3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Blow Chance For Series Win In San Francisco

The Mets finished their 10-game West Coast trip with a 7-3 record, which can hardly be a cause for complaint. However, after winning the first two games against a struggling Giants team, they lost the next two for a series split. A much-needed off day follows tomorrow. 3 Up Lucchesi Longevity Joey Lucchesi stole the […]

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The Mets finished their 10-game West Coast trip with a 7-3 record, which can hardly be a cause for complaint. However, after winning the first two games against a struggling Giants team, they lost the next two for a series split. A much-needed off day follows tomorrow.

3 Up

Lucchesi Longevity

Joey Lucchesi stole the weekend with a sterling seven-inning shutout performance against the Giants. He allowed just four hits and two walks while striking out nine. It was the longest outing by a Mets pitcher all season and was sorely needed with three starters on the injured list and Max Scherzer suspended. It also preserved the bullpen, which became highly critical over the next two days.

The Mets were taking it easy with Lucchesi due to his return from Tommy John surgery, opting to make him the third option in the rotation depth and stretch him out in the minors. However, the rash of injuries, poor performances, and the suspension forced Lucchesi into duty, and he stood out.

Lucchesi is not only guaranteed a second start due to Scherzer’s absence, but if he keeps it up, he could push Peterson and Megill for a rotation spot going forward.

It’s important to note that Lucchesi did get hit fairly hard, as he averaged an exit velocity of 92.1 mph, allowed a 53.8% hard-hit rate, and had a 4.03 xERA. Still, the results in one start were better than any other Mets starter has posted this season.

McHits is Back

Whenever Jeff McNeil gets into a bit of a slump, Mets fans recall the 2021 season in a panic. The reigning batting champion had something to say about that, though. McNeil went 8-for-15 (.533) in the series, raising his batting average to .296. He did it in classic Squirrel fashion, logging two infield hits in the finale, including one with a robust 58.4-mph exit velocity. This is the McNeil of 2022, finding ways to get on base and outperform his expected statistics consistently.

The Mets sorely needed this, and it will be a key for their offense going forward.

Uceta, Brigham, and Raley Soar

The Mets have struggled to find reliable relief outside of David Robertson and Adam Ottavino. In the third game of the series, pitcher Edwin Uceta, up from the minors in the latest round of pitcher musical chairs, provided three shutout innings to preserve the rest of the bullpen, giving up no hits and allowing just two walks.

Jeff Brigham pitched in the first and last games of the series, going three perfect innings with five strikeouts. The righty is yet to allow a baserunner in his first four innings of work, recording seven total strikeouts.

Brooks Raley has become another high-leverage arm out of the bullpen. Raley appeared in three of the four games of the series, pitching an inning each time. He allowed just one hit, a double in the finale, with no walks and five strikeouts. He lowered his ERA to 3.60 in the process and is becoming the impactful left-hander the Mets hoped for when they acquired him from the Rays.

While Uceta will likely be sent down at some point, Raley and Brigham are key cogs in the Mets’ bullpen going forward.

3 Down

Other Starting Pitchers Scuffle

Outside of Lucchesi, the Mets’ other starters in the series struggled significantly. Kodai Senga relied on an offensive outpouring, as he once again fell apart in the fifth inning. David Peterson struggled through and through, while Tylor Megill couldn’t make it to the fifth. The three combined for 18 hits, 15 earned runs, six walks, and five home runs allowed in just 14 innings of work. They also labored through 18.8 pitches per inning, which is not a recipe for longevity.

The Mets have managed to pull out games despite continuing disappointment from their starting pitchers. Justin Verlander, who threw a 43-pitch bullpen on Sunday, cannot return soon enough. The team will need more contributions, both in length and performance, from their starters if they want to make any sort of run this season.

Smith Leverage Difficulties

Drew Smith was considered one of the biggest X-factors in the Mets’ bullpen this season. Though he’s had his moments, he failed in a high-leverage situation on Sunday and once again demonstrated inconsistency. His Jekyll-and-Hyde performance is highlighted by his 2.08 ERA entering the game giving way to a 21-pitch eighth inning in which he surrendered the go-ahead run to break a 4-4 tie.

The double Smith allowed to Mike Yastrzemski was on a changeup, which Smith had thrown only 10 times (5.5%) all year prior to this appearance. It was his worst pitch, too, allowing a Run Value of 2 and a Run Value/100 of 17.9, as it was barreled for a home run previously.

Catching Concerns

It was hard to imagine that the Mets’ catchers could put up worse batting numbers in 2023 than they did in 2022 when they posted a combined .217/.261/.302/.563 stat line through 592 plate appearances. However, that seems to be occurring right now.

Tomás Nido is slashing .122/.159/.122/.281, while Francisco Álvarez is at .148/.148/.259/.407. Many teams have less-than-stellar hitting at the catcher position, but this is at an untenable level. Nido, a career .214/.252/.311/.563 hitter, isn’t really expected to provide all that much. Álvarez does not look ready, but if there’s any chance for him to improve as a hitter (which Nido will not be doing at this point), he must play every day.

The Mets don’t have any other options behind the plate until Omar Narváez returns, which likely won’t be until at least June. Michael Pérez, the only other minor league option, is a worse career hitter than Nido at .174/.244/.301/.545.

The Mets next face the 7-14 Washington Nationals at the start of a three-game set at Citi Field on Tuesday.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Blow Chance For Series Win In San Francisco first appeared on Metsmerized Online.