Rick Porcello

New York Mets: Completely Outmatched in 6-2 Loss to the Phillies

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New York Mets, Rick Porcello

The New York Mets faced an old friend in Zack Wheeler when he made his first start against his former team. Like Aaron Nola the night before, the Mets could not solve him for seven innings. Wheeler held the Mets to two runs, and that was all they needed in a 14 hit, 6-2 victory.

Rick Porcello had a similar fate to Saturday night’s starting pitcher, Steven Matz. It took an unlucky bounce to undo a strong outing. Porcello allowed seven hits through the first five innings but kept the Phillies to one run. J.T. Realmuto doubled off the third-base bag to lead off the sixth, and it got the Phillies going.

Alec Bohm drove him in with a double to tie the game at two. Andrew McCutchen, who replaced Jay Bruce in the fifth, deposited a hanging slider into the left-field bleachers. It was McCutchen’s first home run in over a year and put a damper what built up to be another strong outing for Porcello.

It was another disappointing game for a team that consistently plays with low energy night in and night out. Two errors from J.D. Davis and Dominic Smith contributed to the two Phillies insurance runs in the sixth. Despite how bad the Phillies bullpen is, four runs seemed like 40 to the Mets. There’s no sense of urgency from anyone on the team outside of Jeff McNeil, who only had the chance to show it in the final at-bat of the game.

Guillorme Leads the Offense Again

In a disappointing year, Luis Guillorme has been a bright spot for the Mets. His two-RBI single drove in the only two Mets runs and moved his average to .458 on the season. The Mets did not have many chances to score past the fourth and went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, leaving five on base. Table setters Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto combined to go 0-for-8 with five strikeouts.

Despite falling to 9-14, they head to Miami still four games behind the first-place Marlins. Robert Gsellman takes the mound to open up the series against a starter to be announced, most likely Jordan Yamamoto. Game one of the four-game series opens up from Marlins Park at 7:10 p.m. ET.

 

New York Mets Can’t Get Out of Their Own Way in 2-1 Loss

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New York Mets, Billy Hamilton

The New York Mets season has two scripts to it. Either their pitching forces them to lose by a touchdown or they leave a small village on the bases. In the 2-1 loss to the Washington Nationals, it was the pathetic offensive effort that prevented them from getting a victory.

It looked like the Mets were going to chase Max Scherzer early in the game. Through two innings, he was well over 60 pitches and looked like the same Scherzer they faced a week ago. Per usual with the Mets, they tacked on to their league-leading LOB tally to let him off the hook.

The Mets left seven men on base, and when they did get into scoring position, they failed to record a hit all four times. Luis Guillorme drove in the only Mets run with a sacrifice fly. He also played a strong up the middle defense with Andres Gimenez at shortstop.

The Mets’ best chance to tie the game came in the seventh inning when Guillorme led off the inning with a double. Instead of leaving Billy Hamilton in the game to bunt him to third base, manager Luis Rojas opted to pinch-hit with Pete Alonso. At almost any other point, this is a brilliant move to make, but in the current situation, it becomes very questionable.

Alonso is the epitome of how bad the Mets are with runners in scoring position. Bunting the runner to third base, gives the Mets a chance to score a run with anything outside of a pop-up or strikeout. The clutch hitting is dreadful, and the Mets need any help they can get to make getting the runner in easier. With Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil due up, it would serve them perfectly to hit with a runner on third base.

Instead, Alonso could not get Guillorme to third base, let alone drive him in with no one out. Nimmo walked, then McNeil hit into a tough luck double play, which summed up how dreadful the 2020 season has been for the Mets. Ironically, Guillorme ended up striking out to end the game when Alonso could have pinched hit in the ninth.

Porcello’s Tough Luck

Rick Porcello had a very similar start to his last one against the Nats. He surrendered a run in each of the first two innings but shut the door for the following four innings. Porcello struck out five and worked around eight hits to lower his ERA to 5.68. The high ERA is nothing special, but comparing it to the 13.50 from two starts is a good step forward for him.

Jared Hughes and Edwin Diaz both combined for three scoreless innings in relief of Porcello. Both are pitching well as of late and would be terrific parts of a late-inning bullpen if the offense could ever get them a lead.

The defense for the Mets excelled, but they had to sacrifice offense for it. Despite not having their A+ offensive lineup, there still should be enough power in their defensive lineup for them to score more than one run. If Rojas is looking for more consistency from his lineups, he should stick with the defensive centric lineup. At 7-11, there is not much to lose in a season that seems already lost.

As of 10:25 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the Mets have not announced their starter for Wednesday’s game. It will either be Franklyn Kilome or a bullpen game. Whoever the start is, they will face off against veteran Anibal Sanchez at 7:10 p.m. ET from Citi Field.

New York Mets Series Preview: Washington Nationals (8/10-13)

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New York Mets, Pete Alonso

The New York Mets continue their march towards the .500 mark as they welcome in the Washington Nationals for a four-game series at Citi Field. The Mets come off a series win over the Miami Marlins during the weekend. The Nats lost the first two to the Baltimore Orioles before Sunday’s game was suspended.

Probable Pitching Matchups: 

Monday, (8/10) @ 7:10 p.m. ET: Patrick Corbin (1-0, 3.00 ERA) vs. Steven Matz (0-2, 5.66 ERA)

Tuesday, (8/11) @ 7:10 p.m. ET: Max Scherzer (0-1, 3.29 ERA) vs. Rick Porcello (1-1, 6.92 ERA)

Wednesday, (8/12) @ 7:10 p.m. ET: Anibal Sanchez (0-2, 7.84 ERA) vs. TBD

Thursday, (8/13) @ 1:10 p.m. ET: Austin Voth (0-1, 1.80 ERA) vs. David Peterson (2-1, 3.78 ERA)

Michael Wacha’s injury and Marcus Stroman‘s opt-out for the 2020 season makes more of a mess in the Mets rotation. The role of Steven Matz and Rick Porcello heightens even more as they need consistent starters to step up behind Jacob deGrom. Matz and Porcello have two completely different starts against the Nats their first time out. Matz struggled to get through three innings, while Porcello made it look easy through his seven-inning start.

Playoff Hunt?

Throughout the struggles of the first 16 games, the Mets still sit in the second spot of the Wild Card race. The Mets want to be over .500, but the new playoff format gives the Mets hope to rebound and contend after their bad start.

One of the key reasons for their turn around is the emergence of the rookie, Andres Gimenez. He has risen from the last man on the roster to someone the Mets cannot afford to keep on the bench. Thanks to Robinson Cano‘s injury, he cemented himself at second base and is hitting .333 through his young career. A matchup against Corbin and Scherzer is going to be good tests for the young prospect.

Matchups to Lookout For

Patrick Corbin vs. Amed Rosario: 3-for-22 (.136), Double, 2 Home Runs, Walk, 3 Strikeouts

Patrick Corbin vs. Michael Conforto: 8-for-22 (.364), Double, 5 Home Runs, Walk, 6 Strikeouts

Steven Matz vs. Starlin Castro: 8-for-25 (.320), Double, Home Run, 6 Strikeouts

Steven Matz vs. Juan Soto: 6-for-13 (.462), Double, Triple, 4 Strikeouts

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 Series Preview: Washington Nationals (8/4-8/5)

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New York Mets, New York Yankees, Steven Matz

The New York Mets and Washington Nationals face off for the first time in the 2020 season. This matchup accounted for a few of the best games in all of baseball during the 2019 campaign. In 2019, the Mets were 12-7 against the World Series champions.

The Mets come off a series loss against the Atlanta Braves, where they took the last game of a four-game series. Washington has not played a game since July 30 due to COVID-19 precautions but are 3-4 on the season.

Probable Pitching Matchups

Tuesday (8/4) @ 7:05 p.m. ET: Steven Matz (0-1, 3.18 ERA) vs. Patrick Corbin (0-0, 1.42 ERA)

Wednesday (8/5) @ 6:05 p.m. ET: Rick Porcello (0-1, 13.50 ERA) vs Max Scherzer (0-1, 2.84 ERA)

The Mets hope they can take advantage of any rust that has built up on the Nats during their extended pause. One of the benefits of the break is allowing them to line up their pitching staff in their favor. The Mets offense started to wake up, which is a good sign with the Nats aces coming up.

Infield Issues

The Mets are dealing with quite a few issues in their infield. Injuries to Jeff McNeil, Amed Rosario, and Robinson Cano all make them questionable to play in the series. McNeil suffered a back injury during Monday’s batting practice, but his is the least severe of the trio. Neither Rosario nor Cano’s leg injuries seemed significant, but the DH could allow the Mets to put Cano in the lineup without further injuring him. Andres Gimenez figures to play shortstop in game one if Rosario can’t play.

Pete Alonso is the only starting infielder who is healthy but is struggling mightily with the bat. He walked in his first three at-bats on Monday but is still only hitting .167. Alonso taking three walks, shows an adjustment in his approach after swinging at too many pitches outside of the strike zone. He is an aggressive hitter, but the sooner Alonso understands that pitchers do not want him to swing the bat, the better hitter he will become. With the added patience, Alonso can easily become a hitter whose on-base percentage ranks 100 points higher than his batting average.

Porcello Struggles

Hopefully, Rick Porcello can rebound from his first two starts with the Mets. He struggled to have any command with his secondary pitches and missed multiple times over the middle of the plate. The Mets desperately need him to pitch better with no Marcus Stroman return on the horizon. Despite not allowing a hit to the first batter of an inning, his ERA still sits at an inflated 13.50.

Matchups to Lookout For

Steven Matz vs. Trea Turner: 8-for-25 (.320), 3 Doubles, 2 Walks, 2 Strikeouts

Rick Porcello vs. Howie Kendrick: 10-for-31 (.323), 3 Doubles, 9 Strikeouts

Patrick Corbin vs. Michael Conforto: 7-for-19 (.368), Double, 4 Home Runs, Walk, 6 Strikeouts

Max Scherzer vs. Michael Conforto: 10-for-31 (.323), Double, 4 Home Runs, 3 Walks, 13 Strikeouts

New York Mets Series Preview: Atlanta Braves (7/31-8/3)

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New York Mets, David Peterson

The New York Mets head down south to begin a four-game series with their division rival Atlanta Braves. They fell to 3-4 on the season after dropping two straight tough games against the Boston Red Sox. The Braves opened up the season by taking two out of three from the Mets to start the season.

Probable Pitching Matchups:

Friday (7/31) @ 7:10 p.m. ET: Rick Porcello (0-1, 27.00 ERA) vs. Sean Newcomb (0-0, 2.70 ERA)

Saturday (8/1) @ 7:10 p.m. ET: Michael Wacha (1-0, 1.80 ERA) vs. TBD

Sunday (8/2) @ 1:10 p.m. ET: David Peterson (1-0, 3.18 ERA) vs. Kyle Wright (0-1, 16.88 ERA)

Monday (8/3) @ 7:10 p.m. ET: Jacob deGrom (0-0, 1.64 ERA) vs. Mike Soroka (0-0, 1.59 ERA)

The first series between the two teams started terrific for the Mets but concluded in misery as Edwin Diaz, and Rick Porcello headlined their pitching struggles. The Braves pitching kept the Mets bats in check, holding them to only five runs in the entire series.

Fool Me Once Shame on You, Fool Me Twice Shame on Me

Rick Porcello had a very poor Mets debut, allowing seven runs in two innings in a 14-1 loss on national tv. The first game of the series is a rematch of the pitching matchup from the blowout loss, and Porcello hopes to show the Mets he is reliable as their third starter.

David Peterson also gets an opportunity to pitch against a better offense, which is built on power. They are third in home runs but lead the entire major leagues in strikeouts. The swing and miss rate is why deGrom and Matz thrived in their starts.

Mets Problems

The Mets’ biggest issue through the first week of the season is their inability to plate runners in scoring position. They lead the league in strikeouts w/RISP but are one-hit behind the Dodgers the NL hits lead. While their average is not much better than the Mets, they have only struck out eight times in these situations. Emphasis on putting the ball in play will scratch out an extra 1-2 runs per game.

Manager Luis Rojas said Edwin Diaz is “no longer the closer” in every way possible without using those words. Diaz struggled mightily in his outing against the Red Sox. The Mets have plenty of options in the bullpen, and Seth Lugo has to be at the top of the list to close games. In situations where Rojas does not want to bring Lugo in on back-to-backs, Jeurys Familia or Dellin Betances will slide into the role. Diaz will not pitch in the first game of the series, but it will be interesting to see the next situation he pitches in.

Matchups to Lookout For:

Rick Porcello vs. Freddie Freeman: 5-for-11 (.455), RBI, 3 Walks, Strikeout

Sean Newcomb vs. Amed Rosario: 5-for-12 (.412), 2 Doubles, RBI, 3 Strikeouts

Jacob deGrom vs. Freddie Freeman: 15-for-55 (.273), 2 Doubles, 3 Home Runs, 6 RBI, 8 Walks, 15 Strikeouts

Jacob deGrom vs. Ozzie Albies: 5-for-34 (.147), Double, RBI, Walk, 7 Strikeouts

Mike Soroka vs. Michael Conforto: 3-for-15 (.200), Walk, Strikeout

The New York Mets’ rotation is in shambles

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New York Mets, Rick Porcello

The New York Mets’ starting rotation got off to an auspicious start of the offseason by signing two hurlers: Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha. There were six starters for five slots: Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman, Steven Matz and the two newcomers.

The number went down to five when it was announced back in late March that Syndergaard had ligament damage in his pitching elbow, and needed Tommy John surgery. The Mets were down one man (a key piece, while we are at it) and what used to be a position of surplus was now compromised.

Just before the start of the season, Stroman went down with a calf tear in his left leg. He will miss at least a couple of weeks, and the New York Mets’ rotation is already short one man. Corey Oswalt, who was presumed to be the fifth starter, was used in relief on Sunday’s blowout loss to the Atlanta Braves. He was ineffective, allowing five runs (three homers) in four frames.

Porcello’s debut with the Mets was a disaster

To make matters worse, Porcello’s debut with the Mets was awful, as he conceded ten baserunners (seven hits and a couple of walks) in just two innings on the mound, allowing six earned runs and seven in total. He could only fan one batter. DeGrom and Matz had much better debuts to their season, and today is Wacha’s turn. The team badly needs the former St. Louis Cardinals to be at least decent.

David Peterson seems like a logic choice to take over the fifth starter role, but it would seem like the Mets want him to stay a few more days off the active roster so that they can gain an extra year of team control.

Erasmo Ramirez is also an option to fill in on Tuesday, and, as always, the team could opt to turn Seth Lugo back into a starter (they are, as of now, opposed to that idea.)

But make no mistake: the rotation, once viewed as an area of excess in the Mets’ roster, is now in shambles. Will the organization produce one or two additional starters to help them cope with the crucial absences? Will Porcello rebound after a disastrous debut? Will Stroman be back in a couple of weeks? Only time will tell.

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 Defense Disappoints in 9-3 Loss, But Baseball Is Back

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The New York Mets defense failed to provide any help to their pitching staff in their 9-3 loss against the New York Yankees. Rick Porcello took the loss but was solid in his five-inning appearance, allowing three runs.

Despite the score, the key Mets players did their jobs. It only took two hitters for the Yankees to take a quick 1-0 lead with a Gleyber Torres RBI single. Porcello made it an emphasis to incorporate his slider from that point.

The slider was a pitch he struggled with in 2019, but it helped him through his start. Porcello’s one bad slider came on a two-run Clint Frazier home run, putting it in the second deck, giving the Yankees a 3-0 lead. Porcello threw an efficient 68 pitches and had to chuck another 20 in the bullpen to reach his goal for the day.

Offense Slowly Coming Alive

Yankees starter Michael King took advantage of an empty Citi Field to hold the Mets to one base runner through the first three innings. A Pete Alonso single and Michael Conforto walk set the stage for a J.D. Davis RBI double, which cut the Yankees lead down to two.

The fifth had an interesting caveat when the Yankees implemented their five-person infield defense against Tomas Nido. Three men on the left side and two on the right, but it did not affect Nido as he lined a single over them. Later on in the inning, Pete Alonso took a great sinker from Zack Britton and muscled it to center field to make it a 3-2 game.

Encouraging Bullpen, Discouraging Defense

Jeurys Familia got the first call out of the bullpen. He worked around two Max Moroff errors to pitch 1.2 innings out of the bullpen allowing an unearned run and two strikeouts. Familia’s sinker and slider were sharp, and he brought back his splitter, which brought him success during his All-Star years.

Dellin Betances worked around his error to pitch a scoreless seventh inning. Edwin Diaz’s line does not offer optimism, but he looked sharp in his three batters. An error, bloop single, and strikeout were the outcomes.

Diaz showed good command locating his fastball, with high velocity. His short outing was an effort to get him ready to pitch in back to back days, so we will likely see him again on Sunday.

Negatives From the Loss

Hitters on both sides were at a slight disadvantage, but Yoenis Cespedes looked the slowest of all. He went 0-for-4 with a strikeout and couldn’t make it down the first baseline without dragging his legs. Luis Rojas expects him to play the outfield on Sunday, which is the biggest test Cespedes has to prove his legs are healthy.

Robinson Cano batted third, which was a surprise. He does not look like a fit to bat third in a potentially strong Mets lineup, but Luis Rojas is giving him a vote of confidence the same way Mickey Callaway did in 2019.

Lastly, the “B” players looked like “D” players. Max Moroff and Luis Guillorme contributed three of the four errors on the night. Jarret Parker also looked uneasy in right field, getting late breaks on the ball. Daniel Zamora looked the worst of them all. The lefty specialist allowed three runs and hits to all four batters he faced. Thankfully these players likely should not make the roster, which quells some of the worries from the lost.

The biggest positive from the Mets is Pete Alonso’s performance. He spoke about becoming a gold glove caliber first baseman before the game and showcased his work from the offseason. Alonso’s glove saved Moroff from the third error, and Alonso used his arm to make a one-hop throw to third base, so help Betances.

The scene changes on Sunday when the Mets and Yankees face off at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Corey Oswalt faces Jordan Montgomery at 7:05 P.M. as the Mets try to split the Exhibition Subway Series. It will be the Mets’ final tune-up before the season begins.

 

New York Mets 2020 Schedule Released

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New York Mets, Rick Porcello

Throughout all of the madness leading up to it, the New York Mets finally released their 60-game schedule for the 2020 season. While plenty of familiar teams shape up the schedule, they will not make their usual west coast or even central road trips.

They draw the fifth toughest schedule in baseball when using records from 2019. The Mets open up on Friday, July 24, with the same team they ended 2019 with, the Atlanta Braves. During the same series, they draw the first ESPN Sunday Night Baseball game of 2020.

Interleague Play

Their first of 20 games against the AL East begin following the Braves series. The Mets head to Boston to play the Red Sox twice before welcoming them back to Citi Field for two more games. We will likely see Rick Porcello face his former team during the four-game set.

The Mets see the defending champion Washington Nationals after a four-game road trip against the Braves. Six games are the two longest road trips the Mets have all season. Following their first long road trip, they play seven straight at home, including four against the Nationals. It is part of a long month of August that the Mets play all but three games against their division opponents.

They finish up August with three at home against the New York Yankees, followed by two in Baltimore against the Orioles to start the month of September. The last month of the season is lighter than September was. Four games against the Orioles and three against the Toronto Blue Jays make things slightly easier for them.

The final stretch of games is equal to one they may face in the postseason. Three against the Philadelphia Phillies, three against the Braves, three against the Tampa Bay Rays and four against the Nationals. If the Mets put themselves in a hole like they did in 2019, they will not have an easy schedule to fall back on.

With COVID-19 numbers fluctuating throughout the country, it seems like a lot to hope MLB will complete their shortened season. Players are opting out an coming down with the virus every day, and if things worsen, we might not make it through summer camp.