Met Brought Back Down to Earth After Loss to Zona

DIAMONDBACKS 3 - METS 2

After an emotionally charged Opening Day that saw the Mets thump the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-3, on the same day they unveiled the Tom Seaver statue, it was only a matter of time that the Mets got a slight reality check.

They received it Saturday in a 3-2 loss to Arizona.

Seth Lugo after giving up 2 runs. Getty Images.

Zac Gallen and three D-Back relievers stymied the Mets, holding the Amazin's to just three hits over the games first seven innings. Gallen was especially tricky on the Mets. He held the Mets to just two hits over four innings, and allowed only one run to second base.

The D-Backs eventually broke through against the Mets bullpen with a two-run blast by Sergio Alcantra and a RBI double by Ketel Marte in the seventh inning to take a 3-0 lead. Joely Rodriguez took the lose, although Seth Lugo was charged with a pair of runs.

The Mets would trim that deficit down to a single run when Starling Marte hit his second homer in as many days to make it a 3-2 game. The Mets would go down quietly in the ninth.

The loss drops the Mets to 6-3, and serves as a bit of a wake up call. As good and consistent as the Mets offense has been in the early going. And as good as its starting pitching has been, the Mets bullpen remains a huge problem.

Carlos Carrasco was brilliant in his second start of the year. He allowed only three hits over five innings of work with eight strikeouts.

However Rodriguez and Lugo have been anything but lockdown. Rodriguez, a former Yankee whom the Mets acquired in a trade for Miguel Castro has an ERA at 13.50. Lugo has an ERA at 8.31. It signifies a major problem. Mets starters have a 1.23 ERA this year in 44 innings of work. The Mets bullpen has given up 13 earned runs in 44 innings, or an ERA of 4.50.

If the Mets are going to be serious about challenging for the NL East, this bullpen must improve, or be improved.

Comments

Jets, Dolphins and Patriots Playoff Breakdown

Here are the formuli that could get the Jets into and out of the playoff party this season: 1) If the Jets win against Seattle and Miami, they win the AFC East based on a better conference record (8-4) than the New England Patriots, even if New England wins out as well. 2) If the Patriots win out and the Dolphins win out and finish at 11-5, the Jets would be 10-6, or 9-7, and probably out of the playoffs. Both New England and Miami would make the playoffs, with the Dolphins as a divison winner and the Patriots as a wild card. The Patriots make the postseason if Baltimore loses one of its final two games. 3) If the Patriots win out and the Dolphins and Jets split, then the Patriots win the AFC East. The Jets will have to hope that they beat Miami to win that tie-breaker and, further, hope that they have a better conference record than the Baltimore Ravens in order to clinch the sixth seed. 4) If the Patriots and Ravens win out and the Dolphins and Jets split their final two games, then ...

Francisco Lindor Remains Red Hot as Mets Top Phillies

Francisco Lindor remains the hottest player in Queens right now. The Mets shortstop blasted two more home runs, including a three-run blast in the bottom of the eighth inning, Monday night to help propel the Mets to a 5-4 win over Philadelphia. Lindor who typically struggles in the month of April is putting together a heck of a month. Monday's two hit effort was the 10th game in the last 11 where Lindor has recorded a hit. In fact in the month of April alone this year, Lindor was hitting at .311 coming into Monday's action. On the year, Lindor is batting .284 with five homers and 13 RBI. Lindor's efforts proved to be prophetic, as the Phillies Alec Bohm crushed a three-run bomb off Edwin Diaz in the top of the ninth to cut the Mets lead to a single run. Fortunately for New York, Diaz was able to shut the door with strikeouts of Trea Turner and Bryce Harper. New York (16-7) has now won five in a row.

Is Aaron Glenn in Danger of Getting Fired?

According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio there is a "chance" that Jets head coach Aaron Glenn could be fired at seasons end. While Florio doesn't site any sources, the rumor has caught fire the last two days. The question is would it make sense? Let's examine this for a second? Why it Makes Sense: Glenn has not been great in his first year as Head Coach of this team. The talent has taken a major step backwards, granted two of those talented players were traded away in Sauce Gardner to Indianapolis and Quinnen Williams to Dallas. The decision he and GM Darren Mougey made to give Justin Fields a two year deal proved to be a horrible mistake, and Glenn stuck with Fields for far too long before pulling the plug following the Jets loss to the Patriots on a Thursday night in mid November. Glenn gave now former Defensive Coordinator Steve Wilks too much power to run the defense, and the players couldn't stand Wilks. Reports indicated this week af...

COHEN'S CORNER SPORTS

Search This Blog