Luis Rojas confident despite Mets' recent fielding issues: 'I don’t think we’re in a defensive slump'

Defensively, the Mets got off to a rocky start in Saturday’s 7-1 loss to the Washington Nationals.

Josh Harrison, the Nats’ first hitter of the game, lined a single to right field, and as Michael Conforto charged in on it, the ball skipped off the outfield grass right by Conforto, allowing Harrison to get to third base. He would easily score on a sac fly by Yadiel Hernandez, and just like that, after just four pitches from Marcus Stroman, the Mets already found themselves in a hole.

And while that play was the only error charged to the Mets on Saturday, there were a few other plays that could have been made but weren’t. In the second inning, Conforto had a chance to nab Starlin Castro at the plate on a single by pitcher Joe Ross, but his throw was a two-hopper that allowed the Nats’ second run to score.

“First play, I think I got a little aggressive going to try to maybe catch it,” Conforto explained afterwards. “He really got inside it and it was kind of tailing away from me. Had I stayed back on it a little bit I probably keep that ball in front of me, but I just got a little too close to it.

“The throw, it’s just a bad throw. That’s all it is. I’m playing short there against the pitcher and I’ve got to be able to throw that guy out there. That was frustrating.”

In the third, Dom Smith attempted to make a sliding catch in left, but the ball deflected off his glove and in for a base hit.

It was a rough outing overall for Stroman, who allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits in 4.0 innings of work. But the Mets’ pitcher placed no blame on the defense behind him, instead focusing on his own performance on the mound.

“I’m someone who I trust my defense always. I love my defense,” Stroman said. “I’m a pitcher who wants the ball to be put into play weakly, so I have a lot of trust in my defense to make every play. Conforto’s made unbelievable plays for me since I’ve been here, I know he’s going to continue to make unbelievable plays for me in my next start and the start after that, so I’m not even slightly worried about him misplaying a ball in the first inning.

“I have to be better in the game, that’s what it comes down to. I have to make pitches and I have to limit the runs, and I wasn’t able to do that today. I fell behind in counts, I got into some counts where I had to take more plate and they did a good job of putting the ball in play and finding holes.”

Sunday’s game comes on the heels of a very sloppy defensive series for the Mets in Chicago, when they committed six errors in three games against he Cubs and had other defensive plays that could have been made.

Still, manager Luis Rojas has confidence that the Mets’ defense can turn things around.

“I don’t think we’re in a defensive slump,” Rojas said. “Yesterday we played a pretty good game defensively. I think overall today we were on our toes to make the plays as well. Dom almost made a play there and the ball just popped off his glove. That first play, I thought Conforto had a chance of coming in and getting the ball, he felt it, and when he hit the brakes he thought he was going to get a friendlier hop and the ball skipped by him.

“But I don’t think we’re in a defensive slump. I think the guys are feeling pretty good about how prepared they are to play defense behind the pitchers, especially with a guy like [Stroman] pitching. Every start that he’s had, I think he’s had really good defense behind him. Today there was just a play that started the game and they got an early run, but I think we’re ready to look forward past that.”

Added Conforto: “I think we know that’s not our identity as a team. We’re solid all around. The conversation has just been to go out there and be us, not put too much pressure on ourselves. We’re playing a lot of games this year, we’re playing a full season. There may be some bumps along the way, but 9the conversation is) to keep our heads up, make sure we keep picking each other up, make sure we’re all pulling the same direction, so I don’t think anyone’s getting down on anybody.

"Obviously, guys will be frustrated when they don’t play up to their standards, but there’s no panic. It’s still very early and we haven’t quite hit our stride yet.”