Pete Alonso

New York Mets: Nats Sweep Doubleheader to End Mets Playoff Hopes

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New York Mets, Jacob deGrom

The New York Mets needed an amazing start from Jacob deGrom to keep their postseason hopes alive, but he was only average on Saturday. In game one of the doubleheader, the Washington Nationals won 4-3 and took game two 5-3 against the struggling Rick Porcello. It became the fourth consecutive season that the Mets missed the playoffs.

Jacob deGrom came out firing bullets in the first inning. He hit 102 mph with his fastball, the fastest pitch of his career, and tying the fastest pitch of the season. deGrom ran into trouble from the third inning on, as he lost command, allowing a run in each of the final three innings he pitched. While striking out 10, his ERA went up to 2.38 and knocked out his chances of winning the Cy Young.

The Mets offense got to Max Scherzer early with a two-run home run from Wilson Ramos and a solo homer from Amed Rosario. Unfortunately, the Mets offense went dead late in the game as they left the lead run at third with one out in the sixth inning. Back-to-back strikeouts killed the rally and were followed by the Nationals taking the lead in the bottom half of the inning.

The Mets also lost Andres Gimenez to an oblique injury, which caused Rosario to enter the game. Dominic Smith also suffered a crushing blow, running face-first into the left-field fence. It allowed Andrew Stevenson to round the bases for an inside the park home run for his second homer of the game.

Porcello Struggles Again in Game Two

Rick Porcello towed the rubber for a meaningless game two of the doubleheader. He could not replicate the success from his last start allowing five runs over three innings. All the Nationals runs came in the third inning, as ten men went to the plate.

After the game, Porcello was disappointed in his poor season. He likely will not remain with the Mets for next season, and it is hard to see him landing with another contender in 2021. Porcello was not the only disappointed Mets starter as deGrom also voiced his frustrations with the underachieving Mets.

The Mets offense struggled outside of Pete Alonso. He hit a line-drive home run, which added to a good rebound day at the plate. Alonso showed better discipline at the plate and emphasized hitting the ball hard instead of just hitting it in the air.

Seth Lugo gets the final start of the season as he faces off against Austin Voth. Game 60 starts at 3:05 p.m. ET from Nationals Park as the Mets hope to avoid last place.

 

New York Mets: Pete Alonso says luck hasn’t been on his side this year

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The New York Mets are still fighting for a spot in the playoffs, but it is looking more and more unlikely with each passing day. They are in a very bad position because the pitching depth couldn’t stand so many injuries, inconsistencies, ineffectiveness and opt outs. But they have only gotten league average production from Pete Alonso, arguably the team’s most potent bat.

Before Wednesday’s games, the Mets’ slugger has a .209/.306/.435 line with a .313 wOBA and a 99 wRC+. Those numbers are a far cry from what he did on the 2019 season: .260/.358/.583 with a .384 wOBA and a 143 wRC+, plus 53 homers.

After hitting a home run in the New York Mets’ victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, Alonso suggested to local media that he has been somewhat unlucky this year.

“I’m hitting the ball hard, but I’ve had some pretty bad luck, hitting the ball right at guys,” he said to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. He may be right to some degree, but the difference between his wOBA (.297) and xwOBA (.316) is not so big.

The Mets’ star will keep trying

He was hitless in his last 13 at-bats coming into Tuesday’s game, but went 2-for-3 with three RBI and the 13th home run of his season. “Every time I go up in the box, it’s nine against one,” Alonso said. “Baseball is tough, and it’s a game of failure. And for me, I’m never going to give up, that’s the thing. I never give up on myself, I never give up on my teammates, and until the last out is made, I’m busting it,” he said to SNY.

“I’m doing the best I can, I’m playing as hard as I can. That’s one thing I take pride in, regardless of any outcomes, I still hustle, I still play the games right, and I still try to be the best teammate I can be… Ultimately, this is my job. I got no other choice but to keep going and just keep going in with the best attitude possible and trying to compete and win each day.”

His homer came off All-Star lefty Blake Snell, and more importantly, it helped the Mets win a ballgame. “All you can focus on is winning today, and putting your best foot forward,” he said. “And today is a great day, and I’ll take that every day of the week.”

New York Mets: Offense Backs Lugo in 5-2 Victory Over Rays

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The New York Mets get a good starting pitching effort for the fourth consecutive night. This one against the Tampa Bay Rays came from Seth Lugo, who desperately needed one after his rough outing against the Phillies. The Mets offense also woke up to support Lugo in their 5-2 victory.

Lugo found the handle on his curveball early in this start. It eluded him over the last two starts, but his equalizer was the curve against the weak Rays offense. Lugo pitched 6.1 innings, allowing two runs (one earned), and striking out seven. Out of 95 pitches, 66 were strikes, and he produces plenty of uncomfortable swings.

Solving Snell

Blake Snell had one of the best starts of his career when he faced the Mets back in 2018. He came into his start without allowing any runs in the first two innings of the game during 2020. Robinson Cano changed that with his solo home run on an extremely high fastball in the second. Cano tomahawked the ball into the left-field corner, and it was the highest pitch hit for a home run this season.

Pete Alonso‘s solo home run in the fourth and RBI single in the sixth provided the other two runs against Snell. Alonso also contributed an RBI fielder’s choice in the eighth. Guillermo Heredia‘s first home run as a Met was sandwiched between Alonso’s RBI chances.

It was a much-needed game from Alonso, who was threatening to fall into the interstate with his batting average. Alonso’s swing looked calmer and relaxed instead of his typical swing, which caused him to be off-balanced.

The bullpen trio of Justin Wilson, Chasen Shreve, and Edwin Diaz silenced the Rays bats for 2.2 innings after Lugo left the game. Wilson kept the tying run from scoring in the seventh, Shreve struck out the side in the eighth, and Diaz picked up his fifth save of the season. Diaz lowered his season ERA to a magnificent 1.50 on the season.

The Mets hope to keep their slim playoff hopes alive with Michael Wacha on the mound in the rubber match of the series. He opposes the fireballer Tyler Glasnow for the 7:10 p.m. ET start from Citi Field.

New York Mets: Four Run Ninth Inning Catapults 10-6 Win

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The final game of the series for the New York Mets against the Philadelphia Phillies was all about surviving and advancing to the next game. Their starting pitcher did not make it out of the second inning, seven combined runs were scored in the first inning, and two pitchers had to throw on their third consecutive day. Despite all of it, the Mets lived to steal a 10-6 victory from the Phillies.

The Mets immediately got a lead for Seth Lugo in the first inning. Dominic Smith‘s RBI double followed by Robinson Cano‘s two-run single gave the Mets an early 3-0 lead. After Lugo struck out the first batter he faced, it was clear he had nothing on the mound.

He allowed back-to-back-to-back home runs to give back the lead as quickly as the Mets got it. After allowing a Jean Segura triple, Adam Haseley drove him in to give the Phillies a 4-3 first-inning lead. Lugo allowed another two runs in the second inning and had to be replaced with Erasmo Ramirez.

Uphill Battle

The Mets bullpen gave them everything they needed and more for the second straight night. Ramirez started with 2.1 shutout innings, Chasen Shreve followed with another 2.1 scoreless innings. During that period, a Pete Alonso solo homer and Brandon Nimmo‘s two-run triple got the Mets even with the Phillies in the sixth.

After Jeurys Familia got through the seventh, he ran into trouble in the eighth. Justin Wilson came in for a third straight game an showed the ill-effects of all the work. Wilson could not locate anything and walked the first two batters he faced to load the bases. Luckily he found the strike zone on one pitch to get Didi Gregorius to pop out and survive the eighth.

The Mets offense came alive in the ninth inning. Nimmo led off the ninth with a home run, Smith had an RBI triple, and Cano capped it off with a two-run home run. Things did not come easy for Edwin Diaz in the bottom of the ninth. He was also in for the third straight day but worked around three walks, getting the Mets a big win.

On Friday, the Mets begin a three-game weekend series against the Atlanta Braves. Steven Matz makes his return to the rotation and faces Cy Young candidate Max Fried. The first pitch from Citi Field is at 7:10 p.m. ET.

New York Mets: Disappointing as Ever in 4-1 Loss to Phillies

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New York Mets, Brandon Nimmo

The New York Mets needed to take game one of their series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Much like they have all season, they disappointed and forgot to show up in their 4-1 loss. They beat themselves in every way a team possibly, adding more pain to their season.

It was precisely the type of game we have come to expect from the lackluster Mets. They stunk with runners in scoring position, going 0-for-6 in those situations and leaving 12 on base. As usual, team disappointments, Wilson Ramos and Pete Alonso each left five on base on their own.

The poor play translated to their baserunning and fielding as well. With manager Luis Rojas at the helm and working with plenty of these players in the minors, it is tough to see a team he manages play poorly. After another infuriating loss, it is all but confirmed that the Mets will not make the playoffs this season.

The lone Mets run came from a Brandon Nimmo solo-home run. Everything else for the Mets offense was ugly as can be. Another ugly detail from the game was how much of a better manager Joe Girardi is compared to Luis Rojas. Thankfully the incompetent fools who opted against Girardi are selling the team to Steve Cohen.

Porcello Struggles Again

Rick Porcello was signed as the Mets number five starter and unfortunately had higher expectations with a poor Mets rotation. He allowed four runs over six innings pitched, keeping his ERA above six. Porcello was the worst starting pitcher in baseball during 2019, so his 2020 performance should be no surprise.

A bright spot comes in Edwin Diaz‘s performance, where he struck out the side in the ninth inning. His ERA dropped to 1.80, but the Mets never give themselves a lead where they can use him to win. The loss to the Phillies was their sixth in eight games.

On Wednesday, the Mets send Jacob deGrom to the mound against the Phillies. The focus moves on to the Cy Young race as the first pitch is another 7:05 p.m. ET start from Citizens Bank Park.

 

Two New York Mets stars are heating up just in time!

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For much of the season, the New York Mets‘ offense was kept afloat thanks to the efforts of Michael Conforto, Robinson Cano, Dominic Smith, Brandon Nimmo, and even Andres Gimenez, among others. However, we know it can be even better if two specific performers start living up to the expectations around them.

Pete Alonso, the major league home run leader in 2019 and National League Rookie of the Year, and Jeff McNeil, the man capable of mashing over .300 points of average and a 20-homer pace, are starting to come around at the plate, just in time as the New York Mets try to make a late playoff push.

Alonso’s average is still relatively low at .234 (he hit .260 in his first year) but is now up to 11 homers for the season. From September 2 to this date, the Polar Bear has a .345/.406/.897 line with a 236 wRC+, a 6.3 BB%, a 15.6 K%, one double, five homers, seven RBI and eight runs scored.

The Polar Bear is back for the Mets

Pete’s resurgence offers hope to a Mets’ team that badly needs reasons to believe they can be in the playoff hunt at this point. They are in fourth place in the NL East division with a 20-24 record, 5.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves and only a handful behind the last wild card spot.

Meanwhile, McNeil was homerless for the season as of September 5. However, he has left the year in four consecutive games including last night, and now has a stellar, more Squirrel-like .315/.388/.496 line with a .376 wOBA and a 139 wRC+.

The Mets’ versatile hitting machine has been especially hot since August 28, with a .385/.458/.750 line, a 218 wRC+, a 10.2 BB% and a 10.2 K%, adding the four home runs.

In these two men, the New York Mets have to standout offensive performers that add two more weapons and lengthen an already dangerous lineup. Let’s see if they have enough time to string some victories, reach .500 ball, and go from there.

New York Mets: Alonso’s Bat, Conforto’s Glove Lead to 7-6 Comeback Win

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The New York Mets just won the game that could change their season dramatically. After the Mets pitching struggled to slow down the Baltimore Orioles, a Michael Conforto catch of the season turned the game around. The Mets rode that momentum to a 7-6 victory.

The catch was one of the best made by an outfielder over the last decade. Also, the situation was a game-changing moment; the bases were loaded with the Mets trailing by one in the bottom of the sixth inning. The ball struck by Rio Ruiz was destined to land for a three-run double to bury the Mets. It would not have just buried their hopes to win tonight but to make a postseason push.

In the half-inning prior, Conforto’s homer and Robinson Cano‘s RBI single put the Mets in a position where one swing would tie the game. Andres Gimenez kept the momentum rolling as his opposite-field home run tied the game. Most impressively is that the homer came off a left-handed pitcher.

Keep On Fighting

In the eighth inning, Jeurys Familia battled out of a first and third jam to keep the game tied. It gave Pete Alonso the chance to give the Mets a 7-6 lead with a home run over the right-center field fence. The home run was reminiscent of the 53 home runs he peppered all over the field during 2019.

With the late dramatics, Jeff McNeil‘s great start to the game goes overlooked. He drove in the first run then hit a two-run homer for his fourth consecutive game with a homer. This was his first that was hit to the opposite field.

On the pitching side, Rick Porcello put the Mets in an early 5-1 hole. Those five runs were allowed in four innings pitched, and he also allowed ten hits. Porcello could not keep the ball out of the middle of the plate against an aggressive Orioles offense. It was another start that proved the Mets have nothing behind the arms of Jacob deGrom and Seth Lugo.

After a day off on Thursday, the Mets face the Toronto (Buffalo) Blue Jays in their minor league field upstate. Jacob deGrom makes a start against Chase Anderson, the first pitch is at 6:37 p.m. ET.

New York Mets: deGrom Holds Phils, Offense Does The Rest in 14-1 Win

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New York Mets, Jacob deGrom

The New York Mets had their best all-around win of the season as they ride seven strong innings from Jacob deGrom to a 7-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Sunday’s matchup set up as a pitchers duel between deGrom and Aaron Nola, but deGrom showed why he is the best pitcher in the game.

deGrom held the Phillies to one run over seven innings with 12 strikeouts. Out of his 108 pitches, 35 of them were swing and misses. deGrom pitched with two different game plans, using his fastball predominantly in the first three innings then shifting to his slider. The lone Phillies run came on an Andrew Knapp home run in the second inning.

Aaron Nola did not have anywhere near the success he had during his last outing against the Mets. His defense hurt him at times, but he allowed six runs (three earned) in 5.1 innings pitched. Nola surprisingly struck out 10, despite allowing two home runs. He also allowed seven hits to left-handed batters after allowing only six hits to them all season.

Scattered Scoring

The Mets offense showed how potent they could be in their 14 run, 17 hit, 12 extra-base hit, and four home run effort. Seven different Mets recorded hits, and out of those, four of them had multiple-hit games. They scored in six out of eight innings, capping it off with a seven-run eighth inning.

Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto were anchors at the top of the order. They had three hits each, including a home run for Nimmo and two doubles for Conforto. Dominic Smith had four hits, including three doubles and three RBIs. Pete Alonso homered twice for two of his three hits, all of them hit at high velocities.

It was the laugher of a game the Mets have searched for, and their offense also went 5-for-16 with runners in scoring position. After a tough streak of losses, the Mets now have wins in four out of five games and are just three games under the .500 mark.

David Peterson hopes to get the Mets their third win and final win of the series. He faces former Met Zack Wheeler, who is making his first start as a visitor at Citi Field. The first pitch is another 1:10 p.m. start.

New York Mets: The struggling Pete Alonso’s “resilience” pays off

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To this point, New York Mets‘ 2019 hero Pete Alonso isn’t having a particularly good 2020. After slashing .260/.358/.583 last season, he is down to .209/.323/.410 and has also had some defensive lapses. He is yet to get into a rhythm at the plate, and the Mets have suffered because of that.

Alonso, the New York Mets’ and MLB’s rookie of the year in 2019, was 0-for-4 before his last turn of the night on Thursday. He was 1-for-his last 19, and in a 4-for-42 slump. Those are ugly numbers.

But for one at-bat, the magic returned. He drove an Albert Abreu offering into the stands for a two-run, walk-off home run that gave the New York Mets a much needed victory.

“This is a valuable lesson,” Alonso said to MLB.com afterwards. “It doesn’t matter what happened. You’ve just got to stay resilient and keep fighting.”

The Mets’ star is in a good place mentally

Despite the adverse circumstances in the last few games, Alonso doesn’t allow himself to enter in a mental rut. He says he found himself “calm and collected … under control and balanced.”

“None of the stuff that happened is relevant, or should be relevant,” Alonso said. “What matters is that at-bat, because that at-bat is happening now. Whatever happened, all the at-bats that happened before, they don’t matter in the moment. In the moment, I’ve got a job to do. And we have a game to win.”

The Mets’ slugger has confidence that he will break out of his funk for good soon enough. He has been working on the cage to refine his swing and approach.

But for one night, he will savor the moment.

“It was a sick ending to the game,” he said. “It was extremely fun, but tomorrow’s a new day. It’s a new series. And it’s go-time.”

New York Mets: Alonso Delivers Walk-Off Homer in 9-7 Win

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The New York Mets needed their offense to outproduce their pitching struggles once again. Before the game, the Mets had a tribute for the passing of Tom Seaver, and all players rubbed dirt on their right knees in his honor. Despite the tribute, Robert Gsellman performed anything but Seaver-esk.

They had to come back from a 7-4 deficit, starting in the eighth inning, to score five unanswered runs to win. It was all capped off with a Pete Alonso two-run walk-off home run that dropped through the building raindrops at Citi Field.

The Mets would not have gotten to that spot without J.D. Davis revenge home run off Aroldis Chapman. He drilled Davis in the left hip during last weekend’s Subway Series matchup, and Davis continued the trend of revenge home runs against the Yankees.

The Mets offense was top notch for the second straight game. Amed Rosario and Todd Frazier both delivered three hits. All three of Frazier’s hits were for extra bases, including a home run, and Rosario drove in three runs.

Gsellman Struggles Once Again

The Mets gifted Robert Gsellman another start as the Mets continue their search for quality starters. He failed to get out of the second inning, allowing four runs before being yanked early. Chasen Shreve (2.1 IP) and Jeurys Familia (2 IP) saved the day. They combined for 4.1 innings of hitless baseball.

Edwin Diaz also had a dominant two innings out of the bullpen with four strikeouts. He continued his rampant strikeout rate and picked up the win, lowering his ERA to 2.25.

On Friday, the Mets begin a four-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies. Rick Porcello makes the start against Jake Arrieta in a 7:10 p.m. start from Citi Field.