Pain reliever
Club hopes to find cure for what’s ailed Familia this year
SAN FRANCISCO — Simply, it can be called “Project Familia.”
The Mets began this second half last week with slim NL wild-card possibilities, which had improved modestly with a four-game winning streak entering Thursday night against the Giants. But any talk of a revival hinges largely on getting the bullpen right, with their $30 million setup man as the focal point.
Jeurys Familia entered play with an almost unfathomable 7.11 ERA — a number that had actually shrunk over the previous two days with solid work in the Mets’ twogame sweep of the Twins.
As much as Mets coaches are trying to get Familia’s mechanics right, the biggest challenge might be getting the veteran reliever into a better place mentally.
“We’re trying to work with him and just make sure that he knows how important he is to us,” interim pitching coach Phil Regan said. “It’s important that we get him going, It sets up our bullpen because he’s a big help for us.”
Familia said he spent the AllStar break trying to figure out his first-half troubles.
“It was difficult for me because I know what kind of pitcher I am capable of being,” said Familia, who returned to the organization last offseason on a three-year deal after he had been traded to Oakland last July. “But I took it in stride and started to work hard so I could come into the second half stronger.”
After struggling in his appearance Sunday against the Marlins — manager Mickey Callaway had to remove him after recording only one out and allowing three batters to reach base — Familia was used for one batter against the Twins (which he retired) Tuesday. A day later, Familia was back in a high-leverage spot, thrust into the seventh inning of a game the Mets led 5-3. The righthander worked a scoreless inning.
“The last two days have been really good,” Familia said. “I have been feeling as good as I felt all year and this is how I expected to pitch also. My confidence has been there the entire time, and I am also grateful to Mickey to put me in a position to succeed in those tough, high-pressure situations.”
Regan continues preaching to Familia the importance of getting ahead in the count. To that end, the pitching coach has spoken to Familia about possibly pushing his sinker to the back burner.
“What we’re thinking is maybe throwing more cross-seam fastballs,” Regan said. “He throws 98 mph, and then go to his sinker or when his sinker is working, going right to that. The other thing we’re trying to do is get his direction right, his balance right.”
Lefties have particularly tormented Familia, batting .386 against him with three homers in 44 at-bats. It’s been smoother against righties, who are hitting .240 against Familia with two homers in 75 at-bats.
Regan and interim bullpen coach Ricky Bones have a long relationship with Familia that Mets officials would like to believe will help get him right. Regan was Familia’s pitching coach at Single-A St. Lucie and Bones spent the previous seven seasons as Mets bullpen coach before he was reassigned within the organization last winter. Regan and Bones replaced pitching coach Dave Eiland and bullpen coach Chuck Hernandez, who were fired last month.
“Sometimes we talk to [Familia] and just pat him on the back,” Regan said. “His stuff is just unbelievable.”