3 Up, 3 Down: Mets End London Trip With Late Heroics

The 2024 New York Mets are anything but predictable. If you want proof, look no further than the two games in England for the MLB London Series 2024 over the weekend. After contributing to their downfall on Saturday, the Mets pulled off a jaw-dropping double play to earn a series split with the Phillies on […]

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets End London Trip With Late Heroics appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The 2024 New York Mets are anything but predictable.

If you want proof, look no further than the two games in England for the MLB London Series 2024 over the weekend. After contributing to their downfall on Saturday, the Mets pulled off a jaw-dropping double play to earn a series split with the Phillies on Sunday.

As a result, New York flies Stateside winners of their last four of five games, with a six-game homestand at Citi Field up next.

Before we shift our focus to the Marlins and the Padres, let’s dive into a special London edition of 3 Up, 3 Down …

3 UP

DOUBLE PLAY HEROICS 

Sunday was a weird game for the Mets. They erased a 3-0 deficit and staged a late-inning rally to build a 6-4 lead. However, they almost blew the lead immediately. With the bases loaded in the ninth, Drew Smith walked Alec Bohm, and Nick Castellanos came to the plate with a chance to earn the sweep for the Phillies. Instead, his bat shattered, as did Philadelphia’s chances of winning. Luis Torrens showed lightning-quick reactions to pounce on the dribbler and induce a stunning 2-3 double play to secure a 6-5 win and a series split. It was a fitting finale to what was a special weekend in London.

GAME-CHANGER

Whatever amount of cash the Mets paid the Yankees for Luis Torrens, it’s been a steal. He has played a crucial role in this ball club, contributing to win after win over the last week. He executed arguably the Mets’ play of the year to earn a series split on Sunday, as outlined above. However, his contributions in London stretch beyond that jaw-dropping double play. His single sparked a three-run rally in the sixth inning to help tie the game. He then drew a walk in the top of the ninth to help turn the game on its head. Whether at the plate or behind it, Torrens made big plays all weekend. And you can make a compelling case that he deserves to stick around in Queens.

COMING UP CLUTCH

It’s starting to feel like the bullpen might just be the piece that kills the 2024 Mets. The group is already gassed, and we’re still in June. That doesn’t exactly bode well for the coming weeks and months. However, as far as this weekend goes, the bullpen did what was asked. After Sean Manaea was shelled for six runs and was run out of town in the fourth, the bullpen stepped up and allowed only one run over the final 5.1 innings of the game. The same thing transpired on Sunday. José Quintana couldn’t get out of the fourth, and the rest was left to the relieving staff. They delivered again, allowing just two runs the rest of the way, with Drew Smith helping to set up the game-winning double play.

3 DOWN

STARTING OFF ON THE WRONG FOOT

The starting pitching was not great for the Mets this weekend. Sean Manaea allowed six earned runs on seven hits with two home runs. José Quintana wasn’t much better on Sunday. The Phillies rocked him for three runs on six hits. Both starters failed to get out of the fourth inning, putting further stress on an already incredibly taxed bullpen. There should be more concern with Quintana, who has a 5.29 ERA on the year and is only seemingly trending downwards.

FIELD OF WOES

Forget about Field of Dreams. Starling Marte starred in Field of Nightmares on Saturday. The veteran outfielder was confused by the shadows and the upper-level configuration of London Stadium as he lost sight of a routine fly ball. The result? The flub helped to drive in a run before Whit Merrifield proceeded to blast a three-run homer and effectively ended the game in the fourth inning. Now, I do have some sympathy for Marte given that London Stadium wasn’t built for baseball, and he’s never played there before. However, you can’t escape the notion that the outfielder has made a habit of committing errors and making bad plays in the field this year. Saturday was hardly his first offense.

He entered Saturday ranked last among qualified MLB outfielders in Outs Above Average with -8. Furthermore, he was 261st out of 263 players at any position. Yikes. The Mets also began Saturday 29th in MLB Defensive Runs Saved at minus-30. This is not a good defensive ballclub, and Marte has been a big reason why.

REALITY SETTING IN

Sunday’s late escape act aside, the London Series hammered home the gulf in class between the Mets and the Phillies. Bryce Harper led the way on Saturday as Philadelphia handled its business with minimal fuss. The offense was shut down, and the starting pitching was exploited. And you can argue that the Phillies would have swept this series were it not for a bullpen implosion and a broken bat on Sunday.

All in all, we saw enough this weekend to understand why the Phillies are 16 1/2 games ahead in first place. Sure, the Mets have been playing better as of late, but it is probably wise to trust the larger sample size. After all, many of the same flaws were on display in London. The Phillies look every inch a near-perfect team. The Mets, on the other hand, are on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. And Sunday’s win didn’t alter that reality.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets End London Trip With Late Heroics appeared first on Metsmerized Online.