What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets were beat around in an 8-1 loss to the Brewers at Citi Field on Wednesday night (box)
RHP Robert Stock did not have a good night on the mound and was shelled for seven earned runs on 10 hits with two walks and two strikeouts across four innings
RHP Chayce McDermott, LHP Jefry Yan, and RHP Dedniel Núñez combined to allow just one earned run over five innings out of the bullpen
C Francisco Alvarez’s RBI single in the bottom of the fourth inning was the only run the Mets could muster, with the offense being completely shutdown by the Brewers pitching. The Mets went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, leaving nine runners stranded on base
CF A.J. Ewing stole two bases on the night to give him 21 steals on the season, which is just the fourth time a Mets rookie has stolen 20 or more bases in a single season
Interim manager Andy Green could be fit for the GM role if he does indeed return to the front office (SNY)
Injury Report 🩺
3B Bo Bichette left the game in the fifth inning with a left foot contusion. X-rays came back negative, and the Mets are hoping he will be fine
OF Juan Soto (left calf strain) took live batting practice on Wednesday, as well as playing catch and running the bases at Citi Field. A return this season is still the aim
INF Mark Vientos (fractured right hand) went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, two RBIs, and a home run in his latest rehab outing for Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday
Play of the Game 🙃
The Brewers did what they do best by excelling at small ball on Wednesday night. The visiting team strung together six consecutive singles to build a 4-0 lead early.
Then, going into the fourth inning and with Mets starter Robert Stock already on the ropes, the Brewers delivered the knockout blow.
With runners on the corners and one out, Brice Turang smacked a three-run homer to right-center to blow the game wide open and seal the Mets’ fate on a night where very little went right.
The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️
ICYMI: In the latest edition of The Just Mets Podcast, Andrew and Rich recap a .500 week for the Mets as they came back down to reality this past weekend in Chicago, and talk about how things look for the club moving forward.
SUBSCRIBE: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Down on the Farm 🌾
1B Billy Amick (Triple-A): 3-for-5, 2 R, 3 RBIs, 2 HR
RF MJ Melendez (Triple-A): 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B
SS Elian Peña (No. 3 prospect, High-A): 1-for-5, 2 R, 1 BB
2B Trey Snyder (High-A): 2-for-4, 2 R, 3 RBIs, 1 SB
BOX SCORES
Single-A SLU (PPD) | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (60-73) vs. Brewers (82-51)
Where: Citi Field - Flushing, NY
Starters: LHP Sean Manaea (4-5, 4.31 ERA) vs. RHP Jacob Misiorowski (13-5, 1.68 ERA)
When: 7:10 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
Another reminder why the Mets need to take less risk with pitching ✍️
Wednesday was just one of those nights where nothing went right for the Mets.
The starting pitching sucked, the offense was lifeless, and Bo Bichette got hurt, although he seems to have avoided any real damage. Outside of A.J. Ewing showing some speed on the bases, there wasn’t a whole lot to be impressed about in the lopsided loss to the Brewers.
I mean, the fact that Brewers lefty Robert Gasser was able to come in cold and shut down the Mets lineup after starter Dustin May got hurt on the first pitch he threw probably says it all.
And pitching is going to be the theme of the day because last night served as another sobering reminder as to why president of baseball operations David Stearns needs to step out of his comfort zone this coming offseason.
Owner Steve Cohen spoke the other week about taking less risks, and that’s certainly got to be the case when it comes to constructing the starting rotation.
Robert Stock was on the mound for the second game of the series against the Brewers, and he was just awful. Seven earned runs on 10 hits is the headline, obviously, but Stock just wasn’t able to contain Milwaukee’s clever lineup and he gave up six straight singles at one point.
It was the second time in his last four starts that Stock had allowed seven or more earned runs. And, while he gave up just one earned run over his previous two starts before Wednesday, Stock has pitched five innings just once. It is clear at this point that he shouldn’t be in consideration for a starting role in 2027.
And therein lies the rub.
Following two years of starting pitching dooming this team, Stearns must abandon his philosophy of trying to turn projects into gold and instead add more established arms to the rotation for next season. That shouldn’t even be an argument at this point.
We know that Nolan McLean will likely complete his journey to being the team’s ace in 2027, and both Christian Scott and Zac Thornton have also earned big roles too. But, outside of those three, the rest of the rotation is in flux.
Jonah Tong has been so up and down - mostly down, if we’re being honest - in the minors this year that it is hard to know if he’s going to be ready to contribute at the Major League level on a consistent basis in 2027. The same applies to Jack Wenninger. Sean Manaea was becoming the story of the season thanks to an unexpected resurgence, but his struggles have returned after giving up four earned runs in each of his last two starts. We will see how tonight goes for the veteran.
In any case, there will be more reliable and cost-effective options out there than Manaea, and I still wouldn’t be quick to rule out a reunion with Clay Holmes. The now-former Met and current Cub is exactly the type of proven, solid, reliable arm that Stearns should be targeting this offseason.
If Padres starter Michael King decides to opt out, then he would be another excellent option to help shore up the rotation. With a 3.20 ERA in 72 games as a full-time starter, King would tick a lot of boxes for the Mets, including an ability to go deep in games.
Furthermore, it is important for the front office to surround McLean, Scott, and Thornton with veteran arms that can help win on the field, while also offering support and guidance off it. I don’t think that part of the equation should be undersold.
Of course, it is entirely possible that Cohen decides the perfect remedy to another lost season is to go out and make a major splash by signing Tarik Skubal. That would obviously change the entire outlook for the Mets in terms of starting pitching, and would take a lot of the pressure away from the young arms set to have a major role in 2027.
Regardless, the starting rotation, as seems to be the case every year, needs a lot of work and Stearns can’t afford to stick to his same script by pinning all of his hopes on potential undiscovered gems. That strategy has burned him more often than not, and it can’t be allowed to happen again in 2027.
With all due respect to Stock, the Mets need to move away from the unproven and instead focus on tried-and-tested arms that can help make this rotation a formidable one led by the young guns. That was hammered home yet again on Wednesday night.
Around the League 🚩
Reds rookie 1B Sal Stewart became the first player to record 100 RBIs this season, while becoming the first rookie since Pete Alonso in 2019 to reach the 100 RBIs mark
White Sox LF Tristan Peters homered for the fifth straight game with a two-run blast in a 10-4 win over the Rangers, tying the franchise record for most consecutive games with a homer
Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber became the first player to join the 40-homer club this year with a three-run shot in a 6-0 win over the Mariners, also recording his 380th career home run in the process
PH Ha-Seong Kim was the hero with a walk-off single to lift the Braves to a 6-5 win over the Dodgers
LF Cody Bellinger’s two-run double helped the Yankees to beat the Astros 9-3
2B Connor Norby hit a seventh inning grand slam to propel the Rockies to a 13-1 win over the Nationals
The Reds scored seven runs in a wild ninth inning to come from behind to beat the Giants 10-9, with the Giants now leading MLB with 11 losses when leading in the ninth
Over his last 3 starts for the Cubs, Holmes had given up 1 run in 19 innings.
I agree we need to add preferably a top of the rotation arm in the offseason. But let’s not forget that one of the worst pitcher adds was a “proven” pitcher in Peralta so we tried that unsuccessfully too