Game #111: Mets 5, Rockies 0

Add this to your collection of Matt Harvey facts: when Matt Harvey gets drilled by a line drive, the trainers come out to check on the ball. Credit Josh Lewin with that phrase, credit Harvey with the career night.

(NYTimes.com

Harvey tossed his first career shutout, and Wilmer Flores cleared the bases with a clutch double as the Mets thoroughly dominated the Rockies 5-0.

The Good Stuff:

• Matt Harvey knew he needed to get his pitch count down if he was to avoid being shut down Stephen Strasburg style, and all of a sudden Mr. Strikeout turned into Mr. Groundball. He allowed just four hits and walked no one, striking out six and forcing a whopping 14 groundball outs on an efficient 106 pitches. None of Colorado's hits went for extra bases, and Harvey survived getting drilled above the right knee by Charlie Blackmon on his 100th pitch to finish off Troy Tulowitzki on a popout to Daniel Murphy.
• New York handed Harvey a 2-0 lead on RBI singles by Omar Quintanilla in the 2nd and John Buck in the 4th. Certainly more run support than Matt is used to, but it would take a couple more runs to really secure the night.
• Enter Wilmer Flores, who got his first major-league hit and run in the 2nd. With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 8th, Flores worked the count to 2-2 and proceeded to punch a line drive into the left field corner, plating all three runners and giving Harvey the safety net he deserved.
• Ike Davis hit another double and drew a walk in his four plate appearances, scoring twice.

The Bad Stuff:

• Starts like this still earn just one W, although it feels like Matt could have made up at least six missed Ws tonight.

Final Analysis:
What more is there to say about Matt Harvey? The man can do it all.

(NYTimes.com)

Let's talk about the latest bat in the Mets' arsenal. At 22 years and a day, Wilmer Flores made his presence felt in the major leagues. For a franchise known for developing pitching but not necessarily hitting, Flores and eventually Travis d'Arnaud will provide a much-needed spark to back up Harvey, Zack Wheeler, and the rest of the future orange-and-blues. With David Wright entrenched at third base and a resurgent Ike Davis reclaiming first, I wonder if Daniel Murphy will end up being the odd man out when it comes to the future of the infield. Only time will tell, but Flores is certainly making a few guys sweat.

That was another fun night. We're glimpsing the future at Citi Field, and oh boy, is it grand.

MM

Game #87: Mets 10, Giants 6

Fly away Byrdie, fly away all.

Marlon Byrd's seventh career grand slam provided the final margin for the high-flying Mets, who took down the Giants 10-6 to clinch the series.

The Good Stuff:

• Down 2-0 in the 4th, Andrew Brown singled home the tying runs with the bases loaded, and Omar Quintanilla followed two batters later with the go-ahead base hit.
• San Francisco had tied it by the 6th inning, but Anthony Recker crushed a Barry Zito cutter for a two-run homer to put New York up 5-3.
• The Giants again tied it by the 8th inning, but the Mets put up a five-spot through Daniel Murphy's sac fly and Marlon Byrd's grand slam on Jake Dunning's first pitch. 10-5 Mets, and the Giants would not come back from that deficit.
• The best offensive numbers for the team that pounded 12 hits were:
• David Wright (2-3, 2 BB, 2 R)
• Marlon Byrd (2-4, BB, 2 R, GS, 4 RBI)
• Omar Quintanilla (3-5, R, RBI)

The Bad Stuff:

• Dillon Gee wasn't great in his 6.2 innings, allowing five runs on nine hits and constantly letting the home team back into the game.
• Anthony Recker and Daniel Murphy each had errors for the visitors.

Final Analysis:
At this point I'm sure the Mets are just happy to play a game that didn't go four hours, but that was quite the game to play. Byrd's value continues to rocket as the NY offense finally has found its footing. Great sights to see.

Zack Wheeler returns to face his original franchise this afternoon in the series finale.

MM

Game #80: Mets 9, Diamondbacks 1

The Arizona Diamondbacks found out something they aren't used to hearing about: when it rains, it pours.

(NYDailyNews.com)

New York pounded out seven runs in a rain-extended 7th inning as the Mets dealt Patrick Corbin his first defeat of the season, taking the game from the D'Backs 9-1.

The Good Stuff:

• We missed a Matt Harvey-Patrick Corbin matchup by just one day, but the way Jeremy Hefner was dealing tonight you might have mistaken him for Harvey. After a remarkable June, Hef started out July in the same way, going the Solid Seven with one run and four hits against, including two walks and six strikeouts. He had already thrown 97 before the rains came, so his night was most likely done even if the game had not been delayed for an hour and 41 minutes.
• Tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 7th, David Wright led off with a single and went to third on Marlon Byrd's double. Up came Josh Satin to play the hero once again, as his double sent Wright home and Byrd to third just before the tarp came out. The tarp was brought out after Andrew Brown's walk, which was Corbin's first of the night and his last set of pitches.
• Three pitches after the game resumed, Anthony Recker added to his 5th-inning solo home run with an RBI single to make it 3-1. Omar Quintanilla then drove in two more with a single of his own. After Daniel Murphy reached on a fielder's choice, Eric Young doubled to plate both runners, and Juan Lagares capped the seven-run 7th with a single to score Young.
• Quintanilla drove in the Mets' final run on a single in the bottom of the 8th to provide the final margin.
• In a night when all eight positional starters got a hit, these men's final lines stand out:
• Juan Lagares (2-4, 2B, RBI)
• Josh Satin (1-3, 2B, 2 R, BB, RBI)
• Anthony Recker (2-4, HR, 2 RBI)
• Omar Quintanilla (2-4, R, 3 RBI)
• The boys from New York hit 6-8 with RISP en route to scoring more than five runs at home for the first time in 30 games.
• LaTroy Hawkins and Brandon Lyon dealt scoreless innings to bring it home.

The Bad Stuff:

• Some people had to leave early from the rains and missed the offensive downpour of the home team. But at least they left knowing the Mets were up.

Final Analysis:
The New York Mets have won 11 of their last 17 games. How have they done it?

First, Jeremy Hefner has been pitching less like an emergency starter and more like a bona-fide veteran. His ERA dropped to an impressively regular 3.54 after tonight's fantastic outing and stands at 2.20 in his last eight starts.

Second, Josh Satin has been playing like a man on fire. Tonight he extended his hitting streak to eight games and has gotten on base in each of his last 13. Since June 18, he has put up other worldly numbers, hitting .421 with six RBIs and an OPS of 1.147, better than that of even Yasiel Puig over the same timeframe. Satin's been so good, he's got my dad wondering if Ike Davis and Lucas Duda know how to say "Wally Pipp."

Third, Satin is lead a pack of fresh, young blood looking to make the most of what may be their only chance in the big leagues. Juan Lagares is finally coming around with a bat as good as his glove. Omar Quintanilla is making a bid to supplant Ruben Tejada as the team's shortstop. Eric Young flashed his brilliant speed once again and came through in the clutch.

The Mets are playing their best baseball of 2013. Who knows how long it will last? Does it matter? My advice to Amazin' fans: sit back and enjoy the ride.

MM

Game #79: Mets 5, Diamondbacks 4 (13)

Now that was what I call a come-from-behind victory.

(NYTimes.com)

The Mets overcame two late deficits as Andrew Brown's two-out, two-strike, two-run single won the game over the D-Backs in the 13th inning.

The Good Stuff:

• The rally started in the 7th inning when the Mets, down 3-0, got one run on a David Wright single to score Eric Young.
• With one out in the bottom of the 8th, Omar Quintanilla tripled on a ball Gerardo Parra just couldn't get to. After Parra left the game for "precautionary reasons" (no further explanation given), Jordany Valdespin popped up harmlessly in foul ground. That brought up Young, who returned the favor from the 7th by doubling home Mr. Q to make it 3-2.
• With one out on the bottom of the 9th, Marlon Byrd just missed winning it with a home run, but instead settled for a double and the tying run, coming in on Josh Satin's clutch single three pitches later. Tie ballgame, extra innings.
• After three deadlocked frames, the 13th started on a bleak note when Cody Ross took David Aardsma deep to put Arizona back up 4-3. But Satin would conjure up another miracle in the bottom of the inning, lacing a one-out double after working a six-pitch at-bat with Josh Collmenter. After John Buck was intentionally walked, Matt Harvey laid down a perfect pinch-hit sac bunt to put the winning run in scoring position. After Quintanilla was intentionally walked, young Andrew Brown came up with the game in his hands. After fouling off two straight cutters, Brown got a good rip on Collmenter's fastball, launching a rocket into left center that would have cleared the bases. But the Mets only needed two runs, and as Buck crossed the plate to provide the final 5-4 margin, he joined his teammates in crowding the young hero of the night.
• And this is where it will get confusing on this blog: because of Justin Turner's DL stint, no one was able to give Brown the pie-in-the-face he deserved. Midwestern Met's Pieface Tracker is meant to keep track of walk-off hits, which are typically celebrated with piefaces. Therefore, as much as I despise the use of asterisks, Andrew Brown's walkoff for the night must be included in the list with distinction because of a lack of whipped cream for the occasion.
• And now back to our regularly scheduled recap.
• The best offensive performances of the night belong to the triumvirate of Marlon Byrd, Josh Satin, and Omar Quintanilla, who each had three hits over the 13 innings. Satin, in addition to two more doubles, walked once to get on base four times, while Mr. Q did him one better with two walks and five appearances on base.
• Despite a rough start to the game, Shaun Marcum still ended up with a quality start, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks over six innings. He did not let the D-Backs score after the 2nd.

The Bad Stuff:

• It was a thrilling win, but it shouldn't have been that way, as the Mets stranded 20 men on base, including at least a dozen in scoring position. In the first two innings alone they left the bases loaded and left runners on second and third, respectively.
• Jordany Valdespin's time in New York continues to run short, as he failed to come through in the clutch after so many successes. 'Spin is now hitting .197 on the year, far to little to justify "Jordany Being Jordany."

Final Analysis:
Now that's how you win a ballgame! They weren't quite as strong as they could have, but all three major factors eventually came together as the Mets pulled one out of the fire. The only thing that could have made it better was doing it off of Heath Bell. But there are three more games, of course...

Josh Satin waited a long time for his chance, and boy is he making the most of it: in 15 games and nine starts, he's hitting .395 with an OPS over 1.000, and at this pace he would hit 50 doubles in a full season. Ike Davis could be tearing it up in Las Vegas, but as far as I'm concerned, first base is Josh Satin's to lose now.

MM

Game #77: Mets 5, Nationals 1

Now THAT is how you hold a lead.

(NYDailyNews.com)

Dillon Gee's six quality innings were backed with plenty of offense and scoreless relief as the Mets bounced back to bounce the Nationals 5-1.

The Good Stuff:

• Dillon Gee rebounded from a rough start last weekend to deliver six innings of one-run, six-hit ball, walking three and striking out four on 85 pitches. In his last six outings, beginning with his dominance of the Yankees, Gee has gone 4-1 with a 2.45 ERA, and his overall numbers have improved to 6-7 with a 4.60 ERA, down from 6.34 before the Subway Series.
• Once Dillon made his exit, the New York bullpen did what they could not do for Matt Harvey last night: put the nail in the National coffin. Carlos Torres turned in two scoreless innings and struck out three, while LaTroy Hawkins got the final three outs to secure the victory.
• Daniel Murphy and Omar Quintanilla combined for five hits and three Met runs.
• Marlon Byrd tacked on his 40th RBI of the season with a single to plate Murph in the bottom of the 6th.
• Josh Satin got on base two more times, going 1-3 with a walk off Washington rookie Taylor Jordan. He would have had another hit and an RBI in 6th but was robbed by a diving Ryan Zimmerman.
• The Mets defense turned three double plays, including a 6-4-3 to procure outs number 26 and 27.

The Bad Stuff:

• New York could have put more runs on the board, but they stranded 10 men on base.

Final Analysis:
There's the positive outcome we were looking for. There's the three components coming together at the same time. And there's a 9th win in 14 games since David Wright's players-only team meeting. Says Wright about the team's recent success? "I just think that I'm a hell of a motivator." That you are, David. That. You. Are.

MM