The Hot Corner

Definitely gave up quite a bit for a free agent in waiting. Rogers is an upgrade over Butto and has been a durable reliever, but this seems a win now move. I don't mind losing Tidwell and Butto, but Gilbert has been really tearing it up of late. And the Mets need all the help they can get in CF.

Not doing too well at avoiding the broom.

Wow. The Padres are just kicking the Mets collective asses.

Darvish has basically been throwing BP in his 3 previous starts this season. He is making the Mets look like a bunch of overmatched Little Leaguers thus far today.

Walking & hitting the set up guys to load ghe bases for the Machado was just begging to be abused. Machado wasted little time making Holmes pay for his inability to throw strikes.

Mendoza seems determined to keep most of his starters (Manaea, Senga, & to a lesser extent Holmes on a low pitch count) which causes the team to overwork an already short bullpen. He seem more concerned with protecting the starters from overwork at the expense of burning out the bullpen or relying on a revolving door series of AAA relievers to get through games. The starters should be able to go 6 innings (95-100) pitches when they are pitching well. I wonder if this philosophy is mandated from above (i.e. Stearns).

I was in graduate school and living on Chicago's south side (near Comiskey Park) when Ryne Sandberg became the Cubs third baseman. I was a die hard Mets fan, but in the days before internet and cable TV (at least in Chicago) I watched a lot of Cubs games on WGN. This was in the days before lights in Wrigley Field. So my friends (classmates) and I would carry an old 21" colored TV on "rabbit ears" downstairs and set it in the shade of the small back yard. We would sit on lawn chairs in the sun with a cooler of beer and watch the Cubs game. Several of my friends were lifelong Cubs fans, but my Mets fandom made pulling for the Cubs seem wrong.* Ryne Sandberg, however, was easy to pull for. There was something in the way he played the game and carried himself. Though I never really rooted for the Cubs, I always pulled for Sandberg, as long as they weren't playing the Mets. He always seemed like a good guy that maximized his potential and got the most out of his abilities. Thanks for the memories Ryne and rest in peace. *I did adopt the White Sox as my "second team"

Jack Aker had a pretty solid career as a reliever. He pitched for the Mets toward the end of his career, so I'll take a shot with "Uncle Jack".

Whether his ERA+ is 99 or 101, it shows he is basically league average in ERA. He has a high K/9 rate and a high BB/9 rate. He has an established record and is having a pretty solid season, he should definitely help the Mets bullpen.

Soto has a ERA+ of 99 this season and his career ERA+ is 101. He should help as the bullpen definitely needed help, particularly another lefty. If he could cut down on the walks, he could be very good. Unfortunately, he has had a high walk rate (4.7/9) his entire career, so I don't expect that to change.

Diaz didn't fool anyone. He faced 4 hitters and 3 of them hit absolute bullets. Luckily, 2 of them were at corner infielders and the other stayed in the park (barely) due to the tall right field wall. Glad to escape with the victory.

https://s26162.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/books.jpg>

That is the third or fourth ball the Giants have smoked right at a Mets defender.

Stanek coming in to face the 3-4-5 hitters in the 8th. I would be tempted to go with Diaz against the heart of the order, then use Stanek in the 9th against the lower part of the order.

Marte comes through with a lead off double.

An insurance run (ortwo) would be nice. Marte, who has arguably the best at bats of the game for the Mets, will lead off the 8th.

Devers is an adventure at first base. The Giants would be smart to just DH him before he gets hurt out there.

Damn, the Giants are on the ropes, but Taylor is up.

Vientos with a 2 run double as the Mets finally get the big hit they need to knock Ray out of the game.

Marte with a third quality at bat this game. Need Baty to come through here.

Peterson had to work hard, but he escapes the 5th without surrendering any runs. Soto - Alonso - Marte due up for the Mets. Time for the offense to get going.

Edgy MD wrote: The Hot Corner wrote: Vientos strikes out swinging at a a backfoot slider that was 5-6" inside for the first out. Alvarez then grounds into a duble play to end the threat. Still no score. I like how you frequently do play-by-play instead of commentary. It isn't necessary for those following the game in real time, but it is really helpful when reading threads in posterity. Probably because for several years, I seldom could actually see the games, so I lived vicariously through the IGT's. I often wasn't sure what was going on. Now that I watch a significant number of games, it is nice to be able to report on what is going on.

Vientos strikes out swinging at a a backfoot slider that was 5-6" inside for the first out. Alvarez then grounds into a duble play to end the threat. Still no score.

Defensive flub by the Giants now bases loaded no outs.

Marte rips another hard shot, but this one isn't right at a defender. Mets on second and third with no outs.