Just Mets

The Mets completed the four-game sweep, defeating the Rockies by the score of 12-3 on Thursday afternoon at Citi Field. Here are my takeaways from the win…

A big day from the offense.

While the Mets took the first three games of this series from Colorado, they really didn’t do all that much offensively–today that changed.

Things looked bleak awfully quickly as the Mets trailed 2-0 entering the bottom of the 1st, but this team immediately responded, driving home three runs on doubles by Daniel Murphy, Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson.

Even after the Rockies tied the game at three in the 3rd, the Mets offense kept on coming, as they re-took the lead on another double by Johnson and added on throughout the afternoon on home runs by Curtis Granderson, Johnson and Juan Lagares, as well as an RBI single from Yoenis Cespedes.

This team’s offense has been completely transformed in the last few weeks with the additions they’ve made. There’s simply no more guaranteed outs in this lineup anymore, as there were at times throughout this season when the team was relying on minor leaguers on an every day basis  The acquisitions that started the transformation pulled their weight on Thursday as Michael Conforto, Uribe, Johnson and Cespedes combined to go 8-for-16 with five doubles, a home run, five RBI, six runs scored and a walk.

After a rocky start, Thor dropped the hammer.

After struggling mightily in last start against the Rays and allowing a pair of runs in the 1st inning today, it looked as if this game might’ve gotten away from Noah Syndergaard early on. That was not the case.

Syndergaard allowed two home runs in the 1st inning, two hits in the 2nd inning and proceeded to give up no hits for the remainder of the game. He gave up a run in the 3rd after a walk, stolen base and an RBI groundout and after that he really appeared to get locked in.

He over-used his fastball early, which resulted in all four of the hits he allowed, but as the game went on he went to his change-up and his breaking pitches, which got crisper and more effective as the game wore on.

If your pitcher’s “off day” is comprised of seven innings, four hits, three runs, two walks and five strikeouts, you’ll take that every time. Overall on the season, Syndergaard’s ERA is now 3.07.

Constant pressure.

You’ve got to wonder what’s going through the minds of the Nationals right now, as they’ve been shut-out for their last 19 consecutive innings, play the defending champion Giants tonight in San Francisco and lost two of three to this very Rockies team over the weekend.

The Mets just keep on winning, and thus have put more and more pressure on Washington in the process. These games are turning into must-win situations for the Nationals, as they’d fall to 4.5 games back of the Mets with a loss tonight.

Other notes from Thursday:

With the win, the Mets are 11 games over .500 for the first time since June 27, 2010.

Juan Lagares’ 3-run, pinch-hit home run was was the first by a Met since Chris Young in 2014.

Curtis Granderson went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI and a walk on Thursday.

The Mets bullpen has not allowed a run in their last six games.

Today marked the 52nd time this year a Mets starter has gone at least 7 innings, the most in baseball.

The Mets are 10-0 in they last 10 home games against the Rockies.