Today got off on a bad note beginning yesterday when the Miami Marlins couldn’t throw the Mets a break as they insisted on starting Wednesday’s game at 6 p.m., instead of making it an afternoon start. That would have enabled the Mets to get home at a decent hour – not at 2:45 a.m. – to get some sleep prior to today’s 1 p.m., start.
The Marlins drew 7,486 last night, so seriously, how much would starting the game in the afternoon impact attendance? Considering Miami drew 25,423 for Opening Day, but haven’t reached 8,000 in their other six games, what would it have hurt? Especially since at least half wore Mets jerseys and T-Shirts.
SYNDERGAARD: Control off again..(SNY)
Could it be Derek Jeter trying to stick it to the Mets? Just a thought.
The Mets didn’t lose 4-0 to Stephen Strasburg and the Nationals today because they had a rough travel itinerary, but it didn’t help.
I always advocated, because of the extensive travel major league teams endure, that getaway games should always be in the afternoon.
Of course, Major League Baseball doesn’t see fit to have well-rested players. Instead, Commissioner Rob Manfred is more preoccupied with shaving a few minutes from the time of the game.
Then, Major League Baseball conducted its random drug testing after the game. Couldn’t this have been done after Tuesday’s game, or Monday’s, or anytime during the Mets’ six-week stay in Florida?
Of course, it could have, but we’re talking about Major League Baseball.
SYNDERGAARD HAS ROUGH START: Noah Syndergaard carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, but had control issues early. He walked two and threw a wild pitch in the second as the Mets fell behind 1-0.
Syndergaard then gave up a homer to Victor Robles in the sixth, and his line finished with a way-too-many 98 pitches in six innings. Two runs on one hit is pretty good, but command remains a problem for Syndergaard.
I’m not worried about Syndergaard, but he’s always run into trouble when his control is off, and so far, it has been.
LUGO OFF AGAIN: Seth Lugo has been overused by manager Mickey Callaway. He’s been pitching while sick, and shouldn’t have been used today.
He threw 41 pitches Saturday and another 37 Tuesday. He threw 12 today and hasn’t looked sharp since striking out the side in the season’s first game.
Callaway has been erratic in this young season as to how he’s used his bullpen.
Maybe he’s not used to having two closers in Jeurys Familia and Edwin Diaz. Two of Diaz’s saves have come after the Mets nearly blew leads in the ninth inning.
SEARCHING FOR NIMMO: We have to think, or believe, things will get better for Brandon Nimmo, who has 14 strikeouts in 23 at-bats (.087). If not for drawing a team-high five walks, he might be on the bench.
With left-hander Patrick Corbin starting Saturday for the Nationals, it wouldn’t be surprising if Nimmo sat.
Nimmo isn’t the only cold Met at the plate. Robinson Cano has done nothing since homering in the opener, hitting .188 with a .212 on-base percentage, and eight strikeouts compared to one walk.
