Brandon Nimmo was the hero on Mother’s Day as the New York Mets avoided the sweep to the Atlanta Braves.
After dropping the first two games of the series at Citi Field, Nimmo defied injury to walk it off for the Mets in the finale on Sunday and salvage something from the weekend.
All in all, it wasn’t exactly a great series for the team in Queens. It won’t get any easier, with a tough four-game home-away series with the Phillies next up.
However, before we shift our focus to Philadelphia, let’s perform a deep dive into the series with the Braves in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…
May 12, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets left fielder Brandon Nimmo (9) celebrates while running the base path after hitting a walk-off two run home run during the ninth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
What a Mother’s Day it was for Brandon Nimmo. Firstly, he avoided a stint on the IL after tweaking his intercostal on Saturday. Yes, that’s one body part I had never heard of before. That was a new one for me. Secondly, Nimmo came off the bench on Sunday to hit a walk-off, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to seal a 4-3 win. As a result, the Mets avoided the sweep, and they were able to finish a difficult weekend on a high note. The events of Sunday also underlined Nimmo’s toughness and commitment to this team. To hit the winning home run less than 24 hours after leaving a game hurt is pretty damn impressive. It is also one hell of a story.
J.D. Martinez finally has a home run in a Mets uniform. The slugger has struggled to display the kind of famous pop he’s known for to begin his Mets career. However, he was able to finally go long on Saturday, hitting a solo home run in the ninth inning of the 4-1 loss. As a bonus, Martinez’s blast ensured the Mets would not be no-hit, which nobody wants on their resume.
Christian Scott continues to impress. The best pitching prospect the Mets have seen in years was locked in Saturday. He allowed three runs on six hits with three walks while striking out eight. It is important to note that two of Scott’s three runs given up came on an Orlando Arcia home run. Scott boasted a 32 percent swing-and-miss rate on Saturday, and his only mistake was the two-run homer. The righty looks every inch a big leaguer and although still early, he looks to have the WOW factor on the mound. I have a hunch this is just the start of great things to come for Scott.
May 10, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Jose Quintana (62) follows through on a pitch against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
José Quintana is swimming in troubling waters right now. The veteran endured a nightmare outing on Friday night, allowing three home runs in one inning. He allowed four runs, enough to condemn the Mets to defeat in the series opener. Quintana has given up 19 earned runs in his last five outings – including 12 in his last two – and owns a 5.44 ERA on the year.
Given that the lefty was supposed to be a stabilizing presence in the rotation, his recent slump should be nothing less than incredibly concerning. With an ugly 7.84 ERA in his last four starts, it is fair to start wondering if this is the version of Quintana we’re now stuck with for the remainder of the year.
Is there trouble on the horizon with Kodai Senga? In a puzzling interview over the weekend, manager Carlos Mendoza revealed that Senga’s rehab from a strained shoulder had slowed down. Then, Mendoza stated that Senga won’t step up his rehab until he’s fixed some mechanic issues. So, in summary, Senga won’t throw lives but will continue to throw bullpens until he’s happy with his mechanics. What that means for his timeline to return remains to be seen, but it isn’t an encouraging development. I can’t make sense of the full comments made by Mendoza, but it does seem that we’ll have to wait a little longer for Senga’s comeback.
Furthermore, the Mets also received unpleasant news on Brooks Raley. The lefty reliever will visit Dr. Keith Meister in Texas on Tuesday to seek a further opinion on his throwing elbow. Raley has called the injury “complex,” and surgery could be on the table. If the worst-case scenario comes true, and Raley is out for the year, then that will be a crushing blow to a bullpen already stretched to the limit.
The Mets managed just two runs and four hits in a loss on Friday. They were then nearly no-hit on Saturday, recording two hits and one run in that defeat. Sure, they put four runs on the board to win Sunday’s series finale. However, this offense simply lacks the IT factor. They leave runners on base, they don’t get the job done with RISP, the big hitters aren’t playing to the back of their baseball cards, and they don’t steal bases. Before Sunday, the Mets had stolen just nine bases all season. They were averaging just 3.4 runs per game. Furthermore, this team was 6-12 since April 21 before Sunday, hitting just .216/.282/.344 as a team.
In my opinion, this lineup is just devoid of creativity. They don’t try to cause chaos on the base paths, struggle to advance runners, and aren’t clutch in high-leverage situations. If that doesn’t change, and if the offense remains one-dimensional, then I don’t think a Wild Card spot will be obtainable by the time we get to August. Something has to change with this lineup. And fast.
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