Jacob deGrom is pitching tonight, and one of these days, he’ll hurl a perfect game. But I hope he doesn’t, and instead, the Mets bats come awake.
Jacob deGrom, who without argument, is the best pitcher in baseball today (sorry, Gerrit Cole and Shane Bieber), takes the mound tonight to face the surprising Boston Red Sox at Citi Field.
Ho-hum, we all but know we’re on board for another glimpse into perfection, as deGrom carves out another Cy Young season with a 2-1 or 3-1 win over the Sox.
Jacob deGrom: Let Them Work For This One
But this time, for the sake of the Met’s team, I wish for things to be different, only because the logjam in the Met’s lineup needs to be broken if they wish to contend in the NL East seriously.
Assuming there’s a bit of giving and take in Jacob deGrom’s minuscule ERA and plenty of time to recover, I’d like to see him take the hill (for once) without his best stuff, surrendering two in the first, two in the third, and three in the fifth inning – for a total of seven runs.
But at the same time, we see a progression in the game in which the Mets march back, step-in-step with the Red Sox while deGrom battles his way through seven innings when the Mets take the lead, and the bullpen remains firm for a win.
The Mets need this type of game from their hitters more than they need another masterpiece from deGrom.
We know of all the ugly offense stats cited in yesterday’s essay, which were compounded again by a 2-1 loss last night in a game David Patterson pitched more than effective enough to win, save for the absence of Met’s bats.
Jacob deGrom: Ho-Hum, He’s Pitching A Masterpiece
The spoils of having Jacob deGrom pitch for your team is evident in recent statements by Mets manager Luis Rojas has said, “I’m at the point where we expect him to come in and give us the length that has been given us,”
The trouble, though, is when Rojas will demand the same from his offense because that is the burden he is laying on deGrom every time he makes a start?
Unless Rojas knows something we don’t, it’s not a question of Mets’ batters trying, nor is it a pariah in the clubhouse we don’t know about.
Instead, it’s simply taking ownership by every Mets player who steps on the field on any given day for their performance, or in this case, lack thereof.
Is it time, for instance, for the Mets to change from Chili Davis and Tom Slater to new hitting coaches?
That’s always the easy answer. If the current trend continues, we are likely to see that, even though we are dealing with professional ballplayers being paid a lot of money, which should be able to figure these things out for themselves.
Perhaps, tonight they will, and Jacob deGrom will be treated to a not-so-much earned game in the win column, and how unique will that be?
Mets Bats: The Pitching Pandemic Can’t Be An Excuse
It’s a pandemic spreading across major league baseball this year that has pitching dominating batters, and maybe the Mets are merely a victim of the trend.
But the fact remains, and numbers don’t lie, no team wins a division with a -21 run differential, much less a World Series title, regardless of how strong their pitching is.
Across town, for instance, the Yankees are struggling with the same lack of offense to support their B+ or better pitching while still waiting for Aaron Hicks, Clint Frazier, Gleyber Torres, and Gary Sanchez to answer the call.
Seemingly though, Brian Cashman is off the grid when he deals a competent left-fielder (Mike Tauchman) to the Giants for a third-rate reliever – leaving fans to wonder – Say What?
Unlike the Yankees, though, the Mets have the players and a front office who can produce. Put Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Michael Conforto, Jeff McNeil, and Dominic Smith in a lineup that is clicking and…
So, that should be the question tonight as the Mets bats face Nick Pavetta (2-0, 3.48), a surprise among numerous Red Sox (15-9) surprises this year.
The Mets are holding on at 9-9 in a division where no team has yet to take charge, but how long will that last?
To reiterate, I wouldn’t mind seeing Jacob deGrom take one for the team with a shoddy performance tonight – if it means the Mets bats come alive to produce an offense-ridden come from behind win.
Surely, deGrom will be the first to say – “Hoorah.”
Here’s What Readers Are Saying…
Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal.
