Mets Update

Pete Alonso came back off the injury list and was able to take part in the Home Run Derby and as a backup in the All-Star Game.  His pitcher was unable to go at the last minute and the replacement didn't go well.  Alonso had a poor showing at the Home Run Derby.  He was 0-2 at the game, which the NL won for the first time in over a decade, but was part of a key late double play.  Good pick to complete it and help keep the NL ahead.* 

A former Mets pitcher didn't take part, so Kodai Senga was the Mets' other representative.  Senga announced he was resting for the second half and chose not to take part in the actual game. It's unclear if he would have been inserted anyway.  Senga has been one of the few bright spots for the Mets and had another good game against the Dodgers. 

The Dodgers are the second-best team in the NL and an elite team all around though they struggle some in the first half.  Losing the series would not be embarrassing as such.  Nonetheless, walking the ballpark, not hitting (their offense in the first game amounted to a hit, a walk, and a catcher's interference), and blowing a close game in embarrassing fashion in the second game was another story.  Well, at least, I didn't watch, one game being on Apple TV, the other on FOX.  Oh, the All-Star Game was DULL.  

The Mets were not supposed to be this bad.  Diaz getting hurt was bad, yes, but it is not like other teams did not move past losing some key piece.  The team has more than one pitcher who might be a closer on another team.  The basic problem was that the middle relief was overused. Over and over again, the team had to rely on average borderline pitchers, who sometimes actually pitched fairly well, to pitch around four or so innings.   

And, it is not like the bats are doing well. The rookie catcher is the other key charm.  Nimmo also has overall done well.  He was the major offense in the first two games back -- he hit a home run and another ball that at first was thought to be one.  Baty? After looking like he had arrived, he looks like a rookie again. Alonso has a pathetic average.  Squirrel is struggling. The star shortstop has a low average somewhat clouded by a good run batted-in margin.  He still has not done enough to carry the team.  

One of the new pitchers will finally pitch.  Verlander?  We were assured that he was a Cy Young-caliber pitcher.  Shame of you to focus on his age.  No one would have seen this, after fan after fan (seeing this before) were worried.  Scherzer is scuffling for another year, looking old.  The Mets had a six-game winning streak and went back to form.  The fear now is a false hope (the team has enough talent to have a good run; even the lowly As showed some life at times) and then basically standing pat at the deadline. 

The Mets need to look to the future and two old former aces isn't that.  The talk is that teams realize the aces are over the hill. Okay.  Still.  Eat nearly all of Scherzer's salary.  He showed a bit this year.  Some teams might be willing to take a chance on him being useful enough.  Might be stuck with Verlander. Maybe, he will give you a few months next season.  

The future should be something like this.  Hope the offense does better and gets a better DH next offseason.  Diaz is back, so the pen will be better.  Senga looks like a keeper.  Figure there is another pitcher in the system with potential.  Replace Cookie with another journeyman.  

Overall, win with offense, a decent pen with a shut-down closer, and decent starting pitching.  Eighty-plus million dollars for two starters? No.  And, you might have to sacrifice 2024 a bit.  The "win now" logic of getting Verlander was somewhat misguided.  

Finally, promising not to fire the GM or manager for the rest of the season while the team plays like crap? Not a good look.  If the team put together doesn't work, there should be consequences. The average fan thinks "If I did this, I would be fired and I get paid a fraction of them and do not play a boy's game all day."  And, it is not just a "message."  The team is just not playing well, including playing sloppily.  We can not praise the manager and so on when they play well and shrug our shoulders when they don't. 

How did they lose the second game?  They went back to find a way to lose mode.  It didn't help that your bench is thin especially with Marte reportedly not available.  He's a key player who the team needs to play well. But, the bench should not rely on one person. 

Canha came up with first and third and no one out in the bottom of the eight.  Quick out.  Beard Guy (Luis G.) used to be reliable to come up with a key hit.  Nothing.  Baty also looks outmatched and added insult by making an error.  

But, then, the Dodgers went ahead earlier in the eighth since Alonso couldn't start a quite makable double play.  And, the Mets couldn't come back, like good teams do.  Down 2-1 in the ninth, just off a break, it is like Buck figured the team would lose. He didn't use the closer in a game that was still quite winnable.  Gave up another three runs.  Game truly over man.  

It's 2022 all over again with a holding action manager while ownership (now the baseball relations guy) was settled.  If we aren't in "now" mode, maybe Verlander was a bad idea.  "No other choice with deGrom going."  Not really. An average reliable pitcher could have been had.  Playing desperate.  And, if you want to win now, Vogelbach is not the answer at DH. The payroll is ridiculously high but has multiple holes.  

Will the Mets win today?  Maybe, but the first two games weren't blowouts or anything.  The Dodgers could beat them with a clean 6-2 loss or something that doesn't rely on basically no offense and clown show play.  A sub-.500 team just might be outmatched by the current #2 seed.  OTOH, maybe the good Scherzer will show up today.  The Momento fans, who just think about the moment, perhaps will be optimistic.  

[ETA: The Mets eked out a 2-1 win in the 10th with the winning and losing pitchers both named "Robertson."  

The game was three hours delayed and without Keith was particularly dull to watch but hey they needed to get a win and they did it.  So will they now sweep the White Sox, who actually beat the Braves again?  Sigh.  The team is not THAT bad to just put us out of our misery, though they tried in June.]

The Mets play the White Sox next. They suck.  But, they still beat the Braves at least once this weekend.  The Mets need a sweep.  Don't expect it too much. 

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* Mets Twitter was on an "everyone is being mean to Alonso" kick. Upset people don't like him.  Seriously?  

He has a sort of cocky attitude that apparently turns some off.  He sometimes ignores reality like not admitting last night he basically should have made the play.  That's okay if he overall performs though as noted he hasn't done so consistently this year so it is a bit less endearing.

But, who cares?  Do you think many Braves fans are upset that Mets fans think they are assholes?  Alonso isn't some wounded puppy that is hurt by the criticism.  I respect fans defending their guys.  Still, at some point, it seems a bit of a weenie move to keep in effect whining about how unfair people are.  This is New York City.  We can take it.