Tagged: MLB
Final Recap: Mets 10 – Cardinals 6
The New York Mets (64-63) defeated the St. Louis Cardinal (67-59) by the final score of 10-6 tonight to take a critical series victory over one of the Wild Card leaders. For a full boxscore recap follow the link below…
Game Notes:
- Alejandro De Aza had quite a game going 2-5 with 5 RBI’s including a 3-run home run. He also made a home run robbing catch in the bottom of the first inning.
- Seth Lugo was fantastic picking up his first Major League win despite leaving early with a right calf cramp. He went 5 scoreless innings while allowing only 2 hits, and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts.
- James Loney was 3-5 with 3 runs scored.
- Rene Rivera was 2-4 with 2 RBIs.
- Wilmer Flores was 2-3 with an RBI and 3 runs scored.
- Asdrubal Cabrera was 2-3 with an RBI.
Low and behold the Mets are creeping back into the Wild Card race with tonight’s series victory. Despite the Mets having an injury riddled roster they have simply tried to keep their heads above water with replacements, and the return of Yoenis Cespedes has done wonders as the team is now 4-2 since his return. Yes there are significant question marks regarding the starting rotation but those are problems that we can worry about tomorrow, as tonight’s win just feels good. It is getting a little unbelievable though how many injuries keep piling up for the Mets with starter Seth Lugo going down tonight while he was pitching his best game as a Major Leaguer. It is becoming a rite of passage it seems that in order to play for the Mets you must suffer some sort of injury and pay your dues on the disabled list (sarcasm).
The Mets are now 3.5 games behind the Cardinals with a favorable schedule down the stretch. The Mets have struggled against below .500 teams which is something they will certainly have to improve upon if they want any shot of October. The team will also hope to avoid any more serious injuries down the stretch as this team can not afford to be losing anymore starters. Things are looking up for the Mets however after tonight’s game, and what a difference 24 hours makes after last night’s debacle. The Mets will now host the Phillies for three games at Citi Field this weekend and they will have Neil Walker rejoin the team, and hopefully Jay Bruce will be back in the starting lineup as well. Let’s keep believing Mets fans, as hard as it’s been this season we still have a chance and tonight that sense of hope is all that matters!
Lineups: Mets vs. Cardinals 7:15 pm et.
New York Mets (63-63):
1. Jose Reyes (S) 3B
2. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS
3. Yoenis Cespedes (R) LF
4. James Loney (L) 1B
5. Curtis Granderson (L) RF
6. Wilmer Flores (R) 2B
7. Alejandro De Aza (L) CF
8. Rene Rivera (R) C
9. Seth Lugo (R) P
SP: Seth Lugo RHP (0-2, 3.04 ERA)
St. Louis Cardinals (67-58):
1. Matt Carpenter (L) 1B
2. Jedd Gyorko (R) 2B
3. Brandon Moss (L) LF
4. Stephen Piscotty (R) RF
5. Yadier Molina (R) C
6. Jhonny Peralta (R) 3B
7. Randal Grichuk (R) CF
8. Greg Garcia (L) SS
9. Adam Wainwright (R) P
SP: Adam Wainwright RHP (9-7, 4.71 ERA)
Tonight’s game can be seen on SNY and the MLB Network.
Mets Tidbits:
- Jon Niese will be going under the knife today to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. The arthroscopic procedure is expected to sideline the left-hander for 4 weeks and it is very possible we have seen the last of Niese this season. If his season is indeed over he ends the year with an 8-7 record with a 5.50 ERA between the Mets and the Pirates. The 29-year old lefty carries a $10 million club option that surely will be bought out by the Mets this offseason for the smaller rate of $500,000.
- After leaving last night’s game in the second inning after hitting a double, Jay Bruce was diagnosed with a right leg cramp. Bruce was pulled from the game and pinch ran for by Alejandro De Aza who took Bruce’s position on the field. Manager Terry Collins had stated after last night’s game that Bruce’s calf had knotted up during the first inning while he was in the field. The injury reportedly stems from Bruce fouling a ball off his leg. We can safely consider Bruce day-to-day but the amount of injuries the Mets have faced this season is beyond ridiculous.
- The Mets will recall left-handed pitcher Sean Gilmartin (pictured) from Triple-A Las Vegas prior to tonight’s ballgame and demote recently promoted reliever Erik Goeddel. The 26-year old Gilmartin has pitched nine innings for the Mets this season and posted a 7.00 ERA. The lefty has primarily functioned as a starting pitcher over in Las Vegas and has posted a 9-7 record with a 4.86 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 107.1 innings. Goeddel allowed two runs in 1.2 innings pitched last night while allowing one walk and striking out three.
Lineups: Mets vs. Cardinals 8:15 pm et.
New York Mets (63-62):
1. Jose Reyes (S) 3B
2. Curtis Granderson (L) CF
3. Yoenis Cespedes (R) LF
4. Jay Bruce (L) RF
5. James Loney (L) 1B
6. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS
7. Kelly Johnson (L) 2B
8. Travis d’Arnaud (R) C
9. Jacob deGrom (L) P
SP: Jacob deGrom RHP (7-6, 2.73 ERA)
St. Louis Cardinals (66-58):
1. Matt Carpenter (L) 1B
2. Jedd Gyorko (R) 2B
3. Brandon Moss (L) LF
4. Stephen Piscotty (R) RF
5. Yadier Molina (R) C
6. Jhonny Peralta (R) 3B
7. Randal Grichuk (R) CF
8. Greg Garcia (L) SS
9. Carlos Martinez (R) P
SP: Carlos Martinez RHP (11-7, 3.24 ERA)
Tonight’s game can be seen on SNY.
Jon Niese to Disabled List
The Mets have placed left-handed pitcher Jon Niese on the 15-day DL with a left knee injury that has not been exactly diagnosed at this point. In a corresponding move the Mets recalled recently demoted right-handed reliever Erik Goeddel.
Niese who is having a season to forget lasted only a third of an inning last night before departing with the knee injury after feeling a “pop.” The knee has been bothering Niese for sometime and it certainly has become a question as to why Manager Terry Collins let an injured Niese pitch in a critical game last night. With all due respect, Niese isn’t on the level of Jacob deGrom or Noah Syndergaard, and to me it wasn’t a good idea to put a pitcher who has been ineffective this season on the mound with an injury that has been well known for quite some time. As a matter of fact Niese has been dealing with knee pain since his time with the Pirates but it seems to only have gotten worse as the season has wore on. In 11 innings pitched thus far, Niese has produced a 0-1 record with a 11.75 ERA since being acquired by the Mets. It is not known how long Niese will be sidelined as there has been no official diagnosis reported in regards to his knee. Robert Gsellman will occupy his rotation spot after picking up his first career victory last night.
Goeddel will give the Mets a fresh arm in the bullpen after the Mets used six pitchers in relief last night. In 28 innings for the Mets, the 27-year old has produced a 4.18 ERA with 27 strikeouts.
Reyes and Cespedes can turn the tide.
The Mets are currently playing to keep their season alive over the next two days in St. Louis, and the Mets have two players on the roster who are doing everything they possibly can to keep their dreams of October alive.
Jose Reyes has been everything the Mets wanted when they signed him back on June 25th. While he got off to a slow start, he has really turned it on as of late and has kept the Mets offensively afloat with his ability to get on base and score runs. Over his last five games, which have been critical games for the Mets, Reyes has hit .429 with a .478 on-base percentage and has scored five runs. Reyes actually accounted for three of the Mets seven runs in last night’s game and he reached base four times. Having a table setter at the top of the lineup with speed is something the Mets have been looking for all season and they finally have it at their disposal. The 33-year old’s glove has also been steady at third base only accounting for one error in the 157 innings he’s played there thus far. We all heard the stories about how Reyes rubbed his teammates in Colorado the wrong way and it had to have been tough on him getting traded from a playoff team to a team in the bottom-half of the league in the middle of the season. His motivation may not have fully been there in Colorado, but we are seeing a fully energized and motivated Reyes who wants to help the Mets reach the postseason. Reyes is also playing himself on to the team for next season and I’m glad we have one of our own homegrown players helping lead the charge to October.
The way Yoenis Cespedes goes is the way the Mets go and that is something we have seen over the past season and a half with the Mets. Cespedes is the unquestioned team leader and his impact has been felt since returning to the lineup on Friday night. Over his last four games since returning, the 30-year old slugger has hit .412 with three home runs and five RBIs. Oh yeah the Mets are also 3-1 in those four games and have a chance to be right in the middle of the Wild Card race again with victories in the next two games against the Cardinals. There is no question that the Mets need Cespedes down the stretch but also beyond that. We haven’t seen a player be able to change the dynamic of the Mets lineup since the Mets had Carlos Beltran. I can’t imagine the team without Cespedes going into the future as he has led this team to the World Series once, and he is going to try and use his heroics again to make a late season push for the Mets. In 155 games played since being acquired by the Mets, Cespedes has posted a .292 average with 42 home runs and 108 RBIs. Those are numbers that could be comparable to a full season and he has more than proven the New York spotlight is not too big for him. We will all be riding Cespedes’ coattails down the stretch with the hopes of playing in October. We also will be hoping that the Mets are able to make sure Cespedes is a part of the future of the team come this winter as well.
Final Recap: Mets 7 – Cardinals 4
The New York Mets (63-62) defeated the St. Louis Cardinals (66-58) tonight in their series opener by the final score of 7-4. For a full boxscore recap follow the link below…
Game Notes:
- Jon Niese only lasted 0.1 of an inning before departing with a knee injury. He allowed 3 runs on 1 hit with 2 walks.
- Robert Gsellman picked up his first career win while relieving Niese by pitching 3.2 scoreless innings of relief while allowing only 2 hits and 2 strikeouts with 3 walks.
- Wilmer Flores was 1-3 with a 3-run HR.
- Justin Ruggiano was 1-3 with a mammoth 461 ft. solo HR (The longest Mets HR in the Statcast era).
- Asdrubal Cabrera was 3-5 with an RBI double.
- Jose Reyes was 3-4 with a walk, a stolen base, and an RBI single.
What a difference in swagger the Mets have played with since the return of Yoenis Cespedes. The team is 3-1 in the four games he’s played in since returning from the disabled list, and it’s evident that this team relies on his presence for success. While Cespedes bat had been carrying the Mets over the last couple of games, his glove was the highlight tonight as he made an outstanding catch to rob Stephen Piscotty of a home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Mets understand that this is their biggest series of the season to this point, and they came out tonight playing the way we haven’t seen in some time. With tonight’s victory the Mets now sit 3.5 games behind the Cardinals for the final Wild Card spot. There is still plenty of work to do over the next two days, but the offense looks totally revitalized with the presence of their team leader in Cespedes.
There is not much to say on the Jon Niese front as he appeared to come into tonight’s start injured and didn’t last more than a third of an inning after looking shaky early. Regardless whether the knee injury had any affect on his performance tonight, I’d rather the Mets put Niese back into the bullpen, as he has just not cut it as a starter this season for either the Pirates or the Mets. Robert Gsellman came into tonight in his MLB debut and despite allowing Niese’s inherited runners to score, he shut the Cardinals down to set the tone for the Mets for the rest of the game. Gsellman’s effort was part of the Mets bullpen having a huge night and throwing 8.2 innings of one-run ball the rest of the way. It is appears from Terry Collins postgame comments that Gsellman will get the start in Philadelphia on Sunday which is well deserved after the way he pitched tonight. I would also expect Niese to hit the disabled list at this point as he’s been dealing with knee discomfort for sometime now, and it doesn’t make sense to play shorthanded in the bullpen, especially after the Mets used six pitchers in relief tonight.
- The newly energized Mets will take on the St. Louis Cardinals in the second game of their three game series tomorrow night with first pitch scheduled for 8:15 pm et. You can catch tomorrow’s game on SNY.
- Jacob deGrom (7-6, 2.73 ERA) will look to bounce back from his last start and toe the rubber against Cardinals ace Carlos Martinez (11-7, 3.24 ERA).
Lineups: Mets vs. Cardinals 8:15 pm et
New York Mets (62-62):
1. Jose Reyes (S) 3B
2. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) SS
3. Yoenis Cespedes (R) LF
4. Wilmer Flores (R) 1B
5. Jay Bruce (L) RF
6. T.J. Rivera (R) 2B
7. Justin Ruggiano (R) CF
8. Travis d’Arnaud (R) C
9. Jonathon Niese (L) P
SP: Jonathon Niese LHP (8-7, 5.30 ERA)
St. Louis Cardinals (66-57):
1. Tommy Pham (R) LF
2. Stephen Piscotty (R) RF
3. Matt Carpenter (L) 2B
4. Brandon Moss (L) 1B
5. Yadier Molina (R) C
6. Jhonny Peralta (R) 3B
7. Jedd Gyorko (R) SS
8. Randal Grichuk (R) CF
9. Jaime Garcia (L) P
SP: Jaime Garcia LHP (10-8, 4.11 ERA)
Tonight’s game can be seen on SNY.
Things to Know: Mets vs. Cardinals
The New York Mets will open a critical three-game set in St. Louis tonight to face the Cardinals in a battle that will certainly have ramifications on the Wild Card race, as well as the Mets season. Here are a few things to know ahead of tonight’s game. Continue reading
Neil Walker to paternity leave
The Mets have placed second baseman Neil Walker on paternity leave, as he has left the team to be with his wife back in Pittsburgh for the birth of their first child. He is expected to be out for the entirety of the series in St. Louis. Walker will rejoin the team in New York on Friday when they take on the Philadelphia Phillies. Walker has been red hot over the past month as he has hit .379 with five home runs and nine RBIs in August. Congratulations are in order for the Walker family on the birth of their first child!
The Mets will promote recently demoted infielder T.J. Rivera from Triple-A Las Vegas to take Walker’s spot on the roster for the next three games. The leading hitter in the Pacific Coast League, Rivera will return to a .355 batting line with the Mets in 31 plate appearances.
Above The Mendoza 