When I took this job, there were two Mets games I wanted to explore in-depth. Covered the first one last fall (), got to the second one today. This was extremely fun to write:
Jeremy Hefner had told Edwin Díaz he was done after the eighth. When Francisco Lindor gave the Mets the lead again, Díaz went right to Carlos Mendoza.
“I’m going back out. I don’t care what you say, I’m going back out,” he said. “I got this shit.”
Sunday scenarios in the NL wild card race:
-ATL clinches with win or ARZ loss
-NYM clinches with win and ARZ loss
-ARZ clinches with win and losses by ATL and NYM
Several old-timers spoke today about feeling welcome with the Mets in a way they hadn't in a long time. Ray Knight made the subtext of this Old-Timers Day explicit: "I love the New York Mets. I don't like the Wilpons."
The Mets are going to name Jessica Mendoza as part of their front office, according to multiple sources. Mendoza will serve in a player-evaluation role, among other responsibilities. She will continue her work on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.
The Mets and Atlanta haven't lost on the same day since the All-Star break. The Mets are 10-0 on days when Atlanta loses (including one off-day), and Atlanta is 11-0 on days the Mets lose.
METS STARTER ERA SINCE JULY 1
Max Scherzer: 1.36
Jacob deGrom: 1.62
Carlos Carrasco: 1.69
Chris Bassitt: 1.79
Taijuan Walker: 4.78 (most of which was run up by one very bad start)
Jacob deGrom: "Kinda displeased with my mechanics. I was flying open. Everything seemed to be flat. Just wasn't able to make pitches when I needed to."
He allowed a run on three hits over six, with nine strikeouts and one walk to the best offense in baseball. He lost 1-0.
Jared Porter when he was introduced as the Mets' GM, 35 days ago: "What we've talked about the most is a cultural shift, for one. Adding good people to the organization, improving the organizational culture."
Hard to see how he can be a part of that process now.
The Mets' peak win probabilities for these four games in Philadelphia:
MON: 68.2 percent
TUES: 86.1 percent
WED: 95 percent
THRS: 92.6 percent
They went 0-4.
MOST PITCHES THROWN BY A METS STARTER THIS SEASON
Chris Bassitt (tonight): 114
Chris Bassitt: 110
Chris Bassitt: 109
Chris Bassitt: 109
Chris Bassitt: 108
Max Scherzer: 108
The Mets have spent 289 days in first place the last two seasons -- more time than any other major-league team. They have not spent either of the right days in first place.
With the 10th pick in the draft Sunday night, the Mets have selected Vanderbilt right-handed pitcher Kumar Rocker. Rocker has been one of the best pitchers in college baseball since he was a freshman.
Sean Newcomb is done after five scoreless. The 32 opposing starters against Jacob deGrom this year combined for a 2.45 ERA in 173 innings. The only National League pitcher with a better ERA is Jacob deGrom.
AN OVERDUE NOTE
You haven’t seen much from me on the Mets this week, and you won’t see much from me on the Mets for the next several weeks, because I’m now on parental leave, waxing poetic to a new potential fan about 3-6-1 double plays and going first to third.
Hard not to think how close the Mets were to a wildly different setup in October. One more win in Atlanta — maybe one more win anywhere — and they’d be preparing to host the Phillies in a Division Series starting tomorrow.
--The Mets can clinch the NL East with a weekend sweep in Atlanta.
--Taking 2 of 3 would lower the magic number to 1 for the final series of the season.
--Winning one would mean the Mets still control their destiny in the final series.
Knight: "It's a special thing for me to be here and think maybe I'm back to being a part of this organization.... Mr. Cohen spoke to me today. I hadn't spoken to Jeff Wilpon in 30 years."
Several old-timers spoke today about feeling welcome with the Mets in a way they hadn't in a long time. Ray Knight made the subtext of this Old-Timers Day explicit: "I love the New York Mets. I don't like the Wilpons."
An early sign of the Mets’ popularity? They’re already scheduled for four Sunday Night Baseball games next season:
May 2 v. Philadelphia
May 30 v. Atlanta
July 4 v. Yankees
Sept. 12 v. Yankees
Their season-opener (April 1 v. Washington) will also air exclusively on ESPN.
Daniel Murphy attended Jacob deGrom's 14-strikeout game in Atlanta this past season: "At that moment, I knew being in the stands was where I was meant to be."
Matt Harvey: "I didn't really know what to expect, and what the fans gave me here was pretty incredible. I'm not going to lie: I was holding back tears.... It was something I'll never forget."
Francisco Lindor was asked if Steve Cohen's Wednesday tweet sent a message to the clubhouse. In his response, he was blunt in his assessment of his own play this season:
Noah Syndergaard said he hasn't thought much about free agency yet as he's focused on his rehab. He did add, "I can't imagine leaving New York or leaving the Mets."
Asked if he’s happy the Mets didn’t sign Trevor Bauer, Luis Rojas: “You know what what I’m happy for? That we signed Taijuan Walker.” Praised Walker’s performance on the field and his impact in the clubhouse chemistry.
Some baseball news that is actually happening: Next week is my last at the Providence Journal, after which I will start work
@TheAthleticNYC
covering the Mets. I am beyond excited for the chance to join the outstanding team we've built not just in NYC but around the country.
DeGrom reiterated that he'd love to spend his whole career with the Mets, and he said he'd be in constant contact with them throughout the upcoming offseason. But he doesn't want extension negotiations to be an in-season distraction -- the same tact he took in 2019.
What was Matt Harvey's favorite moment as a Met?
"One of the pretty surreal moments was sitting in the dugout early in my career and having the "Harvey" chants or "Harvey's better!" That was something you really couldn't dream of as a kid."
ATL 6
NYM 0
Final
The Mets are 52-65. They've been outscored 34 to 3 in the first three games of this series -- the worst run differential over a three-game stretch in franchise history.
Free agent to be Seth Lugo said he headed back to the field one more time to take it all in. “It’s all I’ve ever known,” he said of the organization he’s been in for a dozen years. “The future is a mystery.”
Mark Vientos has been named as a replacement for the Futures Game next weekend. He’ll join his Syracuse teammate Francisco Álvarez representing the Mets.
The year is 2031. Francisco Lindor is in the final year of his contract and Jacob deGrom is on the Hall of Fame ballot. Adam Wainwright is still tossing six scoreless at Citi Field, and Yadier Molina has two hits.
Adam Wainwright has had to labor a bit this evening, but the box score would hardly show it.
He's notched six scoreless innings against the Mets at Citi Field. Cardinals lead, 3-0.