Kudos to the Mets for scheduling the finale of their series versus the Rangers tonight a half-hour earlier than usual. The 6:40 PM start time, slotted in deference to Texas’s travel itinerary, isn’t a secret, but it will no doubt take some habitual viewers and listeners by surprise. The Mets begin virtually all of their evening home games at 7:10 PM. Not a few people will tune in then only to find the Mets and Rangers already in progress.
Those are lucky people, and I’ve figured out a way to create even more fortunate souls. Just keep starting Mets games earlier than expected, a little bit more each night or day. Did we say 6:40? We meant 5:50. You thought first pitch was at 5:50? Oh, we went with 5:20. Listen, we know we said 5:20, but 2:30 seemed more convenient. We hope you don’t mind.
Mind? Mind? If you kept getting your games over with without what’s left of our attention directed at them, we’d thank you for flushing this dreaded 2023 Met habit from our system.
If we had no idea when their games start, we’d hopefully take the karmic hint and slither slowly but decidedly from our rut of seeking the Mets out in the name of some kind of bizarre fulfillment. So by all means, try to sneak these games in when we’re not looking and we’re not listening. The worst that will happen is we’ll have to find out about yet another low-scoring loss — like Tuesday night’s in which Jose Quintana pitched wonderfully and the infield defense performed admirably behind him, only to have nobody score on his behalf and Drew Smith enter and throw his patented home run ball — after the fact. The resulting fact on Tuesday turned out to be Rangers 2 Mets 1, typical for what happens when These Mets play some contender. The Rangers wheedled an additional run to set up an impenetrable two-run lead heading to the bottom of the ninth. Mark Vientos proceeded to hit a home run with one out remaining, nobody on base and the Mets down by two. Hence, they lost by one.
Actually the worst that will happen will probably be tonight, when Kodai Senga will be allotted additional rest and Denyi Reyes will be brought up to quite likely reprise his performance from previous spot starts, and the loss won’t be so low-scoring. I take that back: the worst that will happen will be remembering to tune in at 6:40 so as not to miss a single pitch of Mets baseball, whoever throws how many it takes to finish losing.
Or, I suppose, winning. You never know. You pretty much do, but you actually don’t. I plan to tune in and report back, dammit.
Blew Smith comes through again, but this Mets team seems completely disinterested in scoring so it seems unfair to lay it all on the bullpen.
I know that Rob Manfred has already valiantly saved our beloved pastime once with the implementation of the sorely needed abracadabra automatic intentional walk.
Not to be an ungrateful sumbitch, but would I be asking for too much of our heroic Commissioner to similarly add an automatic home run to his expanding ministry of magic?
Think of the considerable time and wasted effort it would save during Drew Smith’s appearances: get the dinger right out of the way, and let’s get on with our business. Less painless, far more efficient.
Yep, like a bad habit, I will watch the game, and by 9PM I will likely be dissappointed.
Denyi Reyes, really? Why?
You prefer Butto?
A tough season, to be sure, but watching DJ Stewart play himself into the conversation for ‘who will the Mets use as their 5th OFer in 2024?’ has been an unmitigated thrill.
Fwiw I remain persuaded that Cohen quit on the team no later than June 24, when Escobar was dealt to the Angels for two pitchers who might give them 20 AAAA-caliber innings in 2027. As of June 24 Baty had not remotely distinguished himself, putting up a .658 OPS with poor fielding while Escobar’s line for the Mets from April 14 through June 20 was .310/.364/.521/.885.
Dealing Scherzer et al was just the follow through.
we’re deep into the “cannot give tix away” portion of a lost season (i have been going to a lot of these games), and yet it’s been pleasant enough at the ballpark these last august nights.
tuesday highlights included quintana’s performance; a surprisingly easy drive and parking even though the us open is happening next door; a couple who went 3-for-3 on the delta how well do you know your partner giveaway; and a late voting surge that pushed mr brightside by the killers past piano man for the eighth inning karaoke.
wednesday highlights were, as you say, better: after catching the late innings on a screen over the shoulder of my dinner companion, i stopped off at a stewart’s on the way home and got a root beer to celebrate.