O Mets are reeling a bit as they head to Cleveland to play the hot Guardians, having lost seven of the last 10 games while watching Edwin Diaz melt down enough to lose your closest relative’s job, at least temporarily.
Furthermore, the attack was so terrible that the coach Carlos Mendoza finally shook up the lineup on Saturday in Miami, changing Francisco Lindor to get started and Brandon Nimmo for third place. The 16 runs the Mets scored over the next two days had little to do with the move, but the key numbers finally made it count as well, with Lindor homering and Nimmo homering in the ninth inning on Sunday.
In short, there’s a lot going on with the Mets as they try to figure things out and get back to playing winning baseball.
The Guardians, for their part, could give them some pointers in that regard, considering they are 30-17 with a team that doesn’t have much star power but finds ways to win with one of the best bullpens in the majors and a nuisance attack. who makes contact, steals bases and hits in the clutch.
Here are 5 things to watch out for in the series:
The Guardians just won
They look to be a sum-up kind of team this season with rookie head coach Stephen Vogt earning nothing but praise as you go Terry Franconareign in Cleveland, which is no small feat.
The Guardians’ strength is their pitching, especially the bullpen, which boasts a 2.95 ERA, tied with the Yankees for best in the majors. Approaching with force Emmanuel Clase has been nearly perfect, allowing one earned run in 22 1/3 innings for a 0.40 ERA, and several other relievers have impressive numbers as well.
The starting rotation is solid but not very imposing, having lost ace shane bieber the injury. In fact, on Tuesday the Mets face an old friend Carlos Carrascowho is pitching to a 5.16 ERA in eight starts.
Offensively they are led, as always, by José Ramírezwhich is having a moderate season for him so far, with a .797 OPS. Josh Naylor leads the Guardians in home runs with 12, while former Met André Giménez is hitting .277 with a .724 OPS. Steven Kwanhitting .353 with a .903 OPS, will miss the series with a hamstring injury.
The Guardians rank fifth in the majors in runs scored, at least in part because they have been good when it counts, hitting .296 with runners in scoring position, the fourth-best average in the majors and an MLB-best .250 with RISP and two outs .
Who is closer?
With Diaz seemingly out of the mix for now, Adam Ottavino is the logical candidate, as the leading point guard so far who is pitching well (2.95 ERA), especially with lefties Brooks Raley remaining on the IL with a shoulder injury.
However, a lot could depend on how Mendoza wants to best utilize his X-Factor reliever, Reed Garrett. On Sunday, after Garrett pitched a dominant and efficient eighth inning, Mendoza decided to let him pitch the ninth as well, and the right-hander closed out the 7-3 win without a hitch, striking out four of the seven batters he faced.
Garrett has been a great weapon for Mendoza as a multiple-inning reliever, but his splitter is such a dominant pitch that he could be the best closing candidate, especially since Ottavino’s long throw makes him very vulnerable to a stolen base.
Could a return to Cleveland boost Lindor?
The Mets shortstop has a .306 lifetime average with an .889 OPS at Progressive Field, where he played for six seasons with Cleveland. Can the friendly confines of his old stadium steer him away from his recurring crises this season?
His latest funk went 1-for-28 midway through Sunday’s game, as he hit some tough singles in his final two at-bats to raise his average to .197.
Lindor is a notoriously slow starter, but only once in his career has he been below .200 late in the season: in 2021, while he was booed in his first year with the Mets, he was hitting .185 as of May 20.th with a .574 OPS.
All indications are that Mendoza will keep Lindor in the lead for the immediate future.
Is six-man rotation here to stay?
The Mets aren’t saying it, but for the second time in the rotation they are adding an extra starter, giving their pitchers extra rest.
This time both Tylor Megill It is Adriano Houser are returning to the rotation, Megill from injury and Houser from his slump-induced stint in the bullpen.
As a result, Joey Lucchesi is back at Triple-A Syracuse and rookie Christian Scott won’t play again until Friday at home against the San Francisco Giants, with six days between games.
Scott’s potential cap on innings is likely a factor in the Mets’ strategy right now, and if Kodai Senga whenever he returns from injury, his and Scott’s presence would be yet another reason for a six-man rotation.
sweet road road
Why do the Mets hit so much better on the road than at home? They say they have no idea, but the numbers contrast starkly.
In 22 road games, the Mets are hitting .267, the second-best average in the majors, with a .313 on-base percentage, a .439 slugging percentage and a .752 OPS.
In 24 home games, they are hitting .207, which ranks last in the majors, with a .286 on-base percentage, a .323 slugging percentage and a .609 OPS.
