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Meet the Mets
The Mets saw their slim playoff hopes all but end last night as they dropped their series opener 8-4 to the Miami Marlins. Steven Matz was ineffective over five-plus innings, allowing runs in the second and third before giving up a Jorge Alfaro grand slam in the sixth. New York battled back with an Amed Rosario grand slam in the bottom half of the frame to shrink their deficit back to two, but an infield single that was originally called the third out of the seventh but overturned by replay review led to two more Miami runs. The Mets went quietly into the night to drop to five games back.
Choose your recap: Amazin’ Avenue short and long, Newsday, NY Post, Daily News, New York Times, MLB.com, and Bergen Record.
Monday night’s game featured an attendance of just 21,189 for what was a must-win game. Ken Davidoff looks at the team’s attendance in this game as a sad reminder of their status.
The 2019 season was fun, but it will in all likelihood end with no October baseball for a third straight season. This attitude must change in 2020, and the NY Post’s Kevin Kernan argues that the Mets need to adopt a playoffs-or-bust attitude.
Dominic Smith took live batting practice against Robert Gsellman on Monday as he works his way back from a stress fracture in his left foot. He will have a CT scan on Wednesday and is eligible to be activated for that night’s game if all goes well.
Phil Regan wants to return in 2020 as Mets’ pitching coach, but he is unsure if that will happen.
Mark Vientos was named the Mets’ minor league hitter of the year.
Around the National League East
The Washington Nationals trounced the Philadelphia Phillies 7-2. With the win, the Nationals re-took sole possession of the first Wild Card spot in the National League. With the loss, the Phillies were officially eliminated from postseason contention.
The Atlanta Braves were off as they travel to take on the Kansas City Royals before concluding the year in New York.
Around Major League Baseball
Felix Hernandez will make his final start for the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night. The Seattle Times took a look at King Felix’s complicated tenure with the team.
Royals’ manager Ned Yost announced that he will retire at the end of the 2019 season. Yost led Kansas City to back-to-back American League pennants and a World Series title in 2015.
It’s fun watching players make exhilarating catches, but the question remains: Do they hurt? Hannah Keyser of Yahoo Sports asked some players to find out.
In a back-and-forth game, the Toronto Blue Jays outlasted the Baltimore Orioles 11-10 in 15 innings to hand Baltimore their 106th loss. Toronto took a 5-0 lead after two but were trailing 9-7 going into the ninth before tying the game up. Both teams scored a run in the 12th, and Toronto finally came out on top as Anthony Alford hit his first career home run for the walk off.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
Maggie Wiggin looked at Brandon Nimmo’s impressive stats since returning from the injured list and how his performance has quieted the doubters.
Allison McCague brought you this week’s installment of the Mets’ pitcher and position player performance meters.
I previewed the Mets’ second-to-last series of the 2019 season.
Steve Sypa reviewed the Binghamton Rumble Ponies’ 2019 season.
The latest episode of From Complex to Queens went up.
This Date in Mets History
On this date in 1969, the Miracle Mets clinched the National League East title with a 6-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Mets put up a five-spot in the first inning and never looked back, as Gary Gentry pitched a complete game four-hitter. Donn Clendenon hit two home runs as the Mets pulled off an incredible feat to take their first division title.