NO TROUBLE BREWIN’ ... YET
Mets try to shrug off first 0-3 start in 10 years
Three games into the 2024 season and timely offense appears to be a problem for the Mets.
It’s far too early to worry, but a threegame sweep at the hands of the Brewers isn’t exactly the way the Mets imagined starting the season. This latest loss, 4-1 on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field, featured eight runners stranded and saw the Mets go 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position. It’s the first time they have started 0-3 since 2014
Manager Carlos Mendoza was not in the dugout for the series finale against the Brewers (3-0), serving his one-game suspension that came down shortly before the game as a result of right-hander Yohan Ramírez throwing a pitch behind Rhys Hoskins on Saturday. Bench coach John Gibbons, a former manager in Toronto, took over his managerial duties.
Gibbons found out just before noon. “Thought maybe he’d skirt by because there was no warning and they didn’t throw him out of the game,” Gibbons said. “But that’s the nature of our game.”
Ramírez threw three innings in relief of Tylor Megill, allowing two earned runs. His decision to appeal his three-game suspension allowed him to pitch and the Mets needed those innings since Megill (0-1) came out of the game early with shoulder discomfort of some sort. The right-hander was taken for precautionary imaging after giving up two runs (one earned) in four innings.
“I thought he was really good at times and he struggled at times with the command,” Gibbons said. “His stuff has always been good. He bailed himself out a couple of times and there was no doubt about it.”
The shaky command showed from the start. Megill issued three walks, including one to the first batter of the game, Sal Frelick. Megill promptly picked him off first, but the inning didn’t get any easier.
With two outs, Christian Yelich reached on catcher’s interference and then stole second, putting him in position to score on a single by Willy Adames.
The Brewers scored with two outs again in the second inning in a similar fashion. Brice Turang singled to left field and stole second base. Jackson Chourio doubled him home.
Despite their better efforts, the running game has remained an issue for the Mets (0-3) during opening weekend. With Omar Narvaez making his first start behind the plate Sunday, the Brewers swiped three bags (two by Yelich).
Francisco Alvarez, who went 3-for-4 with a home run Saturday, hit a one-out double off righthander Colin Rea (1-0) in the bottom of the second. Tyrone Taylor drove him home with two outs.
The offense ended there for the home team. Rea walked the bases loaded with two outs in the fourth, with Taylor battling him for 12 pitches before he was awarded first base. But Narvaez popped up to right field to end the inning.
“It’s one of those things where you hit the ball and they’re right there,” said Francisco Lindor. “Their scouting report was really good.
Lindor put some of the blame on himself after going 1-for-12 against the Brewers.
“It’s tough to win games if your No. 2 guy doesn’t get on base,” Lindor said. “That’s that’s kind of how. I feel like I need to contribute to the team a little bit more.”
The bullpen has been solid so far and the Mets did hit some balls hard, but the results eluded them all weekend. It’s disappointing, to say the least, but the Mets will have a chance to turn things around tonight against the Tigers when the two clubs begin a threegame series at Citi Field.
Still, it’s not as bad as it looks, the Mets insist.
“They played good baseball,” Gibbons said. “They shut down our offense a couple of those days. We did hit some hard balls, especially (Brandon) Nimmo and a couple other guys, but had nothing to show for it. But that’s that’s baseball. Three games to start the season, it looks worse, but that’s part of it.”