More people associated with Steven Matz are about to learn it’s a bad idea to get the Mets angry.
The Mets clinched their sixth straight series win to start the season, something never done before in the history of humankind, with a 3-0 victory over the Cardinals. This game featured things with varying degrees of expectation. Chris Bassitt throwing six scoreless innings? Totally expected at this point. Two hits, three walks, and six strikeouts accompanied those six shutout innings. This run of starting pitching has been incredible, and according to people who would know better than me, it’s not a fluke.
BTW the @mets pitching is for real. I dove into the numbers to see if they are getting lucky at all. Nope ERA is 2.74 and FIP is right there at 2.81 and xFIP 2.95. They are striking guys out (2nd in mlb K/9)and not walking guys (5th best bb/9). That’s the name of the game…
— Xavier Scruggs (@Xavier_Scruggs) April 26, 2022
James McCann with three hits? Totally unexpected by everyone … except hitting coach Eric Chavez who had said that he looked “hitterish”.
breaking news
eric chavez thinks james mccann looks hitterish— Kyle (@HauntedLaptop) April 24, 2022
James McCann just mashed his first dinger of the year.
Buck Showalter, citing hitting coaches Eric Chavez and Jeremy Barnes, said before the game that McCann was "close" to breaking out.
Mets 5, Diamondbacks 1, top 7
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) April 23, 2022
McCann’s double in the third drove in a run, and he came around on Starling Marte’s hit to make it 2-0, and that was all the Mets needed tonight. Considering how they got their third run, it was probably all they wanted. Oh, because the other thing that happened that was notable, and maybe not expected but also not surprising because it seems to be the theme this season, was that two more Mets got hit by pitches, including Pete Alonso getting hit in the head in the 8th.
Pete Alonso was just hit by a pitch in the helmet, and he was hot about it. Appeared to say say some words to Cardinals pitcher Kodi Whitley after the HBP. The Mets' dugout sort-of emptied, but order was quickly restored. pic.twitter.com/T6WfDnSqBg
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) April 27, 2022
Luckily, Pete’s helmet was already coming off his head when the ball struck it, so the damage was minimal. And I give Pete all the credit in the world for not charging Kodi Whitley and turning him into dust. I think that when Alonso had gotten up he had those thoughts. But at the exact moment that Alonso’s eyes locked on Kodi’s carcass, he saw Whitley look up to the sky and smack his glove and in an instant, Pete realized that nobody was trying to hit anyone in the head.
Warnings were given out after that because when Buck Showalter comes out of the dugout, he means business. It was inevitable that warnings would be given at that point. But two more hitters were plunked after that with no consequences, because nobody was actually trying to hit anyone. Certainly not Adam Ottavino hitting Tommy Edman with a slider to lead off the 8th, although the Cardinals were all up in arms about it, causing Max Scherzer to turn into Mad Max on an off day.
From earlier: Max Scherzer yelled back at the Cardinals' dugout after Tommy Edman was hit by Adam Ottavino
(via Bally Sports Midwest) pic.twitter.com/1UcQiAcKCK
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 27, 2022
And certainly not Aaron Brooks hitting Starling Marte getting hit by former Kia Tiger Aaron Brooks with the bases loaded to make it 3-0. The Mets understand that, but they’re not happy about it. Nor should they be.
"Whether it's intentional or not, it has to stop. We're tired of it and we're going to have to do something about it if it continues to happen"
– Starling Marte pic.twitter.com/Q6bF6pNGyC
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 27, 2022
And it points to a bigger issue regarding Major League Baseball. Gee, what a surprise!
"I had some close calls tonight. I've been hit in the face, I don't ever want to do that to anybody ever. MLB has a very big problem with the baseballs. They're bad. Everyone knows it. They don't care. MLB doesn't give a damn about it."
– Chris Bassitt pic.twitter.com/KMc0bAhYPx
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 27, 2022
I think it’s going to take more than Bose headphones to smooth this one over.
The Mets are 14-5, have won six straight series, and they face Steven Matz tomorrow afternoon. Remember when Alanis Morrissette sang “and every time I scratch my nails down someone else’s back I hope you feel it”? Well Steve Cohen is hoping that every time the Mets get a hit off Steven Matz that Rob Martin feels it.
Today’s Hate List
1. Rob Manfred
2. Rob Martin
3. Robby Alomar
4. Vince Coleman
5. Paul DeJong
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