N.Y. Mets: Command and Control, the Comeback, and The Closer

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

After Friday Blizzard Mets Split 

Saturday Twin Bill at Coors Field

Teammates Rally Together in Support of Jacob deGrom's Near Record Effort

Making his third start of this young season, Jacob deGrom puts forth something more than just another dominating effort.  In facing 23 Colorado batters, he hurls 99 pitches with 67.6% going for strikes.  His line reads three unearned runs on three hits and just one walk with 14 strikeouts through six innings pitched.  It marks his second straight start with 14 strikeouts.  But this performance against the Rockies is so much more special than that.  

Jacob registers his first strikeout to end the first, then fans the side in the second.  He again strikes out the side in the third and yet again in the fourth, giving him nine consecutive strikeouts, eight of which are of the swing-and-miss variety.  Jacob now lay within one strikeout of matching Tom Seaver's 51-year old year record of ten consecutive strikeouts set on April 22, 1970, against the San Diego Padres.  

But Colorado third baseman Josh Fuentes has other ideas when he grounds to second leading off the fifth and reaches safely on Jeff McNeil's errant throw to first.  And wouldn't you know, Jacob strikes out the next batter he faces.  Afterwhich, trouble comes knocking at the door.  Catcher Dom Nunez triples off the right-field wall scoring Fuentes, and pinch-hitter Yonathan Daza's sacrifice fly to right field scores, Nunez.  Left fielder Raimel Tapia then homers, giving the Rockies a 3-1 lead.  Jacob finally fans second baseman Ryan McMahon to retire the side.

Pete Alonso who back in the third inning drove home Jacob deGrom with the game's first run, homers leading off the top of the sixth, cutting the Mets deficit to one.  Jacob deGrom, in his final inning of work, retires the Rockies in order with two more strikeouts.  In the top half of the seventh, runs batted in by Jonathan Villar and Francisco Lindor put Jacob deGrom back on the winning side of the game.

Edwin Diaz then slams the door shut on the Colorado Rockies, needing just 13 pitches to strike out the side, all swinging.  While earning his first save of the season, Diaz likewise locks down deGrom's first victory in three tries.  The deGrominator evens his record at 1-1 with a glistening 0.45 ERA through 20 innings pitched to date.

The results of game two at Coors Field on Saturday do not escape me.  The fact they were a mere 2 for 23 at the plate with just two walks and six strikeouts albeit against a representative German Marquez is more than I care to know.  Otherwise, Joey Lucchesi's second appearance and first start for the Mets proved troublesome as did that of reliever Jacob Barnes.  The Rockies struck for three runs in the first inning and the rest is, as they say, 

... you know, Metsian.

N.Y. Mets: On the Bullpen's Three Game Trend

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

TRUCKING UP I-95 ON THE LAST LEG HOME

OPENING DAY

Marlins

vs.

Mets

FROM

ROOSEVELT AVENUE GROUNDS

Flushing, Queens

Edwin Diaz Coming to a Ballpark Near You

If you follow me, you're familiar with one of my rules of thumb: once is an event, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a trend.  

Insofar as trending, there is the micro and the macro.  For the moment, we have a three-game series at Philadelphia to speak of.  By mid-April, we will have three series to compare and contrast.  

The point being, I apply equal importance to early-season games as I would to any in June or September.  I believe in getting off to good starts with the idea that you cannot win pennants in April, but you can certainly lose them.

Therefore, with great angst, I say the Mets will go as far as their bullpen carries them.  I'm not breaking new ground here.  That is just the modern condition of baseball.  

In the first three games alone, the Mets relievers relinquished a lead, upheld a lead in game two, then played a rather inconsequential role in Wednesday afternoon's loss against the Phillies.

Manager Luis Rojas called upon three relievers in each of the first three games.  In games one and two,  Miguel Castro and Trevor May were joined by Aaron Loup and Jeurys Familia.  On Wednesday, Jacob Barnes, Dellin Betances, and Joey Lucchesi each made their season debut. 

Overall, the bullpen has accounted for 36% of the Mets 25 total innings pitched.  Seven different relievers have joined together to throw 194 pitches, with 118 (60.8%) going for strikes.  They've yielded six earned runs on 13 hits and three walks through nine innings for a 6.00 ERA and 1.77 WHiP with eleven strikeouts.  Still slated to be a starter, Joey Lucchesi distinguished himself by allowing one lone hit with three strikeouts through two innings pitched. 

Despite David Peterson lasting just four innings Wednesday against the Phillies, the Mets' first three starters, in turn, accounted for 64% of all innings pitched.  By midsummer, I expect the starting rotation to account for at least 68% of innings pitched.  In the meantime, Peterson's abbreviated start raised the bullpen's average usage up to three innings per game.

On Thursday, the Mets host the Miami Marlins for Opening Day at Citi Field.  Edwin Diaz is likely to make his season debut at home, assuming the Mets own a late-inning lead.  Lest we forget, last year the Marlins qualified for the post-season, and the Mets did not.  

Robert Gsellman is also yet to make his first appearance.

I eagerly await to see the next trios of relievers Luis Rojas deploys against the Marlins because that's how he's trending.