Waiting for the dust to settle on a tough season can be brutal … especially on a day like today when there was a lot of dust whipping around thanks to Ophelia. But there were a couple of things that I really liked in today’s 7-5 loss:
Heads up baserunning by Ronny Mauricio and two runs score for the Mets! pic.twitter.com/E7SgCFb9uh
— SNY (@SNYtv) September 23, 2023
It would have been really easy for Ronny Mauricio, at the tail end of a season going nowhere, to just go through the motions on that play and Cadillac it into third on the play, and just keep it safe. But Ronny kept his head in the game, noticed the lollipop throw by Schwarber and the sulking by Trea Turner after the error, and take advantage and dash to the plate. If that happens during a playoff game, Mauricio is hailed as a hero. But that it happened in a meaningless game is just as impressive because his head is still in the game and he’s making good baseball plays instead of simply just worrying about his exit velocity. I really love this out of Mauricio.
An ELECTRIC trip around the bases with Ronny Mauricio ⚡ pic.twitter.com/URB6XFPiKF
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) September 23, 2023
I also loved that three of the Baby Mets got a taste of what to expect from good relievers in their major league career. In the 8th, with the score 7-5, Mauricio, Brett Baty, and Mark Vientos all got to bat as the tying or go-ahead run off Gregory Soto, a lefty reliever with a great fastball but is just wild enough to give you pause. Mauricio flailed at a slider in the dirt but Baty, after tying the game last night off Craig Kimbrel, didn’t try to do too much with a 98 mph fastball from the left side, and smacked it into left field for an oppo single to put the tying run on base.
Unfortunately, Vientos couldn’t check his swing on a slider which ended the inning, but for he and Mauricio, it’s another bit of experience that they’ll take with them in the future. For Baty, it’s a great step forward after what has turned into a tough season from pillar to post, or from pillar to his injury. Because since the injury, he has taken some tangible steps forward after people were already starting to bury him as a viable prospect.
The rest of the game? Well, hell. Bryce Harper drove in three including a home run off Jose Quintana that went through the stiff wind and off the upper tank. Quintana gave up two home runs today after not giving up multiple homers in more than a year (welcome to Citizens Bank Park, Jose.) The wind was moving the ball around like a knuckleball from R.A. Dickey, and it made the game a bit more challenging for players and fans alike (and I’m sure the fans were glad the game was only 2:31.) But sometimes, you just lose to a better team. Deion Sanders learned that today, but we’ve known that all season.
There’s one more game in Philly on Sunday if the weather cooperates, as the Mets will try their very best not to get swept with Jose Butto on the mound. If you choose not to watch tomorrow for fear that Butto will have a game in Citizens Bank Park like the last one he had in Citizens Bank Park, then you could always opt for Zach Wilson battling Bill Belichick and Ophelia. I trust you’ll make the responsible choice … the one that will cause you less agita.
Oh wait,
Due to rain, Sunday's Mets-Phillies series finale has been rescheduled from 1:05 p.m. to 6:05 p.m.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) September 24, 2023
Sorry, you’re stuck with both.
Today’s Hate List
- Jose Alvarado
- Miles Mikolas
- Spencer Strider
- Brent Strom
- Von Hayes
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