In April, the Mets were a pretty good team. After a bunch of trades and injuries they no longer are. In fact, they’re terrible. But tonight, Rafael Montero, channeling Tom Seaver, shut down the Reds for 8.1 innings and the Mets offense did just enough.
Last game of the series is tomorrow afternoon.
Cincinnati Reds 0 • New York Mets 2 || Box || Play Log || Statcast
Homer Bailey pitched six innings and was pulled for a pinch hitter after throwing just 73 pitches. Bailey gave up three doubles in the first inning then shut the Mets down after that. He had one strikeout and gave up just one more hit after the 1st inning. His one walk was this:
Tim Adleman pitched the final three innings. He allowed only one base runner, a single. Strong appearance by him.
Not much to write about the offense until a bit of late drama. The Reds entered the 9th with one hit (a Joey Votto opposite field double) and three walks.
Phillip Ervin, starting in CF and leading off, lined a single to center with one out. Zack Cozart slashed a double down the left field line, chasing Montero. The Mets intentionally walked Votto to load the bases.
The Mets closer, A.J. Ramos, faced Adam Duvall with bases loaded and one out. Duvall watched strike three. Scooter Gennett, of grand slam fame, hit next. Gennett worked the count full before swinging at ball four.
The Reds made a couple nice defensive plays. Duvall made a run-saving catch in the third inning, laying out on a ball hit toward the left field line. Don’t run on Tucker Barnhart, Part 15. Barnhart threw out Jose Reyes at 3B in the fifth inning. He’s thrown out 5 of the last 6 runners who tried to steal on him.
Hard to imagine us losing 1-0 Saturday and 2-0 tonight.It happens I guess but as bad as our starters have been we have lost 3 out of the last 4 and it wasn’t the starting pitching that was the problem at all.Of course Hurdle nor Collins pitched to Joey at all in those 4 games so unless others do it then it won’t get done.Good start by Homer.
Happens more often than it should. This team hits in streaks – reds need fewer home run/strike out hitters, more high OBP to moderate the runs scored. 5 runs a game is far better than 10 one day, 0 the next.
There’s a reason Castillo’s record is only 2-7 despite pitching extremely well…..the hitting is not where it needs to be either.
I think the key is Duvall (and by extension, the leadoff spot). If Adam makes teams pay for pitching around Joey, then we have a good game offensively. But if he’s not hitting, then we’re stuck in the mud (0-7 with 4 K’s in last 2 shutouts). That’s what happens when the top of the lineup is not on base.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Duvy. He plays a terrific LF and he’s solid at the plate overall. And everyone slumps. But if Adam comes up with 2 outs (Billy and either Zach or Joey), then it’s either inning over or early-game rally. That first inning is so critical to get to the opposing pitcher.
That is the flaw in Coach Price’s response regarding Billy’s OBP. It does matter – it puts a big load on #4 in our lineup. And if he’s slumping, then so is the Reds offense. “Speed” is great, but OBP is better!
Feast and famine from one game to the next as so often happens. But good pitching from Bailey, and Adleman turned in three innings of solid relief that could get him a position in the bullpen next season.
Baseball is a strange sport. Last night’s game couldn’t have been more different than this one.
Good to see Bailey with a strong start. Every other outing, I’m convinced that he’s turning the corner.
Not unless you’re turning in the same direction…
There are always clunkers in a 162-game season. It’s sad that Homer was caught up in it.
Yea for Ervin starting and getting 4 ABs, but Peraza sitting while both Cozart and Gennett started? Why?
Dick Williams needs to have his hand-picked guy managing this team in the future. If it’s not Price, make Don Long interim, with Williams and his analytics team making out the lineups and rotation for the last month of the season.
This would be Williams putting his stamp on the organization.
We know what Duvall, Hamilton, Gennett and Cozart are in 2017. They should take a (big) back seat in September to Winker, Ervin, Peraza, Blandino… etc, etc. even Elizalde.
Play them. If Price won’t, then fire him. Now.
This game, along with a few others, farted offensive ineptitude. But the prevailing problem has been the SP rotation. I don’t know if Duvall, Gennett, and Cozart need to take a back seat per se. They’re professionals who have earned their way to end their season as best as they can with their outstanding play, and even earn whatever contractual incentives they have coming to them. But I do believe that it is a good time to rotate the players to have the younger players prove their stuff. Now, take a back seat, Billy!
Montero pitched a great game. Reds were swinging early & making outs. To their credit, Bailey & Adleman kept the game close. Reds did put the tying & winning runs on in the 9th. Ramos showed why he’s a closer. Disappointing, but I enjoyed the game. Reds have strung together several decent sp performances lately. If they can keep that up, they’ll win their share of games.
The Reds should be on a 5 game win streak.They have played the Bucs and Mets and are 2-3 having been shut out twice.Neither one of these teams can hit and the Mets are playing minor leaguers.It really doesn’t matter after all so lets play the younger guys and see what they can do as Sliotar suggested.
Rosters can expand tomorrow. Let’s hope that means Ervin/Ariel Hernandez/Reed/Garrett/Blandino get a longer look. I think we all know that won’t happen with the manger we have, which is sad. It’s entirely fair to say Price values clubhouse harmony over winning. I get that players don’t play better when they’re uptight and that this is a really really hard game, but when players like Hamilton and Peraza don’t feel any pressure to produce, that the team didn’t exhaust every alternative, you’re doing the rebuild wrong.
Ervin didn’t look good in CF last night