3 Up, 3 Down: Lack Of Offense Dooms Mets In Anaheim

Some worrying offensive trends continued for the New York Mets in a series loss to the Angels.

The Mets dropped two out of three games in Anaheim to a team well under .500. As a result, New York fell 1.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. It was also the ballclub’s first series loss since June 30.

The lack of offense was central to the Mets’ struggles on the West Coast. Their recent struggles with runners in scoring position certainly contributed to their downfall in this series. The Mets finished the three-game set a brutal 6-for-35 with RISP, stranding a staggering 27 runners total.

As we ready for a one-day stop in St. Louis, let’s dive into the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down …

3 UP

GOOD START

The addition of Paul Blackburn at the trade deadline didn’t exactly leave Mets fans salivating. The veteran wasn’t the sexiest option out there. However, the one-time All-Star is a solid, no-thrills starter that can go deep into games, and that’s just what the Mets need right now. We saw glimpses of Blackburn’s dependability in his debut. The righty allowed just one earned run on six hits while walking two and striking out six in six innings. Sure, luck played a role, as Blackburn did run into trouble at various points. However, he got the job done and should be a reliable arm for the Mets down the stretch.

SIGNS OF LIFE

It is fair to say that Brandon Nimmo has been struggling since the All-Star break. The outfielder looked lost at the plate and was hitting just .077/.250/.077 over ten games and 39 at-bats before the series against the Angels. However, despite a banged-up foot, Nimmo began to show signs in Anaheim that he’s now trending in the right direction. He reached base safely in all three games while recording four hits, two walks, a double, two stolen bases and two runs scored. Considering how tight the Wild Card race is, the Mets will need their stars to deliver the rest of the way. That includes Nimmo, and he appears to be getting back into a groove.

HELP ON THE WAY

The final two games of this series were tough viewing. However, on the plus side, there does appear to be some reinforcements on the way for the Mets. Starling Marte is progressing and will continue his rehab in Port St. Lucie this week. In better news, relievers Reed Garrett and Sean Reid-Foley pitched for Double-A Binghamton on Sunday. Both players look set to rejoin the Mets this week. Getting those two bodies back will be a huge and timely boost for the bullpen. Plus, once Marte is ready to return to big league action, that will increase New York’s outfield depth and lengthen that lineup.

3 DOWN

NOTABLE SETBACK

The new-look bullpen looked good for the Mets in the series opener on Friday, with José Buttó and Phil Maton combining to throw three scoreless innings in relief. The pen did its job on Sunday, too, with Maton, Adam Ottavino and Danny Young combining for three scoreless innings. However, things fell off a cliff quickly for the bullpen on Saturday. Newly-acquired Huascar Brazobán allowed a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to hand control of the game back to the Angels. That one blunder changed the entire tenor of the series for the Mets.

NO CLUTCH

This team’s recent woes with runners in scoring position will dominate 3 Down this week. Pete Alonso deserves his own section because he really hurt the Mets in Anaheim. There’s just no getting away from that. The slugger had runners on in three separate at-bats in Sunday’s finale, only to fail to drive home the advantage every time. They were not pretty at-bats to watch, either. Yes, he hit a two-run homer to help win Friday’s series opener. However, in 130 plate appearances this season with RISP, Alonso is hitting just .198/.331/.359. He also has a .636 OPS with two outs and runners in scoring position, a .603 OPS in late and close situations, and a .678 OPS when the game is tied.

You need your best players to come up big in clutch situations, especially down the stretch, and Alonso isn’t doing that. If the masher can’t rectify his struggles with runners in scoring position and fast, then that could really, really, really hurt the Mets in the race for a Wild Card spot.

SCREWING THE POOCH

The Mets have been screwing the pooch with runners in scoring position since the All-Star break. While I touched on those struggles in the above section with Alonso, the overall failings in that department deserve addressing. After Mark Vientos grounded into an inning-ending double play in the eighth, the Mets finished Sunday an ugly 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Furthermore, they are now hitting just .186 (27-for-145) with RISP since July 14, the second-lowest mark in baseball during that span. The worst? The White Sox, who have just lost 20 games in a row.

You can’t win games if you aren’t driving home runners. And, with the NL Wild Card race set to come down to a game or two, the Mets are in real danger of hurting themselves big time if they can’t figure out their huge RISP problem. And it has become a problem at this point.

 

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