Shorthanded bullpen offers Amazin’ relief
The difference in the Mets’ 6-0 season-opening rout of Atlanta was the bullpens. The Braves’ relievers were putrid, while the Mets’ — shorthanded and all — were near perfect.
The bullpen was without suspended closer Jeurys Familia and Seth Lugo (elbow), and was pressed into action earlier than expected when Noah Syndergaard left after the sixth with a blister on his right middle finger. But the relievers turned in three scoreless innings before 44,384 at Citi Field, who can feel just a little less jittery about the pen.
“Sure [we’re shorthanded], but they’ve got to pitch, and they’ve got to be out there,” manager Terry Collins said. “You’ve got to get them in there and you’ve got to let them get loose, relaxed a little bit. We’re not overpowering, but we throw the ball over.
“I’ve got a lot of [confidence]. I think [Hansel] Robles is getting better. The more he’s out there, as far as experience goes, the better he’s going to be. Fernando Salas, that’s why we got him, to pitch the eighth inning, last year to pitch that seventh inning. Now we’ve had to move him back.”
Syndergaard and Braves starter Julio Teheran both left after six scoreless innings. But while Atlanta’s bullpen imploded for six runs in the seventh, the Mets’ pen was stellar. Robles came on to pitch a perfect seventh and got the win.
Salas backed that up with a perfect eighth, fanning Jace Peterson and Ender Inciarte. And Robert Gsellman pitched his way out of trouble in a scoreless ninth. After allowing a leadoff single and double, he caught Nick Markakis looking and induced a 1-3-6 game-ending double play from Brandon Phillips. “They did a great job coming in the game, Robles and Salas and finish with Gsellman. They did a great job at knowing the situation, throwing strikes and getting outs. That’s all we want,’’ catcher Rene Rivera said. “They know their role; they know they have to come in and throw strikes. If you throw strikes no matter how hard you throw — 88 or 97 [mph] — you throw strikes you’re going to get outs.” Those roles have changed, with Salas being forced into the eighthinning job, and Addison Reed being asked to fill Familia’s cleats as the closer. “We understand the situation, Familia. I don’t know what happened, but for us, Reed is the closer now,’’ Salas said. “We’re ready for whatever situation Terry says. You never know whether it’s going to be in the late innings or the early innings of games. It’s a job. Everybody understands that situation. This is baseball. “We play for the wins. Whatever situation I come in, the seventh inning, eighth inning, early in the game, if they need me to close the games, it doesn’t matter what. I just want to help the team. Every guy in the bullpen is the same mentality, we just try to help the team, and now we’re ready for whatever situation. We want to support the team and whatever Terry says I’m ready.”