Wednesday, September 23, 2015 headlines: Verrett stumbles in the fifth as Mets lose to Braves 6-2
Mets' Jacob deGrom will start on Sunday
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- Mets rotation for stretch drive taking shape
- Jacob deGrom or Matt Harvey This is whos lined up to start NLDS Game 1 for Mets
- Mets line up aces to face Nationals in season finale
- Yoenis Cespedes: Terry Collins gets explanation from Yoenis Cespedes for lack of hustle
- Mets’ honeymoon with Cespedes is over after boo-filled mess
- Mets notes: Alls well with Yoenis Cespedes
- Yoenis Cespedes explains why he didnt run on strike 3 in Mets loss vs. Atlanta Braves
- No free passes here: Mets fans boo revered Cespedes in loss
- Terry Collins says Mets look tight: Terry Collins on Mets: It looks like were tight
- Mets slip again as Terry Collins says team seems ‘tight’
- Are struggling Mets feeling the pressure Their manager Terry Collins thinks so
Mets' Jacob deGrom will start on Sunday GREG LOGAN, NEWSDAY After losing two of his past three decisions and getting roughed up in a couple of other starts, Jacob deGrom was skipped in the rotation against the Braves Tuesday night at Citi Field and replaced by spot starter Logan Verrett. Terry Collins said it's a one-time thing to get deGrom extra rest, and he is expected to return Sunday in Cincinnati. "This guy is too good a pitcher to pitch the way he's been pitching," Collins said of deGrom, who has one win since Aug. 18. "He's got too good of stuff and too good of command to make the mistakes he's been making. I just think the extra rest is going to help him. Five days from now, we're going to bring him back and see how he is, but I think it will make a big difference in him . . . I think the rest is going to help Jake." Collins: It's the players Collins' name has begun to surface in "Manager of the Year talk recently, but as much as he appreciates it, he said that award really is more about the players at a manager's disposal. "I've talked to a lot of the great managers in the game that have won these awards hundreds of times, and I will tell you that very few of them have ever said, 'Boy, I managed my [rear end] off,' " Collins said. "They put the right names in the lineup is what they've done and let them go play." Extra bases Catcher Travis d'Arnaud, who is in a 0-for-10 dip, sat Tuesday night in favor of Kevin Plawecki, but Collins said d'Arnaud likely will play Wednesday night . . . Juan Uribe was a scratch because Collins said he's "still pretty sore" after a recent diving catch . . . Collins confirmed outfielder Michael Conforto will not be in the lineup against left-handed starting pitching the rest of the season. Mets' rotation for stretch drive taking shape BARRY M. BLOOM, MLB.COM NEW YORK -- The Mets went into action on Tuesday against the Braves at Citi Field with a 6 1/2-game lead over the Nationals in the National League East and 12 games to play. They lost, 6-2, to the Braves when rookie starter Logan Verrett allowed two Atlanta homers in the fifth inning. New York has lost three of its last four and five of eight on this nine-game homestand, squandering a third of what was once a 9 1/2-game lead. But there's nothing to worry about here. "We know that every single night we go out there and play our game, we have a [darn] good chance of winning it," said Verrett. The Mets were fortunate on Tuesday because the Nationals lost to the Orioles, 4-1. The Mets thus maintained their 6 1/2-game lead, now with 11 to play, the last three games being against Washington at Citi Field. The magic number to clinch the title is any combination of six Mets' wins or Nationals' losses. "I'm shocked," Mets manager Terry Collins said about the way his club has hit and played against the Marlins, Yankees and Braves, during this homestand with so much on the line. "I have no doubt in my mind that we're going to get through this and go to the playoffs," Verrett said. "Absolutely no doubt at all." Barring any injury or setbacks, Verrett has made his last start of the season, Collins said after the game. Beginning on Wednesday night he'll use his six best starters in succession. Bartolo Colon gets the series finale against the Braves. "We go into [a four-game series] in Cincinnati with Steven Matz, Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom. And then we go into [a three-game series] in Philly with [Jonathan] Niese, Colon and Matz." That would mean Syndergaard, Harvey and deGrom could start the final three games of the season against Washington. The playoffs are another story. "I'm not thinking that far ahead," Collins said. "I'm just thinking about the next [11] games." That's more detail than Collins had been willing to recently impart about his starting pitching alignment. "We got it all cleaned up?" Collins said. "I'm really glad. I want to make sure everybody leaves here tonight with a smile on their face except [vice president of media relations] Jay [Horwitz] and I." With Harvey, deGrom and Matz all trying to avoid a recurrence of Tommy John surgery, there is no precedence for what Collins is dealing with regarding his pitching staff. Harvey threw five scoreless, one-hit innings against the Yankees on Sunday night and left the game after throwing only 77 pitches. Nearing the 180-inning mark, his workload in his final two starts will be seriously curtailed. By the time deGrom gets back into the rotation he'll have been idle for 12 days. In his last three starts he's allowed 11 earned runs on 24 hits in 18 innings. "I think we're in an usual situation, period, as far as guys getting to their inning limits," Verrett said. "[Collins] and them have to adjust around that so they'll just be sure those guys will be ready to go in the playoffs. It's all about keeping guys fresh and not overworked." Of course, it actually is all about making the playoffs without any injuries to their key starters. Jacob deGrom or Matt Harvey? This is who's lined up to start NLDS Game 1 for Mets MIKE VORKUNOV, NJ ADVANCE MEDIA NEW YORK -- The Mets have been adamant about not talking about their postseason roster but they may be tipping their hand too. Jacob deGrom will start Sunday in Cincinnati, pitching the series finale against the Reds after being pushed back from his scheduled start Tuesday. The Mets gave deGrom extra rest after seeing diminished results they believe are due to fatigue. "This guy is too good a pitcher to pitch like he's been pitching," manager Terry Collins said. "He's got too good of stuff and too good a command to make the mistakes he's been making. So I think the extra rest is going to help him. In a few days, in five days from now we're going to bring him back and see how he his, but I think it'll make a big difference in him." That would leave deGrom on track to pitch the last game of the season, Oct. 4 against the Nationals at Citi Field. Matt Harvey is scheduled to pitch Saturday in Cincinnati. And if the Mets return to pitching their starters on normal rest, than deGrom would pitch five days later. That would be Friday, Oct 10, the day of Game 1 of the National League Divisional Series -- with the Dodgers as the overwhelmingly likely opponent. DeGrom-Greinke or deGrom-Kershaw sure sounds like a good way to start the playoffs. Mets line up aces to face Nationals in season finale FOX SPORTS Although the New York Mets hope to have clinched the NL East before they face the Washington Nationals next week, they've set up their aces to take care of business in case the division isn't sealed by then. On Tuesday, manager Terry Collins revealed the Mets' upcoming rotation for their final road trip of the season. After veteran Bartolo Colon pitches on Wednesday, lefty rookie Steven Matz will start on Thursday to open a four-game series in Cincinnati, and will be succeeded by fellow rookie Noah Syndergaard on Friday, Matt Harvey on Saturday, and reigning NL Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom on Sunday. When the Mets head over to Philadelphia on Tuesday, Jonathon Niese will begin the three-game series, followed by Colon and then Matz on Thursday. Assuming the Mets adhere to the same rotation to cap off the regular season, Syndergaard, Harvey, and deGrom will take the ball when New York hosts the Nats from Oct. 2 to 4. While the Mets currently possess a 6 ½-game lead in the NL East with a magic number of six, they have hit a recent snag and lost three of their last four while Washington has won seven of its last nine. Yoenis Cespedes: Terry Collins gets explanation from Yoenis Cespedes for lack of hustle ADAM RUBIN, ESPN NEW YORK NEW YORK -- When New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes struck out in the fourth inning and the ball eluded catcher AJ Pierzynski, Cespedes never broke for first base on Tuesday night. Manager Terry Collins said he asked Cespedes the reason for the lack of hustle. Cespedes replied that he believed he had not swung on what was ruled by plate umpire Manny Gonzalez as a swinging third strike. "He didn’t think he went,” Collins said after the Mets' 6-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Asked if he would prefer Cespedes run anyway just in case he was ruled to have swung, Collins added: "I’d like him to run. Yes." Cespedes finished 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. Mets’ honeymoon with Cespedes is over after boo-filled mess ZACH BRAZILLER, NEW YORK POST The honeymoon is over. And Tuesday night the Mets and Yoenis Cespedes had their first fight. After the slugging outfielder failed to run to first on a wild pitch after being called out on a check swing in the fourth inning, the Citi Field faithful let Cespedes hear it, voicing their displeasure. They weren’t Jason Bay/Oliver Perez boos, but they were boos nonetheless. It was another forgettable evening for Cespedes and the Mets at home, who fell to the hapless Braves, 6-2, losing for the fifth time in eight games on this homestand. Manager Terry Collins said Cespedes didn’t think he swung on the wild pitch, but also said: “I’d like him to run, yes.” Cespedes declined comment postgame. Cespedes, a free agent in the offseason who has said he is looking for a six-year contract, had another ugly evening at the plate, striking out twice against Braves right-hander Matt Wisler as part of an 0-for-3 night. He did walk in the eighth as the Mets staged a rally that went for naught when Michael Cuddyer flied out with the bases loaded and Wilmer Flores grounded out. The Mets had hoped his slump was behind him, after Cespedes had three hits, including two ringing doubles, in Monday night’s 4-0 victory, but he was back chasing bad pitches against on Tuesday, now 4-for-his-last 27 with nine strikeouts. More concerning, however, was his lack of hustle, not running to first base on the strikeout in the fourth and failing to lay out for a Wisler single in the third inning that appeared catchable. Cespedes also has been seen occasionally jogging to first base on ground balls. Despite all of the rave reviews Cespedes has received since coming over from the Tigers in the blockbuster trade on July 31, and they have been justified with the way he has carried the Mets to the top of the National League East, he has struggled at Citi Field. Cespedes has hit just five of his 17 home runs as a Met in 84 at-bats at home where he is batting just .223. Fortunately for the Mets, they have just one home game left before heading out for a seven-game road trip, where Cespedes has been a lethal force. Mets notes: All's well with Yoenis Cespedes CHRIS ISEMAN, THE RECORD NEW YORK — Yoenis Cespedes went 3-for-4 with two doubles in Monday's win over Atlanta, further alleviating concern that his recent cold stretch was related to getting drilled on the leg last week against the Marlins. The outfielder had fallen into an 0-for-19 skid before he snapped it with a double against the Yankees on Sunday. Manager Terry Collins said he was never worried about Cespedes, who went 0-for-3 on Tuesday. "When you were so hot and all of a sudden you got so cold, everybody thought there had to be an issue," Collins said. "I just think they made pitches, and like every hitter, he's got some places he doesn't hit the ball real well if it's pitched in certain places." NO REWARD NEEDED: With his team 20 games over .500 and 6 1/2 games up in the NL East entering Tuesday, Collins has been mentioned as a potential Manager of the Year candidate. Though Collins has plenty of critics, he's still been credited by supporters for leading a young team into contention despite numerous injuries throughout the season. Collins said Tuesday "it's always nice to get an award," but he's not concerned with whether or not he's recognized. "I've talked to a lot of great managers in the game that have won these awards a hundred times, and I'll tell you what, very few of them have ever said, 'Boy I managed my [butt] off,' " Collins said. "They've put the right names in the lineup, that's what they've done, and let them go play." Collins could be among a group of candidates that likely will include the Cubs' Joe Maddon and the Pirates' Clint Hurdle. "And it's nice to be mentioned. You know why? Because our players are playing good," Collins said. "And that, to me, makes me a lot happier than anything else. And if we can finish this off, nothing can top that." BRIEF: Collins held catcher Travis d'Arnaud out of Tuesday's starting lineup. D'Arnaud pinch-hit in the ninth, but fouled out. He's hitless in his last 18 at-bats. Yoenis Cespedes explains why he didn't run on strike 3 in Mets' loss vs. Atlanta Braves MARIA GUARDADO, NJ ADVANCE MEDIA NEW YORK — In the bottom of the fourth of the Mets' 6-2 loss to the Braves on Tuesday, Yoenis Cespedes stepped up the plate to face Matt Wisler and open the inning. Cespedes fell behind, 0-2, before coming back to work a 2-2 count. On the fifth pitch of the at-bat, Cespedes struck out on a checked swing, but the ball got away from Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski and rolled all the way to the backstop. Cespedes, however, didn't run to first base, allowing Pierzynski to easily throw him out and record the first out of the inning. With the Mets only leading 1-0 at the time and runs at a premium, Cespedes' lack of hustle incited a smattering of boos from the crowd at Citi Field. Manager Terry Collins said afterward that he would have liked to see the Cuban outfielder sprint to first in that instance. "He thought the guy was checking. He didn't think he went," Collins said before adding, "I'd like him to run, yes." Cespedes confirmed to NJ Advance Media that he didn't run on the play because he disagreed with the umpire's call. "I didn't run because I was upset with the umpire," Cespedes said in Spanish. "I didn't think that I swung the bat in that moment." When asked if he was surprised by the fans' reaction, Cespedes said, "Honestly, I didn't hear anything." No free passes here: Mets fans boo revered Cespedes in loss FOX SPORTS For the first time since being acquired by the Mets, Yoenis Cespedes experienced how brutal the fickleness of New York fans can be. Although Cespedes had been revered as the Mets' savior for his sensational offensive performance in his first six weeks with the team, fans at Citi Field showered the 29-year-old outfielder in boos on Tuesday. The incident came when Cespedes checked his swing in the fourth inning of the Mets' 6-2 loss to the Braves. Believing that he hadn't gone around, Cespedes remained at the plate as the ball got away from the catcher, and continued standing there even after he had been called out. The Citi Field faithful voiced their displeasure by booing Cespedes for his inaction. Cespedes didn't comment on the incident after the game, but manager Terry Collins said simply, "I'd like him to run, yes." The Mets' loss on Tuesday marked their fifth in seven games as the team tries to secure its first postseason berth since 2006 by clinching the NL East. New York holds a magic number of six with 11 games remaining in the regular season, but has suddenly struggled to compile wins. "I'm shocked," Collins said. "I'm very, very surprised, because we were swinging great coming into a homestand and had a chance to make a huge impact with a very substantial lead where nobody needed to be uptight. "Should've been quite relaxed with the lead we had; should've been going out and just playing the game nice and loosely and calm. For me it looks like we're tight. I don't know why, but it's sure the perception it looks like from the bench." Terry Collins says Mets look tight: Terry Collins on Mets: 'It looks like we're tight' ADAM RUBIN, ESPN NEW YORK NEW YORK -- After sweeping series at Washington and Atlanta, the New York Mets returned to Citi Field on Sept. 14 with an 83-62 record and 9½-game division lead. Then the Amazin’s lost rubber games to the Miami Marlins and New York Yankees in Queens. Now, after losing 6-2 on Tuesday night, the Mets have split the first two games of a series against the Atlanta Braves. The Amazin's are 3-5 entering the final day of their homestand. And manager Terry Collins believes his ballclub looks tight. “Coming into a homestand, we had a chance to make a huge impact with a very substantial lead, where nobody needed to be uptight,” Collins said. “We should have been quite relaxed with the lead we had. We should have been going out and playing the game nice and loosely and calm. For me, it looks like we’re tight. I don’t know why. It’s just the perception it looks like from the bench.” The Mets, now 85-66, nonetheless have a 6½-game lead over the Washington Nationals for first place in the National League East. The magic number is down to six thanks to the Nats’ loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday. The Mets have 11 games remaining, including the final three of the season against Washington at Citi Field. Collins is perplexed by why the offense has suddenly gone into a rut. Through eight games of the homestand, the Mets have produced 20 runs -- 2.5 per game. This will be their first losing homestand of the season. “We’ve got to play better,” Collins said. “We came off a tremendous road trip, came home. We’ve played great at home all year long. And, all of a sudden, we’ve hit a wall. We aren’t swinging the bats very good. We had, what, 10 more strikeouts tonight? We’ve got to quit trying to hit homers, I think, and let’s hit some line drives. We’ve just got to swing the bats better, because we’re a better offensive team than the way we’ve played this homestand.” Still, captain David Wright disputed his manager’s assertion that the Mets are tight. “I don’t think we’re tight,” Wright said. “I think there are just going to be some games where we get outplayed. Tonight was one of them.” Mets slip again as Terry Collins says team seems ‘tight’ BRIAN LEWIS, NEW YORK POST After the Mets came off a red-hot road trip, Terry Collins expected them to come back to Flushing loose and confident. What he got is a team that’s tight and pressing, squeezing the life out of its own bats. The Mets’ 6-2 loss to the Braves Tuesday night was their fifth in eight games on this homestand, ensuring their first losing homestand of the year. It’s a good thing for the Amazin’s their NL East lead is so big, and the Nationals are so bad, because their lineup has gone ice-cold at the worst possible time. “I’m shocked,’’ Collins said. “I’m very, very surprised, because we were swinging great coming into a homestand and had a chance to make a huge impact with a very substantial lead where nobody needed to be uptight. Should’ve been quite relaxed with the lead we had, should’ve been going out and just playing the game nice and loosely and calm. For me it looks like we’re tight. I don’t know why, but it’s sure the perception it looks like from the bench.’’ And it’s the perception from the Citi Field stands, where 26,227 saw the Mets’ lineup smothered by a struggling rookie who hadn’t been able to buy a win for months. They scored just two runs and struck out 10 times, eight of them against Matt Wisler (6-8), who’d been 0-7 with an 8.08 ERA in 10 starts since July 26. Yes, the Mets’ offense has become that bad. After closing out their road trip by piling up 49 runs in a seven-game winning streak, they’ve dropped five of eight on this homestand, mustering just 20 runs (2 ¹/₂ runs per game). And even though their magic number fell to six thanks to Washington’s loss, they’ve watched a 9 ½-game lead they had upon their return shrivel to 6 ½. “We’ve got to play better. We came off a tremendous road trip, we come home where we’ve played great all year long and all of a sudden we’ve hit a wall,’’ Collins said. “We aren’t swinging the bats very good, we had 10 more strikeouts tonight. We’ve got to go back and quit trying to hit homers. Let’s hit some line drives. We’ve just got to swing the bats better, because we’re a better offensive team than what we’ve showed this homestand.’’ Two days after the Mets dropped the Subway Series finale trying to manage Matt Harvey’s innings, they lost Tuesday trying to limit Jacob deGrom’s. They skipped deGrom’s turn in the rotation, and in his third spot start, Logan Verrett (1-2) finally fell short, coughing up four runs in the fifth on a pair of homers. After Jace Peterson hit his full-count pitch for a solo shot, Verrett intentionally walked Nick Markakis with two out, and then — upon falling behind Hector Olivera 0-2 — surrendered a three-run blast to left to put the Mets behind 4-1. “I liked the matchup against Olivera, just missed with the pitch. With two guys on base you can’t do that. It makes it hard to come back from that,’’ said Verrett, who had stood in for Harvey twice and excelled both times. But this time, after David Wright’s first-inning solo shot gave him a lead, he couldn’t hold it. “It’s our job to turn the tide and win this series [Wednesday] and pick up that momentum again. I don’t sense that anybody is tight in here or feeling the pressure. … Sometimes you just get beat and we’ve had a couple of those,’’ Wright said. “We have four, five series left. Win those four series and get some momentum back on our side because we’ve lost a little of that momentum that we gained.’’ They didn’t score again until the eighth on Michael Cuddyer’s bases-loaded sac fly, but Edwin Jackson got Wilmer Flores to ground out meekly to end the Mets’ threat. In the ninth Tyler Clippard served up a 1-2 changeup that Adonis Garcia roped for a two-run, pinch-hit double to essentially end the game. “Falling behind to Olivera hurt [Verrett]. … He got behind in the count threw a fastball, too good a pitch,’’ said Collins. “It’s the same thing Clippard did the last inning, the pitch to Garcia. He leaves a breaking ball in the strike zone. You’ve got to make a pitch. We didn’t make a pitch we had to make.’’ Are struggling Mets feeling the pressure? Their manager Terry Collins thinks so MIKE VORKUNOV, NJ ADVANCE MEDIA NEW YORK -- A losing home-stand. A sleepy offense. The drama surrounding Matt Harvey. It's been rocky last week for the Mets. Tuesday night, they took another hit with a 6-2 loss to the lowly Braves. Afterward, Terry Collins, their manager, declared the Mets were looking "tight" as they navigate the last few weeks of the season and try to clinch their first postseason appearance in nine years. And frankly, he doesn't get why. "Coming into the home-stand with a chance to make a huge impact with a very substantial lead where nobody needs to be uptight," he said. "Should be quite relaxed with the lead we had. Should be going out and just playing the game nice and loosely and calm. For me, it looks like we're tight. I don't know why. It's just the perception it looks like from the bench." But Collins' opinion isn't unanimous. Just because the Mets have lost three games on their lead on the Nationals over eight games doesn't mean the team is now feeling the pressure. At least that's what David Wright, the Mets' captain, says. "I don't sense that anybody's tight here or feeling the pressure," Wright, who homered Tuesday, said. "It's playoff baseball, there's going to be a little bit of pressure. We're trying to make a push. I don't sense it carrying over to the field....It's just some days you go out there and get beat." Both, however, acknowledge that the Mets have hit a bump. Their offense, which had bulldozed opposing pitching for nearly a month, has struggled. The Mets scored two or fewer runs for the fourth time in six games Tuesday night. They're 3-5 on this home-stand. Yoenis Cespedes, their dynamo trade pickup, cracked an 0-for-19 streak Monday night. Tuesday, Matt Wisler, a rookie, allowed two runs over seven innings. "All of a sudden we hit a wall," Collins said. "We aren't swinging the bats very good. We had 10 more strikeouts tonight. We gotta go back and quit trying to hit homers. Let's hit some line drives. So you just gotta swing the bats better because we're a better offensive team than we've played this home-stand." Still, the Mets are 6.5 games up on the Nationals with 11 games to go. Their magic number, despite the loss, was whittled down to six thanks to Washington's loss. That has been a saving grace for them during this cold streak. "We've put ourselves in a good position where we don't have to be perfect down the road," Wright said. "Fortunately we've played so well a couple weeks ago that we haven't lost too much of that ground that we worked hard to get and that's nice. But again you'd like to finish strong." Directory: documents documents -> Concept stage documents -> Concept stage documents -> The great global switch-off documents -> Nonprofit grant application documents -> The Truth about the Rwandan Genocide documents -> Annual InStructional unit plan documents -> Chaos equipment included Download 270.29 Kb. Share with your friends:
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