A Karma-Tinkering Win for Metsies
Baseball gods might not be thrilled with how this one shook out
Well, that’s one way to win a game.
Let’s preface this with the fact that we’re always gonna take a Mets victory, however it comes. That said, the baseball gods ain’t gonna be happy about this one.
Karma is a real thing, on the diamond and off it. Trust me. And that balance may have been slightly kicked off its stand on Thursday afternoon in Flushing.
The Mets being issued a win on the home plate umpire’s non-call (that’s an elementary decision behind the plate) is inexcusable on the umpire’s part.
Sure, Michael Conforto blatantly leaning into one wasn’t necessarily on the up-and-up. But the blame for making that the game-ending play lands on blue, not the Mets.
Conforto spoke about the play after the game.
“It’s obviously not the way I wanted to win the ballgame. I wanted to go up there and put the ball in play,” he said. “From my point of view, it was a slider, felt like it was coming back to me, and I just turned. There may have been a little lift to my elbow just out of habit, out of reaction, and it barely skimmed the edge of my elbow guards.”
“I knew that there was gonna be some controversy. Our first base coach was yelling at me to get down there, touch the base and let’s get out of here,” he said. “A win’s a win. It’s over. But, obviously, I’d like to use the bat.”
Is this where the controversy ends? TBD.
These things tend to work themselves out, especially over the course of a long season with 18 more games to play between the Marlins and Mets. Let’s just hope the payback doesn’t come when it hurts the most.
Of course, by payback I mean the tables turning the opposite way, affording the Mets an incensing loss of their own down the line.
Intentionally hitting batters to send a message is an unnecessary part of this game, and not what I was referring to. However, it is a tradition that’s still alive and well in today’s game.
It’s not difficult to imagine one Marlins player saying to another Marlins player after Thursday’s game, ”Oh, he thought that was a hit-by-pitch? That’s not a hit-by-pitch”.
Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Nor should it.
Again, a win is a win. But man, oh, man. Weird one.
Taijuan Walker pitched terrifically in his Mets debut, allowing two earned runs over six innings of work, striking out four, and walking two (87 pitches, 58 strikes).
Walker mixed his pitches up very well, sitting 96-97 MPH with his four-seamer and sinker and hitting his spots with his slider (26% called strike-and-whiff rate), splitter (33% CSW), and curveball.
The bullpen held up fine. Miguel Castro turned in a perfect inning of work, striking out one. Trevor May allowed a hit and struck out one in his scoreless frame. And Edwin Diaz looked electric striking out one and walking one in a clean inning.
Everyone was doing their jobs. But, as this organization has a tendency to do every so often, they made Nick Neidert look like Satchel Paige.
And once again, the Mets failed to take advantage of opportunities, leaving a total of 11 men on base after stranding 14 runners in Wednesday’s loss to Philadelphia.
The Mets had ample chances to plate runs but simply couldn’t get the job done. However frustrating that may be, it’s still extremely early and there’s plenty of time to right that particular ship.
Brandon Nimmo went 3-for-5 with two doubles, raising his early batting line to .429/.579/.571 over his first 19 plate appearances.
Francisco Lindor added a hit, two walks, and a run scored, driven in by Dominic Smith’s sacrifice fly in the fifth (Dom went 1-for-3 on the day).
Jeff McNeil, celebrating his 29th birthday on Thursday, tied the game at two in the bottom of the ninth with an absolute tank job into the second deck in right field.
Strange day. But an entirely good one. The excitement at Citi Field on Thursday was palpable, even through a screen. Let’s keep that energy up, family.
The Mets are off on Friday then get back to work on Saturday at Citi Field. Jacob deGrom will take the mound for a 1:10 PM start (televised on SNY, broadcast on WCBS 880 AM) against Trevor Rogers and the Fish.
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I'll take the win, but it feels little dirty. It's a long season though, these things tend to balance out.