When I first started to write this recap of the Miami Marlins versus the New York Mets game on Monday night, I thought I should just write the following words:
This game sucks.
Our hitting sucks.
Our starting pitchers suck.
And end the recap right there. But I decided to silence the angry fan inside of me and just really tell you what happened during the game, the way I’m supposed to do as a sports writer. Besides, I’m from the camp that you stick with your team through the good and the bad. So here are the facts:
The Mets have now lost three games in a row. So much for the announcers talking about how the Mets started last year 2-3 and then went on to win 11 in a row. They are now 2-4.
The rout started when the Mets’ Steven Matz gave up seven runs in the 2nd inning. Matz came into the game unbeaten in six straight career starts, matching the franchise record, but the Marlins really took it to him. Miami topped off their victory with another run in the 3rd and two more in the 6th. Okay, the Mets had some brief shining batting moments in the bottom of the 4th when they scored three runs, but again it just wasn’t enough.
Third basemen David Wright went 2 for 4, driving in one of those 3 runs. Center fielder Yoenis Cespedes seems to be coming alive now as he also went 2 for 4, driving in another one of the Mets runs. The final New York run came from first baseman Lucas Duda who went 1 for 3.
Matz only pitched 1.2 innings and struck out a solo Marlin hitter. Hansel Robles retired three Marlins, Antonio Bastardo whiffed two and Reed struck out 4 during a very busy Mets bullpen night. If you were looking for Jason deGrom to come in and help out at all, he finally got the call he’s been waiting for – his wife was in labor.
As a hitting team, the New York Mets came into this first game of a three-game series batting .180 which is last in the National League and they were also last in runs scored. Their three runs would’ve helped a little, but all that matters is the 10 runs they let get away. It’s early in the season, I get it, but something has to start happening.
If you missed it, one nice moment of the game was that it was the 50th anniversary of the debut of Emmett Ashford, the first African-American umpire in Major League history. To honor that, all Major League Umpires wore patches with the initials “EA,” tonight and there was a scoreboard feature during the second inning.
There’s really not much else to say about this game except that hopefully the Mets can find some spark in their bats on what will be an otherwise gloomy, rainy New York night. The Mets have won six straight home season series vs the Marlins, but this rocky start doesn’t show any signs that they will do it this year.
Last year’s National League champs haven’t really started off the year looking like they have championship form and turn to right-handed pitcher Noah Syndergaard on Tuesday to try to halt their three-game skid. Syndergaard opposes Miami Marlins right-hander Jose Fernandez in a matchup that begins at 7:10 p.m. ET at Citi Field. Syndergaard comes into the game after pitching six scoreless innings against the Kansas City Royals last Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium in his season debut.
He’s the first player in major-league history who, in his first start of a season, defeated the defending World Series winners on the road without allowing a run and while striking out nine or more batters. He is 3-0 in seven career starts against his own division, accumulated a 2.08 ERA (10 earned runs/ 43.1 innings) while striking out 49 batters. He has, however, never faced the Miami Marlins.
