Mets are feeling weathered
Rain turns to snow as N.Y. struggles to get games in
Another Mets game has been postponed. Friday night’s game against the Rockies has been moved to a Saturday doubleheader after a snowstorm and cold temperatures in Denver.
The pair of seven-inning games is scheduled to begin at 5:10 p.m. EST on Saturday. It’s the seventh time a Mets game has been postponed, against eight games actually played. Three games were postponed because of the Nationals’ coronavirus outbreak, three more in a long stretch of rainy weather in New York and now at least one due to snow. The Mets (5-3) did manage to make up one rained-out game against the Phillies.
Jacob deGrom, Friday’s scheduled starter, will again be pushed back one day and start on Saturday against the Rockies. DeGrom, who has a 0.64 ERA across two starts (14 innings) and a 0-1 record, was supposed to pitch on Thursday afternoon on his regular five days of rest. Thursday’s series finale against the Phillies was the third rainout of the Mets’ first homestand of the season.
Joey Lucchesi will make his rotation debut in Game 2 on Saturday, followed by Marcus Stroman pitching Sunday to wrap up the team’s series in Colorado. Following an off-day Monday, the Mets will open a three-game series at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Tuesday.
“In the month of April, in history, there’s been some disruptions in playing,” Mets manager Luis Rojas said on Thursday. “As far as the weather … I think we can find a way to be prepared. We just did it when we had the two (rainouts) before this series. And we just won
three games in a row against the Phillies.”
Francisco Lindor compared the Mets’ wacky schedule to spring training: They play a couple of games, then they’re off the next day. The Mets have played just one nine-inning game, on Wednesday in their 5-1 win against the Phillies, this week. Their next full game isn’t until Sunday ... if the weather accommodates the rest of their schedule in Denver.
As frustrating as these postponements have been for fans — the Mets have played the least number of games in MLB — there are a couple of silver linings.
The Mets will enter Saturday with at least eight seven-inning games remaining on their 2021 schedule. Shorter games will allow the Mets’ rotation (a so-far solid unit that has a 2.34 ERA to start the year) to pitch deeper into games and potentially avoid using the bullpen. The relief corps is one of the team’s weakest areas, particularly without setup man Seth Lugo who is on his way back from right elbow/ bone spur surgery.
The cancellations have also given rehabbing starters Carlos Carrasco and Noah Syndergaard time to remain on their return schedules back in Port St. Lucie, Fla. In their eight games in the past 16 days, the Mets have not even used Lucchesi as their fifth starter, which was their initial plan when they broke spring camp without Carrasco.
Both Carrasco and Syndergaard are expected to return to the rotation by June, in time for the team’s makeup seven-inning doubleheader on June 25 against the Phillies.
“Whether it be the weather, COVID, we can’t really control those things,” first baseman Pete Alonso said Wednesday. “You can’t really dwell on that. … It’s been kind of a weird, rocky start, not because of our play but because of the inconsistency from outside factors that we can’t control. So I think the more that we can get blessings from the weather, and are allowed to play on a consistent basis, the more that other teams can stay healthy, the more consistent we’re going to be.
“I think just playing consistent games, that’s when things are going to smooth out. Once those things take care of themselves and the season gets going and becomes regular and starts running like a well-oiled machine, I think you’re going to see us take off and not stop.”