BULLPEN BLUNDER
MICKEY STICKS WITH WRONG GUY IN AMAZIN’S LOSS TO PHILLIES
PHILADELPHIA — Mickey Callaway’s 43rd birthday came with considerable angst, as the rookie Mets manager first had to remove his ace starting pitcher after one inning Sunday against the Phillies then faced a significant decision in the sixth.
Paul Sewald, who was allowed to remain in the game, took Callaway’s birthday cake and punted it into the Delaware River, allowing a threerun homer to Nick Williams that sent the Mets to a 4-2 loss at Citizens Bank Park.
The lefty-swinging Williams hit a rocket off the scoreboard affixed to the right-field mezzanine as lefty Jerry Blevins remained in the bullpen. It came on a day Jacob deGrom returned from the disabled list and was yanked for precautionary reasons after a torturous 45-pitch first inning in which he somehow kept the Phillies scoreless.
Callaway defended his decision to remain with Sewald in the sixth, saying he needed two innings from the right-hander after Robert Gsellman had pitched three scoreless.
“Sometimes guys have to get outs when your starter gets knocked out in the first,” Callaway said after the Mets’ ninth loss in 11 games. “Some guys have to go multiple innings, and we needed [Sewald] to do that.”
Only compounding the situation was the fact the pitcher’s spot in the batting order was due to lead off the seventh for the Mets. If Blevins had entered and didn’t retire the pinchhitter Williams, the manager would have summoned AJ Ramos for the next batter.
“Then we have to double switch and take out one of our better hitters,” Callaway said. “In the sixth, there is a lot of moving parts. We can’t guarantee [Blevins] is going to get the out. If Sewald gets the out, we would be sitting pretty.”
Lefties were only 9-for-41 (.220) against Sewald this season entering play. But Sewald missed with a 2-1 backdoor slider to Williams, erasing the Mets’ 1-0 lead. Sewald said he was hardly surprised he remained in the game to face Williams.
“I didn’t even realize there were guys warming up in the bullpen,” Sewald said. “For me, it was just that I didn’t get it done today.”
Blevins has struggled this season, but over his past 4 2/3 innings, spanning seven appearances, has not allowed a run. Though Blevins appeared upset when caught by the TV cameras as Sewald remained in the game to face Williams, the lefty later downplayed the matter.
“I always want to pitch, that is nothing new,” Blevins said. “Whenever I am ready, I want to be in the game and want to throw. It’s my job. I want to participate.”
DeGrom was finished after his marathon first inning in which he loaded the bases on three straight walks to Cesar Hernandez, Aaron Altherr and Odubel Herrera, but did not allow a run. When the Mets came to bat in the second, Luis Guillorme pinch hit for deGrom, ending the pitcher’s afternoon.
Asdrubal Cabrera delivered a twoout RBI double in the seventh that pulled the Mets within 3-2, but Yoenis Cespedes was retired by Luis Garcia to strand the tying run at second base. Overall, the Mets were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
Cespedes homered to lead off the sixth for the game’s first run. Aaron Nola got ahead 0-2 before hanging a breaking ball Cespedes smashed into the left-field seats for his eighth homer this season. The homer was Cespedes’ 16th in 40 career games against the Phillies.
But missed opportunities earlier haunted the Mets. None was bigger than loading the bases in the first inning with one out against Nola but not scoring.
“When you have got their best pitcher on the mound, who doesn’t give up many runs, and you have him in that situation, you have to scrape one or two by,” Callaway said. “We didn’t.”