Just Mets

The Mets opened up a three-game series at Citi Field on Monday, beating the Phillies 2-0. Here are my takeaways from today’s game…

Jacob deGrom’s B-game is pretty darn good.

By watching you could tell today that Jacob deGrom didn’t have his best stuff. He was laboring a bit, getting into full counts, pitching up in the zone and not missing many bats, yet he still managed to pitch 6.1 shutout innings.

Even though he wasn’t on his A-game, this guy is fun to watch. He’s a fierce competitor out there, like a quieter Matt Harvey to and extent, and I think he’s showing that through his first two starts of the season that last year was no fluke.

DeGrom’s now thrown 11.1 consecutive scoreless innings since allowing a two-run home run to Ryan Zimmerman of the first inning of his regular season debut. He’s also now pitched at least six innings in 14 straight starts dating back to last season, the 2nd longest active streak in the majors. In 24 career starts, Jacob deGrom hasn’t allowed an earned run in seven of them. Swoon.

The offense is still struggling.

The Mets faced Aaron Harang who, with all due respect, is a guy you should be able to hit, but they didn’t. They were only able to scratch out a pair of runs in this game, one on a comebacker that Harang didn’t field cleanly and the other on a sacrifice fly by Travis d’Arnaud after Chase Utley couldn’t handle a would-be double play ball that would have ended the inning.

It’s been really difficult to watch this team struggle at the plate throughout this first week. They’ve missed hittable pitches, haven’t hit for power and maybe most frustratingly haven’t done the little things.

While they were able to take advantage of the Utley mistake in the 8th, there was another moment earlier in the game where they didn’t. In the bottom of the 6th, Michael Cuddyer hit a ball that should have easily been caught, but Grady Sizemore lost it in the sun and the Mets were given a gift triple with one out. All they had to do was hit a fly ball into the outfield to get a run home, however Daniel Murphy couldn’t get it done, as he popped out about five feet in front of home plate, and the next batter Travis d’Arnaud didn’t hit it much further, popping out to shortstop.

David Wright came up in a big spot with two on and two outs in the 7th, but struck out swinging to end the inning. After d’artaud’s sac fly in the 8th, Wilmer Flores came up with runners at 1st and 2nd as the Mets looked to add on, but he flew out to center to end the inning. The team went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position today and in their last five games, they’re 2-for-26 (.077) in such situations.

The Mets are averaging 3.14 runs per game one week into the season.

The bullpen has been a strength so far.

After losing Josh Edgin to Tommy John surgery, Jenrry Mejia to an 80-game suspension and waiting for Vic Black and Bobby Parnell to return from injuries themselves, the Mets bullpen has been a big question mark early in this season. Even with the late acquisitions of Jerry Blevins and Alex Torres, we still weren’t sure how they would perform.

Today, we saw these relievers sparkle yet again, as they were able to protect a 1-0 lead. The biggest outs of this game may have come in the 7th inning when Carlos Torres came in for deGrom, with the tying run on 2nd and the go-ahead run on 1st. Torres was able to get Cesar Hernandez to ground out to first on one pitch, and with the tying run moving to 3rd, he then got Ben Revere to go down looking on a 3-2 pitch.

Jerry Blevins entered in the 8th and did his thing, retiring Odubel Herrera, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, all left-handed hitters, with ease.

Jeurys Familia, the Mets closer for the time being, worked through a bit of trouble in the 9th. After walking the leadoff man Ruiz, Familia induced a double play in the 9th where he covered 1st base–I guess that PFP (pitchers fielding practice) in spring paid off. Familia then got Cody Asche to fly out to center, ending the game, as the bullpen finished off 2.2 scoreless innings.

Other notes from Monday:

Curtis Granderson went 0-for-2, dropping his batting average to .056, but did walk twice.

Lucas Duda went 0-for-3 and left three runners on base.

Left-handed hitters are now 0-for-8 against Jerry Blevins, who hasn’t allowed a baserunner this season.

Nine of the Mets 22 runs scored this season have been unearned.

Today was the first shutout by the Mets of the season, and 9th in their franchise history (first since 2012) to come in a home opener.

The Mets are 4-3 in home openers since Citi Field opened in 2009.