You Try to Be Nice...

Games 26 through 28 - Mets

Nationals 5, Mets 4
Mets 2, Nationals 0
Nationals 8, Mets 7
Record: 19-9

Right on cue. Glad to see that the hex machine of Misery Loves Company needed no additional oil, no generator jump-start, to get right back at it.

When will I learn that thoroughly touting the success and promise of the New York Mets directly leads to bad play and winnable losses?

Friday was frustrating. Andrew and I were in the airport headed home from a glorious island vacation with our families, and we tuned in on the phone to watch the action. When the Mets notched 4 in the top of the 8th to take the lead (3 of which came on a right-field shortfall dive by the Nats' Dylan Crews that was just so very ill-advised), there was audible rejoicing at Gate D5 in MIA. 

And then... Juan Soto couldn't come up with a catch at the wall (tough but makeable) for a triple. A next-batter single tied it up at 4. Bleh. 

And then... with AJ Minter on to presumably take it to extras for us, a 2-out groundball to newly activated Jeff McNeil was misplayed badly enough that the Nats' C.J. Abrams scored from first. Basically, McNeil slowed the pace of the grounder without stopping it, ensuring the baseball couldn't be reached by anyone in time. You could try to repeat that, but you would not be successful. Ugh.

Saturday was redemptive. A win, with Clay Holmes and the pen shutting down the Natbats and newly activated Francisco Alvarez slugging a two-run dinger that was all that was needed. That's all I have to say about that. 

Yesterday was terrible. This was the nadir (we hope), where the Mets blew a 7-1 lead and a 2-run lead in the 9th. José Buttó was particularly dreadful (and has been shaky all month long), but give Ryne Stanek a blame share for once again starting the 9th inning with a lead and once again leaving with a blown save. Ugly defense was yet again a contributing factor, as Alonso's throw to first that would've sent the game to extras sailed far and wide. Whoops. Game over.

The Mets played down to the competition, which is something good teams have to avoid. The bullpen has been a key part of the Mets' April success, and it was leaky in 2 out of 3. Brazoban has tumbled, Stanek has stumbled. Argh. Adding to the malaise is AJ Minter going on the 15-day IL with a triceps injury. Ruh-roh. 

Rob always theorized that every season, at least for solid teams, there are ~30 games each team is destined to lose, and just the same, there are ~30 games that are shoo-ins that would be really hard to lose. Right out the gate, it's clear what's happening and either just your day or not your day. 

That leaves ~100 games that are in play and it's the little things along the way that ultimately make up a season record. This weekend, the Mets failed at lots of little things; they blew a very strong chance of a win (maybe even one of the 30) and squandered a late rally that should've been a losable win (one of the 100). 

Let's right the ship before we have to travel to the desert for 3-gamer starting tomorrow. I promise not to say anything nice about them until then. 

Mets 25-Game Checkup -- I Want to Be a Part of It

Game 25 - Mets

Mets 3, Phillies 2 (10)
Record: 18-7

Facing the ace of one of the World Series contender teams of baseball. With a chance to sweep the series. For the seventh win in a row.

Andrew and I lazed on the beach yesterday and mulled that we might prepare ourselves for a letdown game with all of that going on. This is what we do, we Mets fans. You know it. You see it. And if you're a fan of the Metropolitans, you do it.

You brace for the worst. The choke. The gack. The inevitable gaffe that lets the game/streak/season get away.

Funny thing, though. It's not currently in the repertoire of this team. We bear the scars of 39 years or however long you've been rooting. They don't.

Pete Alonso does not. Francisco Lindor does not. And yesterday, with 2 outs in the bottom of the 10th, with Alonso having tied it up with a double, Starling Marte definitely showed no signs of being visited by the Ghost of Met Seasons Past. He knocked the ball into shallow center and His Royal Polarity rumbled home and dove into the dish with full glee on display.

7 in a row. Off to the nation's capital next. Keep on truckin'.

------------------------------

My old counterpart round these parts Rob inaugurated the practice of taking the temperature of the teams at intervals of 25 games. MLC 2.0 is happy to resuscitate this worthy practice. 

As I recall, the Mets' checkups of say 2003 or 2004 used to feature rectal thermometers, based on the state of play back then. To wit, my first ever 25-game checkup in '03 bears the subtitle "Awful Early But It's Awful Early."

This one won't be like that.

God, this team is fun. Texted with my Met-lovin' cousins yesterday. "Different" is the word used most. GKR keep talking about the crowds at Citi being markedly different in their exuberance. In all the best ways.

The Good

God bless Pete Alonso. Re-signing him seemed like a feelgood move at the time, a chemistry thing. Hahahahahaha. Nobody in baseball has hit quite like Pete for the first month, to include a timeliness factor with many of his smashes. Yesterday, for example. He's not getting cheap doubles down the line in garbage time. He's coming through as the heart of this club. Pay him, Steve-o.

Lindor shook off early-days rust of both bat and glove with a vengeance over the past couple of weeks. The tandem he and the Polar Bear form is strong. This is the Very Good.

Starting pitching has been as pleasant a surprise as any aspect of the 2025 Mets through 25 games. My word, have they been consistent. Nobody's going long into games -- as is prescribed. They are simply allowing 1 or 2 runs through 5 (or 0, especially in Kodai Senga's case) and keeping the pen from needing to bail them out and deplete resources. Hail to the rotation, even as they are missing two key arms.

Carlos Mendoza is masterfully managing this club. His patience seems to pay off in the long play time and again. If many of MLB's managers are playing checkers and the best are playing chess, Mendy is playing Stratego. Or maybe Risk, taking over the division with eyes on the league and all of baseball.

The Bad

Nah, not going here. I know, I've bitched about the April scuffles of Mets like Vientos, Baty, Winker, Taylor, Nimmo, and Marte. I even whined mightily about Marte ("rusty gate") yesterday afternoon right before won the game for the Mets. Each of the aforementioned guys has come through in some form or fashion over the last fortnight. 

Oh... Edwin Diaz left yesterday's game with a hip injury, and he's looked fallible. But he's also displayed some of what led to his long-term bankbuster deal. And the team says his hip is okay. So there's that.

Baseball is a long, six-month slog, and there's plenty of time for me to whine and grine about the Mets. It's what I do best. But for now, I'll stand down, Margaret. Whatever's Bad is in the trunk while the Good is cruising down the road.

The Ugly

18-7. So pretty. The end of the salad days may be nigh, but you'd never know it from me.

I'm even . . .

maybe? . . . 

starting . . . just a little . . . 

to believe . . . 

and be optimistic?

Eh. 39 years of losing in all the worst ways leaves a mark. Not quite to rose-colored glasses yet. But damn, dudes and dudettes. Let's see what 50 games in looks like!

LFGM

Like a Steam Locomotive Rollin' Down the Track

Game 24 - Mets

Mets 5, Phillies 1
Record: 17-7

Second-to-last day of vacay before returning to normal life. Sigh. Today we're headed to Sapphire Blue Hole in Eleuthera, a natural phenomenon explained here:

As such, just a quick rundown of last night.

Burgers and Bahama Mamas at Budda's [sic] Bar about 75 yards from the house, then rum and tonics as we watched the game from the house.

Oh, right, the game. Griffin Canning gave up 1 through 5, and the pen starved out the Phils batters the rest of the way. Many, this is a refrain I could get used to.

Meanwhile, the Lindor and Alonso Show continued its barrage, with 5 hits between them in some key spots. Couldn't be more fun to root for these two guys.

And Luis Torrens -- who, despite my fanfare for his early production, had been slumping at Citi lately -- came through with a 2-out, 2-run single that gave the Mets the breathing room they desperately needed after the drama of the night prior. He was fired up, and so were we.

Of note was that they intentionally walked Jesse Winker with first base open to load the bases for Torrens. This is when the missus chimes in, "That's not cool. You show them, buddy." Et Voilà.

Also fun was watching Kyle Schwarber inexplicably run halfway to second on a routine can of corn to Tyrone Taylor in CF. Taylor hurled a laser to Pete to double up Schwarber. Not heady by the other guys. Super fun for our guys. Momentum killer.

Bottom of the order still a bit lost in the batter's box, but new edition José Azócar was able to execute in the 9-spot with a pair of hits. He played for Nimmo, but if he works out (I know, I know, too soon to tell, just cool it now, Whit), he could supplant Marte as the righty bat at DH.

Former Met Zack Wheeler takes the hill against our lads this afternoon. Hoping to catch some of it after the Blue Hole. In the meantime, let's all of us in the Township just sit back for one more second and meditate on the joy we get when these likable guys play likable baseball with lovable results.

"Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile."

LFGM

Cue the Longfellow

Game 23 - Mets

Mets 5, Phillies 4
Record: 16-7

Phew is right. 

The glass-half-full story of this game was Frankie Lindor. His two homers bookended a Winky Dinky Dog swat and provided 4 of the 5 Met runs. Huzzah, Francisco!

And that five-run lead seemed plenty to go on into the 9th. Carlos Mendoza sent Max Kranick back out to take the mound for his third inning. With the keen benefit of hindsight, Max seemed like a 2-inning guy last night. The 7th was flawless, the 8th nearly so, and the 9th was an oil spill. Double-single-single.

Enter Edwin Diaz. And Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

There was a Met reliever,

            Who was a fastball heaver,

The heat of which was torrid.

            When he was good,

            He was very good indeed,

But when he was bad he was horrid.

Diaz induced an easy flyout. Later on in the inning, he would close the game out by throwing the speedball by Trea Turner and Bryce Harper -- no slouches at all -- and making them look lost. 

Ah, but the in-between, therein lies the rub.

Bryson Stott, he of the 94 career OPS+, he of the one home run on the season coming into tonight and it was hit on March 29, he of the good glove, so-so bat... yeah, that guy. He thumped one 400 feet and out to right-center to make a 5-1 game 5-4. Indigestion ensued.

As noted, Diaz nailed it down, and I suppose that's what counts, after all. But man . . . what do we do with a problem like Edwin?

Eh. He's striking out 2 guys per inning. He's given up a couple of taters, that hurts. He had a stretch where he was walking 1 or 2 guys each outing, but he's calmed down there. He's finishing the job most every time. 

Leave him be. He's our guy. Eph the Phils. 

Also... huzzah, Francisco!

LFGM.

The Salad Days, As They Say

Games 21 and 22 - Mets

Mets 3, Cardinals 0
Mets 7, Cardinals 4
Record: 15-7

Sweeping the Cardinals in a 4-gamer any time during the season is impressive. Doing so via outstanding pitching when St. Louis came into town surging offensively is even more so. It just gives us denizens of Mets Township lots of reason to believe

Saturday, our troop of eight vacationers traveled to nearby Harbour Island for the day. It’s where the other half hangs, where Taylor Swift rents and Oprah owns. And we pop by for a quick visit. The island is 8 miles away from where we are on Spanish Wells, and here’s a quick rundown of how we traveled to get there:

• Golf cart
• Ferry
• Taxi
• Ferry
• Golf cart

That alone takes some doing and a chunk of cash to manage, and then you get to the super pricey island. It’s no accident that we stayed for just a handful of hours. We ran up a goodly bill at the Coral Sands resort with some good grub and a few piña coladas while overlooking waves of clear blue crashing down on pink sand. Naturally, amid all this beauty, Andrew and I also stared at a smartphone while the Mets shut out the Cardinals.

Senga is sharp, with 19 scoreless innings in a row under his belt. Bullpen’s airtight. And Pete continues to mash. A superb outing.

Yesterday we took a much shorter trip to the adjacent Russell Island, which coincidentally features a tiny but fun beach. (Hi, Rob!) The Sandbar and Grill hit the spot, with some painkillers and Sands Light beer washing down tuna poke and conch tacos. We left there mid-Mets-game to return to Spanish Wells and hit the beach. When Ryne Stanek closed the door on a 7-4 win yesterday afternoon, all was right in my world.

This week is inevitably coming off like a boastful, look-at-me series of posts, but as I reread some of the MLC historical scribblings as I embarked on 2.0, I really enjoyed the reminiscence of activities and aspects of my life from days long gone by. As such, incorporating travelogue into a drivel blog about the New York Mets (and the Boston Red Sox, ostensibly) is an appropriate part of the deal.

Brandon Nimmo made the defensive play of the game yesterday by robbing a home run from Jordan Walker, though Lindor flashed some serious leather on a 6–4 putout that put a damper on a burgeoning inning for the Cardinals. Frankie also mimicked his gorgeous game-winner from Friday night, leading off the bottom of the first by sending one upper deck. Add in Soto with a 3-RBI day, and these engines are starting to rev. The bottom of the lineup has started playing a lot less like the rear end of the lineup, just as Alvarez and McNeil are scheduled to return in the next week or so.

Being careful not to get too far ahead of ourselves in any way, it’s fair and reasonable to call these the salad days. I don’t preminisce that they will last forever, or even all that long, but it’s prudent to savor them while they exist.

Let’s go Mets!

Spring Like Fall

Game 20 - Mets

Mets 5, Cardinals 4
Record: 13-7

Last night felt a whole lot like last fall. In all the best ways.

Cards go up a deuce on a mostly effective (mostly) David Peterson. Okay. Bottom 5, Baty doubles (!), Taylor triples (!), and Lindor singles. All square.

Oh.

Cards tack one on top 6. All right. Vientos (!) leads off bottom 6 with a blast to left. All square.

My.

That holds for a while, then in the bottom of the eighth, Vientos singled to lead off. Acuña pinch-ran for him and stole second. Here we go. Man on second, no out.

Then this happened. 

Nimmo grounds one to Nolan Arenado, whose work with the leather this series -- and always -- is just something to sit back and admire. It's a futile and unfun activity to hit it his way at any speed and location and hope for something to go Metward.

Acuña breaks for third. Gutsy, unwise. But he gets by Arenado and is there!

And then he overslides the base. Whoops. Challenge fails, as Acuña was out. Sigh... Man on first, one out.

But then last-year-Met Phil Maton throws it awry on a pickoff chuck, and we're back in scoring position. 

Up struts Luis Torrens, and yep, that dude should be strutting these days. He's gotten a fair bit of MLC hype in this young season, and everyone in Queens is thrilled that Alvarez is inching closer, but Luis... keep on truckin'. 

Torrens doubles to left, Nimmo scores.

What'd I tell you??

God!!!!

Speaking of OMG, we watched Iglesias play for San Diego a little last night. Glad he's getting some time there, and that he landed in a good spot. Ruthlessly shrewd David Stearns didn't see the wisdom of bringing him back, and we miss the jocularity and clutch hitting. But hey... have faith.

Worth discussing further, and I'm sure we will: on to pitch the 9th with a 1-run lead, here comes Huascar Brazoban. Whither Edwin Diaz, we all wondered. Hmmm. 

Well, Brazoban has been dominant thus far, and Diaz has been... submissive? Let's do this.

2 pitches in, Brendan Donovan mashes a ball over the right-field wall. Son of a. Well, that'll keep the Metfowl clucking for a while. Crap.

He mows down the next three batters on strikes, which helps ease that sting. But that's a heavyweight gut punch.

* * * * *

After a dinner on the eastern tip of the island of Spanish Wells, our gang retreated to the house for some cards and some Cards v Mets. Andrew, my stepson Luke, and I huddle around the laptop (authentic island life has no television, mon) as of the third inning, so we were locked in when this went down. Two of the three of us grabbed another Sands Light beer and hunkered down again for what could be a long night of Metball.

Luke notes, well, at least the top of the order is coming up. Ah, the naiveté of youth. 

Andrew throws out, Lindor ends it here.

I submit to the couch full of glass-half-full, predict that Pete hits one out.

Ball 1 to Lindor.
Strike 1 looking, right down the pike.
Cutter, 91 mph, inside part of the plate.
Lindor destroys the ball into the upper deck of right field. 

We've got sunshine on a cloudy day. Moonshine on a cloudy night, whatever. Flashback to October. Bedlam. Good night.

LFGM

Upward Mo

Game 19 - Mets

Mets 4, Cardinals 1
Record: 12-7

Momentum is the next day's starting pitcher. Amen to that. Downward trajectories are included in that age-old axiom. And let's raise a rum punch to the Mets' starting pitching thus far.

A lot of the fun of this chronicle (and rereading the old posts from 15 years ago) is the where-we-watched-the-game component. Well, I'm blessed to say that I watched this on the back porch of a house on Spanish Wells, a tiny island in the Bahamas. With my Met-loving friend Andrew. While sipping cocktails. That we watched it on a phone would be the only downside, but come on, there's really no complaining. 

The Metsies put up a 4-spot in the 2nd on a variety of good turns. Mark Vientos leading off the inning with a homer that hit the right field foul pole at its base was more than welcomed. Vientos should hit, he just hasn't yet. A double ripped to the gap a couple of days ago was promising, and while this tater wasn't a tape measure shot, we will damn well take it.

Other quiet bats made some noise in the same frame. Starling Marte knocked a double, and two batters later Brett Baty brought him home with a single. Tyrone Taylor then singled, and that set the stage for a little excitement.

Before we get to that, let's recall that I wrote this on Wednesday:

The Have Nots: 

Baty. Marte. Vientos. Taylor. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. 

Inning #2 last night was a clean sweep. Well played, boys.

Anyway, next up with a couple of ducks on the pond was Lindor. He roped a single to right that was bobbled for a second by Cards RF Jordan Walker. Baty scored easily, and Taylor reached third as the throw came in to 1B Willson Contreras on the infield grass. Lindor, meanwhile took a big turn at first and started heading for second on the throw. Hung up. Drat.

Wait a minute, Mets fans. As GKR would later dissect, Contreras played it fairly erroneously, keeping his back to Taylor at third and running at Lindor. Lindor's quickness kept him alive long enough for Taylor to dart home with the 4th run. Deft.

Griffin Canning and an airtight pen was the rest of the story. By far Canning's best outing (and coming after a missed start due to illness), his 6 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 8 K line is very promising, and as Andrew and I discussed while the sun dripped down over the ocean, you have to tip your cap to David Stearns. What would appear to be a makeshift rotation, especially as a couple of arms heal, has done what he expected and many doubted. 

Mr. Stearns, today I'll throw back a Bahama Mama just for you. 

(The drink.)

LFGM

[insert mild expletive here]

Game 18 - Mets

Twins 4, Mets 3 (10)
Record: 11-7

"Crud," as Marls says. 

Dropping 2 of 3 to the lowly Twins? Ugh.

Soto was was dreck today, 0-5 with 3 K's and a GIDP. Yipes.

The Mets were 3-12 with runners in scoring position. Oof.

The Bullpen Special did just fine, actually. Reed Garrett let everyone off the hook by ending the game in 3 pitches, but still... all in all not terrible. Okay.

Winky Dink had another strong day at the plate, but the lasting image is him getting waved home from second in the 2nd inning with nobody out on a Nimmo single. Gunned. Bleh.

Did I mention Soto's GIDP was with the bases loaded and 1 out?  $#@%.

Meet me in (Queens to play) St. Louis, where the Cards may have their way with this flawed sort of baseball team. Sigh.

I supposed I'd still take 11-7 much of the time. Fight through this, Metmen. 

Winnable Losses

Game 17 - Mets

Twins 6, Mets 3
Record: 11-6

"Winnable wins" doesn't find many returns when you search the annals of MLC. "Winnable losses"? Oh, yeah.

The offense is still a case of the haves and have-nots in MetLand. 

The Haves

Pete crushed another one and doubled. That only accounted for 1 run and 1 RBI thanks to his mates. Soto added a solo shot, his second homer in as many nights. Luis Torrens doubled -- oh, and gunned another would-be base stealer.  Sort of. I mean, the replay crew went for it, so it counts. Torrential. 

The Have Nots

Baty. Marte. Vientos. Taylor. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. 

Oh, and Lindor. He came up in multiple key spots, including as the tying run in the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs. 1-for-5 with 2 K's. He now has an OPS+ of 83. Slow start, yeah yeah yeah.

And a(nother) crucial error that cost the Mets a pair of runs early. The Twins are a weak team, step on them early and suck the hope out of them. (It's no Conan mantra, I realize.) Instead, between McGill's imperfect (though not disastrous) outing and what we call What Francisco Did, the Twins came alive, knocked out 13 hits, and pitched well enough to stifle the Metbats into submission.

Of note: Winker, Soto, and Lindor each had belt-high fastballs dead center and dead in their sights that they couldn't launch... the way that Brooks Lee launched a bomb off Max Kranick when he did the same. Come on, lads. Make 'em pay.

Rubber match this afternoon. Huascar Brazoban pressed into starter duty with Griffin Canning having called in sick. 

He's been great thus far. But... well... okay... LFGM

Winnable Wins

Game 16 - Mets

Mets 5, Twins 1
Record: 11-5

A dreary night in Minneapolis, with light, misty rain and a chill about 45°. Bleh.

I, of course, was nestled on the couch with a Greek salad with shrimp from Orapax. Dry and 69°. Great stuff. (Just some ice water, mind you, as I'm detoxing before heading to vacation on Thursday.)

Got to watch the pregame, game, and postgame with the SNY crew and Gary and Keith. A lovely little Monday night. 

The Skinny:

Clay Holmes. When he was good he was very, very good. 2 hits, 0 walks, 0 runs, 8 K's through 4. Really sharp. 

And then that kryptonite 5th inning did it again, With the Mets up 1-0 after an Alonso RBI, Holmes did this:

• Walk
• HBP
• Wild pitch
• Walk

♫ Good times, for a change... ♫

He tightened the ship, even as a lifeboat was being inflated. A sac fly, a fielder's choice grounder to Vientos at 3B, and his third straight fan of Twins CF Byron Buxton ended the inning.

The Mets added a pair in the top of the next frame. A welcomed, overdue Vientos-drilled double to the gap plated Pete, and then with two outs, the Twins reliever threw wet ball somewhere east of first. We will take that freebie, sir. 

The next Twins bullpenner offered the highest form of flattery in the 7th, taking an Acuña bunt and hurling it dirtward for another gaffe. Gary commented that this has been an uncannily chronic problem for the Twins in the early going. More E-1's at Target Field than over at Great Lakes Recruit Training Command!

Soto, who was (as Marls commented) clad in something foreskinnish...

...then took one deep enough to right-center that the game felt in hand. A deep exhale, since Soto had looked "off" (Gary and Keith term for him) for a little while now. 

The bullpen left no doubt. Huascar "Cup Series" Brazoban, Reed Garrett, and Ryne Stanek shut it down. 

The Twins (5-12) have challenges. These are wins you have to win if you want to be on the winning side with the winners at the end of the . . . summer. 

LFGM

Torrential!

Games 13 through 15 - Mets

Mets 7, Athletics 6
Athletics 2, Mets 1
Mets 8, Athletics 0
Record: 10-5

Four series wins in a row -- now we're talking, Mets fans. Why are the Mets doing well in the early going?

• Starting pitching has been mostly solid to outstanding. 

We need Clay Holmes to get a little stronger every time out and Griffin Canning to hold the fort down a little longer, but they haven't been dreadful. Senga, McGill, and Petersopn, on the other hand... keep doing what you're doing, gents. 

Lowest ERA in the bigs, the Mets have. Getting Manaea and Montas back... someday. Perhaps someday soon. Would love to have some luxuries therein when they return.

• Luis Torrens has more than shouldered to load in Francisco Alvarez's stint on the IL. 

Hitting well above (justified) expectations, his work with the staff, and his plays at the plate... why thank you, Luis. Alvarez will be back before long, and if Torrens can keep it up, he makes for a nice backstop... backstop.

• Pete Alonso.

Great start, Pete. Stay hot, good sir.

What worries Marls & me?

• Keeping it brief with the team playing well: Team slash of .215/302/.366... not very good. 
• Edwin Diaz and his 7.94 ERA.
• -0.5 team dWAR.

Adobe on the hill tonight in Minnesota. 

Yeah. It ain't exactly Nuke LaLoosh I coined. 

Homestand Happy

Games 8 through 12 - Mets

Mets 3, Blue Jays 2
Mets 2, Blue Jays 1
Mets 2, Marlins 0
Mets 10, Marlins 5
Marlins 5, Mets 0
Record: 8-4

What a nice little run the Mets had. Starting with the Home Opener attended by Marls & Fam, the Mets seemed to have everything clicking. Mostly Pete Alonso, but plenty of other parts were well-oiled and grooving along. Until today… but as Ron Guidry said in the Uncivil War doc as they discussed Big Stein harassing the team in '78 (with his killer Loozeeana drawl)… Man, nobody wins dem all!

8-4, keeping pace with the Phils atop the NL East after a fortnight of play. I'll take it.

It's been interesting (purely gratifying) to see how the Polar Bear did out of the gates after his offseason of angst. Lightning hot. 13-for-39 with 5 doubles and three homers, with plenty of excitement and game-winningness. He peripherally made the news this week because Vladimir Guerrero Jr. received a contract extension of 14 years, $500 million. All signs accordingly point up for Pete Alonso after this year, with a predicted opt-out of his '26 with the Mets. Hell, just keep playing great ball, Pete, and here's hoping you get what you're worth from the New York Metropolitans.

The staff has posted a 2.10 ERA through a dozen games. These are the guys I fretted about when I tried to measure the Mets in mid-March. Hmmm. Doubting Stearns and Co. hasn't proven that prudent so far, but it was more the injured arms that I found concerning. Meanwhile, the lesson, as always, is that I am an idiot.

It's early. Very early. Too early. But this is a good start thus far. 

Yes, Brett Baty and Mark Vientos have combined for nearly a -1 WAR through just 12 games. Yes, the Mets' OPS to date is .642. But it's still a chilly time of year, and many bats around the league haven't warmed yet. Like the ones Met pitchers have been throwing stuff by.

Now the team heads west, out to the storied Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, CA. Yep. The A's play in the home park of the AAA Sacramento River Cats. Capacity: 10,624. Alrighty then. Remember that saga of the Expos Before They Were Nets when they spent time playing in Puerto Rico? That held 18,000. Oh, well. This is the cat-filled river Athletics management must cross before they land in Vegas. 

Keep this train a-rollin', Metsies.

Back at The Ol’ Ball Yard By The Bay

Game 7 - Mets Home Opener 

Mets 5 - Blue Jays 0

Record 4-3

The personal odometer ticked past 50 earlier this year and in celebration of that my better half gifted me with tickets to the Mets home opener for the whole family.  She is clearly a keeper.

Living in DC, I don’t make it to as many games in Queens as I had in the past. 2008 was the high water mark where my ex wife (henceforth to be called Voldemort in this space) and I had season tickets. I made it to at least part of 61 games at Shea that year. The current, and much improved, Mrs. Marls and I try to make a few Met games a year and take our daughter to at least one game. However, this was our little one’s first time to a Met home game.

 At six years old, Claire’s fandom is really just beginning. She has been going to games since she was a baby but it was not until last season’s playoff run that she really started watching games with dad and rooting for the Mets.  Yesterday was her first game as a “fan” and it was fun just being along for the ride.

We took the Long Island Rail Road to the game from my hometown (staying with grandma). Even on the suburban platform there was opening day buzz.  Claire was excited to see so many people in Mets gear giving EVERY one a “let’s go Mets” as she walked by. In related news, Uncle Steve may be close to paying off Soto’s first year salary via merchandise - the number of 22 shirts and jerseys was staggering.

Arriving at the ballpark, we paid our respects to the original Home Run Apple and made our way through the carnival like atmosphere outside the stadium. 

Beers, chicken fingers, and lemonade secured we landed in our seats in time for the pregame festivities.  In true NY fashion, every member of the Blue Jays, including assistant coaches and training staff were booed, except for Vladdy Jr. who got a rousing ovation in a clear effort to woo the pending free agent.  

Along with higher payroll, Cohen’s ownership has brought a clear improvement to game day operations. The production value and quality of ALMOST* everything they do is an improvement over the old regime. Team intros, anthem, and first pitch by Al Leiter, John Franco, & Bartolo Colon were no exception.

With that, the game got underway. After a leadoff double in the first by Claire’s favorite, Frankie Lindor, the stadium was rocking for Soto’s first Met at bat at home. Juan popped up but Pete kept up his hot hitting with a wind aided blast to right. 2-0 good guys.  

Tylor Megill was sharp for 5 and a third with a little help from Reed Garrett after back to back walks in the 6th. In the bottom of the 6th, the Metsies stretched the lead to 4-0 courtesy of a walk to Lindor, doubles by Soto and Nimmo.  Marte made it a partay with sac fly to make it 5-0.  The crowd was in a festive mood and Claire joined into numerous rounds of “let’s go Mets” and “Pete A-lon-zo” 👏 👏  👏 👏 👏.   When Lindor caught a pop up off the bat of Will Wagner (son of the former Met closer, Billy), she asked if we could come back tomorrow.  Happy dad achievement, unlocked.

It was a tight 2:38 minute affair with the Mets winning 5-0 on a day where we celebrated my 50th trip around the sun.  The company and result were perfect.

*The Mets have introduced a mascot race this year with 5 costumed characters representing each of the five boroughs. Queens is represented by a subway car, Brooklyn by a slice of pizza, the Bronx by a slovenly giraffe (think Toys R Us Geoffrey in a marinara stained wife beater), Manhattan by a skyscraper, and Staten Island by a tug boat looking thing that is supposed to be a ferry.  Queens unsurprisingly won the inaugural race after a boastful Bronx fell just before the finish line.  In both concept and execution the whole thing is terrible and screams “Wilpon Mets”. I doubt this lasts more than a season. 

Miami Nice

Game 6 - Mets

Mets 6, Marlins 5 (11 innings)
Record: 3-3

As Marls texted at 8:10 last night, "Never in doubt."

High drama in Miami last night, the back-and-forth exciting saga of a Vice episode from 1986. As we mentioned here 15-20 years ago, Rob and I spent the summer of 1990 taking summer classes in Williamsburg, makin' it great and delivering pizzas, drinking copious amounts of cheap beer, playing entire seasons of Strat-o-matic, and watching the full run of Miami Vice episodes on the USA network. Those were not dog days, they were salad days.

Last night was that kind of fun. I watched a few innings, had a few beers, went and played some music with a makeshift dad band in town, and came back home to watch the recap of the festive conclusion. 

Clay Holmes -- I'm still workshopping his nickname "Adobe" to little fanfare -- pitched another iffy outing. Twice now he's had trouble finishing the fifth. Perhaps I can be a mentor to him. Speaking of which, the second reliever of the game, A.J. Minter, appeared as though he'd been nipping off a flask in the pen, as he tumbled off the mound for a balk. Sober up, A.J. And give up fewer runs.

So the Mets were down 3 and looking meager against the Marlins. The eighth inning rolled around, and with 2 out and 2 on and 2 balls and 2 strikes, erstwhile Gator athlete Pete "Sonny" Alonso tattooed one into the vegetation beyond the center field wall. 4-4. 

It didn't take very long to revel in the joy that the Polar Bear is still on our team when there were lots of avenues that would have taken him elsewhere. Hell yes.

More drama ensued in the bottom of that frame when an infielded-in (not a term) Brett Baty fired home on a grounder towards second. The throw went to the dark side of the plate as the speedy Xavier Edwards dove in safely. But then the band we were in started playing different tunes! Fortunately, we now have replay. After further review, Luis Torrens made one of the most skillful lean, turn, and tags I've seen in a very long time. 

Kudos to this kick-ass catcher who's been gunning runners and even putting bat to ball. That's condescending, but this is Alvarez's backup pressed into starting duty, and I'm just still stung from Tomás Nido and Omar Narváez.

In extras, Jesse Winker, whose bat-shouldering Marls and I cursed innings before as he was punched out with RISP, took a bases loaded walk to move the Metmen ahead. One Edwards error later, Mets are up 2. Yes!

Enter Danny Boy Young, who, like Mersh, needs to lay off the pipe. He handed the ball to Huascar Brazoban, however, and the door was shut. 6-5. 

Never in doubt. LFGM.

Templeton (and) the Rat

Game 5 - Mets

Marlins 4, Mets 2 
Record: 2-3

Lots to look sideways at on this one, from a pair of rare hands-like-feet moments from Francisco Lindor, to Senga opening his first with the 1-2 punch of 2B-HR, to Polar Pete staying chilly at the plate (.176/.333/.353).

Mostly I'm looking at you, Mark Vientos. 

The young third baseman for the Metmen has been toiling at the dish in the early going (2-for-19 thus far with a .401 OPS), but it was a particular play that rubbed us (us = Keith Hernandez and me, natch) the wrong way. 

With 1 out, top 4, tied at 2, a decently hit grounder to third off Vientos' bat was bobbled and dropped by Graham Pauley. Mark Vientos wouldn't know it until it was too late, because he put his head down and trotted down to first. Out by a half-step. 

Larry?

Lollygagger.

Keith mused that ol' Whitey Herzog would've had a word with Mr. Vientos at some point; a real sore spot with the White Rat. Which made me think, unfairly, of "The Garry Templeton Incident" when Cardinals manager Herzog dragged Templeton into the dugout after a profane flurry aimed at the angry fans, something precipitated at its roots innings prior by the soon-to-be-in-San-Diego shortstop not running out a dropped strikeout.

I remember that story vividly from childhood. A real cautionary tale for a hotheaded kid like... someone else, not me. I was docile. But real the full scoop here, well chronicled here by a St. Louis scribe thrilled with the end result (The Wizard), who says it best here:

Smith, of course, went on to enjoy a Hall of Fame career in St. Louis, where he helped lead the Cardinals to the 1982 World Series championship and National League pennants in 1985 and 1987. He won 11 of his 13 career Gold Gloves and made 14 of his 15 all-star game appearances while wearing the birds on the bat.

Anyway, this is not that. But man, let's see some crazy sprint Mike Piazza in those trips down to first, even the futile ones. 

2-3. Take the rubber match tonight, gents.

Segues

Game 4 - Mets

Mets 10, Marlins 4
Record: 2-2

I always enjoyed the component of the original Misery Loves Company days wherein the last line or two of the prior post is a perfectly correct or incorrect segue to the next. It most frequently resulted in our mantra -- something akin to:

The lesson, as always, is that I am an idiot.

Ah, yes. In our 1,000th post (a solid starter kit for any MLC newbie), we reprinted 11 instances of that refrain, but I'm certain there were many more. Because we were.

Well, as the Metsies entered into this series, I cautioned against relaxing too much in the later innings against the sparky Miami Marlins, they of the standard 7-inning siesta followed by furious fireworks. 

To wit, Met lefty Danny Young walked a man with 2 outs in the 9th, then gave up three consecutive singles before getting Miami CF Derek Hill to chase the would-be Ball 4 and end the game. I was right! These guys were mostly dead fish for 8 innings and then began to rally.

What I didn't foresee, of course, was the Metslaught before then. 10 runs on 11 hits -- including 3 doubles and four homers. The only Met starters not to hit an XBH were Luisangel Acuña and Juan Soto. Yes, I mentioned that the Marlins were slated for languish, but I didn't express much optimism for the Mets contributing to it. Positivity eras take time.

Pete hit a Grand Slam, and Marte and Nimmo added legit dingers. Luis Torrens got himself a bit of a Miami souvenir when Derek Hill gloved his flyball over the centerfield wall. It wasn't Hill's favorite night. And that HR counts all the same.

Fun Facts: the Mets torched Cal Quantrill, son of former Sock Paul. The Marlins lineup (eventually) also featured the son of original Marlin Jeff Conine (Griffin). Both of those dads played on the 2005 Marlins. Neat!

What's Paul Quantrill known for 'round these parts, though? Well, he came up with the Sox in '92. Yeah, yeah... oh, wait...

In the wee hours of Monday morning, October 18, 2004, he served one up that David Ortiz smashed over the right field wall at Fenway to end Game 4 and ensure a Game 5 in the ALCS. 

Ah yes, that's the one.

Stay hot, Metbats. Win the ones you're supposed to win, Play on.