The series finale between the Mets and the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday afternoon didn’t seem good from the beginning.
The game started at 1:10 p.m. instead of 7:10 p.m. because of the bad weather that was predicted for the evening, and the weather was still bad when the game started. This was before Griffin Canning gave up two runs in the top of the first.
Although Canning didn’t use that as an excuse after the game, it would help explain why he didn’t seem sharp for the second consecutive start (his last appearance against the Los Angeles Dodgers was cut short due to a lengthy rain delay).
“Just not very good, not very competitive out there,” he stated. “Kinda just let the team down (with) how I set the tone.”
The team’s inability to hit with runners in scoring position is still the greater worry, even if Canning’s three innings of five-run ball (three earned) and four walks was not what New York was expecting for as they lost 9–4 and were unable to complete the sweep of the White Sox.
The offense only went 2-for-12 with RISP, despite Mark Vientos hitting a three-run homer with runners on first and third with two outs and opposite-field to pull the Mets closer and make it a 5-3 contest in the third inning.
New York was hammering as Wednesday rolled around. 212 with RISP—the poorest in the NL and the fourth-worst mark in the majors. The series conclusion just made that number worse.
“With runners in scoring position, we need to improve. After the game, manager Carlos Mendoza stated, “We all know.” “Yes, the underlying figures are good, but ultimately, we need to finish the job, right? We didn’t take as many at-bats today as we did yesterday, in my opinion.
The Mets had plenty of scoring opportunities despite only managing five hits on the day and walking eight times, including five times in the opening 3.2 innings against Chicago starter Shane Smith. However, the offensive failed to make headway once more.
Even worse, Mike Vasil, a former Mets top pitching prospect, reduced his season ERA to 2.10 in his first big league season by throwing three shutout innings against his previous team, giving up just two hits and a walk while striking out five.
“That’s just baseball,” Vientos remarked. “You’re hot, you’re cold, and then you’re in the middle in the game of baseball, which is played for six months out of the year. That’s simply the game’s name.
The captain shares his third baseman’s belief that things will improve, even if he is aware of his team’s current offensive difficulties.
“We got a lot of good hitters there, I’m pretty confident that at the end of the year the numbers are gonna be where they need to be, especially with runners in scoring position,” Mendoza stated. But for now, we must keep looking for a solution. We must and will find a means to complete the task.
Wins are what have enabled New York to overcome its offensive difficulties.
The Mets are 34-22, excellent for second in the NL East, despite their struggling offense. Some players in the clubhouse aren’t concerned about the offense in part because of this.
“The way I look at it is if this is us struggling and we’re winning games, imagine when we’re not,” Vientos stated. “I don’t believe this will be the case for the entire season. You’re always waiting for that hot run, and I know it’s coming for us, so I hope it won’t be like this. That’s just baseball.”
Vientos is correct in theory. The Mets should probably take off once they begin hitting like the club is capable of.
That kind of thinking, though, has the flaw of assuming that every other element of the team stays the same. Yes, New York’s starting and relief pitchers are carrying the team at the moment. What would happen, though, if and when both of those regions falter—which is certain to happen at some time throughout a lengthy season?
Wednesday’s and similar games are the answer.
Mendoza remarked, “We gotta be better,”
