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Final Recap: Mets 7 – Phillies 2
The New York Mets (2-1) defeated the Philadelphia Phillies (0-4) by the final score of 7-2 at Citi Field this afternoon. For a full boxscore recap follow the link below…
Game Notes:
- Jacob deGrom was fantastic this afternoon picking up the win, pitching 6 innings and allowing 1 run on 5 hits. DeGrom did not allow a walk and struck out 6. He also had an RBI on a groundout with the bases loaded. DeGrom exited after only throwing 76 pitches with right lat tightness.
- Michael Conforto was 2-3 with with a double and 3 RBI’s.
- Neil Walker was 2-4 with 2 RBI’s and 2 runs scored.
- Travis d’Arnaud was 1-3 with an RBI single.
- David Wright kept his Home Opener hitting streak alive going 1-4 with a double. He now has a hit in every Home Opener since his first in 2005.
- Jim Henderson pitched a scoreless 7th inning, striking out 2.
- Jerry Blevins inherited two baserunners in the top of the 8th and got a double play on an infield fly rule, which also included a base running blunder by Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez. Batters are 0-19 against Blevins as a Met.
- 44,099 attended today’s ball game which is the largest regular season crowd in Citi Field history.
The Mets absolutely laid it on the Phillies this afternoon, as deGrom was completely dominant, and the offense came to life late against starting pitcher Jerad Eickhoff, and the Phillies league leading worst bullpen in the Majors. DeGrom was making easy work of the Phillies offense for most of the afternoon despite his velocity continuing to hover between 91-93 mph. He got many swings and misses, and he already has declared he has no issue with his velocity. DeGrom departed the game early in the 6th after only throwing 76 pitches and being in a groove, which led many to speculate that baby deGrom was on the way, but that was not the case. The Mets told the SNY booth that it was right lat tightness, as for the reason deGrom was pulled early. Hopefully it is nothing serious as Steven Matz dealt with this injury last year and ended up missing two months. David Wright continues to show that his back injury is not affecting him currently, as he made an absolute gem of a play in the field today, with a barehand throw on a bunt by Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera. Wright also notched a double, and was aggressive on the bases this afternoon on a hit and run play in the bottom of the 7th, going from first to third on a Yoenis Cespedes single. Neil Walker and Michael Conforto also continue to be the hottest bats in the Mets lineup currently, as they had a heavy hand in today’s offensive outburst against the Phillies. Look for them to keep it going into the rest of the weekend as they both seem to be seeing the ball really well right now. The Phillies clearly have the worst bullpen in baseball currently, as they have been getting absolutely torched the past four games, and that is an area of weakness the Mets should continue to look to exploit over these final two games.
- The Mets and Phillies will play the second game of their three game series tomorrow evening with first pitch slated for 7:10 pm et. The game can be seen on WPIX and MLB Network.
- Bartolo Colon will make his first start of the season, after making a relief appearance on Opening Night, against Phillies highly regarded right-hander Vincent Velasquez, who was acquired in the Ken Giles blockbuster trade with the Houston Astros this past offseason.
Wheeler to have minor procedure on elbow…
ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin is reporting that Zack Wheeler is expected undergo a minor procedure on his elbow to remove an undissolved stitch from last year’s Tommy John Surgery. This operation is considered minor in nature and he will resume his normal pitching activities within two weeks after the wound is healed.
Both Wheeler and Edgin had been examined in New York yesterday, and besides the stitch problem, Wheeler’s MRI came back clean and Edgin was given a clean bill of health.
A huge sigh of relief for Mets fans as any surgery involving the elbow is never good, but this is simply to remove a stitch off of the surgically repaired elbow of Wheeler’s. It is about as minor of a surgery any baseball player could have on their elbow. Wheeler is still expected to make his debut on July 1st, although there is a slim chance that may be pushed back to mid-July with the procedure. He will also be on hand this afternoon, along with Edgin for the Mets pre-game NL Championship ceremony.
Phillies vs. Mets Lineups 1:10 pm et.
Phillies:
1. Freddy Galvis (S) SS
2. Cesar Hernandez (S) 2B
3. Odubel Herrera (L) CF
4. Ryan Howard (L) 1B
5. Andres Blanco (S) 3B
6. Cedric Hunter (L) RF
7. Cameron Rupp (R) C
8. Emmanuel Burriss (S) LF
9. Jerad Eickhoff (R) P
SP: Jerad Eickhoff RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Mets:
1. Curtis Granderson (L) RF
2. David Wright (R) 3B
3. Yoenis Cespedes (R) CF
4. Lucas Duda (L) 1B
5. Neil Walker (S) 2B
6. Michael Conforto (L) LF
7. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS
8. Travis d’Arnaud (R) C
9. Jacob deGrom (L) P
SP: Jacob deGrom RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Today’s game can be seen on SNY and MLB Network.
Game Notes:
HOME OPENERS: The Mets are 34-20 (.630) in Home Openers, including 4-3 at Citi Field.
WRIGHT IN HOME OPENERS: David Wright has at least one hit in every home opener since making his first Opening Day roster in 2005…Wright is hitting .386 (17-44) in 11 home openers.
deGROM deOPENER: For the second straight season Jacob deGrom will start the Home Opener vs. the Phillies…Last year, deGrom fired 6.1 scoreless innings and picked up the win in a 2-0 victory over Philadelphia in the Home Opener on April 13.
FIRST TIME SINCE: The Mets will play the Phillies in their Home Opener for the second straight year…The last time the club played the same team in consecutive Home Openers was also vs. Philadelphia (2007-2008).
PHILLIES-METS NOTES: The Mets have won double-digit games vs. the Phillies the last four years, going 47-28 during that span. The Mets went 14-5 vs. the Phillies (8-1 at home) last year…The 14 wins were the most in team history in a single-season vs. the Phillies…New York had a franchise high-tying 10-game winning streak vs. the Phillies from May 9-August 31, 2015.
NEIL WALKER: Hit his first home run with the Mets on Tuesday, a two-run shot…Walker has 70 home runs since 2012, the most among NL second basemen.
WRIGHT ON THE BASES: Wright swiped two bases Tuesday in Kansas City…He had two stolen bases in 38 games last year…His last game with two stolen bases was June 25, 2013 at Chicago White Sox.
HOME OPENER DETAILS: Prior to today’s game, the Mets will raise the National League Pennant banner…Former NL Champions Rusty Staub (1973), John Franco (2000) and Edgardo Alfonzo (2000) will hoist the flag.
- Michael Conforto: .500 (4-8, 1 HR, 2 RBI)
- Yoenis Cespedes: .167 (1-6, 2 K)
- Curtis Granderson: .200 (1-5, 1 HR, 2 RBI)
- Wilmer Flores .167 (1-6, 1 K)
Mets receive National League Championship Rings today.
The rings are crafted in 10-karat white gold, and the ring features 110 round diamonds, as well as 42 round sapphires, with a total weight of 2.75 carats. The inside of the ring features the National League Championship trophy and the years that the Mets have won the pennant.
Retired outfielder Michael Cuddyer joined the Mets today for the ceremony. The Mets also flew in pitchers Zack Wheeler and Josh Edgin from Port St. Lucie to participate in the ceremony.
Where the Mets top 30 prospects will start 2016.
With the New York Mets full season affiliates celebrating Opening Day today, MLB.com has rolled out a list of where each player on the Mets top 30 prospect list will be opening the season. Click the jump to see where each player will be opening the 2016 season. Continue reading
Final Recap: Mets 2 – Royals 0
The New York Mets (1-1) defeated the Kansas City Royals (1-1) by the final score of 2-0 this afternoon at Kauffman Stadium. For a full boxscore recap follow the link below…
Game Notes:
- Noah Syndergaard was absolutely dominant this afternoon pitching 6 scoreless innings, only allowing 3 hits. He only walked 1 and struck out 9 batters this afternoon.
- Neil Walker was 2-4 this afternoon, with a 2-run home run.
- David Wright was 1-3 with 2 walks, and 2 stolen bases.
- Jim Henderson, Addison Reed, and Jeurys Familia combined to pitch 3 hitless innings to end the game, while combining to strike out 3. Familia recorded his first save of the season.
That was one hell of a performance by Noah Syndergaard this afternoon. When Alcides Escobar led the game off with a triple, you could almost imagine every Mets fan thinking, “here we go again.” But that wasn’t the case as Syndergaard struck out the side and pretty much cruised the rest of the afternoon besides for the sixth inning. In the sixth the Royals had him on the rocks, with the bases loaded and two outs, but he struck Kendrys Morales out with three straight pitches. Syndergaard is primed for a huge season, and as I said earlier this spring he just seems to grow and get better with every start he makes. Syndergaard’s slider is becoming a dominant pitch, as he only struck out eleven batters with it all last season, and today he struck out six Royals batters with the slider. That is a pitch he has worked hard on all spring and the results are showing early. Syndergaard also found it very amusing that the Royals played the song “American Woman” as he took the mound to start the game.
It was nice to see Neil Walker as the hero this afternoon, a day after former Met Daniel Murphy played hero for the Washington Nationals. Walker hit a line drive to right field that got over the fence for a 2-run home run in the top of the 4th, which ultimately decided today’s game. Jim Henderson pitched the 7th inning this afternoon and was throwing gas. Henderson’s fastball topped out at 96 mph and he struck out two batters in his lone inning of work. It will be interesting to see how Terry Collins uses him this season to keep him healthy, as he could basically use Henderson and/or Hansel Robles both in the 7th inning. Jeurys Familia pitched a clean 9th and you’ve got to believe that felt good for him today after blowing three saves against the Royals in the World Series. The only area the Mets lacked in today was with runners in scoring position, as they were 0-7.
All in all a great win for the Mets as they head home for Friday’s big home opener at Citi Field. There is sure to be tons of emotion flying around the stadium, as the Mets will be recognized for their great season last season as National League Champions, and they will be facing another opponent who has been waiting for another crack at the Mets since last October. On September 30th in a meaningless game against the Phillies an all out war erupted which included four hit batters, seven wild pitches, the benches clearing, an incensed Larry Bowa, and two ejections. It will be an interesting series to watch this weekend to see if there is any carry over from the series at the end of last season.
- The Mets are off Wednesday and Thursday, but take the field for the home opener on Friday afternoon at 1:10 pm et. The game can be seen on SNY and MLB Network.
- Pending the birth of his child, Jacob deGrom is scheduled to tote the rubber against Phillies young right-hander Jerad Eickhoff. If deGrom is unable to pitch, Bartolo Colon or Steven Matz will take the hill.
Mets minor league Opening Day starters announced…
New York’s four full season minor league teams will all begin their season on Thursday. I provided the list of Opening Day starters for each affiliate below…
- RHP Rafael Montero (pictured) will be the Opening Day starter for Las Vegas (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League vs. Fresno.
- RHP Robert Gsellman will start for Binghamton (AA) of the Eastern League vs. New Hampshire.
- RHP Josh Prevost will start for St. Lucie (A+) of the Florida State League vs. Jupiter.
- RHP Chase Ingram will be on the mound for Columbia (A) of the South Atlantic Legue at Charleston.
Mets vs. Royals Lineups 4:15 pm et
Mets:
1. Curtis Granderson (L) RF
2. David Wright (R) 3B
3. Yoenis Cespedes (R) CF
4. Lucas Duda (L) 1B
5. Neil Walker (S) 2B
6. Michael Conforto (L) DH
7. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS
8. Travis d’Arnaud (R) C
9. Alejandro De Aza (L) LF
SP: Noah Syndergaard RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Royals:
1. Alcides Escobar (R) SS
2. Mike Moustakas (L) 3B
3. Lorenzo Cain (R) CF
4. Eric Hosmer (L) 1B
5. Kendrys Morales (S) DH
6. Alex Gordon (L) LF
7. Salvador Perez (R) C
8. Omar Infante (R) 2B
9. Reymond Fuentes (L) RF
SP: Chris Young RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Today’s game can be seen on SNY and MLB Network.
Game Notes:
METS-ROYALS NOTES: The Mets are 4-6 vs. the Royals during the regular season, including 1-3 at Kauffman Stadium…New York fell in five games to the Royals in the World Series, including going 0-2 in Kansas City.
NOAH NOTES: Noah Syndergaard finished fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting in 2015…He led major league rookies with 166 strikeouts, led NL rookies and was fourth among ML rookies with a .225 batting average against and was tied for third in the majors among rookies with nine wins last year…Syndergaard also led NL rookies and was fourth among ML rookies with a 3.24 ERA…He threw 1,421 pitches at 95 mph or faster in 2015, the second-most among all major league pitchers behind Pittsburgh’s Gerrit Cole (1,484).
MICHAEL CONFORTO: Reached base safely four times on Sunday…At 23 years, 33 days, he became the youngest Met to reach base safely four times on Opening Day…He was also the first Met to do so since Xavier Nady in 2006.
JERRY BLEVINS: Retired all three batters he faced on Sunday…Opponents are 0-18 vs. Blevins during his career with the Mets…The opposition was 0-15 vs. Blevins last year before he suffered a fractured left forearm on a line drive off the bat of Miami’s Dee Gordon on April 19.
K.C. IN QUEENS: The Mets will host the Royals for a two- game series, June 21-22.
Notable Mets vs. Young:
- Asdrubal Cabrera: .000 (0-4, 1 HBP, 2 K)
- Yoenis Cespedes: .071 (1-14, 1 2B, 1 RBI)
- Michael Conforto: 1.000 (1-1, 1 HR, 1 RBI)
- David Wright: .091 (1-11, 4 BB, 2 K)
FACING A FAMILIAR YOUNG FACE: Royals starter RHP Chris Young pitched for the Mets during the 2011 and 2012 seasons… He compiled a 5-7 record and a 3.76 ERA in 24 games started… Young also had a 102/47 strikeout to walk ratio with the Mets…Young’s average fastball tops out at 87 MPH… Young pitched 3 scoreless innings of relief in Game 1 of last year’s World Series for the Royals earning the victory in the 14th inning…Young started Game 4 at Citi Field for the Royals and allowed two earned runs over 4 innings pitched.
Should we overreact after one game?
The simple answer is no. Continue reading
Final Recap: Royals 4 – Mets 3
The New York Mets (0-1) fell short tonight against the Kansas City Royals (1-0) at Kauffman Stadium by the final score of 4-3. For a full boxscore recap follow the link below…
Game Notes:
- Matt Harvey was charged with the loss. He pitched 5.2 innings, allowing 4 runs (3 earned), with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts.
- Bartolo Colon made a relief appearance and pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, while only allowing a hit.
- Lucas Duda was 1-4 with a 2-run single.
- Michael Conforto was 2-2 with a double, and a pair of walks.
- Neil Walker was 0-4 with an RBI on a fielder’s choice.
- Yoenis Cespedes was 1-4 with a run scored, but committed a costly error in the first inning that ultimately led to a Royals run.
This game reminded me of all of the other games the Mets had played against the Royals during last season’s World Series. The Royals did not do anything spectacular to beat the Mets, but they jumped on opportunities, including Cespedes costly dropped fly ball, ran the bases aggressively, slapped the ball where the Mets weren’t positioned, and played great defense. Royals starter Edinson Volquez had stymied the Mets offense tonight as they could not get anything going against him during his six innings pitched. There were times he would get wild and it seemed like his mechanics would get out of whack, but when he was throwing the ball over the plate, the Mets had no answer. The Mets ultimately had a 3-run rally in the top of the 8th off reliever Joakim Soria, but had fallen short with runners on first and second, when the Royals brought in reliever Luke Hochevar to put out the fire, and he struck Asdrubal Cabrera out swinging. In the top of 9th the Mets produced runners on first and third base with one out against closer Wade Davis, only to have David Wright and Yoenis Cespedes both strike out to end the game. Cespedes arguably had the roughest night of all Mets as his lackadaisical attempt on a dropped fly ball that led to a run, and his inability to come through in the 9th will be talked about by the media until Tuesday. The good news is this is only the first game of the season, and I enjoyed watching the Mets offense come to life later in the game. The Mets will play an exciting brand of baseball I believe this season, and it was a tough hand they were dealt tonight, especially playing in a emotionally charged atmosphere. I will not jump to any negative conclusions after one single game, but it does go to show the Mets if they want to win it all, every play and every little detail matters. As for the Royals, they seem to have not missed a beat with their style of play and Tuesday will provide another difficult matchup for the Mets, especially with a high emotion ring ceremony planned before first pitch.
- The Mets are off tomorrow and will conclude their 2-game series against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday afternoon at 4:15 pm et. The game can be seen on SNY or MLB Network.
- Noah Syndergaard will make his first start of the season for the Mets against the soft-tossing, and former right-handed pitcher for the Mets, Chris Young. Ian Kennedy who was originally scheduled to start tomorrow for the Royals, has been pushed back as he is dealing with a hamstring issue.
Above The Mendoza 