Sure, Baseball Makes Sense

So after getting swept by the Tigers, losing series to the Rockies and Reds, and splitting four against the Nationals, the Mets took two of three from the best team in baseball.

Sure.

It’s just more poof that baseball’s seasons are not only weird, but they’re long. There are going to be twists and turns that we never see coming, whether it be September of 2022, August of 2015, or beating the Tampa Bay Rays two out of three (and losing the game that Justin Verlander started.) Baseball doesn’t adhere to your algorithms and betting patterns. Things happen.

What happened today was Tylor Megill, who pitched the most crisp game he’s pitched all season. He gave up two runs on four hits and one walk, but got quick outs and only threw 79 pitches. It wasn’t the usual slog that Megill has been throwing this season. He pitched a really good game, and it’s exactly what the Mets need from their rotation going forward.

Then there’s Pete Alonso, who hit a solo HR today to give the Mets a 2-1 lead and give himeself a home run in three straight games. If we’re in the middle of a Pete Alonso hot streak, then there’s going to be success for the Mets going well past just these three games.

Tommy Pham had two hits, including the winning hit on a dribbler to third base which scored the winning run. There was a lot of chatter about Buck Showalter starting Pham and Daniel Vogelbach instead of Mark Vientos, who hit a dinger in his first game in the majors this season. And while it seemed a little odd, it was certainly consistent for what Buck has done in the past with Brett Baty and Francisco Alvarez. Vientos is going to get his at-bats, and I’m sure he’s going to get a lot more at-bats going forward. Remember, Buck manages 26 players, not seven.

(Also, and this is just a hunch, I wouldn’t be surprised if Vogelbach is going to play a good amount over the next few days/weeks because he was being showcased for a trade. I don’t think Vogey is a guy you just release, as he still has value as a good OPS guy, but the Mets have Tim Locastro, who can opt out if he’s still in the minors in the next few days, in the minors along with Luis Guillorme. Having those guys in the majors gives the Mets a lot more flexibility, and I’m sure they’re looking for ways to get them back up. Let’s face it, there are only so many injuries that you can invent.)

(Editor’s note: I may have been off on the above paragraph.)

What I really liked about Thursday’s win though was the heads up play the Mets exhibited. In the first inning, Jeff McNeil hustled to second on a base hit when Randy Arozarena threw it slightly softly into third base. Then in the 6th, after Josh Lowe homered to tie the game, the Rays had first and second against Megill, who could have fallen apart right then and there. But Michael Perez caught Harold Ramirez dancing off first with a runner ahead of him (the Francisco Alvarez Special), and ended the threat. The Mets’ losing stretch was marked by vapor locks. Maybe their collective vapor is now unlocked for the good.

David Robertson came in for the save, which was a good sign on a back to back after getting touched up a bit on Wednesday. When Jeff Brigham came in for the 8th, I wondered if Buck would go rogue on us and put in Drew Smith for the save. But Robertson was obviously good to go, and worked around an Arozarena double to get his 8th save of the year. We saw some good things from the Mets this series. It was extra important for them to get another win on the heels of Wednesday’s Wild Walk Off (which sounds like an old Deep Purple song.) Momentum is tricky, but at least for the Mets it’s growing from a smiling baby to a terrorizing toddler. Let’s hope it doesn’t run away from home any time soon.

Today’s Hate List

How about the three idiots who stormed the field between innings and got rightly pummeled by security?

I hope they regale in telling stories for the rest of their days of how they got the snot cleaned out of them before getting banned from Citi Field for life.