TC expects more shifts in approach after Bruce’s bunt works
MIAMI — Jay Bruce even caught Terry Collins off guard. The Mets right fielder is off to a hot start this season, hitting .300 with four home runs and eight RBI through the first 10 games. So in Thursday night’s game, when the slugger got to the plate with a runner on first and the Marlins shifting to the right to try and prevent him from getting a hit, he decided to take what he was given.
He dropped a bunt to the shortstop, advancing Flores and setting up a huge inning for the Mets. It was an effective weapon against the now ever-present defensive shift.
“That was great. I am shocked more guys don’t do it. Guys complain about the shift, well there are ways to get around it,” the Mets manager said. “(Asdrubal Cabrera) does it, Cabby hits the ball the other way or drops bunts down. Jay did it (Thursday) night and led to a big inning.
“I think you will see more and more of it with guys who can do it,” Collins continued. “It shocked me. Guys like that get paid to hit the ball out of the ball park, but we needed some base runners at the time and he did it.”
Bruce was 1-for-4 Friday night and didn’t need a bunt to get on base, his only hit coming on a single up the middle that put Curtis Granderson in position to score the Mets’ first run of the
game.
FRESH ARM
Left-handed reliever Sean Gilmartin was activated before Friday’s game to shore up a spent bullpen. The Mets relievers had to throw 11.1 scoreless innings in the Mets’ 9-8, 16-inning win over the Marlins Thursday.
They had to turn to relief early again Friday with Noah Syndergaard leaving after the sixth with torn fingernails, but Gilmartin was never needed.
Rafael Montero and Jerry Blevins combined for a scoreless seventh, and Josh Edgin got through the eighth before allowing the winning run on a J.T. Realmuto double in the bottom of the ninth.
GEARING UP
Robert Gsellman was supposed to be the Mets’ insurance. The righthander came into camp as a heavy favorite in a healthy competition with Zack Wheeler and Seth Lugo for the fifth spot in the rotation. He won with a solid spring, but since the season started, he has struggled.
Gsellman has allowed 11 earned runs in just 9.2 innings pitched as a starter over two games. Collins feels that the 23-yearold is struggling to gear up for his first full major league season.
“He’s just a young guy, trying to get ready for his first big league season,” Collins said. “Coming out of spring training, it’s one thing to go to Triple-A for two months and fine-tune your game and then get called up and you are ready to go. Right now, he is fine tuning as the season is going on. At this level that’s tough to do.”
HARVEY HEALTHY
Pitching coach Dan Warthen also said Matt Harvey, who threw his bullpen Friday afternoon, had no issues with the left hamstring that forced him out of his last start. Harvey described it as a “tight” hamstring but after throwing Friday, the righthander said “all’s good.” Harvey is scheduled to start Sunday’s series finale.