The Mets won defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 on Friday. Here are my takeaways from the victory this afternoon…
Bartolo Colon was much sharper today.
Prior to today’s start, projected fourth starter Bartolo Colon was 0-2 this Spring with a 10.29 ERA in seven innings pitched. On Friday, however, Colon looked a lot sharper.
The veteran starter threw 72 pitches in 4.2 innings pitched, scattering six hits, walking one and striking out five Cardinal hitters. Colon’s one blemish, however, was a two-run home run to Scott Moore in the top of the fourth, the only two runs he allowed on the day.
If the Mets can get starts similar to today’s from Colon during the season, I think they’d be pretty happy.
Curtis Granderson seems to have changed his approach.
The hire of hitting coach Kevin Long seems to be paying dividends for the Mets, and specifically Curtis Granderson. Long was Granderson’s hitting coach for four seasons with the New York Yankees, years in which Granderson saw a lot of success, with two consecutive 40-home run seasons from 2011-2012.
After hitting an opposite field home run in Thursday’s game, something he didn’t do for the Mets during the entire 2014 season, Granderson continued his new-look hitting approach, going 3-for-3 with two opposite field hits, including an RBI double, as well as an RBI single up the middle.
Granderson is hitting .458 in Grapefruit League play.
Michael Cuddyer is scorching at the plate right now.
The Mets’ key offseason acquisition continues to sizzle as outfielder Michael Cuddyer blasted a two-run home run to center field in the 6th inning of Friday’s victory. Cuddyer went 2-for-3 at the dish today and is now batting .333 this Spring.
In addition to the good average, Cuddyer now has four home runs, which leads the Mets, in a mere 27 at-bats in Grapefruit League play. If Cuddyer can stay healthy, something many are very skeptical on–myself not necessarily included–and produce like this, this may be a much more potent offense for the Mets in 2015.
Other notes from Friday:
Scott Rice retired the only two batters he faced this afternoon, both left-handed.
Danny Muno, who Terry Collins said could play second if the injury to Daniel Murphy is serious, went 1-for-3.
Kirk Nieuwenhuis cooled off for an afternoon, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, but did end the game in the 9th by recording an out in left and throwing out a runner at home, who was attempting to score the tying run.
Just Mets 