Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Didn't get to see this one, but heard it good chunk of it on the radio. Based on the play-by-play log and Niese's final pitch count, looks like the 6th inning was hell for him. At least the Mets starting pitching is off to a pretty good start, and it would be even better if Amateur Terry knew when to take starting pitchers out of games. Not going to kill Wright for striking out with runners on second and third when Murph did the same thing, but it never comes as any great surprise when he doesn't get it done in those spots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmigliore Posted April 7, 2014 Author Share Posted April 7, 2014 (edited) Not going to kill Wright for striking out with runners on second and third when Murph did the same thing, but it never comes as any great surprise when he doesn't get it done in those spots. Murphy's AB was a killer. Mets were in a prime spot to tack on at least a run, possibly more. All he had to do was make contact against a pitcher who isn't a big strikeout pitcher (career 6.67 K/9) and couldn't get it done. The entire Met offense was sleep-walking through this game, it felt. Simon isn't even that good of a reliever and he cut through the lineup like butter multiple times. That capped off a week in which they struck out an MLB-high 29% of the time and hit .178/.251/.346. Edited April 7, 2014 by nmigliore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Yeah, offense looks bad for sure, but when EY is doing near-nothing (.105 BA) and d'Arnaud is still hitless...and Tejada is your starting SS...and Duda is still a "hits some HRs seemingly by accident, but does little else" guy...argh! And it figures...Mets look bad if they keep playing Doofus when Davis is hitting, but also look bad if they flip-flop on their "Duda is getting an extended look" stance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trancer70 Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 They really need to get some bullpen arms ASAP with Parnell gone - Rice needs to be let go now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 They really need to get some bullpen arms ASAP with Parnell gone - Rice needs to be let go now Bullpen is what it is. Passive (that's what we call Sandy around here) didn't address it, so it's going to be like this for the foreseeable future. I wouldn't mind deGrom coming up from within and getting a shot to help out, even though he's a starter. Valverde is the closer for now. Why not? He could be this year's Hawkins (though it would be nice if Sandy didn't keep going to the "if" well). BTW a hell of a first run through the rotation in AAA: 29 IP, 26 H, 6 ER, 6 BB, 23 K, 0 HR allowed. The only guy who put up meh numbers was Dice (5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 4 BB). The rest all went 6 innings each and in 24 IP only allowed 21 H and 2 BB. Gotta love that they all throw strikes. In AA, Hansel Robles had a terrific start (5 IP, 2 H, 1 BB and 8 K)...tore up the NY-Penn league last year too. Don't know much about him, except that he was an undrafted FA. Guess he ranks as a curiosity at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmigliore Posted April 8, 2014 Author Share Posted April 8, 2014 (edited) re: Robles - That was 2012 in the NYPL and he was interesting enough to be added to the 40-man for a brief period after that. In Brooklyn he showed a 91-95 mph fastball and the makings of an average slider and changeup. Last season he was highly pedestrian in High Class A (2.28 K/BB, 3.72 ERA, 4.11 FIP) but he also battled some injuries. He's on the older side and most thinks he's a future reliever, but he's someone to keep an eye on in what is a largely unimpressive AA rotation. Here's a really in depth look at him from back in 2012 when he was in the NYPL: http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/9/8/3279418/mets-prospects-brooklyn-cyclones-hansel-robles Unsurprisingly, I agree with Alex's projection. Normally if I see a righty with an above average fastball and two potentially average secondary offerings, I'd be comfortable putting a back of the rotation ceiling on him. However, with Robles, there are just too many red flags to ignore. He's a short right-hander who has to put every ounce of his frame into his delivery to get that above average fastball velocity, so I question if he can keep that up deep into games over a full season. And now having turned 22, he's certainly not young for the New York Penn League. The age and the build certainly limit his future projection. The mechanical red flags Alex points out marks him as an injury risk as well, and those are probably better suited to short relief stints. I think the secondary offerings could end up good enough to make him a seventh- or eighth-inning guy, but he is a long way away from that point right now. ... I don't see him really being tested until Double-A, and I imagine that is when he will finally have to move to the bullpen. Edited April 8, 2014 by nmigliore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'7' Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 The offense better get some runs off of Cy Harang before this game gets into the bullpens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmigliore Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 (edited) Superb outing from Colon. He's fun to watch; works fast, has a super cool/calm attitude and doesn't get rattled at all, absolutely pounds the strikezone with almost exclusively one pitch. His sequence in that last inning was pretty great: he threw his fastball anywhere from 86-92, but once the tying run came to the plate in Heyward? 93 mph, 93 mph, and 93 mph. Groundout to Murphy. Edited April 9, 2014 by nmigliore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'7' Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 good challenge by Terry. I could see on TV right away he was safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmigliore Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 First to reach vs the great Jose Valverde. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'7' Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Never easy at Turner Field. Wright has to field that. It hit his glove Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'7' Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 (edited) VALVERDE MORON. THROW TO FIRST OR 3RD mets are just kings at finding stupid, fundamentally unsound ballplayers Edited April 9, 2014 by '7' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmigliore Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 (edited) Valverde can't even get a freakin' out throwing to a base. Horrible. Edited April 9, 2014 by nmigliore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'7' Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 (edited) Valverde can't even get a freakin' out throwing to a base. Horrible. you got to forget about the DP there with a speedy runner. The DP is tricky and complicated especially with Murph. You had an easy out. take it! The key is to make sure the tying run does not come to the plate Edited April 9, 2014 by '7' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'7' Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 To the warning track. Dear lord. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmigliore Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 (edited) PHEW. Valverde isn't going to last. He's pretty much a 91-94 mph pitcher now who throws more than 95% fastballs up there. Worked better when he averaged 95+ and mixed in more splitters. Edited April 9, 2014 by nmigliore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'7' Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 (edited) PHEW. Valverde isn't going to last. He's pretty much a 91-94 mph pitcher now who throws more than 95% fastballs up there. Worked better when he averaged 95+ and mixed in more splitters. At 4-0, that's prob an inning to start Germen. But yea I noticed he couldn't get it up over 94 and it was all heaters nonetheless he did get 4 outs that inning (through fault of his own) Edited April 9, 2014 by '7' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmigliore Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'7' Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Throws up zeros, can't touch his toes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmigliore Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 (edited) Montero's 2nd start in the books, he got touched up a bit tonight: 5 IP, 6 hits, 3 runs, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts; 92 pitches, 66 strikes. The walk, 3 hits, and all 3 runs came in the 3rd inning which started with a 2-out infield single hit towards SS Wilmer Flores. Still, the key three factors under a pitcher's control (strikeouts, walks, homeruns) remain excellent. He's given up 0 homers, walked 1, and struck out 14 in 11 IP so far. Edited April 9, 2014 by nmigliore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 (edited) That game had the making of the typical Turner Field Trainwreck in that ninth...glad it turned out differently. Nice little mini-recovery from 0-3...with the state of morale among Met fans, 2-5 or 1-6 would've felt almost devastating, especially with Passive's win prediction. At least now, if they can avoid an extended losing streak, they can at least flirt with .500 for a while. Wright goes 0-for-5 in Turner. Of course he does. At least other guys managed to pick up the slack. Tejada is off to as good a start as could possibly be expected, especially since he appears to have no one in the organization backing him (and again, that falls on Passive...if you and others disliked the guy so much, you should've gotten off your lazy defeated ass and moved him). .286 BA, .400 OB%...he has no power of course, and I don't expect him to keep this up, but if he can be a .265ish BA/.330ish OB% guy who occasionally hits some doubles and drives home some runs, and competently fields his position, that's really pretty good under the circumstances...basically, approaching 2011/2012 production. The Mets are batting .192 as a team, are averaging just 3.57 RPG, and have already struck out 70 times (this is by far the hardest part of watching the Mets). They also suck at getting on base (.265). But somehow they're 3-4. Thank God for starting pitching: 5 QS so far, and Niese fell just 1/3rd of an inning shot of making one, and Gee would've had two if not for Terry's inability to learn when to take starting pitchers out of ballgames. Obviously way early, and someone or multiple someones will likely get hurt (my money's on Niese), but if these guys are all pitching reasonably well into June, and Syndergaard, Montero and deGrom are all pitching well enough to get call-ups, it will be very interesting to see how this shakes out. It will mean Sandy will have to show both a pulse and some creativity...yikes. Montero's 2nd start in the books, he got touched up a bit tonight: 5 IP, 6 hits, 3 runs, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts; 92 pitches, 66 strikes. The walk, 3 hits, and all 3 runs came in the 3rd inning which started with a 2-out infield single hit towards SS Wilmer Flores. Still, the key three factors under a pitcher's control (strikeouts, walks, homeruns) remain excellent. He's given up 0 homers, walked 1, and struck out 14 in 11 IP so far. The one thing I don't like about the bolded is that it implies that it's never the pitcher's fault when he gives up a hit...that somehow hits allowed are disproportionately the responsibility of the fielders. Some pitchers are eminently more hittable than others, and I don't think that should be glossed over...it's a way of making some guys look better than they are (not saying I feel it applies in Montero's case). That being said, any pitcher can have a tough inning, and even if some numbers aren't as pretty as Montero's first start, it's impossible not be thrilled with the numbers for him to date: 11 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 0 HR, 1 BB, 14 K If Montero turns out to be a guy who gives up hits to the tune of 8.0-8.5 per nine innings in the majors, but doesn't walk anyone and can strike guys out when he needs to (and not labor the way a Wheeler-type will), I'll happily take it. Edited April 9, 2014 by Colorado Rockies 1976 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmigliore Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 Foul ball after foul ball on fastballs to Heyward who promptly takes Wheeler deep after a lengthy AB. Hey there John Maine! I just can't shake my skepticism of Wheeler. He throws hard but his control isn't good and his secondaries are mediocre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'7' Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Another awful call against us at Turner, as d'Arnaud clearly on the bag when Simmonds throw hits the mitt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmigliore Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 Unbelievable play by Simmons, best defensive SS in baseball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'7' Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 He was safe though, pretty obvious to the naked eye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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