Dominic Smith and Amed Rosario combined to hand the Giants the winning run on a botched pop fly in the 13th inning as the Mets lost the opener, 2-1, on Monday night at Citi Field.
For a full box score of the game, click here.
Things you should know about tonight's game...
1) Bashlor (0-2) should have worked himself out of a first-and-third, no-out jam in the 13th. But Brandon Crawford's pop-up bounced into and out of Rosario's glove as Smith collided with him in shallow left field. It was New York's third error of the game.
2) Wheeler pitched seven brilliant innings, allowing one run on five hits and a walk with a season-high 10 strikeouts. He extricated himself from a second-and-third, no-out jam in the fifth by striking out the next three batters to preserve a 1-0 lead. He nearly did the same thing in the seventh after allowing a walk and a single to begin the inning, but Alen Hanson's two-out bloop double scored Crawford with the tying run. It was Wheeler's first double-digit strikeout performance since Aug. 15, 2014 and the fourth of his career.
3) Wilmer Flores doubled and singled to record the only multi-hit game by a Met. His first-inning double drove in Rosario with New York's only run. The Mets had a chance in the seventh after consecutive singles by pinch-hitters Jeff McNeil and Michael Conforto, but Rosario grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.
4) Robert Gsellman, Jerry Blevins, Daniel Zamora and Paul Sewald combined for four scoreless innings of relief. Bashlor added a fifth before allowing an unearned run in the 13th.
Michael Avallone, SNY.tv | Twitter |
Doing his best Jacob deGrom impression, I guess it's only fair that Zack Wheeler experienced his fellow rotation member's frustrating lack of run support. But win, loss or no-decision, the 27-year-old right-hander was sensational on the mound Monday, which is becoming par for the course. Sadly, the Mets really don't deserve such riches with the way they continuously lose games. I'm going to choose to focus on Wheeler, because it's truly a great story.
Before doing that, I'll say this: Dominic Smith should be playing virtually everyday for New York ... at first base. What the Mets have done to this kid since the end of last season borders on criminal. Nothing should have been handed to him, but a former first-round pick who has improved every season of his career until he stumbled during his Major League debut deserves some chance to prove his worth. The Mets have messed this up -- and perhaps Smith's potential career -- royally.
Back to Wheeler...
After his last start I wrote how the injuries and delayed developmental time had hindered Wheeler. It also cast a pall over the promise he showed as a rookie in 2014 before Tommy John derailed him the following spring. It's now gotten to the point where you expect these types of outings from Wheeler each time he steps on the mound. And why not?
The right-hander entered June with a 5.41 ERA and has since sliced that down to 3.63 thanks to a 2.71 mark in his last 15 starts. That includes a strong 93-to-28 strikeout-to-walk ratio and an opponents' average nearing the Mendoza line. Just watching Wheeler, it's obvious he has complete confidence to throw whatever pitch is needed in a certain situation and to do so with conviction.
It's a rather remarkable story, considering the beginning of his Mets tenure to where he is now. Viewed as a savior of sorts after coming over in the one-for-one deal that sent Carlos Beltran to San Francisco, Wheeler was overtaken and ultimately overshadowed by Matt Harvey in 2012 and 2013. Then came Jacob deGrom, who took home Rookie of the Year honors the next season followed by Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and the return of Harvey in 2015. One is gone, one is struggling, one is a bona-fide ace and the other looked like he would be until back-to-back years of injuries have stalled him.
And then there's Wheeler, who is finally coming into his own as the pitcher New York envisioned when they traded for him seven years ago.
News and notes...
The Mets fell to 6-8 in extra innings and 11-23 in one-run games. New York went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base. They are hitting .213 and averaging 3.21 runs per game at home this season.
New York is 12-27 (.308) in its last 39 games at Citi Field and 24-38 (.387) overall, the second-worst winning home winning percentage in the National League, behind San Diego.
The no-decision snapped Wheeler's streak of wins in consecutive starts at a career-high six. He has surrendered four runs in his last 36 innings and has a 1.93 ERA in his last seven outings since July 14. Wheeler tied a personal best by surrendering five or fewer hits for the sixth consecutive start, during which he's allowed two runs or fewer each time.
Blevins and Gsellman have each tossed 9 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings.
The Mets placed Brandon Nimmo (bruised index finger) on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to Aug. 17. Dominic Smith, who was the 26th man for last night's Little League Classic, will remain with the team.
What's next...
The Mets (54-70) continue their series with the Giants (62-64) on Tuesday night at Citi Field at 7 p.m. on SNY.
Steven Matz (5-10, 4.60 ERA/4.97 FIP, 101 K, 1.368 WHIP) takes the mound with an ERA that has spiked 95 points in his last two starts after allowing 13 runs -- 11 earned -- on 13 hits in 2 2/3 innings. The southpaw was charged with six runs -- four earned -- in two innings against the Phillies following his activation from the disabled list last Thursday. It was the fourth consecutive start Matz allowed four runs or more. The 27-year-old fired six scoreless frames in his only career start against the Giants on April 29, 2016.
Chris Stratton (8-7, 5.52 ERA/4.68 FIP, 79 K, 1.554 WHIP) looks to rebound from an eight-game stretch that includes a 7.30 ERA. In his last two starts, the right-hander has allowed 14 runs on 21 hits and five walks in 8 2/3 innings. He surrendered three runs in 1 1/3 frames out of the bullpen in a relief appearance in between his most recent two starts. Stratton has never faced the Mets.
