Mets ace Kodai Senga still can’t pitch upright.
Team president David Stearns expressed frustration before the game after receiving numerous inquiries about a potential future ace (Brandon Sproat), saying “for now, he’s a Triple-A guy” and that he would have more to say about Sproat if and when he becomes a major leaguer.
There are plenty of questions surrounding the Mets’ pitching staff, which lacks a top-tier pitcher, and that will likely be the problem in the end.
But if the team goes anywhere this year, it will probably be because the team’s offense slumps through October.
The Mets’ greatest weapon is their depth and powerful batting lineup, which is showing signs of success again.
Carlos Mendoza’s team hit five extra-base hits, including two home runs, and outplayed the Marlins’ pitchers, 7-3, in the series opener before a screaming crowd of 32,311 on a stunning Friday night.
During their four-game losing streak from last weekend through this week, the team only managed to score a total of five points.
The Mets have hit 22 home runs in their last three games (two of which they have won), showing that their top of the lineup can carry the team, their middle of the lineup can produce, and their bottom of the lineup can be stronger than most.
“From No. 1 through No. 9, we can do damage,” Mendoza said after the entire lineup contributed with 10 hits and five walks. “We’ve got guys that can hit the ball out of the ballpark. We’ve got guys that can hit the ball when we need to. We’ve got guys that can utilize the whole field.”
“…Now we’re seeing some signs that we’re getting back on track.”
Miami’s first lead came in the first inning when Brandon Nimmo advanced to second base on a Miami error and J.D. Martinez hit a one-run single with two outs.
The Mets took the lead for the second time in the fourth inning, when they responded by scoring six runs in the bottom of the fourth after the Marlins led by two.
No.8 hitter Jeff McNeil hit a slow slider from Rodry Munoz, who had plagued the Mets twice this season, for his seventh home run of the second half, a two-run homer that quickly extended the Mets’ lead.
After Harrison Bader walked, leadoff hitter Francisco Lindor tripled down the first base line and Mark Vientos drove in an RBI and moved to second base for the slumping Nimmo.
A day after Nimmo was sidelined with gastroenteritis, he hit a first-pitch slider into the right-field stands for a three-run homer.
“Obviously, with a longer lineup, you’re going to make fewer mistakes,” said Nimmo, who hit his first home run since July 10. “The more guys that can swing the bat well, the better. Hopefully we get to a time where we can really swing the bat well and have a few guys that can handle it.”
Both of the Mets’ home runs came against Miami’s sliders, which could have important implications.
Before the game, hitting coach Eric Chavez discussed the team’s struggles against breaking balls.
“That’s the trend right now,” Chavez said. “Teams are spinning us and we’re not very good at it.”
“What do you guys want to do?”
It’s clear what opposing pitchers want to do: force Mets hitters to throw as many curveballs as possible.
At the start of the game, no team in baseball had seen more breaking balls than the Mets, who threw a curveball, slider, sweeper, slurve or knuckleball 33.5 percent of the time (6,067, according to Baseball Savant).
Other pitchers had good reason to try to avoid the Mets’ lineup, which hit just .225 against other pitches.
Their .350 slugging percentage against curveballs was the ninth-worst in baseball.
If he hits two or three home runs, his slugging percentage will go up.
That margin proved enough for Sean Manaea (three runs in seven innings) and Jose Butt (two scoreless innings).
Manaea bounced back from a lackluster performance in Seattle to pitch the seventh inning for the third time in his past four games.
“I just want to help this team win,” said Manaea, who has a 3.46 ERA. “Sometimes I’ll pitch four, five innings, maybe seven, which is great. It feels good to pitch seven innings, but I just want to help this team win.”
He did what the Mets needed: pitch well enough to give their offense a chance to take control of the game.
