Frayed Knot

Matz = 30 pitches Fried = 11

So I'll say this for Matz ... he had a better first inning than Lugo.

Diaz's Hit and HR rates are right about where they were in his not quite three seasons w/Seattle. Just two HRs allowed all season. Of course, being a closer, that means we remember them as they both blew games (and that they came vs the Braves and Yanx doesn't help either) although it's not likely that his theoretical replacement wouldn't also be at or higher than two. As mentioned, his walk rate is up this year (and far too high at 5.3/9) at the same time his K-rate has spiked over its already high level [19.2 K/9 this season and 16.4 as a NYM vs 14.2 as a Mariner] This is probably also a good time to point out that Robinson Cano doesn't suck either. Since the 2019 ASG he's been rapping out .302/.349/.543 w/17 HRs in just over 300 PAs in those two broken seasons combined. Now, is all that enough to make you not want to go back in time and negate the trade???? ... Probably not, but an argument could be made. The Mets have Diaz under two more years of control after this one while there are three years left on Cano's deal. And while you certainly don't expect Cano to stay at his current level while he plays at 38, 39 & 40, how would you like to have Nelson Cruz's seasons at those same ages [94 HRs since the start of 2018]? And the Mets were in 'Go For It' mode at the time and certainly could have been playing baseball in October 2019 had a few things broken right -- ironically the biggest of them being a better season from Diaz. It's also still far from certain what Kelenic will/might be and when. Despite coming off an impressive minor league season which got him Top-10 rankings in most winter prospect polls, the sub-.500 Mariners have decided to go with the dynamic duo of Mallex Smith and Tim Lopes manning the corner OF slots while Kelenic sits around (presumably in Tacoma) and twiddles his thumbs. Now, having just turned 21 you can make an argument for not calling him up and it's not like he's against the clock in any way. But 'Can't Miss' prospects can and do miss sometimes or sometimes just wind up mediocre. So, y'know, yaneverknow.

Looked at another way: - this was the worst team for hitting w/RiSP for the entire July-August part of the schedule - then, at least briefly, it was the Best hitting team w/RiSP for September - then came the recent three-game stretch where they went a stunningly putrid 3-for-25 - but when you include the game prior to that three game set plus the one after then it's a five game stretch where they average a not-terrible .250 (13/52) and score 5.4 R/G All those facts are based on small samples (some smaller than others) which are all within a season of small samples all of which makes it tough to draw any conclusions particularly about how much is luck vs some kind of inability.

=G-Fafif post_id=46731 time=1600347482 user_id=55] Suzi Quatro with Chris Norman.

Edgy MD wrote: Mets boning it. A hit off Dom's glove, a throw off Gimenez's glove, a throw off Ramos's glove ... to be continued

McNeil thinks he should be making solid contact with every pitch he sees and gets pissed off whenever he doesn't. So it's kind of tough to tell if and when that anger is also directed outward.

Over the last three games (since the 18-1 white washing of the Jays) the Mets have out-hit their opponents 32-23 but been outscored 14-6 So, yeah, that's 6 runs on 32 hits, plus 7 walks and 2 HBPs. I didn't count opponent errors. Not surprisingly this is due in large part to the 3/25 hitting w/RiSP (.120) ... and only two of those hits actually knocked-in any runs. Then, after you toss in the four GiDPs plus various other baserunning miscues, opposing pitchers were required to retire not 81 NYM hitters to close out those games but somewhere more in the low-to-mid 70s range. iow: more than 35% of NYM batters reached base over this three-game span and that amounted to an average of .222 Runs/Inning, less than half the league average in any given season.

Before this season is over I think it just might be possible that we'll see a game where the Mets get shut out while going oh-for-27 w/RiSP

How weird is it to be thinking: Please don't leave it up to Alonso?

Nimmo's been walkhunting since he came up. He's got a good eye but is selective to a fault. I don't know that his actions are causing umps to ring him up more often so I wouldn't count on a change to Robo-Ump giving him more walks.

So I guess the runner hadn't crossed home yet although we saw nothing and nobody commented on it. It had to be close either way. Philly relievers have now recorded 2-2/3 innings (8 outs) but have retired only 5 hitters.

Stop reading the scouting report Pete: See Ball, Hit Ball

And now the 8th inning is doomed as another leadoff batter reaches. The only question now is whether it will require three batters to end the inning or whether we can GiDP again.

And, once again, the leadoff hit proves to be a deterrent to scoring.

So the Philly pen has given up nearly one run per inning over the course of this season so far ... so let's see how many we can notch off them tonight over 3-2/3 inning. I'm guessing the answer will be negative one, that we'll be so bad over these closing innings that the one run we already had will somehow wind up being erased and the Phils staff winds up with a combined shutout.

Gary: "And the Mets continue to waste opportunities" It's come to the point where I don't even consider runners on base to be opportunities anymore. It's more like we're in a hole in those kind of situations.

85 pitches for Arrieta through five and maybe 50 of those were with runners on. And NOW Cano notches a hit!!!

So they get multiple two out RBI hits while we get multiple runners on multiple times and don't score at all. Sounds about right

So I hear there's a ballgame tonight. A division game even. Those are important ... or so I'm told. Phils are coming off losing five times in their ridonculous and just-concluded Seven Game series against Miami If was enough to see the Marlins pass the Phils and take 2nd place in the NLE Phils sit 2.5 ahead of us and 1.5 behind the Fish Rick Porcello vs Jake Arrieta We didn't hit Arrieta last time. Everyone hit Porcello last time (and the time before that, and the ti ...)

I mean, not the Mets post-season schedule. That one is likely to involve huntin', fishin', and golfin'. But the overall sked for MLB now that the two sides have agreed to 'Bubbles' meaning that most games will be played on neutral sites. Highlights: -- The ALDS & ALCS series will all be played in either Sandy Eggo or LA -- The NLDS & NLCS will be played in either Houston or Arlington TX -- The Best-of-Three Wild Card series AND the Best-of-Five Division Series, AND the Best-of-Seven LCS Series will ALL be played with no off-days* between games. There will be at least one day off between series and sometimes more than one if a prior series ends in fewer than the maximum number of games. -- Only the Best of Three Wild Card series [1 vs 8; 2 vs 7; 3 vs 6; 4 vs 5] will be played in home parks with the higher seeded team hosting all three (or two) games. -- WC series to begin on Sept 29 for the AL, Sept 30 for the NL. This means that there will be Eight games played on September 30th and up to eight on October 1st -- In the AL, the 1-v-8 / 4-v-5 survivors will meet on Petco Park while the the 2-v-7 / 3-v-6 winners will be at Dodger Stadium; games slated for Oct 5 - 9 -- In the NL, the 1-v-8 / 4-v-5 winners will be at new Globe Life (Arlington). The 2-v-7 vs 3-v-6 at Minute Maid in Houston. October 6 - 10 -- ALCS at Petco Park in SD from Sunday October 11 thru Saturday Oct 17 -- NLCS at Globe Life in Arlington starting Monday Oct 12 thru Sunday Oct 18 -- The World Series, which will have its traditional off-days between games 2 & 3 and games 5 & 6, will be in Arlington starting Tuesday Oct 20 thru Wednesday Oct 28 * LOVE IT!!

It's like these game are played while being overseen by a bunch of hall monitors. And seeing as how that was just the first replay challenge of the game, that means there are still like six or seven left. Unless we go extra innings of course at which point I believe the teams get four more each.

Wah Mommy, he got in my way!!!!

Frayed Knot wrote: I'm not so sure that that big inning is going to matter much because we weren't going to get that second run anyway. Told ya!

I'm not so sure that that big inning is going to matter much because we weren't going to get that second run anyway.