Author: Gem Tablak

Mets have a huge hurdle in the Padres series

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No one has it easy when it comes to scheduling in the playoffs. Every team there has the makings to whoop ass and that’s what they’re going to try to do. Regardless if it’s the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Cleveland Guardians, that team is trying to send their opponents home packing in search of that illustrious World Series ring.

With all that said, the San Diego Padres have made huge strides in the past few years till as recent as this past August, when they acquired the MVP caliber outfielder Juan Soto. While Soto’s services did not come cheap, it’s all in effort to walk home as champions.

Soto has struggled a bit initially since joining the Padres, as the outfielder possesses a .236/.388/.390/.778 slash line in 52 games. However, he has turned it around in the past two weeks as he’s been hitting .309/.424/.545 in last 55 at-bats.

Another big name that found his way on the Padres is closer Josh Hader. Hader, much like Soto, struggled quite a bit when first joining the friars however has been better as of recently.

The left-hander hasn’t given up a run in his last 6.1 innings pitched. While this isn’t a long stretch, you’re definitely going to want your closer finding rhythm before your playoff run… perfect timing for Hader and the Padres.

This is a star-studded squad. Even with the self-inflicted loss of Fernando Tatis Jr., the Padres are just as dangerous as the Yankees in the late 90’s.

And while Max Scherzer is one of the best pitchers in the league, Friday night’s contest won’t be an easy task for the veteran ace.

#ThrowbackThursday Mets Edition: Bernard Gilkey

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Born in St. Louis, Missouri on September 24th, 1966, Otis Bernard Gilkey, a right handed outfielder went un-drafted but would sign with his hometown Cardinals as an amateur free agent on August 22nd, 1984.

Gilkey would go on to make his Major League debut at 23 years old on September 4th, 1990, against the New York Mets in which he went 0-4. However, he’d have a successful little run that first season, slashing .297/.375/.484/.859 in just 64 at-bats as a September call-up.

The hometown kid would spend six years in his hometown with the Cardinals, hitting .282/.354/.431/.785 with 126 doubles and 52 home runs in 2133 at-bats (593 Games).

On January 22nd, 1996, he’d eventually get traded to the Mets in a deal for Yudith Ozorio, Erik Hiljus, and Eric Ludwick. I’d imagine that this trade was possibly the highlight of these three youngsters professional careers.

Stacked in a lineup that included speedy center fielder Lance Johnson, catcher Todd Hundley, and even a 28 year old Jeff Kent, Gilkey was set up for success and found it.

While Gilkey didn’t stay with the Mets long, that first season with the team was quite impactful. In 153 games, the outfielder hit .317/.393/.562/.955 with 30 home runs and 117 RBI’s, all career-highs.

Production like that will quickly have anyone become a fan favorite and that’s exactly what happened with Bernard.

The Mets’ beloved left fielder would even find himself making his Hollywood debut with a small cameo in the hit film Men In Black with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones.

YouTube: Midas Fury

A season highlighted with so much offensive coming from the middle of the lineup, below is a clip of Gilkey taking the Mets home with a walk-off bomb against the Montreal Expos.

He also had 44 doubles while being walked 73 times, and a handsome 155 OPS+, also career highs to wrap up the epitome of a career year.

He would spend only another year and a half in Queens before being traded alongside Nelson Figueroa (Wow!) to the Arizona Diamondbacks during the ‘98 season.

In return the Mets received right handed swingman reliever Willie Blair and backup catcher Jorge Fabregas.

Looking at Gilkey’s career stats after a 12 year career, nothing really jumps off the page except for that 1996 season with the Mets. It was absolutely magical.

After calling it a career after his final season in 2001, Gilkey would be inducted into his home state’s Hall of Fame in 2018.

Credit to St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame

Pete Alonso is Rewriting his Book

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Ladies and gentlemen, it’s official, the book is out on Pete Alonso. No, you can’t get it on kindle or Amazon, and no you won’t be able to listen to the audio version while driving to work on Friday morning.

The book we’re talking about here is how the opposing pitchers approach an AB with the Polar Bear, which is common with every player.

“The book’s out. I’ve been around now and for me teams don’t want to give up the home run ball so I want to be able to to adjust and have a good disciplined approach… If I’m staying disciplined, going the other way, taking walks or just putting a good quality swing on the ball in the zone then I’m doing well.”

Pete Alonso to SNY

During the shortened 2020 campaign, Alonso hit just .232/.326/.490/.817 in just 208 at-bats. Some may say that that 2020 year was a wash, but some may also argue that a productivity dip was to be expected as apart of a sophomore slump.

Throughout Alonso’s career, the first baseman is batting .258/.346/.539/.835 in 1482 AB’s.

This season, Alonso is hitting a slash line of .276/.333/.500/.833 in his 116 AB’s. A batting average 18 points higher than his career average, and while his OBP is slightly lower, it’s bound to make a jump up as the slugger continues to adapt.

“I feel like I have pretty decent bat-to-ball… I put a lot of stuff in play hard consistently and I’ve committed to the zone really well and I just want to continue to be able to do that.”

Pete Alonso to SNY

And this is what separates the elite from the rest of the pack, the ability to change and adapt, not just throughout a season, but also the entirety of your career.

“I haven’t seen as many driveable pitches where you want to get big on and hit a double in the gap or go up top but I just want to stay within myself and just put good quality swings on good pitches. Going to right field is a product of having a plan and not getting too big.”

Pete Alonso to SNY

In the slugger’s last 15 games, Alonso’s slashing at a .321/.415/.696 clip to go alongside six home runs and 16 RBI’s. The latest bomb would come in the form of a walk of 2-run home run in the bottom of the 10th against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday afternoon.

Pete Alonso is Rewriting his Book

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Ladies and gentlemen, it’s official, the book is out on Pete Alonso. No, you can’t get it on kindle or Amazon, and no you won’t be able to listen to the audio version while driving to work on Monday morning.

The book we’re talking about here is how the opposing pitchers approach an AB with the Polar Bear, which is common with every player.

“The book’s out. I’ve been around now and for me teams don’t want to give up the home run ball so I want to be able to to adjust and have a good disciplined approach… If I’m staying disciplined, going the other way, taking walks or just putting a good quality swing on the ball in the zone then I’m doing well.”

Pete Alonso to SNY

During the shortened 2020 campaign, Alonso hit just .232/.326/.490/.817 in just 208 at-bats. Some may say that that 2020 year was a wash, but some may also argue that a productivity dip was to be expected as apart of a sophomore slump.

Throughout Alonso’s career, the first baseman is batting .258/.346/.539/.835 in 1482 AB’s.

This season, Alonso is hitting a slash line of .276/.333/.500/.833 in his 116 AB’s. A batting average 18 points higher than his career average, and while his OBP is slightly lower, it’s bound to make a jump up as the slugger continues to adapt.

“I feel like I have pretty decent bat-to-ball… I put a lot of stuff in play hard consistently and I’ve committed to the zone really well and I just want to continue to be able to do that.”

Pete Alonso to SNY

And this is what separates the elite from the rest of the pack, the ability to change and adapt, not just throughout a season, but also the entirety of your career.

“I haven’t seen as many driveable pitches where you want to get big on and hit a double in the gap or go up top but I just want to stay within myself and just put good quality swings on good pitches. Going to right field is a product of having a plan and not getting too big.”

Pete Alonso to SNY

Alonso clubbed two home runs with five RBI’s on Mother’s Day in his 3-5 effort of game two of the doubleheader. Alonso now has 7 bombs on the season, and 113 in his short four-year career.

Mets Junkies Game Recap: The Mets Take Two

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The culture has shifted. This is something that Mets fans have been hoping for since the late 80’s, and it couldn’t have come to Queens soon enough.

The New York Mets hosted a doubleheader against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday afternoon, with pitchers Tylor Megill and Max Scherzer on the rubber.

While Megill wasn’t as sharp as he’s been throughout his first couple of starts, the Mets were still able to walk away with the win, as they would comeback, and eventually walk-off in the tenth.

Megill tossed six innings, surrendering four i runs on seven hits and two walks. The righty was able to K just four batters as his ERA has now raised to 2.20 in 16.1 innings pitched.

The Mets scored three in the middle innings, two of which would come off of the bat of Jeff McNeil with a fifth inning double. The two runs would cut the deficit down to 4-3.

It’s important to note that Mets first baseman Pete Alonso made a big defensive play during the contest. Alonso has garnered a lot of criticism, in pertains to first base and defensive abilities.

After tying the game, Francisco Lindor would eventually end the game in the bottom of the tenth with a walk-off, RBI single.

The second game featured Max Scherzer on the hill, and it went just about as you would expect for the Giants.

Scherzer threw seven innings of one run ball, while striking out ten batters. He did surrender a run on a lone hit, as well as walking three on the night.

Drew Smith continues to look fantastic out of the bullpen, and should continue to be a vital part of the pen, especially now without Miguel Castro.

Eduardo Escobar also continues to be clutch while donning the Orange & Blue. The utility man went 2-4 with two RBI’s as his batting average is now sitting at .289 on the campaign.

Scherzer is now 3-0 as a Met, with an ERA of 2.50 in 18 innings pitched.

Mets Junkies Game Recap: Bullpen Blows 4-run Lead

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The New York Mets opened the game with Taijuan Walker taking the mound, and while he only pitched two innings, it was a very good two innings.

I’m not sure if Walker was supposed to exit early, however he looked to call the trainer to the clubhouse after the second inning, before being replaced by David Peterson.

Walker tossed just two frames and struck out four batters without giving up a hit or walking a batter, unfortunately, it would be the Mets back end of the bullpen that would falter.

Mark Canha is still hitting. The right-handed bat went 1-4 and is currently hitting .571 with 3 RBI’s on the very young season.

David Peterson pitched well out of the pen following Walker’s departure. The lefty threw four innings, striking out three while walking two and allowing three hits.

Brandon Nimmo picked up a multi-hit game, going 2-4 with a run scored while raising his batting average to .333 while manning center.

Trevor May also looked to tweak something as Showalter and Hefner, alongside a trainer, came to the mound before removing May.

Shortstop Francisco Lindor picked up a base hit, an RBI single. The perennial All-Star is now batting .250 with 3 RBI’s on the year.

The Mets and Phillies will play the second game of the series, as Philadelphia plays host. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 PM with Tylor Megill squaring up against former Met Zack Wheeler.

Photo Credit: NYPost

Mets Junkies Game Recap: A Good Look by Cookie; Mets fall to Nats.

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New York Mets starter Carlos Cookie Carrasco took the hill for the first time of the 2022 campaign and pitched really well. Unfortunately, the outing did not result in a team victory as the Mets picked up their first loss of the season.

However, back to Carrasco. The right-hander tossed 5.2 innings while allowing a run on two base hits. One of the hits came off of the bat of Nelson Cruz and resulted in a solo home run in the bottom half of the first.

Catcher Tomas Nido picked up a hit but also came up with a big defensive play in the bottom of the seventh. Nido would throw out Josh Bell as he attempted to steal second base with two outs, at which point the Mets still had a 2-1 lead over the Nationals.

Mark Canha is here to hit and that’s being shown as the newly acquired outfielder went 3-4, upping his BA to .700 after 10 AB’s.

Jeff McNeil picked up another hit today, as the super utility man went 1-3 on the afternoon as he also started in left field. McNeil now has a .438 BA as Buck Showalter continues to utilize McNeil’s versatility across the diamond.

McNeil, nicknamed The Flying Squirrel, even took a hit away from Josh Bell in left field as he made a sliding catch to rob the slugger of a cheap hit.

However, it would end up being the Mets defense that would cost them the game. An errant throw by Pete Alonso would eventually give Nelson Cruz and the Nationals the opportunity to take the game, and they did.

The Nationals would take the last game as the Mets take the four-game series.

The Mets will be in Philadelphia for a three game set with the Phillies as Taijuan Walker kicks it off against Ranger Suarez.

Mets Junkies Game Recap: Cookie Crumb’s

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New York Mets starter Carlos Carrasco had another tough outing in Orange & Blue. The former Cleveland Indians pitcher made his first appearance of the spring, while giving up three runs in four innings pitched.

So far this spring, Carrasco sports an ERA of 6.75 after his first go-around against the Houston Astros.

Slugger Pete Alonso displayed his mammoth like power as the first baseman hit a three-run shot in the 6th, counting for his first long-ball of the spring.

Also Read: Mets Junkies Projections: Polar Bear Pete

So far during the spring, the Mets pitching staff has looked pretty. Relievers Adam Ottavino, Miguel Castro, Alex Claudio, Drew Smith, and Colin Holderman have all been on point as they haven’t allowed any runs during Spring Training.

The 6-4 Mets will square off against the 1-10 Washington Nationals on Thursday evening as Erick Fedde will take on Taijuan Walker.

Photo Credit: Anthony DiComo

Mets Junkies Game Recap: deGrom & Scherzer lay Cardinals to waste

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New York Mets starters and aces Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer took the hill on Sunday and were the only two pitchers to do so for the Mets. Did you think they’d need any more? Of course, not, but it’s Spring Training.

While deGrom opened the game up and pitched three innings, Scherzer closed out the contest by pitching the final six frames.

deGrom ended up taking home his first win of the Spring as the perennial Cy Young Award nominee struck out five while giving up an earned run. deGrom owns a 1.80 ERA this Spring, which was higher than his ERA during the 2021 season.

Newer Met, Max Scherzer surrendered two runs on three hits in his six innings, but also fanned seven. In total, deGrom and Scherzer struck out 12 batters on Sunday afternoon.

It’s important to note that Starling Marte made his first appearance for the Mets and demonstrated the importance of not just the ability to get on base, but also his speed.

The now right fielder (Ranked 6th on MLB Top 10 Right Now amongst CF) went 1-2 out of the 9th spot in the line up while also crossing the plate with a run scored on the contest.

Francisco Lindor had a terrific game, as the shortstop went 3 for 4, with a pair of home runs and three RBI’s. It’s a bit of a reminder of Lindor’s last spring, as the potential MVP candidate would like for his hot stretch to carry into the season this time around.

Slugging first baseman Pete Alonso also picked up a multi-hit game, going 2 for 3 with a walk, double, and run scored.

The Mets have Monday off, however will be back in action on Tuesday as the Miami Marlins will play host.

Mets Junkies Game Recap: Escobar flexes some muscle; Mets beat Nationals

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Mets starter Taijuan Walker took the mound for the first time this spring as the right hander is coming back from a knee injury. With Walker being behind schedule, he only tossed two scoreless innings before making his exit.

David Peterson entered the contest after Walker’s exit and pitched mediocre in the outing. The left handed went 3.2 innings while allowing two runs on two hits, however he did fan five batters.

Jeff McNeil hit a triple in the fourth and would later be brought home by Robinson Cano’s ground out. The run would cut the Nationals lead in half.

Mark Cahna goes the other way with a hard hit RBI double in the 5th to tie the game at 2. McNeil followed with an opposite field RBI single.

Eduardo Escobar hit his first HR of the spring, a solo shot in the sixth making it 4-2, Mets. Escobar continues to rake, as well as being an important part to the clubhouse.

Chasen Shreve pitched another scoreless inning, his second of the spring. Shreve continues to make his case to be apart of the Mets bullpen.

The Mets would win the game 4-2, after a Sean Reid-Foley save.

Photo Credit: NYPost