N.Y. Mets: Twelve Games of Resilient Dreck

From the desk of: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

LAST GASP AT THE FLUSHING CORRAL

PHILADELPHIA  ~  ARIZONA  ~  LOS ANGELES

If the last 12 games didn't kill them, perhaps the next stretch of ten will.  The Mets are coming home to Flushing where they'll host a return series against the Phillies.  After which they play a red hot Diamondbacks team that is 3.5 games back of the second wild card and 8-2 over their last ten.  The Mets home-stand concludes with three games against the west leading Dodgers.

To be fair, I'll trend back one month.  The Mets are 15-12 since Monday, Aug. 5, when they regain .500 with a victory over the Miami Marlins.  But the real odyssey begins promptly after sweeping the Cleveland Indians.  Even after Wednesday afternoon's YouTube victory over the Nationals, the Mets are just 4-8 over their last four series against Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington.  These were twelve head to head wild card impacting confrontations I thought would surely define the Mets season.  Throughout this stretch we witness their full repertoire of good, bad, and repulsive play.  Yet they're 4-2 over their last six and still loitering 4.5 games back of the second wild card spot with 23 games left in the season.

Then there's the matter of Tuesday's meltdown.  The Mets are on top of the free world upon arresting a 10-6 lead with five runs in the top of the ninth at Washington.  But Paul Sewald, Luis Avilan, and Edwin Diaz, ponderously give it all back surrendering seven runs in the bottom half of the frame en route to a gut wrenching 11-10 loss.

If we learned anything over these last twelve games is that when the offense is clicking they win convincingly, and when they're not they lose miserably.  Problem is they lay in a coma for six straight games until reanimating at Philadelphia.

THE DIRTY DOZEN

LAST TWELVE GAMES

4-8 (.333)

vs. ATLANTA / CHICAGO

During their six game losing streak against Atlanta and Chicago the Mets hit .224 (49 for 219); with 14 walks; 49 strikeouts; 44  LOB; and .146 (7 for 48) w/RiSP.  They hit seven home runs in six games; only two come with runners on base for ten generated runs.  The Mets average just 2.83 runs per game against the Braves and Cubs.

vs. PHILADELPHIA

Mets win two of three against Philadelphia Phillies hit .293 (29 for 99); with ten walks; 20 strikeouts; 22 LOB; and .333 (20 for 60) w/RiSP.  They hit four home runs; three come with men on base for a net eight generated runs.  The Mets average 6.3 runs per game against the Phillies.

vs. WASHINGTON

Mets win two of three against Washington Nationals hitting .318 (35 for 110); with 14 walks; 21 strikeouts; 19 LOB; and .375 (12 for 32) w/RiSP.  They hit eight home runs; four come with runners on base for a net 13 generated runs.  The Mets average 8.3 runs per game against the Nationals.

• In four wins they hit .426 (49 for 115); with 18 walks; 29 strikeouts; 35 LOB; and .333 (18 for 54) w/RiSP.
• In eight loses they hit .226 (64 for 283); with 20 walks; 61 strikeouts; 50 LOB; and .244 (21 for 86) w/RiSP.
• GRAND TOTAL 12 Games: .264 (113-428); with 38 walks; 90 strikeouts; 85 LOB; and .278 (39 for 140) w/RiSP.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND UGLY ...

The Mets single season home run king continues resetting his own bar.  On Aug. 24 against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field Pete Alonso breaks the Mets franchise record of 41 home runs formerly shared by Todd Hundley and Carlos Beltran.  By close of business Wednesday he is up to 45 home runs and counting.  Alonso has played in all but two of the Mets 139 games to date, and is presently slashing .268/.368/.591/.959, with 27 doubles, 45 home runs, and 105 runs batted in (or net 60 RBI minus home runs).  He likewise has smashed any and all Mets and MLB rookie related home run milestones in record setting time.  In fact, exactly a month ago is when he hit the first of four home runs in as many games against the Marlins and Nationals.  More than half of his 136 hits have been for extra-bases and 60% of those have gone for home runs.

Wilson Ramos' 26-game hitting streak comes to an end Wednesday afternoon at Washington.  The streak begins on Aug. 3 at Pittsburgh where Ramos goes 4 for 5 with a double, home run, and six runs batted in.  He twice extends his streak as a pinch-hitter.  During the streak he bats .430 (43 for 100) with seven doubles, three home runs, and 18 runs batted in.  For the season Wilson Ramos is slashing .295/.357/.424/.781, with 28 extra-base hits and 67 runs batted in (or net 54 RBI minus home runs which is only six less than Alonso in 92 less at-bats).

Steven Matz is 3-1 with a no decision in his last five starts with a 2.10 ERA and 1.26 WHiP, allowing just seven walks and fanning 31 through 30 innings pitched.  He has averaged 24 batters faced over six innings per start, and lowered his ERA 0.54 points over that time down to a more respectable 4.04 mark.

Michael Conforto hit his career tying 28th home run of the season on Aug. 30 at Philadelphia.  Over these crucial last 12 games he batted .276 (13 for 47), with three doubles, one home run, and four runs batted in.  In eight of those game and batted .182 (2 for 11) with RiSP.

Through the course of 55 games Jeurys Familia's ERA (5.96) has yet to dip below five all season.  He has so far yielded 49 hits and 41 walks through 49 innings pitched.  After a legitimately effective month of August, Familia in his two most recent appearances has yielded five earned runs on four hits and four walks in just 1.2 innings pitched.  On Wednesday the Mets were able to survive Familia, but Tuesday not so much.