You know Jason, you’re kinda belittling Jacob deGrom’s final game of the season by just waltzing in with your 57 mph fastball and your ERA of 47 and saying “hey, I can shut out the Braves too!” Show-off.
I kid, I kid.
I don’t know what to make of Jason Vargas’ finish. Not just Thursday, where Vargas pitched seven shutout innings against the Braves (albeit without Freddie Freeman and Ender Inciarte), but a 3.60 ERA in his last ten starts which include two good starts against Washington, one good start against the Cubs, and now one great start against the Braves. It means we’re probably stuck with him for the second year of his contract. But if you believe that the really, really rough start to Vargas’ second Mets stint was due to injuries to his non-throwing wrist to start the season and his calf near the end of June, then maybe August and September isn’t the fluke and that the early part of his campaign, which was horrendous, was rattled by injuries.
(Sorry, optimism sneaks up on me like a rash. I have to see somebody about this.)
The Mets’ offense on Thursday was provided by catchers … because I think that’s all we have on the roster. Kevin Plawecki smacked a home run in the thid, and then Devin Mesoraco hit a pinch hit three run dinger in the seventh. Remember when we were all excited that Mesoraco hit all his home runs in the seventh inning or later? Yeah, then he got hurt and hit .219 … the end. I personally can’t wait until he and Matt Harvey collude to form a super team in Anaheim.
Devin’s blast was the margin of victory on Thursday, but not before Anthony Swarzak (still Czechoslovakian for “Sisk”) tried his best to throw enough meatballs to start a food festival in the eighth. Thankfully the rest of the bullpen got him out of trouble, and then Robert Gsellman overcame a couple of baserunners to end the game by striking out Freeman who was pinch hitting in the ninth. All of a sudden, the Mets found a version of themselves that can beat the Braves two out of three. Better late than never?
At least Vargas will have a chance to show that his last ten starts weren’t a fluke next year. Because we’re stuck with him now.
Today’s Hate List
- Addison Russell
- Sean Newcomb
- Chase Utley
- Enrique Hernandez
- Kurt Suzuki
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