Hello Oakland, Our Old Friends

Tell me you expected the game where the ERAs of the starting pitchers were 17.55 and 11.42 to end 3-2.

Suuuuuuure ya’ did.

It sure as hell looked like it was going to be another pinball game when Carlos Carrasco gave up two in the second, including an RBI single to the ninth place hitter, to put the MEts down 2-0. Cookie hasn’t been the most dependable of the starters, so this was looking like one of those days where Oakland was going to win one of their 60 or so. But to his credit, Carrasco pulled it together more or less and gave the Mets a start that was befitting of a 5th starter, which is really all they need at this point. Five innings, one walk, with just the two runs given up. The problematic part was that he hit three guys, the last one to lead off the 6th and chase him from the game.

But the bullpen who everyone worried about, especially after Edwin Diaz’s patella tendon was ripped apart, took this game by the throat and won it. Drew Smith came in and tied up Jesus Aguilar to the point where he blooped a line drive (if it’s even possible to bloop a line drive) to Pete Alonso, who turned and tagged first base for the double play to wipe Carrasco’s slate clean and set up the comeback in the 7th inning.

Mark Canha led off the 7th. He’s facing his old organization, if not necessarily one of his old teammates in Shintaro Fujinami. Canha has torched his old team in a small sample size: 1.005 OPS in 15 plate appearances.

MARK CANHA HOMERS TO TIE THE GAME! pic.twitter.com/zda7YQEc8M

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 15, 2023

But it wouldn’t be the only reunion of the inning. After Fujinami walked Daniel Vogelbach, the A’s brought in old friend Trevor May to try to stop the bleeding. He almost did it, striking out Luis Guillorme and getting Francisco Alvarez to pop out. But with Tim Locastro on second after he stole the bag in place of Daniel Vogelbach, Brandon Nimmo strode to the plate against May.

BRANDON NIMMO GIVES THE METS THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/MHtmEWq7oW

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 15, 2023

Sorry, Trevor. It’s not personal, it’s just business.

The bullpen took it from there. With the Mets up 3-2, Smith started the 7th and Brooks Raley got the final two outs. Adam Ottavino walked through landmines in the 8th, giving up two walks and three stolen bases. But with Conner Capel at the plate, same guy who dingered Trevor Williams and Seth Lugo on consecutive days last September, Ottavino threw him a 3-2 sweeper which Capel swung and missed at to end the inning.

David Robertson worked around a leadoff single to end the game, but not before he had to strike out Kevin Smith twice to end the game. Yes, you read that right. He threw a wicked curveball to end the game, but home plate ump Scott Barry ruled that it was just after the pitch clock expired, to which I would reply: which freaking clock was he looking at, because Oakland apparently has the only analog pitch clocks in Major League Baseball!

The pitch clocks around the stadium are slightly out of sync. pic.twitter.com/esGcNfsyWa

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 15, 2023

With the threat of being the first team in the pitch clock era to lose on a walkoff after a game ending strikeout, Robertson said “nah, son”, and threw Smith a fastball which also froze him (like, really Kevin?) to end the game for realz this time. The Mets have now won three straight to put them at 9-6 with a chance to sweep Oakland before they head down to southern California and then come back to northern California because Major League Baseball scheduling is moronic. Unfortunately, the A’s will be celebrating their 1973 World Series team which beat the Mets in seven games for the title. Oakland’s only chance might be for Mark Kotsay to call for Blue Moon Odom out of the pen for an out.

Today’s Hate List

1. Domingo German
2. Scott Barry
3. Charlie Finley
4. Dawson Mercer
5. James Harden