Game 36 of 162
Reds 7 – Mets 6 (Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati, O)
Mets record: 17-19
Mets streak: Lost 3
WP – Luke Weaver (1-2)
LP - David Peterson (1-5)
SV - Alexis Diaz (7)
Seat on the Korner: TJ Friedl
We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.
TJ Friedl went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored, including the key fifth-inning triple that followed the controversial non-call that led to Buck Showalter's ejection. Friedl's hit made the score 6-1 and at the time appered to be the dagger that would finish the Mets. The Queens nine was playing seriously uphill after that.
Need To Know
*The Mets have now dropped 12 out of their last 15 games, putting them two games under .500.
*David Peterson was recalled from Syracuse to make the start after Max Scherzer continued to suffer from a stiff neck. The Mets needed Peterson to give them some length, in light of how much the bullpen has been taxed. Instead, he only lasted 3 1/3 innings, constantly pitching behind in the count (only five first-pitch strikes out of the 19 batters he faced) and leaving after throwing 87 pitches, only 49 of them strikes.
*In hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark, the Mets hit four home runs: two by Francisco Alvarez and one each by Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor.
*The Mets loaded the bases twice in the late innings, but both times the rallies were stifled, first by a Mark Canha double-play grounder in the seventh (why was he swinging at the first pitch after a Daniel Vogelbach walk?) and a Luis Guillorme strikeout an inning later. Guillorme was hitting for Canha, an indication of the loss of faith in Canha.
*Alexis Diaz. Edwin's brother, notched a four-out save, entering to the blare of trumpets, but not Timmy Trumpet's.
*Justin Verlander makes his second start of the season Wednesday, hoping to stanch the bleeding.
*The Mets signed former Mets catcher Gary Sanchez to a minor league contract. When right, he is an offensive weapon -- although he hasn't been for some time -- and he might be viewed as a potential right-handed DH. Defense is not his strong point.
Turning Point
With one out and Wil Myers on first in the fifth inning, Kevin Newman hit a gorund ball just to the right of second base. As he slid into second, Myers appeared to intentionally hit Francisco Lindor's glove to prevent the Met shortstop from fielding the ball and starting a double play. Manager Buck Showalter protested, and seemed to be asking a) why none of the four umpires saw that or b) why they wouldn't look at a replay. Showalter lost the argument and was eventually tossed, his first ejection as a Met. The next batter, TJ Friedl, tripled to score two. Jonathan India followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 7-1.
3 Keys
Francisco Alvarez had his best game as a Met, hitting two home runs and throwing out a runner in the bottom of the sixth to complete strike-em-out-throw-em-out double play. He survived a collision with a Reds television camera chasing a foul pop in the bottom of the fourth. Alvarez appears much more comfortable both at and behind the plate.
Did Buck Showalter's ejection (leaving bench coach Eric Chavez in charge) provide the spark that rallied the team? The results are unclear: the Reds scored three runs immediately after the ejection to make the score 7-1, but the Mets fought back after that -- to a point. There might be a different conclusion about the ejection's effect had the Mets won the game.
Mets starters continue to leave early, taxing the bullpen. Is help on the way? Carlos Carrasco pitched three strong innings in a rehab start for Binghamton Rumble Ponies, throwing 33 pitches (28 for strikes). But he probably needs at least one more rehab start to work up his pitch count. Meanwhile, Max Scherzer might be able to start Thursday, which woukd give Kodai Senga an extra day's rest.
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