Edgy MD

See, if I'm a Yankee fan, I might look at this Wood guy and solace myself by with the notion that my team is going to pay a gajillion dollars to steal him in five years. But that ain't working for me.

Bob Melvin! Ned Yost! Clint Hurdle! Mike Matheny!! Come on! I've got manager Tourette's over here!

It was weird that they couldn't take advantage of the non-competitive end of the game last night to throw Devin Williams an inning to work his stuff out. It's weird how a guy is brought into the fold to lock down close leads late, and your team utterly lacks close leads to lock down, it starts to become an open question whether he exists on your roster at all. He's like Schrödinger's closer.

Weak buttocks is my diagnosis for the 2026 Mets. Weak, weak buttocks.

I just think it's counterproductive for the team. The illusion that one more reliever, one more reliever, one more reliever is the difference maker is such a spectacular waste of energy.

Is it not true that a lot of folks advocate for their team to eat costs? When a contract that is enticing over the short-term but carries a long-term risk is available to be signed or acquired, do not advocates for a more extravagant team call for their management to embrace that risk on the argument that they can eat those contracts if and when they turn bad?

Ummm, ... Chip Hale! Eric Wedge! Manny Acta!! JOHN FARRELL!!!

Howie transitions to a bizarre opera story, which was something.

The radio booth is torturing themselves to stay engaged. Howie keeps calling Jorge Polanco "Placido Polanco." About Placido, he confesses, "I never met him, I never liked him, he never played for the Mets, and I can't get the stooge out of my head."

I don't think they felt a whole lot toward Willie, so much as they made their personal complaint (the Mets made a big move after we all filed our stories!) about Willie (the Mets fired this prince of a man!). Howie confessing that he knows little more about Star Wars than he knows about Princess Bride.

Austin Slater is a real thing!

Mercy rule triggered!

Maybe this is the time to break the seal on Slater. If he gets in this game, maybe he can be the one to call a team meeting.

But either way, he passed on the third way, which would have been bringing in a reliever experienced in relieving, and presumably experienced in entering a game with runners on base. Raley, for instance. Then, one way or another, Manaea can take over at the top of the next inning.

Last inning, Melendez, with two runners on and no out, down 9-1 with a 2-0 count swung at a knuckle curve out of the strike zone. Madness.

No.

All the lefthanded batters reached for the Mets in the bottom of the first. All the righties made out.

Those of you concerned about the Mets launching last night's lineup with MJ Melendez batting fourth can rest easy. Tonight, MJ bats third. WASHINGTON Starting PItcher: Cade Cavalli (RHP) 0-1, 4.01 ERA Lineup: James Wood (L) DH Curtis Mead (R) 1B Brady House (R) 3B CJ Abrams (L) SS Jacob Young (R) CF Daylen Lile (L) LF Joey Wiemer (R) RF Nasim Nuñez (S) 2B Keibert Ruiz (S) C METS Starting PItcher: David Peterson LHP 0-3, 5.06 ERA Lineup: Bo Bichette (R) 3B Juan Soto (L) DH MJ Melendez (L) LF Francisco Alvarez (R) C Brett Baty (L) 1B Tyrone Taylor (R) CF Carson Benge (L) RF Marcus Semien (R) 2B Ronny Mauricio (S) SS

Binghamton had one of the best minor-league seasons in the organization's history last year. Talent concentrates at different levels from year to year.

That is one miserable game description.

The only problem I have with Freeman's position is that he made it public, letting umps and pitchers and catchers know he isn't arming himself with the same tools they have. Batters sort of have a disadvantage here. In order to work up your confidence, you have to program your mind — at least for the moment — with the notion of your indomitability. You are so potent and prepared and locked in that the only thing that could defeat you is the malicious conspiracy or supreme incompetence of others. That's all bullshit, of course, but you kind of go up there believing it anyway. You have to. So when a strike — especially a third strike — comes in on the corner, your first response is going to be "Oh, BULLSHIT!" Now, when you relax your muscles and take a sober second thought, you come to realize that the fault probably lies with you and your judgment, but the rule says that the challenge has to come immediately, before you get to step out and take that breath. And your first instinct is to double-down. Pitchers who feel like they executed their pitch but didn't get the call may have the same problem. This guy didn't give me the strike I earned and its damned personal! But the defense has the advantage of the catcher making the bulk of the challenges. And the catcher can be objective. His team has a stake in the call but there aren't any neurons firing in his head that says his manhood is on the line and the ump is undermining him personally.

Ewing's Syracuse debut couldn't have gone better, with him leading off, going three for four, with a walk, a double, a triple, two runs scored and three RBI in a 10-4 cakewalk over Lehigh Valley. Binghamton, on the other hand, was so sorry to see him go that they got no-hit.

The Mets saw in the possibilities of their opening game against the Nationals the prospect of the serious professional endangerment of their manager. On the other hand, they saw the tantalizing image of third place only three and a half games ahead of them. And for one glorious night, they pummeled their opponents without mercy. They crushed their enemies, saw their foes driven before them, and heard the lamentation of their women. This, amazingly, has left the 2026 Mets undefeated in division play. As unlikely as an entry into contention seems, one advantage they have is that virtually all of the intradivisional schedule lies before them. The other advantage they have as they deploy lefthander David Peterson against Cade Cavalli in Game Two? With Juan Soto nursing a strained forearm and Luis Robert, Jr. hampered by a stiff back? That second advantage is you!

Kimbrel's last two pitches there were 94.7 and 95.7. Maybe he has something left in the tank after all.

Is Taylor in there just for the defense and the work, or did I miss Melendez getting hurt?