When is it too early to make a fuss? Where is the line between caution and optimism? What am I even talking about; it’s not even the second week of April!
Through 10 games, the Mets starting pitchers have five wins scattered amongst three starters. This is a team that’s counting on its starting pitching, but the bullpen is taxed with starters consistently not reaching the sixth inning. It’s creating the same situation the offense consistently put the opposition in last season.
But that was then and this is now. And now is only a couple weeks into April.
April 4 - Brewers 9, Mets 0
Max Scherzer: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO
Max Scherzer got beat on his fastball in the first inning. While regaining some sense of calm for a couple innings; they weren’t without hazards. It took intelligent pitching to make it through five inning; but that’s when it all went wrong for the Opening Day starter.
Scherzer used his off speed pitches effective early; but the sixth inning was your favorite video game on Easy mode. How else to explain giving up back-to-back-to-back home runs on a splitter, a slider, and a cutter? He would walk another batter before Buck Showalter came out to end his day. Is this a foreshadowing for this being the end of top-end Scherzer? Was it too much to expect him to be quality this season?
April 5 - Brewers 7, Mets 6
David Peterson: 4 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 5 SO
The most frustrating thing about David Peterson is you can’t ignore or miss his talent. He’s got a legit 94 MPH fastball; he just can’t control it, constantly missing with pitches to the arm side.
With the game tied going into the fourth inning, Buck Showalter shouldn’t have to wonder if he can get another inning from his starter. But that’s what a lack of command will create. Is it OK since he matched the Brewers’ reigning Cy Young & No. 1 starter through four frames? It would be if he did, but starting the fifth with another walk was the essence of this start - frustrating.
April 7 - Mets 9, Marlins 3
Tylor Megill: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO
For all the other arms on this expensive staff; the unassuming 6-foot-7 hurler started the first game of 2022 in Washington; so add another opener of sorts to his resume. Now if he could only control and trust that fastball…
But whether it was his fastball or Jean Segura finding a way to hurt the Mets; there’s little to control when the ball hits the ankle of the foot you plan to land on. Great to see him stand tall, warm up and get the next batter to pop up. Even better to see him go six scoreless on a breezy afternoon in Queens.
April 8 - Mets 5, Marlins 2
Kodai Senga: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO
Cold weather and a late afternoon in Queens may not have a replication, especially when you start with 97 MPH fastballs, first pitch strikes and a quiet opening frame. Keeping it up and striking out five of the first six is what gets the crowd to love you.
Kodai Senga’s first walk came after a late disengagement from the rubber; a move pitchers have done for…ever without penalty. If the pitcher didn’t start his motion, he could step off and settle himself. But in the 21st century, they can only do that if there’s time remaining on the pitch clock.
Against Garrett Cooper in the top of the third, Senga didn’t have enough time and conceded a ball. The count suddenly was 2-2 and a fork ball in the dirt after a clock malfunction led to a walk. Luis Arraez is hitting well over .400 thanks to finding grass against the Mets, but this time his line drive found Eduardo Escobar’s glove. A moment forgotten, but one that will rear its ugly face soon enough.
What’s more important: striking out six through five innings or retiring seven in a row with 71 pitches? Unfortunately pitch 72 was a hanging slider to Jazz Chisholm Jr., who rudely ended Senga’s shutout with a home run to right. A 4-pitch walk to Segura led to a mound visit with Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and Senga’s interpreter. With the tying runs on base, getting a first pitch grounder to end the frame was the perfect way to end a great day.
April 9 - Marlins 7, Mets 2
Carlos Carrasco: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO
The outing began with a clean single and a walk sandwiching a strikeout. But hanging a slider in the middle of the plate meant another questionable start for Carlos Carrasco. The debut of rookie catcher Francisco Alvarez may receive top of the fold attention, but the need for a quality start was just as important.
It was important to retire eight in a row to quiet the Citi crowd, looking for a reason to cheer - either for or against the home team; booing Escobar after a second inning strikeout. Starting the fourth inning with a walk and a broken bat base hit earned murmurs from the faithful. Alvarez took part in a mound visit, initiated by Francisco Lindor who then started a pretty looking double play to end the inning.
The following inning, Jon Berti reached first base and last year’s stolen base leader looked for his first of the season early in the count. A second video replay on SNY showed that Alvarez’s throw and Lindor’s tag beat Berti, but with only 15 seconds to decide Showalter didn’t ask for the review. And then the wheels came off.
Chisholm followed with an opposite field single to easily score Berti, then Cooper lifted an off-speed pitch over the left field wall for a 6-1 score, erasing all thoughts of a reversal of fortunes after an ugly first inning. Carrasco never had control of his fastball, routinely throwing it well off the plate to the arm side. For all the calls for Escobar to lose his job, it’s possible once everyone gets healthy that this veteran is the one to lose his status as a starter and that’s the truth.
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