Mets Morning News: Wilmer Flores walks it off, Nationals come to town

Meet the Mets

It seemed the Sunday curse would once again rear its head when the Mets left a ton of runners on base against Brewers’ starter Jhoulys Chacin. Noah Syndergaard was dominant, but the slim 1-0 lead he left the game with was immediately erased after some sloppy play by the infield. However, the Brewers’ lead didn’t last long once again. Brandon Nimmo tied it up with a solo home run which set the stage for Wilmer Flores to send everyone home happy with a walk-off home run.

The Nationals now come to town looking to avenge the sweep the Mets handed them last week.

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Before Wilmer walked it off, it was Noah Syndergaard who held spotlight. After a few good but not great starts, Thor finally showed up this season and, at one point, struck out eight batters in a row. The biggest change for Syndergaard was not worrying about his mechanics and focusing more on pitching and the results were outstanding.

Brandon Nimmo made the most of his opportunity to play and is willing do whatever is asked of him even if it means limited playing time.

Mickey Callaway had his first major misstep as a manager when he pinch-hit Jay Bruce but allowed Noah Syndergaard to bat. The move did not work out but there was some strategy behind the decision.

Jose Reyes was the main culprit behind the bevy of men left on base and he still remains hitless this season.

The Mets welcomed Jackie Robinson’s family to Citi Field, and before the game the family spoke about Jackie’s legacy and the issues facing African American players today.

The Nationals come into Citi Field six games behind, and the Mets have an opportunity to bury them early.

It is obviously still early in the season but the Mets are looking like the team to beat in the NL East.

Jacob deGrom will be on the mound against Washington, but off the field he is quite different from his top-of-the-rotation companion.

Around the National League East

The Braves and Cubs were rained out. Prospect Ronald Acuna has gotten off to a slow start in the minors and will not be called up any time soon.

The Marlins fell to the Pirates by a score of 7-3.

The Phillies completed the sweep of the hapless Rays.

Former National Ian Desmond burned his former team and hit a go-head home run in the ninth inning to help give the Rockies the series win over the Nationals. Jeremy Hellickson will start the series opener for Washington against the Mets.

Around Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball celebrated Jackie Robinson’s legacy and some players and teams paid tribute to Robinson by going beyond wearing 42 on their uniforms.

The ageless Bartolo Colon came six outs shy of pitching a perfect game against the reigning World Series champions.

Rays’ outfielder Kevin Kiermaier will undergo an MRI on his strained thumb and will probably end up on the DL.

Clayton Kershaw ended the Dodgers’ losing streak and led his team to a win over the Diamondbacks.

The Cubs have again gotten off to a slow start and it appears their struggles from last season have carried over into the early part of 2018.

This Date in Mets History

Bill Shea christened Shea Stadium with bottles containing water from the Gowanus Canal and the Harlem River on this date in 1964. The Gowanus Canal flowed near Ebbets field and the Harlem River passed near the Polo Grounds.