Mets Series Review The Tailspin Begins
The good start for the New York Mets has ended as they have lost their first series of the season. Worse, injuries are beginning to compile as the rest of the East is getting into their grove. The Mets were fortunate not to get swept as they played poorly, did not get timely hitting, and their bullpen faltered.
The series started with Max Scherzer on the mound with Marco Gonzales starting for Seattle. Scherzer ignored Japanese Ambassador Mikio Mori, who walked away, unable to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. This began a curse that threw the weekend into a tailspin as it seemed to create bad karma. The Mets scratched out a run in the first inning but should have had more, as Gonzales tied the Mets'in knots. Scherzer retired the first nine batters, but the Mariners scored a run in the fourth to tie the game.
The game went to the bullpen, with Drew Smith struggling to find the plate as the Mariners scored a run in the eighth. The Mets had their chances as long drives by Jeff McNeil, and Pete Alonso died on the warning track. Meanwhile, Paul Mother Fucking Sewald, one of the worst pitchers in the history of the New York Mets, came in and was lights out to earn the win. Sewald, after the game, ripped the Mets for giving up on him, feeling that 1-14 was an excellent record. His 5.50 ERA was fantastic, and fans should appreciate him even though every time he stepped on the mound, he totally sucked.
On Saturday, rain delayed the start of the game for 68 minutes as Chris Bassitt took the mound. The Mariners had George Kirby making his second start as he had a large group of family and friends on hand from Rye, New York. Kirby is considered to be one of the top five prospects in baseball. The Mariners loaded the bases against Bassitt in the first inning, but Eugenio Suarez was picked off at second, with a replay review showing that Jeff McNeil made the tag. The Mets used replay again in the bottom of the inning as Starling Marte was safe at third with a triple. Marte would score on a single by Francisco Lindor.
The Mets added two runs in the third, as Starling Marte had a double that led to back-to-back sac-flies from Lindor and Alonso. In the fifth inning, Marte scored his third run, coming home on a double by Pete Alonso. Chris Bassitt was strong, though he pitched in and out of trouble. The Mariners had runners on base in every inning but the second, when Bassitt struck out the side on ten pitches. A high pitch count would lead to Bassitt exiting in the sixth inning as Seattle got a run on the board while fans were doing the wave. SMH.
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Seth Lugo finished the sixth inning and started the seventh, as Seattle had another rally going with the wave continuing. Chasen Shreve came in and gave up a three-run bomb to Mets' tormentor Jesse Winker, who seems acts like a young boy pulling the pigtails of the girl he likes, so she can notice him and be his girlfriend. Winker obviously wants to be a Met, and the fans know it, so the boos will be big cheers when he eventually wears the orange and blue.
The air was sucked out of Citi Field, but Patrick Mazeika, who was only playing because James McCann is out six weeks with a hand injury, hit his second career home run to give the Mets a 5-4 lead. All Mets relievers struggled on Saturday except Edwin Diaz. He came and struck out the side, including Winker, to end the game, as Adam Ottavino was credited with the win, as Shreve's outing was ruled short and ineffective.
On Sunday, it was Carlos Carrasco against reigning Cy Young winner Robbie Ray. Carrasco, nicknamed cookie, has been up and down most of the season. On Sunday, he was down. He was the Danish cookies in the tin that you find at your grandmother's house. You grab the tin and think it is cookies, but it is a sewing kit. When you taste the cookies, you realize the sewing equipment is better. Carlos Carrasco was walloped, giving up four runs on eight hits as he was taken out of the game with one out in the fifth.
After the Mariners took a 4-1 lead, the Mets made a comeback, scoring four runs on triples by J.D. Davis and Brandon Nimmo. The lead would not last as Shreve was ineffective again, giving up a home run to Julio Rodriguez. Seattle would take the lead on a two-run blast by Cal Raleigh against Drew Smith, who struggled again. Paul Sewald taunted the Mets as the Mariners held an 8-5 lead in the ninth. The Mets would rally, scoring two runs as they had second and third with one out. However, Starling Marte looked feeble against Deigo Castillo, while Alonso trying for a ten-run homer looked foolish chasing what would have been ball four as the Mets lost the series and reverted to the 2021 team.
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Next is the Cardinals, with the Mets' rotation in flux, as Tylor Megill will miss two weeks with biceps tendinitis. This means Monday will be a white flag bullpen game, with the Cardinals likely to win by ten runs. Taijuan Walker will also likely get lit up as the Mets could soon be back to .500 with a tough schedule ahead.