Mets got a HUGE assist from the Phillies, courtesy of Ranger Suárez & company, in their 1-0 defeat of the Braves. Atlanta still has another game in hand on the Mets, but they needed to win them both to stay with the Mets in the loss column. The standings now look like this in the NL East with only 11 games left to go for the Mets in the regular season (the Mets' magic # is 11 btw):
The Braves will make up their remaining game in hand on September 26th in D.C. against the Nats (see below):
The Braves and Mets are each off six days form now on the 29th, and then play their big three-game series in Atlanta. The Mets are off on the 26th as well, giving them three off-days in the span of eight days
(September 22nd, 26th, and 29th). Here are their other remaining opponents though the end of regular season:
It's imperative that they sweep the Triple A's in Oakland. Zero excuses for them not to, particularly with their Big 3 on the mound in Bassitt, deGromi, & Scherzer (in that order). Hopefully the Phils can win a 2nd game too to help the Mets even more in case the Marlins win one of the two in New York next week on Tuesday or Wednesday.
It looks like the Mets will miss Alcantara's turn in the Marlins' rotation since he's pitching Saturday against the Nats. Another HUGE assist. Had there been a third game to conclude the upcoming Marlins series at Citi Field, they would have. Things are lining up as favorably as possible now.
Tiebreaker-wise, the Mets have a 9-7 edge on the Braves head to head. If they were to win just one game against them, then they'd have an overall 10-9 edge to end the regular season, thereby giving them the division if they each end the regular season with the same record. So, if the Mets were to head to Atlanta up a game against the Braves, then they'd be guaranteed to still be in command of the division if they win just one game there.
The Mets have their top 3 pitching in Atlanta--in the same order that we'll see them lined up against Oakland for this series:
Hopefully the Phillies can help the Mets out by winning one more game in this four-game series against Atlanta in Philly. Here are the probable starters for the remaining three games:
Probable Starting pitchers for Braves at Phillies from 9/23 to 9/25
Bottom line: the Mets got they help they needed. They did well to win 2 of 3 from a desperate Brewers club in Milwaukee, and are now out west playing the second worst team in all of MLB, aside the Nats. Here are the three lefties that the Mets will face over the next three games:
The Mets will be sans Vogelbach for this series unless and until the games gets into the bullpen, so it's time for Ruf and Vientos to step up. Bassitt gets to pitch against the club that traded him, so he'll some extra adrenaline flowing for this one.
Win these next five in a row and get rested, and the Mets are right where they need to be. Hopefully McNeil is ok for this series because they'll need him. Nimmo is day-to-day (see below):
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Brandon Nimmo’s MRI Clean; Day-to-Day with Quad Tightness - By Patrick Glynn
We're still waiting to see what happens with Marte too with his broken right middle finger (occurred 17 days ago). Check out the article below for other related notes:
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Mets Morning News: Phillies help Mets out, Nimmo MRI comes back clean - By Vasilis Drimalitis | Sept. 23, 2022 | 8:30am EDT | amazinavenue.com
By the time the Mets game starts in Oakland, the Barfs and Phils should be in the 7th inning or so. We should do a separate game-thread for the Mets and Triple A's since it's so long from now and will be late for folks on the West Coast and/or people overseas. Links to follow of course.
Let's consolidate any other Mets and Mets related news here on this thread since it's a long wait until the game later (9:40 pm EST first pitch). Braves and Phillies are scheduled to play at 7:05 pm EST later in Philly, so we can chat about it here if you'd like too as well as any other news that pops up between now and then.
Toodles for now :-)
if they can pull that off hopefully the Braves lose at least 1 out of their 6 @ Was/phi they enter the 3 game set with 1 game lead and a chance to remain ahead out of that series with tie breaker by just winning 1.
they should be careful with Nimmo ahead of the Braves series and it would be great to hear that Marte is ready to start coming back at some point too.
Funny that both teams dealing with some last minute injury questions. Strider and Acuna for ATL. Nimmo, Marte and possibly McNeil. Do we know what the story with Marte is? We need him badly.
LGM!
New York Mets OF Starling Marte Hoping to Return for Crucial Series - ( New Window )
I wonder who the Dodgers want to win the NL East. Ironic that they have by far the best record in the NL but will likely have the toughest division series matchup in baseball.
Mets need Pete to stay focused and come up BIG against the LH starters. Forget about fWAR and all that stuff. Pete is the Mets big bat. He is El Caballo. He needs to put this offense on his back and carry it.
If Nimmz is out today, then I'm guessing they play Canha in CF, especially since RingCentral Coliseum is his former haunting ground. The rest of the OF would probably be McNeil in LF & Naquin in RF. Who's the DH though against the lefty? Ruf or Vientos? Mets just won 6 in a row against the Bucs and Brewers. There's no reason they can't win 5 in a row against the Triple A's and the Marlenes.
I have a sneaky suspicion that Marte's finger is gonna take longer to heal than they said. I broke mine right before my wedding years ago, and it hurt like a mofo' to shake everyone's hand (I took off the splint for that). I started feeling better after about 6 weeks. Marte got hit on the 6th of this month, so it's only been 17 days. Obviously, I'm not Marte, but I would assume he's gonna need at least 4 weeks. That would mean he doesn't play for the rest of the regular season.
In any case, it behooves the Mets to win the division and get a bye in the Wildcard round of the playoffs. That would give them five off-days starting on October 6th until the Divisional round starts on October 11th. They are an older team that needs to heal after such a long regular season haul. The time off did wonders for Escobar. Let's see what happens. For now, they have enough to win the division against this schedule. They just need to get Nimmz fully healthy again ASAP. Marte is more of a question mark.
Here are the playoff matchups if the season ended as of the start of the day today, as well as the tentative postseason schedule (see below):
2022 Tentative Schedule for MLB Postseason - ( New Window )
The NL's drama is down to if the Brewers can slide into one the last Wildcard spots in place of the Phillies and Padres and who wins the NL East: the Mets or the Braves? Anything can still happen. Check out the article below...
MLB standings 2022: Updated playoff bracket, magic numbers as of Sept. 23 - By Edward Sutelan | 9-23-22 | SportingNews.com - ( New Window )
Only 20 minutes from the nasty colosseum so why not
Be good weather too. Probably in 60,s
Only 20 minutes from the nasty colosseum so why not
Be good weather too. Probably in 60,s
Nice!!! How much are the tickets? Send pics if you can and watch out for the rats!
This is the weekend to get a cushion for the Atlanta series. We all remember how bad it was for the Mets in Atlanta in 1999-01. And last month losing 3 of 4
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Buddy getting tickets right on the field
Only 20 minutes from the nasty colosseum so why not
Be good weather too. Probably in 60,s
Nice!!! How much are the tickets? Send pics if you can and watch out for the rats!
spending $120 with fees etc for field level rat hole of a stadium its almost like the bronx in the 1970s how da heck do I get pictures from my phone onto BBU again?
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In comment 15828467 Payasdaddy said:
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Buddy getting tickets right on the field
Only 20 minutes from the nasty colosseum so why not
Be good weather too. Probably in 60,s
Nice!!! How much are the tickets? Send pics if you can and watch out for the rats!
spending $120 with fees etc for field level rat hole of a stadium its almost like the bronx in the 1970s how da heck do I get pictures from my phone onto BBU again?
The stadium is prolly gonna be empty. Wave at us at the game with a BBI sign, lol! As far as pictures are concerned, you can take photos and upload them whenever. I'm not the best with this kind of thing, but I use this website:
imgur.com
After you use your phone to take pics, you can send them to your email and then download & save them on your laptop/desktop/electronic device. After that you can upload them to the website above, click on the image, and then click "BBCode" to get the link to paste onto BBI. A bit tedious, but I just go that route.
Braves @ Phillies from Philly - TV: Braves Feed - 7:05 PM EST - 9/23/22
Let's go Phils!
Braves @ Phillies from Philly - TV: Philly Feed - 7:05 PM EST - 9/23/22 - ( New Window )
I have Verizon Fios and the game is in channel 97, NESN.
6-0, Phillies ahead, bottom 4th. Go Phillies!
Wow, could the Braves be falling apart? If they lose tonight (and it's 8-0), they'll be 5-5 in their last 10 games. Good times!
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No excuses tonight. Strong start from Bassit and let's put the A's away early.
Wow, could the Braves be falling apart? If they lose tonight (and it's 8-0), they'll be 5-5 in their last 10 games. Good times!
Odorizzi (sp) was a terrible acquisition. I’m not surprised they lost tonight, so I’m not sure they are falling apart. But let’s hope they are! 😁
Mets need to crush it tonight to go up 2.5.
I vote same thread. But good either way
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Or just keep things here for the Mets-A's game starting in roughly 15 minutes?
I vote same thread. But good either way
Okie dokie. Let's just keep it here. I'll post the lineups now while we continue to laugh it up regarding the Barfs losing :-) haha.
+1. Optimus, I have been meaning to thank you also for all the good and helpful stuff you've been posting👌👌👌;
(It's now 9-0, bottom 6th, f--k em).
-McNeil is hitting 7th
-Vientos is DHing and McCann is catching
Starting lineups and pitchers for the Mets and A's game tonight
Gameday Box Score - mlb.com - 9.23.22 - Mets @ A's - 9:40 pm EST start
Mets @ Athletics - 9/23/22 - TV: SNY Feed (Gary & Ron) - ( New Window )
I think this might be Vientos’ breakout performance.
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👍
+1. Optimus, I have been meaning to thank you also for all the good and helpful stuff you've been posting👌👌👌;
(It's now 9-0, bottom 6th, f--k em).
No problem fellas. I enjoy it :-) I'm gonna shuttle back and forth between the Braves game and the Mets game for the next hour or so. This is too fun! haha! Schadenfreude is fun!
Have a feeling Mark Canha is going to have a big series.
McCan't and Nidon't
Final Score: 9-1
Final Score: 9-1
LOL, +1!
Vientos with the BB.
Why do they keep showing this lady in the yellow shirt creepily smiling at the camera? Did I miss something?
Vientos with the BB.
Why do they keep showing this lady in the yellow shirt creepily smiling at the camera? Did I miss something?
I saw that creepy lady too, lol.
She must be a big fan of that horror movie that’s out right now.
0 ER (0 R)
1 H
1 BB
1 K
3.24 ERA
Hope he can throw 7 innings vs. his old team so the bullpen can continue to stay rested. Bassitt's next start might be a week from now in Atlanta with off-days on the 26th and 29th.
She must be a big fan of that horror movie that’s out right now.
Is that the backstory?
In case you missed it, it's a thing on Mets Twitter right now:
https://mobile.twitter.com/ag72345139/status/1573501129157132299
Smile - ( New Window )
Please leave Ruf here in Oakland.
Well, I guess I applaud the unconventional marketing, lol.
We've all seen the smile, now Chris.
Blink twice if you need help.
She's still grinning. I hope she's getting paid for this.
Fantastic. What a machine!
Fantastic. What a machine!
Yes great for him!
BTW - I’ll gladly eat crow on Escobar- took him 5.5 months, but he finally got hot for a prolonged period of time. Better late than never.
1 R (1 ER)
4 H
1 BB
1 K
0 HR
3.24 ERA
I'd assume that Bassitt's done for the night. No reason for him to go back out there. Drew Smith time? lol
2 R (2 ER)
6 H
1 BB
2 K
1 HR
3.27 ERA
Bassitt's night looks to be over. May was up in the pen before. Assuming the 9th is May's on his 33rd birthday.
Keep it going tomorrow, Jake…
hilariously (or sadly?) all it took was 1 ho-hum 2/3 game and now vientos has more extra base hits than Darrin Ruf has had since august 18th (1-0). his 2 hits were also just 1 shy of Ruf's 3 total hits in that time period and the 2 rbis tie them.
i dont expect vientos to win a postseason spot but it starts to glimpse "what could have been". ruf did make a decent catch or 2 in RF and he takes good at bats off the bench so he's not a wasted piece, just not a piece who should have blocked a prospect with legitimate upside in the bat for as long as he did. and obviously the experience only helps make the org depth better because if there were some kind of injury you can start getting more comfortable about him (vientos) as an option.
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I really can’t take anymore of McCant and Nidont. Absolute zeros offensively.
McCan't and Nidon't
they aren't in there for their offense though. Defense and managing the game are also important factors.
Honestly I find that much more important especially with our pitching staff.
I'm worried Chavez is going to get a hard look in the offseason.
I think Hefner is a Met for life.
In any case, Baty and Alvarez will be critical to the Mets' future success. They're young, cheap, & cost controlled for 6 seasons. The Mets need more of that, especially with seemingly half the team being FA vets. If we're stuck with Escobar at 3rd for one more season and McCann & Nido at Catcher for 2023, then there are worse things that could happen.
I'm worried Chavez is going to get a hard look in the offseason.
I think Hefner is a Met for life.
None of us would be sad to see Joey "send 'em all home" Cora find emplyment elsewhere, lol.
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In comment 15828982 CooperDash said:
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I really can’t take anymore of McCant and Nidont. Absolute zeros offensively.
McCan't and Nidon't
they aren't in there for their offense though. Defense and managing the game are also important factors. Honestly, I find that much more important especially with our pitching staff.
Well, not quite. I don't totally disagree with you but they need to be something remotely close to a major league hitter. They aren't. Nido is here (and has been here) because of his defense. But he's a zero offensively. That's fine for a backup - which is what he is, or should be.
McCann was absolutely brought here in large part because of his offense. And his offense has fallen off a cliff from the day he got here. And defensively, I'm not impressed. Statistically, he's a poor pitch framer and I really don't think he calls good games.
Depending on the number of plate appearances (which can be tough with catchers - I used 170 PAs so that it would include McCann) - there are 36 catchers with a higher wRC+ than Nido and 51 catchers higher than McCann. Kewin Plawecki is a better offensive catcher than James McCann - let that sink in for a minute.
James McCann has been an absolute loss. Poor on the offensive side and the defensive side. It happens, that's fine. But this team needs to sort out the catcher role (Alvarez, fingers crossed) and allow Nido to go back to the bench and fantasize about being a major league hitter.
Darn
With the Padres’ loss tonight, The #Mets will officially begin their postseason at Citi Field because they can’t be any worse than the No. 4 seed in the NL. - ( New Window )
hee-hee...
Losing Strider for the rest of the season is a big blow to the Braves.
Gee, that’s such a shame….
The Dodgers' magic number to clinch the #1 seed in the NL playoffs is 3.
MLB - Week 25 of 27: National League Winning Magic Numbers - ( New Window )
McCann can only throw runners out, the other three he is below average or worse
Nido can throw runners out and metrics apparently say he can frame pitches well - but that comes at the expense of blocking balls. He cant call a game, either
If Nido can hit even .240 it would be a plus. McCann making 10M is yet another major Sandy fail. Perez in his brief stint showed he was miles ahead of both defensively, but he cant hit
McCann can only throw runners out, the other three he is below average or worse
Nido can throw runners out and metrics apparently say he can frame pitches well - but that comes at the expense of blocking balls. He cant call a game, either
If Nido can hit even .240 it would be a plus. McCann making 10M is yet another major Sandy fail. Perez in his brief stint showed he was miles ahead of both defensively, but he cant hit
+1
How far along is Alvarez though now with respect to the four aforementioned categories? It stands to reason that Alvarez still needs to work on calling games from what we've heard. or am I mistaken?
To his credit, he has done a better job this year. But under pressure in the playoffs, old faults have a tendency to re-emerge.
IMO Nido should really be the number one catcher (until Alvarez arrives). Tomas has actually hit very well (for him) the last couple of weeks. If the opposing team has base stealers, start McCann. Otherwise, it should be Nido behind the plate. Or pitcher's preference. No need to alternate them in playoffs with all the off days.
But next year, it will be so great to have a hitter like Alvarez as catcher. He supposedly "struggled" at AAA. But still hit 9 HRs in 140 ABs with .810 OPS. Only 20 years old!! What a career he has in front of him!!
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Blocking balls, throwing runners out, calling a game, pitch framing - those are the 4 defensive items for a catcher
McCann can only throw runners out, the other three he is below average or worse
Nido can throw runners out and metrics apparently say he can frame pitches well - but that comes at the expense of blocking balls. He cant call a game, either
If Nido can hit even .240 it would be a plus. McCann making 10M is yet another major Sandy fail. Perez in his brief stint showed he was miles ahead of both defensively, but he cant hit
+1
How far along is Alvarez though now with respect to the four aforementioned categories? It stands to reason that Alvarez still needs to work on calling games from what we've heard. or am I mistaken?
With a veteran staff like Mets have, game calling is not that important because guys like Degrom and Scherzer know exactly what they want to throw. Bassitt too. He was getting worked up last night that McCann could not get on the same page with him.
So with starters i think its a non-issue. Guys like Drew Smith and Megill and DP, it might affect. But then you just might have to bring in Nido as a defensive replacement