The Metropolitan: May I speak with the manager?
Mets waste deGrom gem, as Rojas moves are questioned
Good Morning,
Today we’ll talk about the Mets’ dreadful Opening Day loss and manager Luis Rojas’s controversial decisions. But first: If you like this free newsletter, please consider sharing it with other fans who might enjoy it:
And with that, we start with all the day’s news:
⏰ Recap the game in 60ish seconds…
⚾️ IN SHORT: The Mets appeared to be on their way to continuing their historical Opening Day dominance, with Jacob deGrom throwing pure shutout gas over six innings. But two innings after he was pulled, everything fell apart and the Amazins lost 5-3, thanks to a leaky bullpen, poor situational hitting and a fluky defensive miscue — despite a comeback attempt in the 9th inning. [Box Score]
🔑 KEY MOMENT: With the bases loaded and one out in the top of the 4th inning, manager Luis Rojas decided to stick with Kevin Pillar against right-hander Brandon Kintzler instead of using Dominic Smith (who was controversially not in the starting lineup, to begin with) as a pinch hitter. Pillar grounded into a double play to end the inning, keeping the Mets lead at only 2-0.
🏆 RUNNER-UP MOMENT: In the bottom of the 8th, with the bases loaded and the score tied at 2, reliever Aaron Loup coaxed a one-out grounder to third baseman Luis Guillorme for an easy force at home, and possible inning-ending double play. Guillorme’s throw pulled catcher James McCann slightly off the plate, he missed the ball, and instead of one or two outs, everyone was safe and two runs scored.
3 QUICK TAKEAWAYS
❶ DEGROMINATOR: Although he told reporters he felt “a little off” due to the postponed game last week changing his schedule, Jacob deGrom was absolutely dominant, pitching 6 shutout innings, striking out 7 and allowing only three hits. He ended the game with his fastball averaging 99.1 MPH (including 11 pitches over 100 MPH), just shy of his record high (99.2) that he set in his final start last season. Oh, and he also collected two hits and an RBI at the plate.
❷ RELIEF: If you were worried about the bullpen during the offseason, last night didn’t calm your nerves. Making his Mets debut in the 8th, Trevor May gave up two hard hit balls and walked a hitter, putting Loup in a tough situation for his own debut, as he entered the game against Bryce Harper (whom he promptly beaned to force in a run). Even Miguel Castro gave up three hard hit balls in working a scoreless 7th.
❸ DECISIONS: Mets fans left this game feeling frustrated with manager Luis Rojas. Before the game, they expressed shock at Dom Smith not being in the starting lineup. By the end of the game, the talk had turned to anger at deGrom being pulled after just 77 pitches. (We discuss Rojas’s managerial performance last night, in depth, below.)
🧑🏫 SOUND SMART: deGrom threw 24 straight fastballs before tossing his first slider. By the time he was pulled after the 6th inning, he had thrown his fastball 77% of the time, which is the highest percentage of his career, breaking his previous mark of 66.4% in August 2020. He also became the first Mets pitcher to record the first hit of the season.
🎥 HIGHLIGHTS:
⏭ NEXT UP: The Mets will get right back at it tonight with Marcus Stroman scheduled to face-off against veteran right-hander Chase Anderson. It will be Stroman’s first start since September 2019 after sitting out last season due to COVID-19 concerns. The right-hander has been developing a new split-change that will be fun to watch in regular season action.
💰 BIG SPENDERS: After signing Francisco Lindor to a franchise-record $341 million contract extension, Steve Cohen explained in a press conference on Monday that this is just the beginning: “We’re going to be significant players for free agents down the road, and we’re going to act like a major-market club.”
🗣 PLAYOFFS: While Cohen paused at predicting a World Series this season, he said, “What I do think is we’re going to be really competitive, and I do believe we’re going to make the playoffs. And once you get into the playoffs anything can happen, right?”
🤙 CORDIAL: Sandy Alderson told reporters during the news conference that contract negotiations with Michael Conforto during the spring were “brief, but cordial,” and added, “I do believe there’s room for continuing those conversations. And so I’m hopeful that the dialogue will continue, and we’ll see where we end up.”
📚 ON THIS DATE, APRIL 6, 2015: Forty-one year old Bartolo Colon becomes oldest Opening Day starter in Mets history, beating the Nationals 3-1.
Anger at Management
🧓 by Blake Zeff
Let’s start by stipulating something that may be unpopular: Rarely does a manager cost a Major League Baseball team a game. If a team loses, it’s usually because high-paid professional players fail to execute their jobs well. And, make no mistake, that was the case last night: the Mets’ bats made a journeyman starter and rotating cast of relievers look like an All-Star game staff, while the Amazins’ quality relievers failed to find the plate, and strong defensive players botched a routine play.
But it is also the case that manager Luis Rojas did open himself to criticism — even before the game (or season) had begun. It started with a stunning decision to bench Dom Smith, one of the top hitters not just on the team last season, but in the major leagues. Rojas started (presumed) fourth outfielder Kevin Pillar instead, telling reporters before the game he liked the matchup of the righty Pillar facing Philadelphia’s left-handed starter Matt Moore.
The logic was questionable before a single pitch was thrown. Prior to Monday, Pillar was 1 for 11 (.091) for his career versus Moore, with no walks and two strikeouts. More importantly, Smith, while left-handed, put up a slash-line last season of .283/.391./509 against lefties, for a .900 OPS. He can hit lefties. He’s one of the best hitters on the team, he’s been a great Met, and as SNY’s Doug Williams tweeted before the game:
The Pillar surprise didn’t end there. Beyond penciling him in the lineup over Smith, Rojas also put him in the leadoff slot, despite a lifetime OBP against lefties of .320 — and moved OBP machine (.358 OBP lifetime against lefties) Brandon Nimmo to the 8-hole.
Things got even more curious. Fast forward to the fourth inning. The sluggish Mets bats finally managed to drag two runs across the plate, and now had bases loaded with one out, and Pillar stepping to the plate. Phillies manager Joe Girardi served the easy decision on a platter for Rojas, by removing lefty Moore for a right-hander. Time to bring in Dom! After all, the “matchups” rationale (flimsy as it was) was now gone.
For whatever reason, Rojas left Pillar in (after the game, he alluded to trusting Pillar and noted that he made a solid defensive play in the first inning). The result was one of those missed opportunities you know in real time is going to haunt you: Pillar grounded into an inning-ending, rally-killing double play. And ultimately, in the end, the Mets lost a two-run game on Opening Day with one of their best hitters riding the pine the entire night.
There were other questionable in-game calls. Trevor May clearly didn’t have his best stuff in the 8th inning — which is on him, not Rojas. But pulling him for Aaron Loup with one out meant that the lefty would have to stay in and face three batters (thanks to a new rule), requiring him to retire righties after getting through lefty Bryce Harper (which he didn’t do). The move didn’t work out, but in fairness to Rojas, you can’t blame him for May and Loup not doing their jobs.
Another decision that didn’t pan out was pinch hitting Jonathan Villar for the pitcher spot in the ninth inning at a time when the trailing Mets needed a baserunner more than anything. Villar’s lifetime OBP? .327. Still sitting on the bench at that point? One Dominic Smith, who ended up in the on-deck circle when the last out was made.
It was such a tough night for Rojas that even uncontroversial moves backfired, as he brought in defensive specialist Luis Guillorme to play third base in the later innings… only to watch him make a slightly errant throw that catcher James McCann couldn’t handle, leading to two unearned runs in the 8th.
If you’ve read this far, you may be wondering: How could we discuss Rojas’ questionable decisions from last night, without mentioning the one everyone is talking about — pulling Jacob deGrom after just six innings? The reason is three-fold.
First, this decision was made in consultation with deGrom, who felt that after ten days off (and knowing he’s pitching again on Saturday), he didn’t want to stretch himself too far. So you can’t kill the manager for that. Second, the bullpen should be able to do its job and hold a lead for a few innings. And third — and most importantly — Miguel Castro delivered a shutout inning in the 7th, which means the 8th inning began with Trevor May on the mound, exactly as planned, regardless of whether deGrom had pitched the 7th. Even in a best-case scenario, deGrom would have gone 7 last night and handed the ball to May to start the 8th. Nothing Rojas did changed that plan. May and Loup just didn’t get the job done.
In the end, the Mets lost because they couldn’t hit (until the 9th inning), and their bullpen couldn’t pitch. And it turns out that if you can’t hit or pitch, it’s hard to win baseball games.
But last night, Rojas’s decisions didn’t make it easier.
⚾️ Former Met Steven Matz looked amazing in his Blue Jays debut, allowing only one earned run and two hits over 6.1 innings, while striking out nine Texas Rangers hitters.
⚾️ After being released this spring by the Mets, LHP Mike Montgomery has agreed to a minor league deal with the Yankees, per Robert Murray.
⚾️ Padres star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. suffered a left shoulder subluxation while swinging at a pitch in the third inning last night.
⚾️ Colorado’s Coors Field is expected to host the 2021 All-Star Game after the event was moved from Atlanta in response to Georgia’s new election laws.
🔗 Steve Cohen’s lifelong dream is underway, by Mike Vaccaro, NY Post: “You can imagine what it was like Monday night, as Cohen gathered with his friends and family around his TV set at home (something tells me that’s quite a TV, too). You can imagine what it’ll be like Thursday, when his ownership is officially unveiled at Citi Field, the home opener, the Marlins in the house.”
🔗 Mets’ Opening Day magic dissipates in disappointing start to new era, by Tim Britton, The Athletic ($): “The impulsive cliches about the “same old Mets” are not only characteristically vapid but ignorant. If they were the same old Mets, they’d at least have won on Opening Day, as the franchise had in 39 of the previous 51 seasons. If they were recycling storylines, the surprise center fielder leading off would have hit an Opening Day grand slam when he came up with the bases loaded, instead of a double-play grounder.”
🔗 Cohen bonded with Lindor, which along with $341M led to deal, Associated Press: “My in-laws came from the same hometown as Francisco,” Steve Cohen said. “And so there’s a real connection there. And so Francisco came over to the house. There was lots of discussion about the neighborhood and restaurants and the food and so [we had] immediate connections.”
And we leave you with Trevor May giving a stand-up interview after blowing last night’s game…
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Rojas Saying " i didnt want him going to much aftet 10 days rest" its like a NFL coach pulling his starting QB after 3 quarters" Didnt want himt to throw too much after 14 day layoff cause of the Bye week - how stupid ! Everyone heard it from me for months - That Bullpen stinks !