PHILADELPHIA — The Mets, in the midst of a 14-game stretch against divisional teams, recorded something other than a series win for the first time this season when they split a four-game set against the Braves this week at Citi Field. We saw a little bit of everything from the 18-9 Amazin’s. They were outscored 18-12 by Atlanta, but they also continued their strong play in doubleheaders, dating back to last season, while a veteran starter showed more promise for the year ahead.
Here are three things we learned about the Mets after their series split against the Braves.
BULLPEN GETTING THINNER
With Trevor May out until around the All-Star break with a stress reaction, the Mets bullpen is even thinner than it began the season and relievers will be asked to step up to weather the storm. Adam Ottavino became the first man tasked with that responsibility on Wednesday in the club’s 9-2 loss to Atlanta, and it wasn’t pretty. Ottavino, also the first Mets reliever to pitch on three consecutive days this season, entered with the bases loaded and allowed all of Tylor Megill’s runners to score, in addition to three of his own earned runs.
Ottavino and Buck Showalter were at the center of Mets fans’ frustration on Wednesday, as many questioned why the skipper would use Ottavino for a third consecutive day, anyway. Showalter was going off what Ottavino told him earlier in the day, that he was good to pitch. But Ottavino’s once deadly slider was dull on Wednesday, and the defending champions used it for batting practice as they rallied for seven runs and put up a crooked number in the sixth inning.
The Mets bullpen was the team’s weakest link going into the 2022 season, so in many ways it’s no surprise that a handful of poor relief performances are damaging terrific outings from an otherwise strong starting staff. Less than 30 games into the season, the bullpen has already blown half of its save opportunities. But the strong Jacob deGrom-less rotation is the surprise, as Mets starters carry a 2.77 ERA into Thursday, making for added disappointment when an afternoon like Wednesday happens and a thin relief corps spoils all the good work being posted.
Without May, relievers Drew Smith, Seth Lugo, Joely Rodriguez, Chasen Shreve, and Ottavino will pitch in relief with extra pressure to put up zeros before the ball goes to closer Edwin Diaz. It’s hard to see the Mets making a legitimate bullpen acquisition before the trade deadline, which is set for Aug. 2. So the Mets will hope their strong starting rotation will continue going deeper into games and keep its relievers from getting too taxed.
DOUBLEHEADER STRENGTH
The Mets have been showing up to their onslaught of doubleheaders dating back to last season, when the club played a major-league high 14 doubleheaders in 2021. Last year, the Mets managed to avoid getting swept in any of those 14 doubleheaders, while sweeping their opponent four times.
Those twin bills last season were capped at seven innings, due to pandemic rules, and they played their part in shaving off 28 innings from the Amazin’s season schedule. It became a moot point when the Mets missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season, but the team’s ability to play hard on those longer days was encouraging.
This year, they’ve swept both of their doubleheaders, the first coming against the Giants in April and the second being their two wins in one day against the Braves earlier this week. Doubleheaders are back to nine innings this year, so there will be no shaving of innings, just taxed players following double the work day.
As of Thursday, the Mets have just one doubleheader remaining on their schedule, on Aug. 6 against the Braves at Citi Field. But with ugly rain in the forecast this weekend in Philly, and the Amazin’s penchant for running into bad weather, it is almost inevitable that there will be more than just one doubleheader in the team’s future. The Mets can point to their 22-10 doubleheader record dating back to last season for motivation.
ROTATION SURPRISE
Carlos Carrasco’s bounceback effort against a rugged Braves lineup goes down as the most encouraging sign from the club’s series split. Carrasco was shelled for eight runs in 3.2 innings in his previous outing against the Cardinals in St. Louis, but he made necessary adjustments in his five days between starts and emerged victorious on Tuesday in Game 2 of the team’s doubleheader.
Carrasco threw eight shutout innings and became the first starter in MLB this season to pitch multiple outings of more than seven innings. Silencing the Braves lineup was no small feat; Atlanta owns the fourth-best slugging percentage (.393) and the second-most home runs (31) in the National League. Still, Carrasco ensured Atlanta hitters went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position against him in his fifth outing of the year. The right-hander owns a 3.30 ERA and 2.90 FIP in 30 innings pitched this season.
The more Carrasco can make his disastrous outings—like the one in St. Louis—a distant memory, the more goodwill he will rack up with the Mets fan base following his injury-ridden first season in Queens last year. After his offseason surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow, Carrasco has pitched like the vintage version of himself that the Mets expected to receive from their trade with Cleveland.
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