Woeful Mets shutout again, drop another series to a second class team
The Mets lost their fifth consecutive series and were shutout for the seventh time already in 2023 - could we be approaching the first Steve Cohen temper tantrum?
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets fell to the Reds 5-0 on Thursday afternoon (Box)
RHP Kodai Senga was ambushed for four runs in the 1st inning and the Mets never recovered
New York only mustered six hits on the day—with two of which coming from rookie catcher Francisco Alvarez
RHP Tommy Hunter threw 2.1 scoreless frames in back of Senga
In the middle of New York’s line-up Jeff McNeil, Pete Alonso, and Brett Baty combined to go 0-for-10
The Mets were shutout for the seventh time already in 2023, and have scored three runs or less 16 times
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (18-20) @ Nationals (16-21)
Where: Nationals Park - Washington DC
Starters: TBD vs LHP Mackenzie Gore (3-2, 3.65 ERA)
When: 7:05 PM EDT
Where to Watch: WPIX
We’re about to learn how much patience Steve Cohen has✍🏼
Rightfully or not, ever since Steve Cohen took the reigns of the Mets he has drawn comparisons to former Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. On the surface the parallels are there. Both men had the money and the addiction to winning to completely blow the doors off the rest of the league when it comes to spending.
Like Steinbrenner was in his heyday, Cohen is a polarizing figure who has no issue ruffling feathers and drawing the ire of his peers. His passion for the Mets is unparalleled, and his desire to lead the team back to glory is indisputable.
But the thing about Cohen’s tenure to date is that for the most part it has felt a lot like a honeymoon. You won’t find a single Mets fan that doesn’t love the man. The vibes around the club have consistently been a full 180 from where they were under the Wilpons. And by and large the team has been doing well and trending in a positive direction.
Until these last few weeks.
The Mets were 14-7 on April 21st and exactly three weeks later will enter play tonight at 18-20. They’ve lost 13 of their previous 17 games and in far too many of them have not been competitive. New York has been shut out four times in the last two and half weeks. Their best players have struggled to find consistency and avoid pressing. Their rotation is in utter shambles and the bullpen is really feeling the trickle down affect of not having Edwin Diaz.
Yes, it’s still sort of early (but not really) and this team is still loaded with talent (on paper), and even if we forget about the division for a second they’re only a game out of a wild card berth.
The 2023 Mets story is far from over.
But here’s the thing.
Steve Cohen is clearly someone who doesn’t enjoy being embarrassed. The way he threw money around this past winter drew the attention of other owners and many of them are likely snickering at the Mets struggles right now.
Faced with the first real dose of adversity since taking ownership of the team, I’m immensely curious how he reacts.
If things don’t change essentially right now, will he lash out and fire people the way Steinbrenner did? Could some more veteran players lose their starting roles with youngsters Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio joining their buddies Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty on the Major League roster?
Or, is Cohen going to be able to reign in his natural fan instincts and ride this out however uncomfortable it is to do so?
This is a situation I don’t think enough people are talking about, and if the Mets have yet another bad week moving forward here, I don’t think a Cohen is out of the realm of possibilities.
Around the League 🚩
The Royals beat the White Sox 4-3 on a walk-off bunt by Freddie Fermin
The Rays reached 30 wins in just their 39th game, topping the Yankees 8-2
Kyle Farmer homered to help lead Minnesota past San Diego 5-3
Rangers RHP Jacob deGrom will miss another 2-3 weeks with elbow inflammation (SNY)