Cabby exits with knee tweak, may be available
MILWAUKEE — Asdrubal Cabrera left the Mets’ 17-6 loss to the Brewers early Saturday after he tweaked his knee in the seventh inning. He is expected to play Sunday, Mickey Callaway said. “He was fine to keep on playing, but we’ll evaluate him tonight,” Callaway said. “Right now, we have him penciled in for tomorrow, but we’ll make sure he’s good to go before we play him.”
Cabrera has been the Mets’ most consistent offensive player this season. He is hitting .314 with a .519 slugging percentage.
Cabrera was unavailable after the game.
AWFUL AJ
AJ Ramos wants to be back in the game on Sunday as well. The struggling righthander got hit hard and chased after just two-thirds of an inning in Saturday’s loss.
On Friday night, Ramos walked back-to-back hitters to force home the winning run in the bottom of the 10th. Saturday, Mickey Callaway called for Ramos in the fifth inning, the first time in his career he had pitched before the sixth.
“I think the situation today called for it,” Callaway said. “We’re in a situation where we had a lot of innings to eat up. I thought it was time for him to pitch today.”
It was an attempt to rebuild his confidence that went awry.
Ramos gave up three runs on three hits and a walk before being pulled.
“Just haven’t gotten any breaks, haven’t given myself the best opportunities to succeed,” Ramos said.
In 19.2 innings pitched this season, Ramos has allowed 14 earned runs on 17 hits and 15 walks. Callaway said he doesn’t see a mechanical issue.
“I don’t think he struggles with the ability to throw the ball in the zone when his mind is right. I am sure he goes to the bullpen he throws a strike whenever he wants to. So you have to take that same mindset into the game, that your stuff is good enough, you can execute pitches, you have to go out there and do it,” Callaway said.
METS WISH IT WOULD RAIN
Jacob deGrom and wait for rain? That may be the Mets’ approach to Monday’s split doubleheader in Atlanta. Mickey Callaway said they may not name a starter for Monday’s nightcap until after deGrom’s start in the afternoon — if they get that game in.
“No, not yet, we’re going to get through the next couple days,” the Mets’ first-year manager said. “We might even have to make a decision after the first game.”
Callaway said it is likely that the Mets will add another pitcher as the 26th man for the split doubleheader, but their options are limited. Corey Oswalt, the best pitching prospect on the 40-man roster, just went on the disabled list with a lat muscle issue.
INJURY UPDATES
Todd Frazier (strained left hamstring) worked on the field and hit pregame Saturday; he said the plan is for him to travel with the team to Atlanta. … Kevin Plawecki (fractured bone in his left hand) DH-ed for Las Vegas in his third rehab game Friday night. He went 1-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
MILWAUKEE — The old Jason Vargas was back Saturday. After one good start this season, the Vargas who has been a huge disappointment so far returned — for just a brief cameo really — in the Mets’ 17-6 loss to the Brewers at Miller Park.
It was the worst loss of the season for the Mets (25-23), who have lost two straight and four of their last five games. The Brewers (33-20) look to take the series finale today. Vargas lasted just three innings, blowing two leads. He gave up five earned runs on six hits.
“They were just really swinging the bats well today,” Vargas said. “I didn’t think I made many bad pitches. They were just out there swinging the bats today.”
So after one quality start last week, the veteran lefty the Mets gave a two-year, $16 million deal this offseason has pitched to a 10.62 ERA in 16.2 innings over five starts.
He once again taxed a bullpen that is already thin after a 10-inning game Friday night during which Jerry Blevins and AJ Ramos struggled. Ramos, who walked two batters in the bottom of the 10th to force in the winning run Friday, gave up three runs in two-thirds of an inning Saturday. Jacob Rhame gave up two runs in one inning and Chris Flexen allowed seven runs, three earned, on eight hits in two innings pitched.
The Mets had handed Vargas a three-run lead in the first with RBI singles from Wilmer Flores and Devin Mesoraco and with Jose Reyes drawing a bases-loaded walk. After the Brewers tied it, home runs from Brandon Nimmo in the second and Michael Conforto in the third gave Vargas a two-run lead, which he blew in the bottom of the third.
Flexen started a 1-2-5 double play with the bases loaded, which allowed him to get through the sixth unscathed.
Vargas gave up a leadoff home run to Jesus Aguilar, and then Travis Shaw, who followed Aguilar with a double, scored on Hernan Perez’s single in the third inning. That signaled the end of the struggling starter’s day.
Christian Yelich drove in three runs for the Brewers and was a homer shy of hitting for the cycle.
STAT OF THE DAY METS AT BREWERS
Today, 2:10 p.m., Zack Wheeler (2-4, 5.32) vs. Jhoulys Chacin (3-1, 3.32). TV: Ch. 11 Mets pitchers allowed a season-high 17 runs on 19 hits.
UNSUNG HERO
Michael Conforto homered for the second straight game. It was the first time he hit home runs in back-to-back games since Aug. 1011 last year at Philadelphia
Ramos gave up three runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning.