There’s Only One April Fool

This was a much anticipated start for Steven Matz, as all of his (and Matt Harvey’s starts) will be. Considering that Mickey Callaway floated the idea of taking starters not named Syndergaard and deGrom out of the game after two turns through the lineup, this start went about as expected. Matz went exactly twice through the lineup, and taking four innings to throw 89 pitches didn’t help him.

If Matz’s location, which was better in spots, was better against Marcell Ozuna and Yadier Molina (Ozuna’s two run double was hit on a curveball that wasn’t buried, and Molina’s solo home run off him was off a fastball that drifted inside), maybe he would have seen the fifth inning. Or maybe Callaway sticks to his plan of bullpenning the season away anyway (though my only hope is that when he goes to the bullpen, there will be somebody there.) But I find it hard to judge Matz fairly in a game umpired by CB Bucknor with his floating strike zone and his unwavering incompetence. Matz was squeezed on the 2-2 pitch that came right before Chipper deJong’s first home run, which probably cost him a shot at the fifth inning. Yes, Matz can’t turn into Sid Fernandez when a call doesn’t go his way and give up gopher balls, but Bucknor doesn’t help. He never does.

There was also the matter of Luke Weaver and the bullpen rocking the Mets bats to sleep after DeJong did his job, and when you put it all together you have a 2018 Sunday which was really a 2017 Sunday disguised as a 5-1 loss. The Mets will face the Phillies on Monday, and maybe Gabe Kapler will call on a ghost reliever to face Adrian Gonzalez with the bases loaded. (And it would have worked too, if it weren’t for you meddling kids.)

Today’s Hate List

1. CB Bucknor
2. CB Bucknor
3. CB Bucknor
4. CB Bucknor
5. CB Bucknor