The Mets finally found some offense in Milwaukee. Francisco Lindor went 3-for-4 on Wednesday afternoon with two RBI, and Pete Alonso cracked two dingers and drove in four runs. Alonso’s two homers brought the Mets from 4-1 down to 6-4 up. The Mets’ offense will rise on the backs of those two, so them getting hot is a great sign.
Now the rest of the lineup getting only two hits total is not a great sign. The third starting pitcher in a row getting lit up is a horrible sign. The bullpen was okay, but not perfect, which the Brewers bullpen was in their rescue of Corbin Burnes, who gave up six runs in 4 and 1/3. Imagine getting six runs off a Cy Young winner, knocking him out in the fifth, and not winning the game.
PETE ALONSO'S SECOND HOME RUN OF THE DAY PUTS THE METS ON TOP! 💥 pic.twitter.com/1BCbQbV824
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 5, 2023
David Peterson gave up five runs in four innings of work, and only threw 49 strikes in 92 pitches. Peterson was lucky to be in that long, but with the Mets not wanting to completely burn out their bullpen in April, it was necessary. The bullpen did come in for the fifth, entrusted with a 6-4 lead, courtesy of Alonso. But Drew Smith put a couple of runners on for Jesse Winker with two outs, and after fouling off a couple of fastballs and a slider, Smith went to the changeup which was fat and juicy, and Winker drove two home to tie the game for the Brewers.
John Curtiss and David Robertson held on for dear life, as Curtiss struck out three in two innings of work, and Robertson pitched a clean 8th. But the Mets couldn’t get anything going against the Brewers ‘pen, and they paid for it in the 9th as Adam Ottavino faced Garrett Mitchell.
GARRETT MITCHELL WALK-OFF HOMER!
The Brewers sweep the Mets! pic.twitter.com/ev7pmTpdBq
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 5, 2023
So look, it’s really not time to panic yet, even though it feels like it is. The one thing about the Mets starting slow is that the Braves and Phillies were celebrated for starting slow and finding success in 2022. The Braves won the division, the Phillies won the World Series, while the cherry on top of the Mets’ best season in years was a division series loss. So I’m not going to sit here and tell you that all is lost after seven games.
But what worries me so far is that besides Kodai Senga, the rest of the rotation has been shaky at best, odorous at worst. The Mets could get away with having offensive slumps last season because they had very good starting pitching (even without deGrom for most of the year and Scherzer in stretches), and Edwin Diaz to clean up in the ninth. But with Diaz gone, if the starters can’t deliver, then every Met slump on offense is going to kill them ten times more than it did last season.
And I have news for you: If Justin Verlander doesn’t come back and put the rotation on his back, if Max Scherzer can’t roll back the clock three years, if Jose Quintana can’t come back as fast as possible, if Tylor Megill and David Peterson can’t take the next step in their career, then you can bring up all the Brett Batys and Francisco Alvarezes and Mark Vientoses you want. It’s not going to matter. Three rookie position players aren’t saving a team that has starting pitching that smells like motor oil and used diapers. At least that’s the way I see it after the small sample size of 7 games.
Hopefully the home opener and a day off after that (update: not necessarily in that order) will reset this team and get their minds right, as they limp into Flushing after their doors blown off in Wisconsin. Forget Brett Baty and Francisco Alvarez. They needed John Winger and Russell Ziskey.
Thankfully, the Czech Republic isn’t on the schedule … this year.
Today’s Hate List
- Jesse Winker
- Garrett Mitchell
- Brian Anderson
- Hoby Milner
- Peter Strzelecki
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