scott’s early departure was the result of a pitch limit
The top of the Mets’ lineup was equally stout, with all of RF Carson Benge, LF Juan Soto, 3B Bo Bichette, and SS Francisco Lindor contributing to run scoring - Benge and Soto had two hits each, and both Soto and Lindor tallied RBI triples
CF A.J. Ewing also had a two-hit day, including a two-run single that put the Mets up two in the sixth
The Mets’ bullpen stayed dominant as LHP A.J. Minter, RHP Huascar Brazobán, RHP Luke Weaver, and RHP Devin Williams combined for 4.2 scoreless innings - Weaver has been un-scored upon in 23 consecutive innings
Roster Moves 📰
LHP Zach Thornton optioned to Triple-A Syracuse
SS Zack Short outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse
Injury Updates 🩺
INF Jorge Polanco (left Achilles bursitis) has been taking batting practice in anticipation of a DH-only return and will start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse in the coming week
Play of the Game 🙂
In the bottom of the sixth, Francisco Lindor stepped to the plate with two men on, the team down by two.
Two pitches later, Lindor drove in Juan Soto and Bo Bichette with a 102 mph EV, 2° LA missile scorched down the right field line.
It was his second game in a row hitting cleanup…baseball is so beautiful.
(And no, of course it wasn’t lost on me that his one hit on the day came with one out. I love patterns.)
The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️
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Down on the Farm 🌾
3B Yonny Hernández (Triple-A): 3-for-4, 2 2B, 1 R, 3 RBI
RF Cristian Pache (Triple-A): 2-for-5, 1 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
RF JT Benson (High-A): 2-for-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB
SS Mitch Voit (No. 5 prospect, High-A): 1-for-4, 1 2B,2 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 SB
C Daiverson Gutierrez (No. 25 prospect, High-A): 2-for-4,
RHP Dakota Hawkins (High-A): 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Robert Stock (High-A): 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
BOX SCORES
Single-A SLU (PPD) | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (35-48) vs. Phillies (46-37)
Where: Citi Field - Flushing, NY
Starters: LHP Cionel Pérez (3-3, 4.99 ERA) vs. LHP Jesús Luzardo (6-4, 4.00 ERA)
When: 1:40 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
At long last, a win. ✍️
Yesterday, Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto played just their 11th game together this season. The Mets have played 83 games.
Imagine a full season of this.
Acting as stabilizers towards the top of the lineup, Soto and Lindor flashed a glimmer of What Could Be in Queens when all cylinders are firing. Of course, the reintroduction of a single player to the lineup isn’t necessarily going to make a difference that palpably reverberates throughout the order on impact…but slotting a perennial All-Star into the middle of a top-heavy lineup does more than simply lengthen it. Adding a bat like Lindor’s to the middle of the lineup takes that much more pressure off the 5-9 hole guys, while also cushioning a top of the order that’s loaded with hitters who have a propensity to get hot and get on base. That does a lot for a locker room.
It’ll be interesting to see if Green sticks with this approach to batting order construction after Lindor is back to full strength. Personally, I’d just let it ride: Benge has been excellent at the top of the order, adding another two hits to his leadoff resume; Soto’s ~.300/.400/.500 slash is the perfect complement behind that level of consistency. And while Bichette’s high-average history makes him sound like the perfect one- or two-hole hitter, his propensity for striking out means a lot of one- or two-out at-bats below him. If you can minimize opportunities for those outs to hurt you without meaningfully sacrificing AB totals, you’re doing something right, and the three-hole seems like the perfect place for Bo to settle into that recipe.
By hitting Lindor cleanup, Andy Green is maximizing on-base and early run-scoring opportunities, while also getting Lindor as many plate appearances as possible without placing undue stress on him both at the dish and in the field. Stay steady ‘til it stops working.
Despite the short innings load, Christian Scott looked good, too.
Over four-plus innings and 82 pitches, Scott offered a lot to like. His 43% whiff rate and 28% chase rate on the day speak for themselves; he touched 98 mph on his fastball while sitting around 96 for the afternoon, and he effectively deployed a well-balanced pitch mix, with four of his five pitch shapes yielding at least one strikeout. That’s exactly the type of performance you can use as a foundation to build upon, which is precisely what Scott’s been searching for since his debut way back in May 2024.
Scott’s sweeper was particularly lively against Philadelphia, responsible for three of Scott’s six strikeouts. It elicited a 62.5% swing rate and a whopping 50% whiff rate, which suggests that even if hitters are recognizing it out of his hand (because of its shape or his sequencing), they still can’t hit it. While his fastball-centric stuff has gotten the most usage so far this season, that could certainly shift if he continues to get results with the more extreme breaking stuff. Scott’s entire repertoire works on an almost-exclusively lateral plane, so he could probably start steadily mixing in some more zone-spreading stuff fairly seamlessly, especially alongside a cutter that’s already got a healthy dose of glove-side run.
Now, as with the offense, Scott’s start wasn’t perfect. He battled some location issues (65% strike rate, two walks), and some of his sequencing decisions leave a bit to be desired, as Scott himself addressed in his post-game comments. When asked about the two-run homer he surrendered to Bryce Harper in the third inning, Scott acknowledged that he probably shouldn’t have thrown Harper that many fastballs in a row: “Probably one too many fastballs in that at-bat. If he sees five fastballs, he’s probably going to be on time for one of them.”
But all the same, Scott demonstrated that he has ample stuff still left to put on display. Provided he can stay healthy and really refine his repertoire, the Mets may very well have another serious not-so-secret weapon on their hands.
And still, the fact remains: this was one win. They need many more.
After the game, Green met with the media to share his sentiments on how it felt to secure his first win in the driver’s seat. For such a reportedly intense guy, Green spoke with a refreshingly convivial candor, one that Mets fans and media alike are sure to appreciate going forward. But before leaving the podium, Green succinctly summarized his sentiments on securing Win #1:
“Wins are fun, but it’s not about me. It’s about the team, and winning as a group is fun.”
I agree, Andy. Now keep having fun with this group.
Around the League 🚩
Recently traded LHP David Peterson made his debut for the Cubs, allowing two runs on five hits over five-plus innings in an 8-2 win (MLB.com)
Kyle Tucker, Dalton Rushing, and Mookie Betts all homered in a nine-run sixth inning as the Dodgers flattened the Padres in San Diego, 15-3
1B Jacob Gonzalez became the fourth White Sox rookie to deliver a walk-off hit this season, sealing their franchise-record 10th consecutive series win
Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman homered three times yesterday, pushing his season total to 25; he is the fourth catcher in MLB history to homer at least 25 times in his team’s first 83 games
Down to their final strike, Reds DH Eugenio Suárez cranked a go-ahead three-run bomb in the top of the ninth, setting the stage for a dramatic 9-7 win over the Pirates in Pittsburgh
Shocked to see Lindor has a total of 7 rbi's entering July. Wow. Btw, we should be might grateful for AJ Ewing and his .350 obp. He and Benge are examples of players who are successful despite not having "proven themselves" in AAA.
Let's keep in mind, Mendoza was starting only his third year ever as a manager. He was not a good manager, but the odds were stacked against him. He, unlike Davey Johnson, did not start with this organization. Like a lot of teams, there was some...divos (yes divo is a word, says the son of a leading opera singer!), some interesting personalities on a New York team. Davey kind of grew up with the Mets. Mendoza did not. Davey always said he knew his team's personality, who was having a bad day, etc. Mendoza had to win immediately, and came close his first year.
To be clear, Mendoza looked lost, could not (from the outside) "command" the locker room, did not emphasize the fundamentals, and many other faults that have been clearly stated here and other places as well. In no way, shape, or form does he or should he get a pass.
But let's face it: when he started this year, he was a dead man walking. No Alonso, no Nimmo, and the coaches he worked with? Gone. Not by his choice.
I have no clue who will manage or who will want to manage under David Stearns. I hope it's someone who has some experience, has a bit of Ron Washington in him, and who understand the tall task of managing/coaching a New York franchise. I also wish Mendoza well in his nest opportunity. LGM.