Michael Conforto

New York Mets: Middle of the Order Carries the Mets to an 8-4 Victory

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The New York Mets longed for a game where the middle of their lineup finally broke out in a big way. Their 3-4-5 combination of J.D. Davis, Pete Alonso, and Michael Conforto combined for a home run each and drove in all eight of the Mets runs in their 8-4 win over the Miami Marlins.

Davis moved his hitting streak to 12-games with his third-inning single. He also flashed the leather and his strong arm at third base, proving his defense at third improved significantly from last season. Alonso’s home run was a lined shot that came of the bat at 116.9 mph. He also drew a walk on the night, though he is not entirely out of his slump, the last three games are very encouraging.

Peterson Staying Strong

Mets starter David Peterson struggled with his command throughout the night but managed to hold the Marlins to two runs over five innings. Their poor decision making on 3-0 counts also bailed Peterson out twice during his outing. Despite struggling with his command, it was encouraging to see a young pitcher battle and keep his team in the lead through his start.

In the sixth inning, Jeurys Familia walked three batters but had help from Drew Smith to get out of the inning, keeping a one-run lead. In the final three innings, the bullpen held the Marlins scoreless, and Robert Gsellman also made his season debut.

The Mets hope to take the series on Sunday afternoon when Jacob deGrom takes the mound at 1:10 p.m. ET. Pablo Lopez makes the start for the Marlins as he attempts to keep up with the day game warrior that deGrom is.

New York Mets: Porcello, Lugo Shut Down the Nationals in 3-1 Victory

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New York Mets, Rick Porcello

The first two starts of Rick Porcello‘s New York Mets career could only be summed up by one word: atrocious. Porcello rebounded in his third start and pitched like the 2016 Cy Young winner he once was. He only needed 81 pitches to get through seven innings, holding the Washington Nationals to one run.

He kept the ball out of the middle of the plate, working in. Porcello also pitched inside more than he did in his first two starts combined. After allowing two hits and a run in the first inning, he only allowed three hits in the following six innings.

Porcello left the game prematurely with 81 pitches, but Seth Lugo picked up where he left off. Lugo shut the door, striking out two batters and retiring all six he faced to record the two-inning save. Porcello and Lugo combined to retire the last 16 Nats to finish the game.

Defense All-Around

The biggest play of the game came in the fourth inning, where Michael Conforto threw out Juan Soto at third base. Soto tried to test the arm on an Asdrubal Cabrera single, and it was the last scoring chance the Nats had as Porcello cruised from there.

J.D. Davis received his first start at third base since June 16, 2019. He showed no rust, making plenty of great defensive plays and showing why he originally was a third baseman. Luis Guillorme and Andres Gimenez also stabilized the defense up the middle. With the success of a defensive driven lineup tonight, it will be interesting to see if Luis Rojas opts for more defensive centric lineups.

The major story for the Nationals was Max Scherzer‘s exit after one inning due to a hamstring injury. It was clear his velocity dipped, but it was also noticeable that his arm was trailing behind him. Scherzer usually has a rapid arm motion, but it was slow from the start.

Erick Fedde warmed up with Scherzer before the game then replaced him in the second. Scherzer calls the injury “minor,” but any injury to him is a significant concern with Stephen Strasburg already injured.

Yoenis Who?

Dominic Smith showed why he deserves to be the everyday designated hitter. Smith drove in two of the three runs on the night. His sac fly opened up the scoring in the first and then provided an insurance run with his RBI double in the seventh. Guillorme’s RBI single was sandwiched between Smith’s RBI hits.

Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto also set the table at the top of the order once again. Despite only hitting .227, Nimmo’s three walks moved his on-base percentage to .424. Conforto record a single which continued his on-base streak and kept his average above .300.

The Mets receive a day off on Thursday before playing 17 straight games without a day off, starting on Friday with the Miami Marlins.

 

New York Mets: Matz Struggles, Kendrick Dominates in 5-3 Loss

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The first two starts for New York Mets starter Steven Matz had promise that he could step up as their two starter. His third start of the season disrupted the momentum he was building. The Washington Nationals took advantage of Matz’s inability to pitch inside and knocked him out of the game after three innings to win 5-3.

Matz struggled to control his four-seam fastball throughout the start. Despite throwing 78 pitches in only three innings, he did not walk anyone. The Nationals worked him into deep counts and continued to put the ball in play against Matz. He allowed seven hits, five runs, and two home runs.

Solo home runs from Howie Kendrick in the first inning, and Josh Harrison in the second got the Nationals out to an early 2-0 lead. The Nats tacked on three more runs in the third, and it was all they needed on the night. Kendrick led the way with four hits, which brought his average to an even .300 on the short season.

Despite Matz’s struggles, the Mets bullpen hurled six shutout innings to keep the Mets in the game. The combination of Paul Sewald, Jeurys Familia, Dellin Betances, and Edwin Diaz only allowed three hits. It was most encouraging to receive good outings from Betances and Diaz, who the Mets need to pitch well if they want any chance to turn around their season.

Conforto Stays Hot

The Mets needed offensive production from their outfield as three-quarters of their starting infield is dealing with injuries. Robinson Cano landed on the 10-day IL, while Jeff McNeil and Amed Rosario are day-to-day. Michael Conforto came into the matchup with Nationals starter, Patrick Corbin, with ten hits, including four home runs. His two-run home run was their only base hit on the night and opened up their scoring.

Pete Alonso struck out twice on the night, but his RBI single provided the third Mets run. He still is in the midst of a season wide slump, but at least recording one hit and a walk is a step in the right direction. Moving Alonso down in the order would strengthen the Mets offense until he starts to return to his 2019 form.

Andres Gimenez was the only Mets to record multiple hits on the night. He replaced the injured Rosario at shortstop and made a couple of solid defensive plays as well. The play of Gimenez has quickly moved him from the 30th man on the roster to a player they cannot afford to send back to their training site.

The Mets continued their lousy baseball in the eighth when Brian Dozier was thrown out as second base while the Mets had the tying run at the plate. Dozier attempted to advance when a ball trickled away from Yan Gomes, and after being called safe, the replay review overturned the call.

The Mets also left ten runners on base, despite recording ten hits on the night. Their lack of ability to record any hit other than a single is halting their offense.

This sums up the Mets’ horrible start to the season as another veteran makes an unexcused mistake. Mickey Callaway may longer be the manager, but his presence remains with how this year’s team plays.

On Wednesday, Rick Porcello tries to get the Mets a split of the two-game series. He has his work cut out for him as he faces Nationals ace, Max Scherzer. The first pitch is at an unusual 6:05 p.m. ET from Nationals Park.

New York Mets: deGrom Finally Gets Run Support in 7-2 Victory

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New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom stabilized the Mets after the fiasco from Sunday. He put together another excellent start to end the five-game losing streak and avoid a sweep to the Atlanta Braves. Unfortunately, the Mets suffered multiple injuries on the day.

deGrom looked unhittable throughout the first four innings of his start. Two runs in the fifth inning were all he allowed in his six innings of work and struck out ten on the night. Former Met Travis d’Arnaud got the Mets back once again when his home run tallied the first Braves run. He followed in the footsteps of Wilmer Flores, who did the same as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2019.

Run Support?

It is a rare game where deGrom received enough run support to pitch comfortably. The offense broke out of their slump with runners in scoring position, going 5-for-13 on the night in those situations. Wilson Ramos had a breakout night with two hits, including his first home run, and three runs batted in.

Michael Conforto and Robinson Cano remained hot for the Mets as well. Conforto moved up to the two spot in the lineup and recorded three hits, including a double. His average sits at a pretty .325 on the season. Cano recorded three RBIs and hits during both of his at-bats before leaving with a leg injury.

Injuries Galore

The Mets infield is in shambles as three-quarters of the infield suffered an injury, and the other quarter is in the midst of a major slump. Cano injured is groin attempting to score from second on a groundball that squeaked past Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson. It was clear the second Cano had to run hard and slide that some injury would occur just base on his injuries in 2019.

Amed Rosario left the game with left quad tightness in the third inning. It is unclear when the injury occurred, but it pained him enough that he could not run down the first baseline on his ground out. At least the Mets have Andres Gimenez as a reliable replacement should the injury linger.

Jeff McNeil was scratched right before the game due to back tightness he suffered during batting practice. It did not seem major enough to keep him out multiple games, but his back was not in good enough shape to get through the game.

Welcome to the Bullpen

Jared Hughes showed why he was an underrated signing for the Mets. He pitched two innings, allowing only two walks and striking out three to end the game. Hughes’s sinker/slider combo is an excellent addition to the Mets bullpen, which lacked depth behind their top horses.

The Mets try to take advantage of a Washington Nationals team who has not played since July 30th. They begin a short two-game series at Nationals Park on Tuesday, with Steven Matz facing a Nationals starter to be announced. The first pitch from the national capital is at 7:05 p.m.

New York Mets: Bullpen Struggles, Red Sox Hold Off Mets in 6-5 Loss

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New York Mets, Jacob deGrom

It is a rare sight when a Jacob deGrom start is not the topic of conversation after the game. Seth Lugo and Justin Wilson‘s rare struggles following him accounted for four Red Sox runs. The New York Mets also had no outs with the bases loaded in the ninth but could not come back in the 6-5 loss.

The usually reliable Lugo replaced deGrom after six innings and allowed a game-tying home run to Christian Vazquez. It was just the beginning of Vazquez terror on the Mets bullpen. In the eighth inning, he extended the Red Sox lead to three with a two-run double against Wilson.

The eighth inning showed the fatigue on Wilson, who made his fourth appearance in six games. He consistently missed up with his fastball and gave up three of everything: walks, hits, and runs. Two of the hits Wilson allowed, fell into the cheap category. Wilson’s control is what got him into trouble and made the cheap hits hurt.

The Mets attempted a comeback, down two in the ninth by loading the bases with no one out against Red Sox closer Brandon Workman. A J.D. Davis infield single got the Mets their only run. It was sandwiched between a Michael Conforto and Yoenis Cespedes strikeout, which led to a Robinson Cano soft liner to end the game. The Davis single came on a ball smothered by third baseman Rafael Devers which prevented the ball from heading to left field, allowing the tying run to score.

The Mets offense collected 15 hits on the night, but the Mets were 3-for-14 with RISP and left 11 runners on base. Pete Alonso led the way with four hits, all singles, and a hit by pitch. Cespedes and Brandon Nimmo also homered.

The Mets prized prospect, Andres Gimenez, made his first start at shortstop and excelled going 2-for-3 with a triple. He still looked like a new player at the big leagues after being picked off after his first hit. Once the Red Sox realized he could hit their fastball, they gave him a steady diet of curveballs in his final at-bat.

deGrom Doing His Job

Jacob deGrom was throwing bullets out of the gate, including a 101.1 mph fastball, the fastest of his career. He still did not have his best stuff throughout and only punched out four Red Sox. Despite that, he gave the Mets six strong innings, only allowing two runs on three hits. Out of caution, Rojas removed him after 88 pitches, but expect him to reach 100 in his next start.

The Mets send Steven Matz to the mound against Martin Perez in hopes of taking three out of four from the Red Sox. The first pitch is at 7:07 p.m. ET.

New York Mets Find Their Offense and Wacha Shines in 7-4 Win

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The New York Mets only needed four innings to surpass their scoring total from the first three games of the season. They did all of their scoring during innings 2-4 and used three home runs to fuel their 7-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox. The win was also Michael Wacha‘s first in a Mets uniform.

Two-run home runs from Michael Conforto and Pete Alonso in the second and third inning got things started. Both were monster shots but in different ways. Conforto’s traveled 434-feet while Alonso’s was a missile coming off the bat at 116 mph. Dominic Smith added a three-run homer in the fourth to extend the Mets lead to seven. Wilson Ramos also added a double and single to the Mets offense.

Splendid Debut

Michael Wacha had an opposite debut to Rick Porcello. He gave the Mets five strong innings, allowing five hits, striking out four and the only run coming on a Mitch Moreland home run. Wacha kept the Red Sox off balance throughout his start, using his changeup and cutter very effectively. It is a good sign for the Mets rotation, which had significant concerns after Porcello’s disastrous start.

Chasen Shreve pitched two innings following Wacha with the only blemish coming on a Xander Bogaerts home run. The line for Jeurys Familia was uglier than it was during the game. Outside of a Rafael Devers double, the Red Sox did not do too much damage.

A groundball Jeff McNeil could have thrown home in a closer game resulted in an out, and the other hit came on a seeing-eye single up the middle. Familia’s control was not as sharp as it was during his first outing, but his slider was very sharp.

Seth Lugo cleaned up the mess in the eighth and carried the momentum to the ninth inning to retired all four batters in his four-out save. Through the first two outings, it is evident that Lugo is already the best Mets reliever.

For Tuesday’s matchup, the Mets still have not named a starter as of 11 p.m. on Monday. The likeliest option is either David Peterson to make his MLB debut or a bullpen game. Whoever pitches will be opposed by Matt Hall from the Red Sox. The first pitch is at 7:30 p.m. ET.

New York Mets Series Preview: The First Two in Boston

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Two teams with disappointing starts to their season start a home and home, four-game series. The New York Mets travel to Boston to face the Red Sox as both teams come in at 1-2. Each team lost their opening series to the Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles, respectively, and are dealing with starting rotation issues.

Probable Pitching Matchups

7/27 @ 7:35 p.m. ET: Michael Wacha (Season Debut) vs. Josh Osich (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

7/28 @ 7:30 p.m. ET: TBD vs. Matt Hall (Season Debut)

The first 17 innings of the Mets season looked very promising. Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz dominated the Braves offense, and the offense provided just enough support to give them a lead. All it took was one Edwin Diaz fastball to turn things around for the Braves. Starting with a Marcell Ozuna home run, the Braves outscored the Mets 18-2 in the final 11 innings of the series.

Wacha Debut

Rick Porcello struggled in his Mets debut, and Wacha hopes to answer the questions surrounding their starting rotation. He once was a promising young pitcher with the Cardinals, but the veteran is trying to revive his career with the Mets. Wacha pitched exceptionally well during summer camp and is hoping to ride the momentum through the rest of the 60-game season.

Wacha’s outing will have a lot on determining Tuesday’s starting pitcher. Since Corey Oswalt pitched in Sunday’s loss, signs indicated a bullpen game for Tuesday if Wacha gives the Mets 5-6 good innings. David Peterson remains an option for the Mets, but they have to remove someone from the 40-man roster to make room for him.

Struggling Offense

The Mets only scored five runs over the first three games. Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo are the only players who looked game ready at the plate. The rest of the Mets are still getting their timing and swings back into mid-season form. The Red Sox allowed seven runs in back to back losses and have a pitching staff in worse shape than the Mets. This would be a great opportunity for the Mets to kick start their offense.

One thing to look out for is what happens if the Mets have a lead late in the game. Edwin Diaz already has a blown save on the season, and the leash is extremely short, especially with the Mets starting slow. Another thing to look out for is the bat of Robinson Cano. The veteran is a career .335 hitter at Fenway Park. His 15 home runs are tied for second-most at any road ballpark for Cano.

New York Mets: Atlanta Braves Ride Offense to Dominating 14-1 Win

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New York Mets, Rick Porcello

Edwin Diaz woke up a sleeping giant when he allowed Saturday’s game-tying home run to Marcell Ozuna. The Atlanta Braves carried the momentum from their extra-inning win to steamroll the New York Mets 14-1.

It did not take long for the Braves to spoil Rick Porcello‘s Mets debut. Porcello lived up to his 5.5 ERA from the 2019 season to allow seven runs on seven hits, with three walks and failed to record an out in the third inning before his outing ended. Corey Oswalt replaced him and pitched how you would expect a pitcher with a career ERA over six to pitch.

The Braves jumped all over Oswalt to add three home runs and five more runs to their total. Every player in the Braves starting lineup recorded a hit, and they scored in six of the first seven innings. Dansby Swanson and Ozzie Albies did the most damage on the day.

Swanson recorded three hits, including a double and home run, while driving in five. Albies also recorded three hits, including two doubles, and drove in three runs.

Quiet Offense

Braves starter Sean Newcomb gave the Mets every opportunity they could ask to push some runs across. Newcomb struggled to find consistency with any of his pitches but got out of trouble when he needed to. The combination of hitters who are not ready and the hangover of Saturday’s loss created a team that had no energy and was as flat as the cardboard cutouts surrounding the field.

The Mets had at least two runners reach base in each of the first four innings but only scored once. It allowed Newcomb to get through 3.1 innings, only allowing the one run when allowing seven baserunners. Jholuys Chacin shut the Mets down with 3.2 shutout innings in relief of Newcomb, quieting any hopes the Mets had of coming back.

Most concerning for the Mets is only recording five runs over the first three games of the season. Pete Alonso has only recorded one hit and timing looks completely off through his first handful of at-bats. With the Mets starting rotation in shambles, they needed plenty more from their offense to be competitive.

Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo are the only two hitters posing a threat right now. Conforto went 4-for-8 and Nimmo 3-for-10 in the series, both putting together long at-bats in the process.

Early Injury

Eduardo Nunez came in during the blowout and injured himself, trying to leg out a groundball in the 14-1 blowout. He dealt with knee issues over the last two seasons and said he hyperextended his knee. The Mets will evaluate him before Monday’s game, but the Mets also have backup infielders Luis Guillorme and Andres Gimenez on the roster.

Speaking of Monday, the Mets begin a four-game home and home series against the Boston Red Sox. It will be their first interleague matchup of the season and the first time playing in Fenway Park since 2018. Michael Wacha makes his Mets debut and hopes his first start is the complete opposite of Porcello’s. The Red Sox will use Josh Osich as the opener for game one at 7:35 p.m.

 

New York Mets: Diaz Returns to 2019 Form in 5-3 Loss

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New York Mets, Edwin Diaz

It seemed like a game straight out of 2019. Edwin Diaz looked all but certain to lock down a save in back to back games, but a Marcell Ozuna solo home run changed things. The New York Mets fell to 1-1 on the season as they could not respond to the three runs the Atlanta Braves scored in the top of the 10th.

Things ran smoothly for 26 outs, but the Mets could not buckle down the 27th. Steven Matz gave the Mets six strong innings, only allowing one run while striking out seven. The bullpen trio of Jeurys Familia, Dellin Betances, and Justin Wilson got the game to the ninth inning. Diaz retired the two and three-hitter, but he could not sneak a fastball past Ozuna. After he deposited the ball over the right-field fence, the flood gates opened.

Extra Innings Rules

Once the Mets could not push across a run in the bottom half of the ninth, the Mets saw new extra-innings rules for the first time. The Braves took full advantage of the runner on second as Dansby Swanson lined a ball up the middle to give the Braves a 3-2 lead. After Ender Inciarte grounded out for the fourth run, Williams Contreras hit his first big league pitch into the right-center field gap to make it a 5-2 game.

Since manager Luis Rojas put in the defensive team when they had the lead, there was a lot less offense than the starting lineup. They managed only to score one run but left the tying run at first base.

Though Diaz smiled through the pain, it did not hide what happened. It was the exact way he blew saves during the 2019 season, where all it took was a home run to blow the game. Rojas voiced his confidence in Diaz saying the ball was coming out of Diaz’s hand well. Though it was a good pitch, the 2019 history is hard to ignore.

Michael Conforto and Amed Rosario recorded five of the eight Mets hits after they were no-hit for the first 4.1 innings. Max Fried was as solid as the Braves could have asked for, giving up only two runs in five innings pitches.

The silver lining for the Mets that Pete Alonso finally recorded a hit after looking completely lost through his first handful of at-bats.

The Mets send Rick Porcello to the mound for Sunday night baseball in hopes of taking two out of three. It will be a 7:08 p.m. start and face off against another lefty, Sean Newcomb.

 

New York Mets: Michael Conforto calls Yoenis Cespedes a ‘monster’

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New York Mets, Yeonis Cespedes

New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes has been crippled by injuries in recent memory and hasn’t appeared in a big-league game since July 2018.

Fellow outfielder Michael Conforto says Cespedes, who’s entering the final year of a four-year, $110 million contract, looks like a “monster” in summer camp (quotes by means of MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo).

“He looks like a monster,” Conforto said Saturday, a day after working out alongside Céspedes at Citi Field. “He looks like he’s motivated. He looks like he’s in shape. I’ve seen some of the stuff he was doing to get himself ready, some videos of him working out at his ranch. The guy is definitely hungry. He misses the game.”

The Mets acquired Cespedes from the Detroit Tigers at the 2015 MLB trade deadline. Across his first season and a half in Queens (189 games), Cespedes totaled 48 home runs and 130 RBIs while mostly starting in left field. He has appeared in 119 games since 2017.

MLB has implemented a universal designated hitter for 2020, which has led to discussion over whether Cespedes could be the Mets’ everyday DH in the truncated 60-game season.

Conforto says Cespedes’ presence in the order will be “incredible” for the Mets.

“To get Yo in the lineup on an everyday basis, that’s going to be absolutely incredible for us,” Conforto said. “It’s something that we haven’t had, and we’re pretty excited about it.”

Conforto raves about Yoenis Cespedes the teammate.

“I say this every time somebody asks me about him: He really is a great teammate,” Conforto said. “He brings energy to our drills, to the cage. He’s just a guy you miss having around, so I’m excited that he’s back and he’s feeling good. Hopefully, he can do what he does best for us and really bring the thunder with that bat and make some great plays in the outfield.”

According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Mets are expected to open the 2020 season at home against the Atlanta Braves on July 24.