The New York Mets didn’t exactly come firing out of the gates to start the second half of the season.
In Miami for a four-game series against the 35-65 Marlins, the Mets had to win the finale to return to New York with a split. Not exactly ideal.
It was also an uneven series full of inconsistencies from the offense and pitching. With the race for the Wild Card so tight, dropping two games against one of the worst teams in baseball is far from great.
And, with that, let’s dive into another edition of 3 Up, 3 Down …
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This year has been a rough one for Jeff McNeil. It has been so bad that we’ve all wondered how much good baseball, if any, the two-time All-Star had left in the tank. He hit just .216/.276/.314/.591 with five homers and 24 RBIs in the first half. Well, if the four games in Miami are anything to go by, then there is still a little left in the tank. McNeil was one of the Mets’ best offensive producers against the Marlins. He hit a pair of home runs in the series opener before blasting a no-doubter two-run shot on Monday. In all, McNeil scored three runs and six RBIs in four games against the Marlins. Yes, he also went a combined 0-for-5 in two games, but his bat seems to be trending upwards, and that’s good news for the Mets.
Jose Iglesias also enjoyed a big series against the Marlins. Having proved that he belongs in the majors, Iglesias continues to make big-time contributions. He went a combined 6-for-14 in four games, hitting a double and his first-ever triple for New York. He also scored two runs and is now hitting .387/.430/.591 with a 1.021 OPS this year. Iglesias makes the Mets a better defensive team while coming up with clutch hits and consistent production from lower down the lineup.
Everything has been going swimmingly for Kodai Senga as of late. Then Sunday happened. The righty gave up five earned runs on eight hits in three innings for Triple-A Syracuse. Talk about an ugly outing. However, don’t get too caught up in that. The most important thing is, barring any unforeseen setbacks, Senga should make his 2024 debut for the Mets this Friday against the Braves. That is huge. Especially given how tough a stretch the Mets have coming up.
Granted, we don’t know how effective Senga will be given how long a layoff he’s had. But, placing that significant worry on the shelf for now, just having Senga back in the rotation will be a gigantic boost, and the timing is perfect given how big a week this is for the Mets. It’s officially Kodai Senga time.
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Something isn’t right with Pete Alonso. The slugger hasn’t looked like himself all year, even though the surface numbers paint a different picture. However, study the underlying metrics and trust the eye test, and you will conclude that this isn’t the same Alonso we’re used to seeing create pure magic at the plate. The four-time All-Star has just two home runs in July. He has also stunk with runners in scoring position. He couldn’t get the job done with runners on in the first, fifth and seventh innings of Sunday’s game, a 4-2 loss. Then, on Monday, Alonso grounded into a double play with two on and one out in the first. As a result, he’s hitting just .213 with a .701 OPS, with runners in scoring position this year.
That isn’t going to get the job done. And unless Alonso can figure that substantial problem out, then the Mets could be in for a tough ride down the stretch. After all, you need your best hitters to come up in the clutch with runners on. Overall, something is off with Alonso, and righting the ship will be key if this team is to make the postseason this year.
The Mets offense was red hot going into the All-Star break. It was the opposite of that coming out of the break. The lineup averaged just 3.25 runs per game against the lowly Marlins, resulting in two losses. The key to those struggles was New York’s inability to throw the hammer down with runners in scoring position. In four games in Miami, the Mets finished the series 2-for-29 with RISP. They stranded a small army of runners on base, contributing to only escaping with a series split. If the Mets are to stay in Wild Card contention, then they can’t keep coming up empty with runners on. They just can’t.
The home run really hurt the Mets’ starters in Miami. Sean Manaea was roughed up in the series opener, allowing a home run as part of the five earned runs he gave up on eight hits. Luis Severino tossed a gem on Saturday before Christian Scott‘s start was ruined by a back-breaking three-run homer on Sunday. Even David Peterson, who pitched a solid start on Monday, gave up a solo homer. Peterson pitched around that to help the Mets secure a series split. However, Manaea never gave his team a chance and Scott’s error proved fatal. Ultimately, that was the difference between winning the series and settling for a split, which could prove costly down the stretch.
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