RECAP: @ynscspds notches first HR of the season in #Mets’ loss to Phillies. https://t.co/InP86MdqQZ pic.twitter.com/TA6MxYJC2q
— New York Mets (@Mets) April 10, 2016
The New York Mets bats continue to hibernate as the Philadelphia Phillies leave the Big Apple with a series victory.
- New York Mets 2 (2-3)
- Philadelphia Phillies 5 (2-4)
- MLB, Final, Box Score
- Citi Field, Flushing, New York
Sunday, the New York Mets looked like the 1986 World Series winning team, but, sure didn’t play like it.
Wearing New York’s 1986 uniforms for the first time this season, the Mets dropped the finale of their home-opening series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
VISIT ESNY’s New York Mets Team Center
This Philly team is not nearly as good as the Mets made them look this weekend.
In fact, New York won 13 of the first 14 matches against the Phillies, in their NL Pennant-winning season last year.
In 2015, Philadelphia didn’t win their second game against the Mets until September. This time around, it took them one series.
Mets’ Bats, MIA:
Seriously, is this a joke? Are the bats in hibernation?
Through this home-opening series, that included a 15-inning scoreless streak, New York’s offense was pitiful.
Playing against the Phillies’ Jeremy Hellickson, the Mets couldn’t muster anything until a Yoenis Cespedes single in the fourth inning. They totaled four hits by game’s end.
Hellickson, I’ll remind you, had a 4.62 ERA in 146.0 innings last season. The three run deficit, seen by New York today, may as well have been 100.
Of course, the offense woke up, for a second at least, when Cespedes rocketed a 2-run home run into the seats in left, following a David Wright double, and cut the deficit to one. It was the first homer at Citi Field in 2015.
Yo knows baseball. On the 11th pitch of the at-bat, Yoenis Cespedes cuts the Phillies lead to 3-2. #Mets pic.twitter.com/M8VRDjZMVl
— Elite Sports NY (@EliteSportsNY) April 10, 2016
Leadoff batter Curtis Granderson is having a rough start to the season of his own. These days, who isn’t having trouble?
Granderson is now 1-for-20 through five games this season, with a .050 average.
Scary times in Mets Land.
Dark Knight Falls:
Matt Harvey made his first start since allowing three runs in 5.2 IP on Opening Night in Kansas City. He allowed a run early on, but, settled in nicely by the third.
At one point, Harvey retired 10 Philly batters in a row. That was, until the sixth inning, when the Dark Knight’s prowess began to fade, and Philadelphia’s Odubel Herrera took Harvey deep to make it a 3-0 lead.
Still, in his six innings of work, the flamethrower received absolutely zero run support, which, is not necessarily a new trend.
According to SNY’s Gary Cohen, Harvey’s ERA in no-decisions is 2.04, or, the lowest in nearly a century.
Harvey’s final line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Efficient Pitching:
Coming into Sunday’s rubber-match, the Metropolitan pitching has been methodically dominant, save for the two Harvey starts.
Through five games (45 innings), their pitching staff has combined to throw 43 strikeouts, to just 8 walks. A remarkable start.
Still, not all is well.
The Mets bullpen was the last in all of Major League Baseball to avoid allowing a single run. Then, Addison Reed came to the mound in the eighth innings, and ruined the streak, extending the Philly lead to two.
The bullpen hadn’t allowed a single walk until Reed dealt one in the eighth, as well.
Jim Henderson, the surprise addition to New York’s roster, came on in the seventh inning, and proceeded to strike out the side with high-90s heat. He and fellow reliever Jerry Blevins have yet to allow a baserunner in their Mets careers.
Friendly Reminder:
Don’t Panic!
Just. Calm. Down…the 1986 Mets went 2-3 in their first five games as well.
Thirty years later, we’re repeating history. Hello, World Series title.
Irrational Thoughts:
Bring out the 86 Mets as they are now, even Gary Carter and they'll hit more than this team.
— Tariq (@JerseySteve89) April 10, 2016
Tweet of the Day:
Not saying it’s been awhile, but the last time the Mets scored a run, these uniforms weren’t throwbacks.
— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) April 10, 2016
What’s Next:
New York finishes up their initial 6-game home stand with a series against the fish from Miami. The Marlins v. Mets bash, featuring rookie Steven Matz‘s first start this season, begins, Monday, at 7:10 pm ET on SNY.
https://twitter.com/BBTN/status/719257341905006593
https://twitter.com/BBTN/status/719252266889428992
HOME RUN!!! @ynscspds pic.twitter.com/HtVQTGYEeq
— New York Mets (@Mets) April 10, 2016
