Mets Series in Review: vs. Diamondbacks

Dates: May 23-25

Results: Lose 2 out of 3

L 3-2, L 2-1, W 4-2

Current Record: 22-27

¡Vote para enviar sus jugadores favoritos de los Mets al Juego de Estrellas! http://t.co/iwxXd3GGOZ pic.twitter.com/eHQ3WOKRYR
— Mets de Nueva York (@LosMets) May 20, 2014

Recaps:

Friday – PPD before they could finish five innings – never happened.

Saturday – Mets.com, Amazin’ Avenue, ESPN NY

Sunday:    Game 1 – Mets.com, Amazin’ Avenue, ESPN NY

                  Game 2 – Mets.com, Amazin’ Avenue, ESPN NY

Statistics: (In order of first appearance)

Mets Player	Performance
Juan Lagares	1-13, R, BB, 3 SO, GIDP, Sac
Daniel Murphy	6-13, R, RBI (19), BB, GIDP, E (6)
David Wright	6-11, R, 2B (12), HR (3), 2 RBI (27), 2 BB, 2 SO, E (4)
Curtis Granderson	2-8, R, 2B (8), RBI (22), 3 BB, 3 SO
Chris Young	1-6, R, 2 BB, SO, 2 GIDP
Lucas Duda	0-9, SO, GIDP
Wilmer Flores	1-9, R, E (1)
Anthony Recker	4-7, R, 2B (5), SO, CS
Bobby Abreu	2-5, RBI (4), BB
Eric Young Jr	BB, SB (17)
Eric Campbell	1-5, HBP
Ruben Tejada	2-4, RBI (10), SO
Juan Centeno	2-4, SO
Zack Wheeler	6.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, BB, 7 SO, 118 pitches, 76 strikes (0-2, SO)
Rafael Montero	6 IP, 2 H, R, 3 BB, 10 SO, HR, 113 pitches, 68 strikes (0-2) (Video of K’s)
Daisuke Matsuzaka	6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, BB, 6 SO, 98 pitches, 67 strikes (1-1, RBI (1), BB)
Josh Edgin	IP
Carlos Torres	2.1 IP, H, SO
Scott Rice	0.1 IP, BB, SO
Jose Valverde	1 IP, H, 2 BB
Jeurys Familia	1.2 IP, H, 2 SO
Jenrry Mejia	2 IP, 2 H, R, 0 ER, BB, 2 SO

Key Moments:

Saturday

            Duda struck out swinging (at an 89 MPH cutter) with two outs and the bases loaded in the 1^st.

            Wheeler allowed the first four batters of the 2^nd to reach – walk, double, RBI single, RBI single – which prompted a visit from Dan Warthen that appeared to do the trick, as he’d retire the next three batters on four pitches.

            A Flores throwing error (his first in the majors) with one out opened the door an unearned run to score later in the frame – took too long to get the ball out of his glove and then the throw tailed down the 1B line. Wheeler got Montero swinging, but hit Aaron Hill with a 2-2 fastball (95 MPH), before allowing a Martin Prado RBI single. As a side note, Wheeler ended up striking out the side in the inning.

            The Mets put together three hits to get a run in the 3^rd, capped by a Granderson ground-rule double that bounced off the warning track in right-center field – that it was a ground-rule double prevented Wright from scoring, which is lame. CY would follow with a swinging strikeout – took a lot of heat for not getting Wright in – and Duda ended the inning with a flyout to CF. (Video)

            Wright launched a homerun down the LF line in the 5^th. (Video)

            With Gerardo Parra on 2B and one out in the 7^th, Wheeler got Paul Goldschmidt to groundout to Murph. Edgin would come in and get Miguel Montero to hit a one-foot nubber in front of the plate.

            After back-to-back walks with one out in the bottom of the 7^th, Murph grounded it back to the pitcher to start a double play.

            With runners on 1B and 2B and one out for the Mets in the 8^th, Brad Ziegler got Duda and Flores to fly out to LF.

            Mets went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 9^th against Addison Reed.

           

Sunday

Game 1

            Chris Owings hit a solo homerun for the Diamondbacks in the top of the 1^st.

            Mets countered with three straight singles to lead off the bottom of the 1^st to get a run back, but then the offense came to a halt: Granderson K, CY popout, Duda groundout.

            After the first two reached in the bottom of the 2^nd, Montero’s bunt attempt failed to advance the runners – Tejada was forced out at 3B – and Lagares grounded into a double play.

            The Diamondbacks put runners on the corners after two outs in the 3^rd, but Miguel Montero hit a weak groundout to Murph.

            With runners on 1B and 2B and one out, CY grounded into a double play.

            Eric Chavez led off the 7^th with a ground-rule double off Familia. After an A.J. Pollock groundout advanced Chavez to 3B, Familia got the final two hitters to strikeout swinging at his slider.

            The D’backs loaded the bases after two outs were recorded before Valverde got Chavez to fly out to Lagares in CF.

            The Mets loaded the bases with one out in the 8^th, but Duda grounded into a double play.

            After Pollock led off the 9^th with a double to newly inserted Abreu, Ender Inciarte bunted him over to 3B. Mejia got Martin Prado swinging before a coaching visit decision to walk Parra. Owings hit a groundout to Wright that could have ended the inning, but Murph missed the catch at 2B. (Painful video)

            Centeno and Flores hit back-to-back singles with one out in the 9^th, but were never advanced.

Game 2

            Prado tripled in Aaron Hill with no outs in the 2^nd – he would score on a Cody Ross groundout.

            The Mets got a run back thanks to an RBI single from Dice-K in the bottom of the 2^nd. (Video)

            Parra singled and stole 2^nd with two outs in the top of the 3^rd, but Goldschmidt struck out swinging

            A single from Abreu put runners on the corners with two outs in the 3^rd, but Campbell grounded into a force out.

            The Mets had two on with one out in the 4^th, but Lagares and Murphy both grounded out.

            Abreu doubled in Granderson with one out in the 5^th.

            Tejada drove in Recker with a single in the bottom of the 6^th. Tejada would be thrown out at home trying to score on a David Wright single to LF. (Video) The Mets would then load the bases before Abreu popped out to the SS.

            Tuffy Gosewisch got stranded at 2B after a one-out double in the 7^th.

            Murphy drove in CY with a single in the 8^th. After Wright walked, Granderson struck out swinging and Duda flied out to LF.

            Mejia came in for the save, working around a two out single to get his third of the season. (Video)

Storylines:

Lucas Duda slumping (and yes, Davis not so much), Wright hot

            Duda is hitting .143/.182/.262 (.198 wOBA), with two doubles and a homerun over 44 PA since May 10. His strikeouts are down a bit but that is extra ice cold.

            Wright has been on a tear for a while, but it seems people are only now noticing it. Over his last 101 PA, Wright is hitting .379/.416/.537 (.412 wOBA), with nine doubles and two homeruns.

Injury Updates (Dillon Gee, Travis ∂’Arnaud, Eric Young Jr.)

            Dillon Gee was scheduled to throw a bullpen session Sunday but was not feeling comfortable enough to go.

            Travis ∂’Arnaud got in his first rehab game Sunday and hit a HR. It was reported by @PSBLynn Sunday that he is scheduled to likely DH Monday and catch 7 innings Tuesday.

Eric Young Jr. has been put on the 15-day DL with a hamstring strain. The Mets have called up Matt ∂en Dekker in his place. Neither M∂D nor Kirk Nieuwenhuis have hit much lately, so I guess the Mets just chose the better defensive option.

Looking Ahead:

May 26-28 – Pirates come into town

Monday: Brandon Cumpton @ Jacob ∂eGrom

Tuesday: Edinson Volquez @ Jonathon Niese

Wednesday: Charlie Morton @ Bartolo Colon

May 29 – June 2 – Travel to Philadelphia to start an 11-game road trip (@CHC, @SF)

Amateur Asteroid Hunters Take Note: NASA and Slooh Will Ask For Your Help #space #astronomy #… http://t.co/VKak4B6SGM pic.twitter.com/KJwUGSgErY
— Universe Today (@universetoday) May 25, 2014