March Goes Out Like An Undefeated Baseball Team (With A Side Of Chicken And Waffles)

Jacob deGrom’s 2018 debut was highly anticipated after his stellar spring. And considering that deGrom went from the heat of Florida to the chill of New York in late March, it wasn’t half bad.

deGrom petered out at five and 2/3’s innings after 101 pitches, but struck out seven and only gave up four hits and a walk in a 6-2 Mets victory. It very much seemed like vintage deGrom through the prism of early season cool weather and new manager cautiousness. Todd Frazier made life easy for Jacob by giving him a 2-0 lead off the hop in the first with a two run double. Travid d’Arnaud and Yoenis Cespedes added solo HR’s (d’Arnaud’s home run coming after the Cardinals scored in the top of the fourth, and right after I said “here’s where d’Arnaud strikes out flailing at a bad pitch”. Way to make me look good.)

It wasn’t all good news as Anthony Swarzak tweaked his oblique and was removed from the game. This was after he got a couple of big outs in the seventh, and giving up a home run in the eighth inning. Swarzak, who was hurt once in spring training, left the game after walking Jose Martinez. But there are two reasons not to panic. One: Swarzak isn’t panicking. Two, Ray Ramirez is nowhere to be found.

After a Frazier sac fly, the Mets scored their final run after Mike Matheny brought in lefty Tyler Lyons to face Asdrubal Cabrera … the same Asdrubal Cabrera who hit .394 off lefties last season as opposed to .240 off of righties (along with .293 career against lefties against .260 against righties in his career.) Cabrera, predictably, hit a long double to right to drive in Juan Lagares. Nice to see the other team’s manager made dopey moves from time to time.

Jeurys Familia closed it out with a four out save after the injury to Swarzak and the Mets go into their first Family Sunday of the year still undefeated. Of course, Sundays had more closely resembled a dysfunctional family in 2017. So we’ll see if all the changes on the roster and in the clubhouse offices have changed any of the off-field mojo, if you believe such things exist.

Also, as this is the first game I have attended this season, let me give you some food reviews:

• The chicken n’ waffles, found in the Promenade Club, is a winner!
• Arancini Brothers’ new flavor: the Tomato and Cheese ball, gets two enthusiastic thumbs up, even though it has no rice, and by definition isn’t a rice ball. It’s still great.
• Dan and John’s new “loaded tots” are outstanding. But you should know that the Dan and John’s stand is no longer in the Promenade Club. It’s by section 335 in the Bud Light Landing in left field. They also offer chicken wings with the loaded tots in a helmet.
• The cookie do stand now only sells the cookie dough in one size … the small one. But this allows them to have the dough pre-scooped and makes it easier to serve. (Also makes it taste a little better as well.)
• Yes, I ate a lot of stuff.
• The Promenade Club is still a little disorganized, as they have changed the set up a bit. There’s only one line that starts at the door on the first base side. At a certain point, if you were ordering anything except the new Alpine Brat or the big hot dog, you could skip ahead and get it. Perhaps they will make one separate line for the brats/dogs and one for everything else, eventually.
• That Alpine brat looks insane, and I will review it at some point. But I’m only allowed to eat it when I’m at a game alone … and sad. So expect a brat review after a 9-2 Padres win. What I can tell you is that the cheese is real … and it’s spectacular.

Today’s Hate List

1. Chase Utley
2. Oliver Perez
3. Giancarlo Stanton
4. Luis Castillo (the one that pitches for the Reds)
5. The Other Luis Castillo