Sam Darnold Falls to Jets, Ending Long QB Search

The Cleveland Browns did the Jets a big favor. They saved the Jets from themselves. For weeks there was speculation that the Jets would take talented but troubled Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield with the third pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Instead, the Browns took Mayfield first overall, setting up the Jets with a heck of scenario: Sam Darnold or Josh Rosen.

With the third pick, the Jets got their man: Sam Darnold. 

The guy who had the the Sam Darnold jersey at the USC game got his wish, he can keep that jersey.

It is amazing how ironic this moment is for the Jets. Fans were clamoring for the team to "Suck for Sam" throughout the 2017 season, and when the Jets won "too many games" last year, those same fans gave up on the dream. Guess what? The Jets got the guy they wanted after all.

While Darnold is still very young, he's only 20-years old. He had a very solid two-year career at USC. His first season in 2016 was much better than his sophomore year, but the guy still threw 57 touchdowns to 22 interceptions. He has the size, strength, arm power and attitude to succeed in New York.

The one knock on him is the turnovers. Darnold turned the ball over 22 times last year, (13 INTs, 9 fumbles). The Jets have to work closely with him to get him to stop turning the ball over. As many noted quarterbacks like Matt Ryan and Russell Wilson were turnover prone in college and turned into MVP-caliber players at the position.

Keep the jersey, kid. It's worth something now.

In short, this is not Mark Sanchez. Darnold had a much more productive career at USC than Sanchez had, with a greater ceiling. Darnold has drawn comparisons to Andrew Luck and Matt Ryan. Sanchez had bust written all over him when the Jets reached for him with the fifth pick back in 2009.


While the Jets passed on Josh Rosen, who could turn into a good quarterback in Arizona, the Jets made the safest, and most sound pick they could make by taking Darnold. Give Mike Maccagnan and Todd Bowles credit, they changed the face of their franchise. Darnold gives this team hope. That is something the guys in Green and White haven't felt in a long time.

Now, the question is when should he play? Depending on how Darnold progresses this summer, he probably would be best served sitting for a good chunk of the 2018 season. He gets to learn from Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater which is not a bad thing at all. McCown is a coach in waiting, and will be a great mentor to Darnold.

While the Jets still need help at running back, offensive line, tight end, and pass rush, they have a foundation piece for the future. And that is all Jets fans wished for when the team cut payroll exactly one year ago.

NOTE: The AFC East got very interesting on Thursday when the Buffalo Bills drafted Josh Allen with the seventh pick in the draft. The Jets and Bills are positioning themselves to one day take over the divison when (and if) Tom Brady ever retires in New England. 

Draft Grade: A

Giants Stay Put Get Saquon Barkley

The New York Giants and David Gettleman had a plan. They wanted to go out and get a player who has Hall of Fame potential, and they did just that taking running back Saquon Barkley with the number two pick in the NFL Draft.

While some thought the Giants should have taken a quarterback in this spot, Gettleman and head coach Pat Shurmur were not enamored with this quarterback class. With Eli Manning still with something to prove at age 37, and an unproven talken in Davis Webb, the Giants didn't feel there was a rush to draft a quarterback this high right now. Who can blame them? Manning is a Hall of Famer. He is surrounded by talent on a team that can still win now. Why not see if he can give this team two more solid years under center before addressing this position.

By adding Barkley, the Giants give Manning the dynamic runner that he has never had behind him. Sure the Giants had Tiki Barber at the beginning of Manning's career. And they had the two-headed monster of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw during their Super Bowl runs in 2007 and 2011, but the fact is the Giants have been one of the league's worst rushing teams in the NFL since that Super Bowl XLVI. That was six years ago.

Barkley is an explosive runner. At 6-0, 234, Barkley is a combination of physical power and finesse. He ran for 3,843 yards in three years at Penn State, and proved to be a versatile pass catcher out of the backfield. He's a dynamic player, and a game changer the Giants desperately needed.

With Barkley combining his talents with Odell Beckham Jr. and Evan Engram, the Giants could have one of the most explosive offenses in the league this year. Of course, the Giants need to have better line play this year to protect Manning, and create lanes for Barkley to run through. Adding Nate Solder was a good first step.

The Giants are moving in the right direction with a competitive retooling. 

Pick Grade: A

Future of Jets and Giants at Stake in Tonight's NFL Draft

The future of New York City's two football teams is on the line tonight. For months speculation has run rampant as to whom the Giants and Jets will pick with the second and third overall picks in tonight's NFL Draft.

Of course a lot will be determined by what the Cleveland Browns decide to do with the first pick. Cleveland has been linked to USC quarterback Sam Darnold for quiet a while. It would be a good pick for them, since Darnold posses the kind of pose and accuracy needed to compete in the AFC North. However, this is the Browns we are talking about. And of course in Cleveland Browns fashion rumors are running rampant that they could draft Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield instead. If that happens it will shake up the draft big time, meaning the Giants and Jets would have the top three quarterbacks (Darnold, Josh Allen and Josh Rosen) at their disposal.

Who the Giants will likely pick: If Darnold goes first to the the Browns, the Giants will probably draft Penn State running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley has the potential to be a game changer for the Giants, who have not had a top flight running back since Tiki Barber was in town. The Giants running attack has been one of the worst in the NFL the past few seasons, and adding Barkley would take tremendous pressure off Eli Manning. In addition, Barkley proved to be both a solid downhill runner and an excellent receiver out of the backfield. Putting him with a healthy Odell Beckham Jr. and Evan Engram gives Eli plenty of weapons to throw to.

Who the Giants Should draft: Trade down. As talented as Barkley is, this draft is chuck full of running backs. The Giants have other needs along the offensive and defensive lines. They could trade the pick to a quarterback needy team like Buffalo and get a kings ransom.

What about the quarterback? Reports have been that the Giants are not enamored with this quarterback class. David Gettleman keeps harping that a pick at number two needs to be a Hall of Fame-caliber player, and the Giants are lukewarm to this collection of QBs. If Darnold falls to them, it might get interesting, as he is the only guy they would consider drafting this high at the position.

Who will the Jets likely pick: If the Baker Mayfield to Cleveland rumors are just a smokescreen, the Jets will have Mayfield all to themselves at three, and will likely draft him. Even though Mayfield was one of the more accurate quarterabacks in college, he brings a lot of baggage to the table. He really isn't worth picking up this high.

Mayfield's height and small physic are a big question mark. You can tell me about the success of Drew Brees and Russell Wilson all you want, there are only so many small quarterbacks who succeed in the NFL. In addition, Mayfield had a horrible Senior Bowl when he was asked to throw in tight windows while running a NFL offense. That is concerning. Moreover, he has a bad reputation both on and off the field, which includes an arrest. He is a big gamble, and one that could and will likely cost Mike Maccagnan and Todd Bowles their jobs.

Who the Jets should draft: Josh Rosen. While Rosen too has questions about his behavior, namely his attitude, which some think is standoffish, he is a safer bet this high. Rosen has all the measurables and talent a team looks for a in a quarterback. A lot of people like his ability to grasp offensive concepts quickly, and he has a good ability to hit his receivers in tight spots. He's the most NFL ready of the group.

Don't Be Shocked if: The Jets draft either Sam Darnold if he slips by the Giants, or Josh Allen because of Maccagnan's admiration for big quarterbacks with big arms.

Dark Knight Has Fallen, Will he Rise Again?

Matt Harvey’s days in the Mets starting rotation are numbered, at least for now.

The embattled right-hander was demoted to the bullpen on Saturday before the Mets 4-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves.

Mets manager Mickey Callaway said that Harvey’s demotion could lead to a return to the rotation down the road, if he is able to show improvement. 

 “I wouldn’t say he is discouraged. I would say he is motivated to go out there and show he can start. We will do everything we can to help him do that,” Callaway told reporters, Saturday.

There is no doubt that Callaway and pitching coach Dave Eiland know their stuff. Both have seen their fare share of starting pitchers take a demotion in stride only to return to the rotation better than ever. Callaway saw it in Cleveland with Carlos Carrassco and Trevor Bauer.

And, even with the Mets, Callaway sent both Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman to the bullpen to great success. Gsellman is 2-0 with a 2.19 ERA in 10 appearances, while Lugo is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA. Both are starting pitchers by trade, but didn’t complain when given the opportunity to contribute in another fashion.

The same can’t be said for Harvey.

After imploding in his last start in Atlanta, Harvey told reporters on Thursday that he expects to remain in the rotation. When word got out Saturday that he was heading to the bullpen, CBS writer, Anthony DiComo tweeted that Harvey was “pissed off” and “motivated” by the demotion.

It all depends on Harvey, and how he wants to handle this. A demotion to the bullpen, or even the minors, was inevitable. Ever since he bullied former manager Terry Collins into leaving him in to pitch deep into Game 5 of the 2015 World Series, it has been downhill for the starter once labeled the Dark Knight.

Since 2016 Harvey is 9-19 with a 5.79 ERA in 206.1 innings of work. While a lot of Harvey’s struggles can be attributed to his inability to fully recover from Tommy John Surgery and Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, he is also a guy who has constantly butted heads with Mets management over his off-the-field behavior.

“I think he can help us,” Callaway said. “We can help him utilize his aggressiveness and utilize his pitches to get outs.”

Callaway and Eiland are two of the games best pitching coaches over the past five seasons. They are willing to work with Harvey, if he is willing to work with them. This is Harvey’s last shot to prove that he can be the dominant starting pitcher he once was. If he has any visions of cashing in “big” on his free agent contract in 2019, Harvey needs to welcome this opportunity.

Inconsistent Yankees Drop Back to .500 with Loss to Jays

BLUE JAYS 8 - YANKEES 5

Win one night, lose the next. Win one night, lose the next. It's has to be frustrating for the Yankees right now. After 18-games the team can't get things moving in the right direction as they find themselves at 9-9 after a 8-5 loss to the Blue Jays on Friday at the Stadium.

Complicating matters is the fact that the Boston Red Sox are starting to run and hide in the AL East. Including Boston's 7-3 win over Oakland on Friday, the Red Sox are 17-2, seven games ahead of the Yankees for first place. The Red Sox have been so dominant thus far that the Rays and Orioles are already double-digits behind the lead.

What has to really be frustrating for Aaron Boone tonight is the fact his ball club had leads of 2-0 and 4-2 thanks to home runs by Tyler Austin and Giancarlo Stanton. For Stanton it was his fourth homer of the year, breaking a 50 at-bat homerless streak.

The fretful began in the top of the fourth when Kendrys Morales connected on a ground rule double to score Russell Martin to make it 4-3. A few batters later, rookie Lourdes Gurriel delivered a back-breaking 2-run single to hand Toronto a 5-4 lead. The 24-year old Cuban native was making his first MLB start on Friday. To think the Blue Jays have Gurriel and Vlad Gurrerro Jr. coming up through the ranks. That is scary.

Gurriel wasn't done hurting the Yankees. His RBI single in the fifth gave the Blue Jays the lead back at 6-5, spearheading a three-run inning to take an 8-5 lead.

Yankees pitcher Sonny Gray was not good. He surrendered five runs in 3.1 innings; his ERA jumped up to 8.27. Domingo German and Adam Warren didn't help the cause in relief. The Yankees have to be concerned about Gray at this point. He has been just awful in his last three starts. He isn't giving the Yankees length, he's failing to get outs in big spots, and isn't overpowering anybody. He looks lost.

The Yankees need Gray to turn it around, especially with such a shaky rotation. Perhaps a demotion to the minors or bullpen should be in the offing for Gray. He needs it and needs it badly.

With each passing day, the Yankees are leaving people to wonder if this team is ever going to get going in 2018.

Robert Gsellman helps carry Mets to extra innings win in ATL

METS 5, BRAVES 3 - 12 Innings 

Maybe Matt Harvey can take a page out of Robert Gsellman's book if he wants to learn how to handle a demotion with professionalism.

Gsellman was once a member of the Mets starting rotation, until a series of poor starts put the 24-year old in the bullpen. When camp opened up this year, manager Mickey Callaway told Gsellman that he would best serve the team as a reliever. Instead of complaining, he grabbed the bull by the horns and ran with it.

In 10.1 innings this year, Gsellman owns a 2.61 ERA, and has struck out 15 batters while walking only four. He has become the Mets most reliable reliever next to another former starter in Seth Lugo.

On Friday night, the Mets turned to Lugo and Gsellman to get them through a tough night in Atlanta, where Noah Syndergaard did not have his best stuff on the mound.

Lugo gave the Mets two shutout innings in the seventh and eighth innings, helped out by a two fantastic throws by catcher Tomas Nido that threw out two runners.

Come the tenth inning it was Gsvllman's turn. He struck out Ryan Flaherty, jammed Charlie Culberson into a slow ground out to second, and got Edwin Inciarte to roll one over to first base for out number three. Three outs on 10 pitches.

An inning later, while the Mets offense remained mired in a collective slump, Gsellman did it again. He retired Ozzie Albies on a ground out to first, struck out Freddie Freeman swinging on a nasty high slider, and, after giving up a walk to Nick Markakis and a single by Kurt Suzuki, Gsellman struck out Preston Tucker on four pitches to get out of the jam.

But, Gsellman was not done. In order to save the bench, Mickey Callaway had Gsellman hit to lead off the 12th inning, and it turned into a winning decision. Gsellman was hit by a pitch on 1-1, and scored from second on a seeing-eye single by Yoenis Cespedes to give the Mets a 4-3 lead. Talk about taking one for the team. Gsellman took that to a new level - a winning level for the Mets on Friday night.

As for Cespedes, his knack for coming up big in the clutch continued. He was 0-for-4 with four strikeouts before the game winning hit. He would score on Asdrubal Cabrera's double off the right field wall that Markakis misplayed to give the Mets a 5-3 lead.

Once Jeurys Familia cleaned things up in the bottom half of the 12th inning to lock up his eighth save of the year, the Mets were once again in the victory circle. And they can thank one man: Robert Gsellman -- the starting pitcher, who was willing and able to try something different.

Giants to open 2018 season vs. Jaguars

The New York Giants will open 2018 against a familiar individual. Tom Coughlin is coming back to East Rutherford in his second season as the executive VP of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Eli Manning (R) will see Tom Coughin in Jaguars garb in Week1

The Giants-Jaguars season opener will be the first home opener in Week 1 for the Giants since 2012, when the Giants squared-off with the Cowboys. The game will also be the first non-NFC East season opener for the Giants since 2010 when they began that season against the Carolina Panthers.

The Giants come into the season with a new look at head coach with Pat Shurmur and GM Dave Gettleman. Quarterback Eli Manning will still be under center, and he could have Saquon Barkley in the backfield if the Giants select him next week in the NFL Draft.

As for Jacksonville, they are coming off an appearance in the AFC Championship Game, and will bring back old-school uniforms to boot.

While the Giants get a reprieve from playing the Cowboys in Week 1, they will have to see Dallas in Week 2 on Sunday Night Football in Big-D. The Giants and Boys finish the season against one another in Week 17 at MetLife Stadium.

Inspite of the team going 3-13 last season, the NFL is not shying away from putting the Giants in the spotlight this season. The Giants will have at least four primetime games (at Dallas; Philly, at Atlanta, and at San Francisco). The game against Indianapolis could be a Saturday night game on the NFL Network.

Here is the Giants 2018 Regular Season Schedule in its entirety.

Week 1 JACKSONVILLE 1 p.m. CBS
Week 2 @ Dallas 8:20 p.m. NBC
Week 3 @ Houston 1 p.m. FOX
Week 4 NEW ORLEANS 4:25 p.m. FOX
Week 5 @ Carolina 1 p.m. FOX
Week 6 PHILADELPHIA 8:20 p.m. NFLN (Thurs.)
Week 7 @ Atlanta 8:15 p.m. ESPN (MNF)
Week 8 WASHINGTON 1 p.m. FOX
Week 9 Bye Week
Week 10 @ San Francisco 8:20 p.m. NBC
Week 11 TAMPA BAY 1 p.m. FOX
Week 12 @ Philadelphia 1 p.m. FOX
Week 13 CHICAGO 1 p.m. FOX
Week 14 @ Washington 1 p.m. FOX
Week 15 TENNESSEE 1 p.m. CBS
Week 16 @ Indianapolis 8:20 NFLN (SAT)
Week 17 DALLAS 4:25 p.m. FOX

Jets 2018 Schedule has been revealed

The New York Jets 2018 schedule has been revealed courtesy of Brian Costello of the New York Post.

Week 1: at Lions, Monday, Sept. 10, 7:10 p.m.
Week 2: vs. Dolphins, Sunday, Sept. 16, 1 p.m.
Week 3: at Browns, Thursday, Sept. 20, 8:20 p.m.
Week 4: at Jaguars, Sunday, Sept. 30, 1 p.m.
Week 5: vs. Broncos, Sunday, Oct. 7, 1 p.m.
Week 6: vs. Colts, Sunday, Oct. 14, 1 p.m.
Week 7: vs. Vikings, Sunday, Oct. 21, 1 p.m.
Week 8: at Bears, Sunday, Oct. 28, 1 p.m.
Week 9: at Dolphins, Sunday, Nov. 4, 1 p.m.
Week 10: vs. Bills, Sunday, Nov. 11, 1 p.m.
BYE Week
Week 12: vs. Patriots, Sunday, Nov. 25, 1 p.m.
Week 13: at Titans, Sunday, Dec. 2, 4:05 p.m.
Week 14: at Bills, Sunday, Dec. 9, 1 p.m.
Week 15: vs. Texans, Saturday, Dec. 15, TBD (4:30 or 8:20 p.m.)
Week 16: vs. Packers, Sunday, Dec. 23, 1 p.m.
Week 17: at Patriots, Sunday, Dec. 30, 1 p.m.

The Jets will open the season in Detroit as was previously reported earlier in the morning. One thing that is different is that the Jets will host the Dolphins in Week 2, not the Green Bay Packers as was previously thought via a number of rumors on Twitter Wednesday night.

The Jets visit the Browns in week 3, in a game that has been shockingly picked for primetime. It is shocking because both teams are horrible, and neither is expected to have its rookie quarterback ready to go at this point in the season. With sagging NFL television ratings, Jets-Browns won't help.

The will not see the Patriots until Week 12, November 25 at home, and will close out the schedule in Foxboro for the second consecutive year. That finish to the season is a doozy with the Jets hosting the Packers and visiting the Patriots in consecutive weeks. 

NFL Schedule Leaks Begin with Jets-Lions Confusion

It's NFL Schedule day, which means everyone swarms to Twitter only to get tricked into what may or may not actually be leaks of the NFL schedule. Call it April Fools Day redux.

First there was a leak that the Jets would play the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day, which would make some sense since the Lions are due to play the AFC East this season, and CBS has the Lions Turkey Day game.

Then moments later, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweeted out that the Jets and Lions were not going to play on Thanksgiving, but, they would instead play each other Week 1, September 10 on Monday Night Football.

The scheduling of the Jets on MNF is surprising, considering the Jets are coming off back-to-back 5-11 seasons, and will likely have whichever rookie quarterback they draft (Mayfield, Rosen, Allen, or Darnold) sitting on the bench. The Jets aren't exactly scintillating television, and Sean McDonough left ESPN's package because the games were horrible. Jets-Lions would definitely be chalked up in the "awful" category.

The last time the Jets appeared on Monday Night, they got leveled by the Indianapolis Colts 41-10 in December of 2016.

The last time the Lions opened a season on Monday Night, they blew out the Giants 35-14 in 2014.

Guess, we are in for a 55-10 Lions smackdown of the Jets. Should be a snoozer.

Meanwhile, the Jets are rumored to host their home opener in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers thanks to an accidental leak by a Packers coach who showed off half of Green Bay's upcoming schedule. While the start time for Jets-Packers isn't available, the guess here is it will be at 1 p.m. on FOX.

Mets Hold Off Brewers for 9th Straight Win

METS 6 - BREWERS 5

No d'Arnaud? No Plawecki? No problem. A combination of great defense and timely hitting paved the way for the Mets to hold off a very good Milwaukee Brewers team 6-5 in the first of a three-game series at Citi Field. With the win the Mets have captured their ninth straight victory, while boasting baseballs best record at 11-1.

The Mets cracked the seal on this one in thunderous fashion. In the bottom of the first, Asdrubal Cabrera doubled to right, before Yoenis Cespedes drove him home on a single to center. An inning later, Todd Fraizer crushed a Zach Davies pitch off the Mets Apple in centerfield for a solo homer to make it 2-0 Metropolitans.

The early lead by the Mets sent a huge message that the team was not going to let the bad news earlier in the day drag them down. Instead a sold out crowd at Citi Field saw a Mets team that was chomping at the bit to get back on the field after a day-off.

After Milwaukee tied the game on a two-run shot by Hernan Perez in the top of the fourth, Fraizer was at it again for the Mets, this time launching his second home run of the night to hand the Mets a 3-2 lead.

Come the fifth inning, New York poured it on the Brew Crew, knocking out its ace Zach Davies in the process after he walked Michael Conforto and gave up a single to Asdrubal Cabrera.  With Dan Jennings now in the game, the Mets teed-off. Jay Bruce doubled to right, driving in Conforto to make it 4-2. Adrian Gonzalez followed with a sacrifice fly to deep center, scoring Cabrera to make it 5-2, and Bruce would score the final run of the inning on a wild pitch.

From there the Mets had to hang on, and once again Mickey Callaway pressed all the right buttons to guide the Mets to their ninth straight win.

After Ryan Braun launched a two-run homer to right off of Steven Matz in the top of the sixth inning, Callaway brought in Seth Lugo, and the right-hander was able to get the Mets out of two prickly jams. First he got a slow roller by Orlando Arcia for the start of a 5-4-3 double-play to get out of the sixth inning.

In the seventh, former Kansas City Royal, Lorenzo Cain ran himself into an out when he misjudged the arm strength of Cespedes, who threw a bullet to Todd Fraizer at third for the final out of the inning.

Later Callaway won a game of bullpen chess, using four pitchers to get around a potential Brewer rally with the Mets clinging to a one-run lead in the top of the eighth.

Perhaps the biggest moment of that inning, and the game for that matter, came with runners on first and second for Milwaukee.  Robert Gsellman, who has been so good for the Mets in this young season, fell behind 2-0 to catcher Jett Bandy before coming back to jam the light-hitting catcher on a slow come-backer to get out of the inning.

Finally, it was Familia time! The Mets closer never looked better as he blew past Eric Thames, Lorenzo Cain and Domingo Santana on only 13 pitches for his seventh save of the season.

NOTES: In addition to the Mets 6-5 win over the Brewers, the Washington Nationals fell to the Colorado Rockies 2-1, meaning the Mets hold a six game lead on the Nats for first place. Atlanta is currently in second place at 3.5 games back.

With Travis d'Arnaud out for the year with a UCL tear that will require Tommy John Surgery, and Kevin Plawecki out for a month with a broken hand, the Mets recalled Brandon Nimmo and Jose Lobaton from Triple-A Las Vegas. New York optioned rookie Jacob Rhame to Triple-A.

NFL Preseason Schedule Released

The 2018 NFL preseason schedule is out, which means only one thing, we are a week away from knowing the regular season schedule. Yes, the weather is improving and baseball is king, but the NFL is about to grab some headlines this month with the schedule release, new uniforms for the Titans, Jaguars and Dolphins, and of course, the NFL Draft.

Here is the schedule for the two New York football teams.

NY Giants Preseason
 CLEVELAND
 @ Detroit
 @ NY Jets
 NEW ENGLAND

NY Jets Preseason
 ATLANTA
@ Washington, Aug 16 8:30 ESPN
 NY GIANTS
 @ Philadelphia

Mets Outlast Nationals in Epic 12-Inning Thriller

METS 6 - NATIONALS 5 
12 INNINGS 

It's only eight games, and a little over a week into the regular season, but the New York Mets made a major statement to all of Major League Baseball this weekend. The statement is as simple as it is direct: "We are for real, and we are here to stay."

Snicker and say it's only April, but the Mets are 7-1 and are winning games with the kind of zeal and resolve that we see from teams who have serious plans in mind.

Yes, again, it's only April -- but the Mets not only won a game that looked lost at several points on Sunday night, they swept the Washington Nationals in their own ballpark. They leave D.C. with a 3.5 game lead on Washington, something nobody thought would happen this year for a Mets team was only expected to be competitive, and a Nationals team that was expected to run away with its own division.

In the end the Nationals may still win the NL East, and may still make serious noise in October, but on this night it -- the here and now -- it is all about the Mets.

Trailing 2-0 after Bryce Harper crushed a Matt Harvey fastball deep into the bleachers in right, the Mets never gave in. They didn't pack their belongings, thinking 'oh well, it's getaway day in D.C., we got the series.' No sir, the Mets came right back -- a formula that is becoming common place for Mickey Callaway's ball club.

In the top of the third inning with two out, Jay bruce, Todd Fairer and Asdrubal Cabrera all walked against Washington starter Tanner Roark. In frustration, Rorark left a hanging fastball over the plate to Adrian Gonzalez, that the veteran slugger turned on and destroyed, blasting it into the bullpens in right field for a grand slam homer. It was the Mets second grand slam of the series, and it gave the Mets a 4-2 lead.

Matt Harvey was good, not great, as he walked a tightrope for five innings. He gave up a RBI double to Severino in the bottom of the fourth that cut the Mets lead to 4-3. The tension mounted when Harvey couldn't grab a hold of bouncer from Rorark leading to an error. Finally, Adam Eaton dove in front of a Harvey fastball to load the bases.

With Harper looming on deck and certain doom starring him in the face, Harvey found a way to get Anthony Rendon to fly out to left to get out of the jam.

Moments later, the Mets gave their former ace some much needed run support when Cabrera sent one into the seats in right for his first solo home run of the year. But, even with that, Havery remained on a tightrope in the fifth inning.

Fortunately for him and the Mets, the Nationals were willing to run themselves into outs, such as Howie Kendrick grounding into a killer double play, and Trea Turner getting caught between third and home on a ground ball by Michael Taylor in the bottom of the fifth.

The tension would remain for the rest of the game, even as the Nationals tied things up at five in the bottom of the seventh inning.

However, it was the decision making of Mickey Callaway in the ninth inning that really determined this ball game. With Seth Lugo on the hill and Bryce Harper standing on third, the Mets decided to intentionally walk Howie Kendrick and Trea Turner to load the bases with only one out.

Callaway was going by the books, which showed him that Michael Taylor was 1-for-8 against Lugo in his career. He rolled the dice and came up gold, as Lugo struck out Taylor swinging for the second out. Against Pedro Severino, a novice in this spot, Lugo struck him out looking on three pitches to get out of the inning.

For Callaway to show that kind of faith in his players is a testament to his understanding of the moment. Having that ability doesn't come without risk, and so far, Callaway is coming out successful in each try.

The game would continue to be a seesaw affair until the 12th inning when the Mets finally broke through. Juan Lagares started things off with a single to shallow center. Amed Rosario bunted him over on a perfectly executed bunt, and Yoenis Cespedes did the rest, delivering the game winning RBI single to left-center to drive in Lagares.

The Mets closed the game out with rookie Jacob Rhame who settled in nicely to earn his first major league save, while sending the Mets to a 7-1 start.

The 7-1 start ties the Mets and Callaway with Joe Torre, who started the 1977 season at 7-1 through his first eight games. Hopefully for the Mets this is just the beginning of something special.

Struggling Yanks Fall to Orioles to Open 4-Game Set

ORIOLES 5 - YANKEES 2

Nobody said this was going to be easy. The Yankees, a team with the highest of expectations continued their sluggish ways Thursday, dropping a 5-2 decision to the Baltimore Orioles at the Stadium, as New York failed to manage much offense against a Baltimore staff that was ranked 27th in Major League Baseball in team ERA coming into the night.

It hasn't been fun for Aaron Boone and the Yankees thus far. Sure they have seen flashes of brilliance, like they did from Giancarlo Stanton on Opening Day in Toronto, and on Wednesday against Tampa Bay when Stanton, Aaron Judge, Didi Gregorios, and Gary Sanchez all went deep.

But outside of those couple of moments, New York is struggling to get its footing in the early season. They are hitting .231 as a team, ranked 20th in baseball. And they own a team on base percentage of .317, which is only five points higher than the lowly San Diego Padres.

Oh, and both Stanton and Boone have been booed heavily by Yankee fans thus far. Some fans are even calling for Boone's head after he botched a game in Toronto last weekend.

It hasn't been fun yet.

Thursday it didn't get much better. What started out as a brilliant pitchers duel between Mashairo Tanaka and Andrew Cashner turned into a nightmare for New York. It seemed all was going according to scripture, the  Yankees finally scratched out a run in the bottom of the sixth on an Aaron Judge home run to right to take a 1-0 lead. With Tanaka dominating, all he needed was to complete the seventh before turning it over to the backend of the pen. Voila a Yankees 1-0 win. Right? Wrong.

After a Jonathan Schoop single to lead off the seventh inning, Adam Jones delivered the kiss of misery with a two-run bomb to left to hand the Orioles a 2-1 lead, silencing Yankee Stadium.

What started off as a wound, turned into a hemorrhage for the Yankees, as the Orioles scratched out three more runs in a five-run seventh inning to take a commanding 5-1 lead.  Anthony Santander ended Tanaka's day when he ripped a double to right-center to score Tim Beckham. A new pitcher and a few batters later, Trey Mancini brought home two more runs on a single to right.

New York's last, fleeting chance to score came in the eighth inning when they loaded the bases for former Met Neil Walker, and the ex-Met showed why the other New York team was happy to let him go as Walker grounded out to pitcher Darren O'Day to end the threat.

At 4-3 the Yankees are two games back of the Red Sox, who won their home opener against Tampa Bay on Thursday 3-2. The Red Sox are now 6-1. Both rivals will meet up next week in Fenway. Until then, the Yankees will dance three more times with the Orioles this weekend. CC Sabathia gets the ball Friday against Kevin Gausman; first pitch is at 7:05.

Conforto, Bruce, Cespedes Power Mets over Nats

METS 8 - NATIONALS 2 

It was a good day to be back at the ballpark for one Michael Conforto. Having missed the final month of the 2017 season with a shoulder injury, followed by months of rehab, Conforto made a triumphant return to the Mets lineup in Washington as New York stunned the D.C. faithful with an 8-2 victory to improve to 5-1 on the young season.

The Mets centerfielder was 1-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored in his first game back in blue and orange.

"The most difficult part was the journey back," Conforto told SNY after the game. "Everything came together today. It took me a little bit to get going, I had some butterflies, almost like a debut."

Added Mickey Callaway on the importance of Conforto's presence, "He adds a whole other level of anxiety for the opposing team. When you back him up with the others we have in the lineup, it creates tremendous anxiety during preparation."

It did take a couple of at bats for Conforto to get rolling. He struck out on three pitches in his first at bat against Stephen Strasburg, and grounded into a double-play in his second at bat.

But he didn't let it bother him, mainly because he has teammates willing and able to pick him up.

With the Mets trailing 2-1 in the top of the fourth inning, Yoenis Cespedes crushed a Strasburg fastball over the left field wall for the tying home run. An inning later it was time for Conforto to break loose.

With Kevin Pawlecki on second, Conforto slapped a pitch to left that just cleared the wall, landing in the flower pots that adorn the top of the left field wall near the bleachers. Initial ruling was that Conforto doubled, but review proved the ball had gone over the fence. Home run. It was Conforto's first of the year, and his first two RBIs to boot. If Conforto needed time to exhale, he had a chance to do so when he rounded third and slapped hands with Third Base Coach Glenn Sherlock.

On the hill, the Mets were led by a stellar performance by Jacob deGrom, who twirled six innings of four hit baseball against one of the top scoring teams in the sport. deGrom held Washington to only two runs, one earned, as he kept the Nationals guessing all day.

Perhaps deGrom's best moment came in the bottom of the sixth inning when he was clearly running out of gas. First he gave up a single to Brian Goodwin on a slider that hung up in the zone on 3-2. Then he walked both Anthony Rendon and Bryce Harper on eight consecutive balls to load the bases. With Robert Gsellman warming up in the pen, it was clear that deGrom was one bad pitch away from having his day end in infamy.

With his world burning around him, deGrom refocused and found the zone again. He jammed Ryan Zimmerman on a curveball to shallow right, preventing Goodwin from tagging up and scoring. Next, he used a mix of off-speed stuff and a rising fastball to confuse Howie Kendrick into a hard liner to Jose Reyes for out number two.

Finally, deGrom went backdoor on Trea Turner with a nasty four-seam fastball for strike three to get out of an seemingly impossible jam.

A half inning later, Jay Bruce delivered the knock out blow when he just got enough of a Brandon Kintzler sinker on 3 and 2 to  deposit it into the right-center field seats for a grand slam home run. A game that once saw the Mets clinging to a 4-2 lead was now 8-2. Psychologically, the game was over and there was still three full innings to play.

It is an understatement to say this win for the Mets is huge, because it is. The Nationals were 13-6 against the Mets last year and have owned the Amazins for the better part of the past six years. If the Mets are going to be a serious player in the National League, getting victories against the Nationals has to happen. While there are two more games in this series, Thursday's win was a great step in the right direction.

Next Game: Mets @ Nationals, Saturday, April 7 at 1:00 on SNY. There is a strong chance for heavy rains in the D.C. area on Saturday.

Michael Conforto Returns to Mets Lineup Today

Michael Conforto officially makes his return to the Major Leagues today.

The New York Mets activated the center fielder Thursday morning from the 10-day Disabled List, and he will leadoff for the Mets when they face the Nationals this afternoon in Washington. 

To make room for Conforto on the roster, the Mets optioned utility infielder Phillip Evans to Triple-A Las Vegas of the Pacific Coast League.

Last season, Conforto hit .279 with 27 home runs, 20 doubles and 68 RBI in 109 games. His All-Star campaign was cut short in August when he tore the posterior capsule in his left shoulder and was lost for the remainder of the season.

According to a Mets Press Release: “at the time of the injury, Conforto ranked among NL leaders in OPS (.944, ninth), OBP (.386, 12^th) and slugging percentage (.558, ninth). He was also the first Met to hit at least 25 homers in his age 24 season or younger since David Wright hit 30 homers in his age 24 season in 2007.”

The question remains how Manager Mickey Callaway will use Conforto in the lineup? And, what does it mean for Brandon Nimmo?

Last season, Terry Collins used Conforto primarily as a leadoff hitter, which seemed to work, even though Conforto projects as a middle-of-the-order slugger. In 270 at bats in the leadoff spot, Conforto hit .281 with 20 home runs and 45 RBI.

Of all the spots in the batting order, leading off seemed to be the most comfortable for Conforto, although he did hit .370 with three bombs and 8 RBI in 32 plate appearances out of the three spot in the batting order.

With Conforto back in the lineup it means limited at bats now for Brandon Nimmo, who lit things up in Spring Training, and was off to a decent start in the regular season, batting .286 in seven at bats.

It would have made sense for the Mets to option Nimmo to Triple-A so he can continue to get regular playing time and at bats. But, Callaway really liked what he saw from the speedy 25-year old this spring, and wants him on the roster. Plus Callaway likes to play everybody, meaning he will find games for Nimmo.

Nimmo’s presence means Callaway can give needed days off to sluggers Yoenis Cespedes and Jay Bruce, both of whom are past the age of 30, and will need a day off from time to time.

The guy who will also be affected by the logjam in the outfield is Juan Lagares. While Lagares is hitting the ball well early in the season, he has never been the model of consistency. Sending him down is likely not an option, since the Mets are still on the hook for $15 million over two years on the albatross contract Sandy Alderson gave Lagares in 2015.

How Callaway juggles the lineup will be interesting. Callaway is going to give Conforto every opportunity to be the team’s leadoff man, starting Thursday against the Nationals. Clearly the Mets feel Conforto is well enough to handle the riggers of the leadoff after spending the past few weeks in extended Spring Training.

 In a lot of ways it makes sense. More teams are leading off with power guys, i.e the Cubs and Kyle Schwarber.  In the Mets case, they don’t have a lot of speed, and Conforto gives Callaway some versatility at the top of the order.

On days when Conforto and Nimmo are both in the lineup, don’t be shocked to see Nimmo leadoff with Conforto dropping down into the number two or three spot in the batting order, depending on who is playing that day.