PHILADELPHIA
FIRST PITCH: Jonathon Niese (3-3, 2.74 ERA) opposes Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels (1-3, 4.43) in Sunday’s 1:35 p.m. game at Citizens Bank Park.
If the Mets could keep the game under four hours, it would be appreciated.
“There’s some tired bodies out there,” Terry Collins said after the Mets played their second straight 14-inning game Saturday.
Sunday’s news reports:
• David Wright had a tiebreaking RBI single in the top of the 14th against Antonio Bastardo and the Mets beat the Phillies, 5-4, Saturday. The Mets played consecutive five-hour games for the first time in franchise history. Despite allowing a three-run homer in the seventh to Ryan Howard, Jacob deGrom left in position for his first major league victory. Instead, he remained winless in four solid starts. Jeurys Familia suffered a blown save in the ninth. Buddy Carlyle tossed three scoreless relief innings in his first major league action since 2011 and earned his first win in six years.
Rich Schultz/Getty ImagesDavid Wright (who had the go-ahead RBI) and Carlos Torres (who had the save) celebrate Saturday's 14-inning win.
“Ideally, for the long run, you never want to play 14-inning games, much less back to back,” Wright told reporters postgame. “But if you’re out there, you want to win. It was also nice to pick one up for the bullpen, because they had been so good.”
Read game recaps in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Post, Daily News, Newsday, Times, Star-Ledger, Record and at MLB.com.
• Rookie Rafael Montero was demoted before Saturday’s game to clear the roster spot for Carlyle. Daisuke Matsuzaka will enter the rotation Wednesday at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs in Montero’s spot. Matsuzaka could be in the rotation for a while, since Dillon Gee (lat muscle strain) has not picked up a baseball since having to halt a session last Sunday after two tosses because of discomfort. Read more in the Post, Daily News, Star-Ledger, Newsday and at MLB.com.
• Juan Lagares was scratched from Saturday’s start with a rib-cage issue but insisted the injury is “nothing bad.”
• After the Mets played consecutive 14-inning games and taxed the bullpen, left-hander Dana Eveland has been promoted from Las Vegas for Sunday’s matinee. The Mets did not announce a corresponding move Saturday. Barring an unexpected DL stint for Lagares, though, Carlyle logically could be out because he likely would be unavailable as he recovers from Saturday’s appearance.
• Sandy Alderson said it’s time for the Mets “to turn the corner.”
• Columnist Joel Sherman in the Post asserts that touting a slow-and-steady building of the farm system is a good diversionary tactic from woes at the big-league level and does not ensure future prosperity. Writes Sherman:
If you say, well maybe the Mets will be the Rays, know that the Rays have had three original signings since 2007 do much in the majors -- David Price (who was a first overall pick in 2007), Matt Moore (who is out after Tommy John surgery) and Derek Dietrich (who was traded for Yunel Escobar). Tampa Bay has found its success being ingenious in other ways.
If you are thinking the Moneyball A’s are the touchstone because of Alderson’s roots, then know that Oakland had four players it originally brought to its organization on the Opening Day roster, though one was Sonny Gray, who Alderson passed up in his first draft (2011) to take [Brandon] Nimmo. Again, Oakland has upheld success not with a lengthy buildup of personnel, but with crafty maneuvering of personnel.
So while the Mets continue in the slow-and-steady portion of the program, you might wonder if it is a fable that will work.
• Marc Carig in Newsday takes a detailed look at the Mets’ hitting philosophy, which will not change even with the firing of Dave Hudgens. Writes Carig:
The confusion begins with the ultimate goal. It is not to take pitches. It is not to run up pitch counts. It is not even necessarily to draw more walks. While these are beneficial byproducts, the real goal is to hit the ball with authority.
This can happen with the first pitch of an at-bat. Or the 10th. Proponents insist it doesn't matter, so long as hitters swing only at pitches they can crush. Within the system, taking a good pitch to hit and chasing a bad pitch out of the strike zone are equal sins.
Paul DePodesta, a longtime Alderson lieutenant, called the philosophy "focused aggression."
• The Mets received a scolding from the umpiring crew for leaving the field before an official call reversal for the final out of an inning Saturday.
• Umps have been incorrectly warning the Mets that Familia is balking, Collins said.
• Jairo Perez’s tiebreaking three-run homer lifted St. Lucie to a 4-3 win against Daytona. Champ Stuart went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs as Savannah beat Rome, 6-2. Read the full minor-league recap here.
• Frank Viola, who underwent open-heart surgery in April, tells the Post he’s eager to get to work as pitching coach for Las Vegas beginning Friday.
“Right now I’m in Port St. Lucie. I’m going through a regular spring-training arm-strengthening program,” Viola said. “I figure I should be back throwing BP in two weeks. … Being away I realized how much I missed it. I have to continue to take better care of myself, but I’m really glad to be back.”
• Mike Puma in the Post recaps the Mets’ 11-18 May.
• Jeff Roberts in the Record looks at the rash of Tommy John surgeries in baseball.
• Garin Cecchini, the brother of Mets 2012 first-round pick Gavin Cecchini, reportedly has been promoted to the majors by the Boston Red Sox.
• From the bloggers ... Faith and Fear realizes that perhaps you can have too much baseball.
BIRTHDAYS: Rick Baldwin, who made 105 relief appearances for the Mets in the mid-’70s, was born on this date in 1953.
TWEETS OF THE DAY:
Any other Metsochists out there stll watching the game? #Mets— Jennifer Schiff (@JenniferLSchiff) May 31, 2014
YOU’RE UP: How should the Mets clear the roster spot for Dana Eveland’s addition?