Schwei's Mets Notes: Off To Cincinnati Hoping To Get Something Going
By John Schweibacher
» More Columns
After a four-game split against the NL East-leading Nationals, the Mets will face the last-place team in the NL Central as they head to Cincinnati to play the Reds.
New York will send Chris Flexen to the mound against Sal Romano in Tuesday night's opener.
The Mets (57-73) lost the second game of the doubleheader at Nationals Park on Sunday night, 5-4. Hansel Robles and Chasen Bradford issued back-to-back bases-loaded walks in the sixth inning, turning a one-runWashington deficit into a 4-3 lead.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Mets have allowed 18 walks with the bases filled this season, the most in the major leagues. That is one more than they issued in the two previous seasons combined, and two short of the Mets' single-season high of 20, set back in 2009.
Earlier Sunday afternoon, the Mets won the opener, 6-5. AJ Ramos got the save thanks to Asdrubal Cabrera, who threw out pinch-runner Edwin Jackson at home to end the game.
MORE: Mets Shut Down Wright's Rehab After Shoulder Pain Persists
Ramos, who has converted all five of his save opportunities since being traded to the Mets, is sixth overall in the NL with 25 saves. Since the start of the 2015 season, Ramos has 97, tied with his new teammate Jeurys Familia for the fourth most in the majors.
-- Kenley Jansen, 118 saves
-- Mark Melancon, 109
-- Craig Kimbrel, 100
-- Familia, 97
-- AJ Ramos, 97
-- Zach Britton, 95
The Mets lost to the Nationals, 9-4, on Saturday afternoon. Wilmer Flores went 4-for-4 with three RBIs in the defeat and now has 10 homers and 22 RBIs since the All-Star break.
According to the batting game finder on baseball-reference.com, only five other players in club history have gone 4-for-4with at least one homer and three RBIs in a Mets' loss. They are:
-- Ike Davis, 7/28/12 at Arz (4-for-4, 3 HRs, 3 RBIs)
-- Ronnie Paulino, 6/8/11 at Mil (4-for-4, HR, 3 RBIs)
-- Mo Vaughn, 9/13/02 at Mtl (4-for-4, 2 HRs 4 RBIs)
-- Edgardo Alfonzo, 5/7/99 at Arz (4-for-4, HR, 3 RBIs)
-- Darryl Strawberry, 4/22/84 at Phi (4-for-4, HR, 4 RBIs)
Jacob deGrom matched his career high with his 14th win, allowing one run and five hits while striking out 10 over 7 2/3 innings as the Mets took the opener of the weekend series in Washington, 4-2 on Friday night.
The Elias Sports Bureau notes the deGrom's nine games with a double-digit strikeout total this season are the most in a season for a Mets pitcher since David Cone, who posted nine in 1990.
Prior to Cone, the only other pitchers to achieve that feat in a season for the Mets were Tom Seaver (12 games with at least 10 strikeouts in 1970, 13 in 1971) and Dwight Gooden (15 in 1984, 11 in 1985).
The Diamondbacks beat the Mets, 3-2, on Thursday afternoon at Citi Field to take three of four in the series.
Robbie Ray, returning from the disabled list, allowed just one run over five innings to earn his 10th win of the season. He is now 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA in four starts against the Mets in his career.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, over the last 40 years only four other pitchers had an ERA as low as Ray's over their first four starts against the Mets: Bert Blyleven in 1978 (0.80 ERA), Dontrelle Willis in 2003/04 (0.64), Tommy Hanson in 2009/10 (0.73), and Adam Conley in 2015/16 (0.82).
Brandon Nimmo reached base safely in all four of his plate appearances from the top spot in the batting order and scored two runs as the Mets beat the D'backs, 4-2, on Wednesday night.
The Elias Sports Bureau noted that Nimmo became the fourth rookie in franchise history to start in the leadoff spot and reach base safely (via hit, walk, or hit by pitch) in at least four plate appearances.
The other rookies to accomplish that feat for the Mets were Mookie Wilson (1981), Gregg Jefferies (1989), and Kazuo Matsui (2004).
The Mets lost to the Diamondbacks, 7-4, last Tuesday at Citi Field.
Amed Rosario hit his third home run of the season and added a RBI triple in his 21st game in the majors.
The last Mets rookie to hit both a triple and a home run in the same game was Dilson Herrera, in his fourth career game back on Sept. 1, 2014, a 9-6 loss to the Marlins in Miami.
The only other Mets players besides Rosario and Herrera to have a game with both a triple and homer in their first 21 career games were Lastings Milledge (2006) and Jefferies twice (1988).
Happy Recap: Second Thought. Terry Collins earned his 537th win as Mets manager Friday to move past Bobby Valentine for second place on the franchise's all-time list.
Nine Miles of Rough Road: Last 2 Standing. Jerry Blevins and deGrom are the only Mets who have been on the active roster all season.
