Meet the Mets
An absolute meltdown by the bullpen wrapped up a disappointing finish to a dismal first half for the boys in orange and blue. Corey Oswalt started and pitched well on the mound, but Anthony Swarzak, Tim Peterson, and Jerry Blevins combined for a nightmarish inning where the Nationals batted around. The offense was already struggling to come up with hits, and once they were behind they went quietly into the break without much of a fight.
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Corey Oswalt continues to impress and could be a rotation mainstay after the All-Star Break.
Anthony Swarzak failed to get any outs in his latest appearance and so far has not been a great addition to the bullpen.
Jose Reyes did manage to get on base in the finale against the Nationals and despite his anemic offense and awful defense he still thinks he can contribute to the team.
The Mets could easily improve their team if they employed some addition by subtraction with three underperforming players.
Dominic Smith’s playing time has evaporated and a decision about where he will be playing after the All-Star Break will be made soon.
Yoenis Cespedes’s return could be shortly after the break as he continues to work his way back from injury.
Despite the team’s terrible first half, manager Mickey Callaway isn’t going anywhere any time soon.
Peter Alonso hopefully showed off a little of the Mets’ future when he hit an absolute bomb to extend Team USA’s lead in the Futures Game. The first baseman’s home run was so massive it might’ve broken Statcast.
Andres Gimenez was also at the Futures Game representing the Mets, and he is happy with the way he has progressed so far in his career.
Prospect Jeremy Vasquez was recently promoted to St. Lucie and he is happy to be playing in front of a home crowd.
Jacob deGrom would love to start the All-Star Game but Max Scherzer has the home field advantage.
No matter when he pitches in the All-Star Game, deGrom will definitely be pitching the finale against the Yankees with Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz getting the first two games in the series.
Around the National League East
The Braves halted their free fall with a 5-1 win against the Diamondbacks. Looking to add more offense, Atlanta is reportedly interested in acquiring Mike Moustakas. Two Atlanta pitching prospects performed well in the Futures Game.
The Marlins’ bats broke out in their 10-5 win over the Phillies. There were some very good dogs at the Bark in the Park promotion at Marlins Park.
The Philles finished their first half on a sour note.
The Nationals finished the first half at .500 with a split against the Mets.
Around Major League Baseball
The prospects taking part in the Futures Game displayed some serious power on both teams, but Team USA came away victorious.
The Futures Game kicked off All-Star week and there is a full schedule of activities leading up to the Home Run Derby.
Despite some notable names not participating in this year’s Home Run Derby, there are still some heavy hitters involved in the contest.
The first half of the season has come to a close and there are six storylines that have emerged over the first three and a half months of the season.
The Red Sox’s incredible first half ended on a high note with a win over the Blue Jays.
If the Mets don’t trade any of their top tier pitchers, perhaps a Cardinals’ ace would become available to interested teams instead.
This Date in Mets History
The Mets scored 11 runs in one inning at Wrigley Field on this date in 2006. Eight of the runs came on grand slams by Cliff Floyd and Carlos Beltran, and David Wright ended the scoring that inning with a two-run home run. All told the Mets hit five home runs that day and walked away with a 13-7 win and a sweep of the Cubs.
Three years earlier, the Mets sent Armando Benitez to the Yankees one day after he was their lone representative at the All-Star Game.