Chicago Cubs

Ugly Middle Innings For The Mets Lead to 16-4 Blowout Loss

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Here is a list of facts that show you the theme of the New York Mets ugly 14-4 loss:

  • They had the same amount of runs as errors
  • The Chicago Cubs scored 14 runs in three innings
  • Luis Guillorme pitched an inning

David Peterson and the Mets had a similar start as Taijuan Walker did the previous night. Peterson kept the Cubs hitless for 3.1 innings, but things quickly unraveled in the fourth. The Cubs pushed across seven runs on six hits, with only one reaching an exit velocity of 90 mph or better. It continued to a three-run fifth, and Javier Baez’s grand slam capped off the middle inning outburst to put the Mets away for the rest of the night. Four different Mets made errors on the night, and J.D. Davis made his third in the last two games.

The Mets came into the season understanding their defensive flaws, but it is becoming worse than they could have imagined. Clearly, Davis is not an everyday third baseman with the glove, and it is becoming to defend playing him there every day. His errors show up on the box score, but simple plays become tall tasks for Davis. Unless he puts up MVP caliber numbers, there is no reason to continue to keep Guillorme sitting on the bench while the defense continues to suffer.

Defense Wins Championships

This team is way too talented for a lack of defense to separate them from winning the division. With the season still early and fresh, these losses are not the end of the world. They are certainly disappointing and disheartening, but the next day’s performance determines how bad it stings. If manager Luis Rojas adjusts the lineups and the team responds accordingly, it turns into just another loss. The final game of the series will show the early character of this team.

Offensively, the Mets saw encouraging signs from Francisco Lindor, who had three hits, including his first Mets home run. Davis’s bat continues to be the only thing keeping him in the lineup as he recorded two hits, including an RBI. Pete Alonso’s two-run home run was the last of the scoring and his third of the season.

The Mets look to flush this ugly loss away and avoid the sweep in Thursday’s game. Joey Lucchesi takes the mound against Trevor Williams for a 7:40 p.m. ET start from Wrigley Field.

Mets Game Preview: (4/21/21) @ Chicago Cubs (7-9)

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New York Mets, David Peterson

The New York Mets get themselves ready for another chilly night against the Chicago Cubs after a tough 3-1 loss in the first game of their series. It will be another 7:40 p.m. ET start as the Mets offense tries to get themselves going against a pitcher with an ERA over 10 to begin the season.

The Mets offense just could not muster any consistent offense against Cubs starter Jake Arrieta in game one. They had no issue getting people on base but failed to score them. Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil highlight the Mets struggles on offense but things are not as bad as they seem. When most players slump, we usually see them increase their strikeout numbers and decrease their walk rate.

Lindor and McNeil are the opposite through their early-season slumps. Lindor has just three strikeouts in 41 at-bats and has nine walks, which puts him in the top-20 in the NL. McNeil also has three strikeouts and half of his hits are for extra bases. Both carry averages of .171 and .162 and it is due to lack of quality contact. It shows in the analytics as Lindor and McNeil are in similar percentiles for average exit velocity and hard-hit percentage. Each of them is too good to carry on the slump longer and it is only a matter of days before they break out of it.

Pitching Matchups

David Peterson makes his third start of the season after one bad and one good outing against the Philadelphia Phillies to begin his season. He allowed six runs in four innings in his first go-around then followed it up with six terrific innings, allowing just one run and striking out 10, tying a career-high. The Cubs offense has barely existed this season but has found success in the power department against lefties. They have nine home runs (3rd in MLB) and a .478 (4th in MLB) slugging percentage against southpaws.

Zach Davies makes his fourth start and has found little success in his prior two. He allowed two runs in 5.2 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates to open up his season but ran into issues after that. Davies faced the Pirates again and lasted just 1.2 innings, allowing seven runs then allowed four runs in the same amount of innings against the Atlanta Braves. The odd part of his season is his inability to finish off innings. Batters are just 3-for-27 (.111) before there are two outs but they jump to 13-for-23 (.565) with two outs. Davies and his 10.32 ERA provide a great opportunity for the Mets to wake their offense up.

Matchup To Lookout For

Zach Davies vs. Michael Conforto: 2-for-10 (.200), 2 Doubles, 5 Walks, 2 Strikeouts

Zach Davies vs. Brandon Nimmo: 3-for-6 (.500), 2 Doubles, Triple, Strikeout

 

Walker Get Heated, Mets Offense Goes Cold in Chilly Loss to Cubs 3-1

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yankees, New York Mets, Luis Rojas

The New York Mets are no strangers to ugly weather this season, but that does not mean they get used to it. Taijuan Walker started strong but did not have a happy finish at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. Walker threw 3.2 hitless innings but failed to make it out of the fourth inning after allowing two singles and three consecutive walks. He needed 91 pitches in his outing and was thrown out in the 3-1 loss.

While Walker failed to make it through the fourth inning, his demise began in the third inning. The first of two errors from J.D. Davis allowed the first Cubs’ run to score on a straightforward play. Davis made two mistakes on the play: first, letting the ground ball come to him instead of charging it and then double clutching on the throw, which has become a bad habit. Simple mistakes like these were habits Davis needed to quit to be an adequate third baseman, and it happened again on his second error.

Walker Loses The Zone

When Walker gave up three consecutive walks, they all went to a full count, and a few tough calls did not go in his favor. The stressful at-bats and frustrating inning made Walker leave the mound bursting with anger. He took it out on home plate umpire John Libka, who, in all fairness, had a very questionable strike zone. Manager Luis Rojas also got the boot in the sixth inning due to Libka’s inconsistent zone. In total, Walker threw 3.2 innings, allowed just two hits but walked six.

Even if Walker pitched adequately, there was no offense to support him. Davis’s solo home run was all the Mets could scratch across against Cubs starter Jake Arrieta. He was not unhittable but found ways to keep the Mets from putting up a crooked number. Arrieta allowed one run, three hits, and walked three over five innings pitched.

Their best scoring chance came against closer Craig Kimbrel in the ninth with one out and the bases loaded. Brandon Nimmo struck out, and Francisco Lindor grounded out to leave the tying and winning runs on base. They left 10 runners on base and went just 1-for-6 w/RISP. The biggest positive is from their bullpen, who threw 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits.

The Mets look to start a new winning streak on Wednesday when David Peterson takes the bump against Zach Davies. The first pitch from Wrigley Field is at 7:40 p.m. ET.

Mets Game Preview: (4/20/21) @ Chicago Cubs (6-9)

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The New York Mets head from one cold city to another as they begin a three-game series with the Chicago Cubs. Each team comes in on a different trend; the Mets sit in first place while the Cubs are in last place in the NL Central. Once again, there is no guarantee that every game in the series is played this week due to impending ugly weather.

The Mets offense is not struggling to get hits but is failing to hit for power and hit with runners in scoring position. They have a .246 team average but just a .353 slugging percentage which is the third-worst in baseball. The Mets hit just .194 with runners in scoring position, but they look amazing compared to the MLB worst .137 average the Cubs own.

What separates these teams is their pitching. The Mets 2.93 team ERA is fifth in baseball, while the Cubs 4.98 mark is third from the bottom. When scoring is not coming easy, the Mets have covered their tracks with amazing pitching. Jacob deGrom (0.45) and Marcus Stroman (0.90) are both in the top-10 of MLB’s ERA leaders.

Pitching Matchup

Taijuan Walker takes the mound and has been stellar in his first two starts. Walker has allowed three runs in 10.1 innings pitched with 12 strikeouts. His five walks are high than where he wants to be, but he can attack the inconsistent Cubs offense tonight.

Former Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta takes the mound for the Cubs and has pitched very well in his second go-around in Chicago. Arrieta has not thrown more than 90 pitches in any of his three starts but has gone at least five innings in all of them. The 35-year old has plenty of experience against the Mets and has a 3.09 ERA in 16 career starts against them.

Matchups To Lookout For

Taijuan Walker vs. Joc Pederson: 7-for-15 (.467), 2 Doubles, Home Run, Walk, 2 Strikeouts

Jake Arrieta vs. Jeff McNeil: 15-for-26 (.577), Double, Home Run, Strikeouts

Jake Arrieta vs. Brandon Nimmo: 5-for-16 (.312), Double, Home Run, 2 Walks, 4 Strikeouts

Are the New York Yankees a player for Wilson Contreras?

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It is no secret that there are issues with the New York Yankees at the catchers position. Gary Sanchez was just interviewed by ESPN yesterday where he discussed that he was confused by being benched for the playoffs.

A response that seemed to trigger most people in the Yankees fanbase. The issue is not that complicated, Gary Sanchez was benched because he was awful. He was atrocious, he was basically every negative adjective you can think of last year.

Gary Sanchez is not a defense first catcher. His biggest asset is his ability to swing the bat. Well, going back to 2018 for the Yankees, Sanchez is hitting under 200 combined over the last few seasons.

Yes, I know people will talk about his injuries and the COVID season of 2020. Nevertheless, Gary Sanchez has been awful for the Yankees. Combine that with the fact that he’s terrible behind the plate and you don’t have much going for you.

With Sanchez, the questions have never been about his talent. Frankly, his raw talent is the only reason the Yankees refuse to get rid of him. However, there is a catcher available that might make them strongly consider it.

The Yankees and Cubs to make another deal?

It has been reported all offseason that the Yankees have been looking into the catching market. Of course, publicly they say they are behind Gary Sanchez, however, behind closed doors they’ve been looking into replacement options.

A very interesting option just hit the trade market. USA Today and MLB Trade Rumors reported today that the Chicago Cubs are actively shopping All-Star catcher, Wilson Contreras. The Cubs are in the middle of a fire sale after non-tendering Schwarber and trading Yu Darvish.

The Yankees and the Cubs have a history of doing deals. The Cubs can thank the Yankees for Aroldis Chapman’s contributions to their WS victory and the bombers can thank the Cubs for Gleyber Torres.

Make no mistake about it, Contreras is an upgrade from Gary Sanchez for the Yankees. Both players are actually in the exact same spot in terms of their control, but Contreras is much more proven as an overall catcher.

If the Yankees were to pull off a deal for Contreras, they could either send Sanchez back to Chicago or put him in a different trade. However, acquiring Contreras would allow the Yankees to finally let go of Sanchez without thinking twice.

Now, there is no word on the Yanks potential interest in Contreras. All I can tell you is that the bombers have been catcher shopping and they are not sold on Sanchez. If a deal can materialize with Chicago, don’t be shocked to see the Yankees involved.

New York Mets Series Preview: Chicago Cubs (8/27-8/29)

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The New York Mets will fly to the windy city to take on the Chicago Cubs in a three game series. The Mets just finished taking two out of three against the Washington Nationals, but they lost the final game of the series 15-0. The Cubs sit in first place in the NL Central and have been red hot in the month of August. They just finished a four game sweep against the Cincinnati Reds. The Cubs manhandled the Mets when they swept a four game series at Citi Field earlier this season.

Probable Pitching Matchups

(8/27, 8:05 PM) Noah Syndergaard (9-3, 3.38 ERA) vs. Jon Lester (14-5, 3.64 ERA)

(8/28, 8:05 PM) Jacob deGrom (8-8, 1.71 ERA) vs. Cole Hamels (9-9, 3.82 ERA)

(8/29, 2:20 PM) Jason Vargas (4-8, 6.96 ERA) vs. Alec Mills (0-0, 1.17 ERA)

Mets Solid Starters

The Mets starting pitching has been brilliant over their last nine games. No starter has allowed more than three runs and the Mets have received contributions from everybody. Jacob deGrom and Zack Wheeler have been wonderful, but Jason Vargas has finally looked like he has figured it out. His last two starts were exactly what the Mets were looking for when they signed him in the offseason. Hopefully the Mets can build on this rotation for the rest of the season.

The Mets welcomed back Jay Bruce over the weekend, but might have lost Jeff McNeil. Bruce had a solid weekend, recording a hit in all three games. He homered Friday, doubled Saturday and singled on Sunday. McNeil was in the midst of a 11-game hitting streak before he was removed in the sixth inning. The Mets described the injury as “right quad tightness” and said it will not be a major issue. Judging injuries with the Mets is a crap shoot and the original diagnosis is usually not the one that sticks.

Hamels is Verlander 2.0

Cole Hamels has been a better pitcher since Jacob deGrom since the Cubs acquired him from the Texas Rangers. Hamels is 4-0 and has only allowed three runs in 34 innings pitched with the Cubs. Many people thought Hamels was past his prime, but much like Justin Verlander last year, when thrown into a pennant race his level of play went to another level. Hamels has faced the Mets countless times over his career, but this is the first time he will face them since 2015.

The Mets thought they would be seeing Daniel Murphy this past weekend against the Nationals, but his trade to the Cubs changed all of those plans. With Addison Russell and Kris Bryant on the disabled list, the Cubs needed a bat to fill their void. Murphy has gone 9-for-21 with the Cubs and has already batted lead off for Joe Maddon. He showed the Cubs what he was capable of in the 2015 postseason and they hope to catch lightning in a bottle this year.

Matchups to Lookout For

Jose Bautista vs. Jon Lester: 14-62 (.226) 3 Doubles, 5 Home Runs, 9 Walks, 13 Strikeouts

Jose Reyes vs. Cole Hamels: 22-59 (.373) 6 Doubles, 5 Walks, 10 Strikeouts

Ben Zobrist vs. Jason Vargas: 12-29 (.414) 4 Doubles, Home Run, 3 Walks, 2 Strikeouts

Daniel Murphy vs. Noah Syndergaard: 4-18 (.222) 2 Doubles, 2 Walks, 2 Strikeouts

Interesting Stats

Seth Lugo vs. Leadoff Hitter in the Inning in 2018: 14-77 (.182) 7 Walks, 15 Strikeouts

David Bote at Home in 2018: 17-53 (.321) 2 Doubles, 4 Home Runs, 8 Walks, 15 Strikeouts

New York Mets Series Preview: Chicago Cubs (5/31-6/3)

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New York Yankees, New York Mets, Zack Wheeler

After a 3-5 road trip that included the New York Mets hitting “rock bottom”, they return to Citi Field for a monumental nine game home stand. They start off with a four game set against the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs just finished a series where they took two out of three from the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cubs took four out of the six games against the Mets in 2017.

Probable Pitching Matchups

(5/30, 7:10 PM) Jose Quintana (5-4, 4.78 ERA) vs. Seth Lugo (1-1, 2.48 ERA)

(6/1, 7:10 PM) Tyler Chatwood (3-4, 4.10 ERA) vs. Zack Wheeler (2-4, 5.40 ERA)

(6/2, 7:15 PM) TBD vs. Jacob deGrom (4-0, 1.52 ERA)

(6/3, 1:10 PM) Jon Lester (5-2, 2.71 ERA) vs. TBD

Lugo Gets The Spot Start

The Mets will trot out Seth Lugo to the mound for the series opener against the Cubs. This is Lugo’s first start of the season and is in the place of Noah Syndergaard who landed on the 10-day DL. Lugo has been dynamite out of the bullpen this season and had his first real hiccup in the first game of Monday’s double header against the Atlanta Braves. In his career as a starter, he has a 12-6 record with a 4.09 ERA. This is expected to be his only start and will likely be limited to 65 pitches.

The Mets offense has slowly clawed their way out of the mess it was in last week. Brandon Nimmo has emerged as the Mets leadoff hitter and a quality everyday player. His .969 on-base plus slugging would be the ninth best in baseball, if he qualified. Amed Rosario has also seen his bat come to life over the last week. He is hitting .333 over his last seven games and has a .583 slugging percentage which is almost 200 points higher than what it is now.

The Cubs Without Arrieta

The Cubs come in with a 29-23 record with puts them 4.5 games behind the first place Milwaukee Brewers. They still remain as one of the better teams in the NL with their young lineup and their revamped pitching staff. Kyle Schwarber has produced a bounce back season with 10 home runs and a .374 on base percentage. Javier Baez found his power stroke to lead the team with 13 home runs and is still one of the best fielders in baseball.

Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo are also quietly making their contributions to the Cubs lineup. Rizzo had started the season slowly but has hit .429 with 10 walks over his last seven games. When he is on his game, the Cubs possess one of the most feared lineups in baseball. Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks continue to anchor the Cubs rotation with the loss of Jake Arrieta and are both in the top-15 for ERA in the NL.

Matchups to Lookout For

Anthony Rizzo vs. Jacob deGrom: 5-16 (.313) 1 Double, 1 Home Run, 2 Walks, 2 Strikeouts

Asdrubal Cabrera vs. Tyler Chatwood: 4-13 (.308) Home Run, 3 Walks, 2 Strikeouts

Ben Zobrist vs. Jacob deGrom: 0-9 (.000) Strikeout

Jay Bruce vs. Jon Lester: 3-23 (.130) Double, 2 Walks, 6 Strikeouts

Interesting Stats

Kris Bryant vs. Left Handed Pitching in 2018: 19-43 (.442) 5 Doubles, Triple, 5 Home Runs

Brandon Nimmo During Day Games in 2018: 15-40 (.375) .545 OBP, 1.270 OPS