Sean Manaea’s Performance Against Cleveland Guardians
In his five innings on the mound, Sean Manaea looked remarkably similar to the formidable pitcher he had become at the end of the previous season.
As the game progressed, he seemed to, well, embody the struggles of most Mets pitchers, apart from David Peterson, who have had trouble going deep into games lately.
The team’s disappointing trend became evident—no starter other than Peterson had pitched six innings since Clay Holmes returned over two months ago, on June 7.
“There’s really no way to sugarcoat it. It’s frustrating,” Manaea remarked after being efficient for five innings before hitting a wall.
The left-hander, nearing full form in his fifth start post-injury, only required 57 pitches to effectively navigate through the Cleveland lineup for five innings.
However, in the sixth, he admitted that he lost his grip on the slider and, consequently, control of the game.
The inning unfolded awkwardly, with the Guardians scoring a pair of runs through three singles—none of which were hit particularly hard.
Stephen Kwan found an opening on the right, and Angel Martinez, attempting a bunt, got hit by a pitch. Following a wild pitch, while Jose Ramirez flew out, Kwan and Martinez advanced to base. Then, David Fry sent a single to right, which scored the first run of the game.
When Pete Alonso caught a fly on first base, Carlos Santana seized the moment, driving a single to the open right side for the second run.
Unfortunately for Manaea, he couldn’t escape the big hit as Gabriel Arias took him deep with a center changeup.
“Things happened quickly,” Mendoza noted, while Manaea humbly remarked, “I just didn’t execute.”
The Mets then called up right-hander Dom Hamel, who had transitioned from a starting pitcher to a longer-relief role this season.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been up here,” Hamel said, recalling his days as the club’s No. 9 prospect in 2022 and 2023 before experiencing difficulties in Syracuse last year.
In addition, Alonso served as the designated hitter for the first time this season, while Mark Vientos made his second start at first base.
“We’re trying to manage Pete’s workload,” Mendoza mentioned about Alonso, who had played in every game this year. “I’m just trying to give him a bit of a breather.”
Meanwhile, Edwin Diaz was recognized as the NL Reliever of the Month for July, successfully saving seven games without allowing a run, striking out 18 batters along the way.
