On the day that the Mets placed starter Christian Scott on the 10-day IL and announced Kodai Senga would make his return from injury to start Tuesday, they needed the plan of Tobias Myers as the opener to set them up for a low-stress opening game of a three-game set in Cincinnati.
Two pitches into the home half of the first, the Reds had a man on second. Four batters into the game, the Reds were up by three, and manager Carlos Mendoza was once again behind the eight-ball: David Peterson would have to be used, and the Mets would be down a bulk man in the bullpen should Senga’s return go the same way that Myers’ return to the big leagues did in Monday’s 12-0 loss.
Despite the recently recalled Jonathan Pintaro gamely delivering 3.2 innings after Myers managed to record just four outs before hitting the upper limit of his pitch count, Peterson was required to get the final nine outs to save the rest of New York’s bullpen.
"It sucks, it sucks. You feel like you've let a team down,” Myers said of his feelings after exiting the game with the Mets down nine after two innings. “The team's been playing really well the last couple of weeks, too, so it's definitely a blow to me for sure."
Now, entering the rest of the series, the Mets will be counting on Senga and Nolan McLean on Wednesday to provide length and protect a bullpen that has already thrown 314.2 innings (fourth most in MLB) through 72 games. (That number another way: 4.1 innings per game.)
Asked about his level of concern in piecing together the rotation, Mendoza said they’ve been doing the piecing together for “quite a bit now.”
“Guys will continue to get opportunities, and guys will need to step up,” the manager said after the game. “We got a lot of guys in there that are more than capable. And we need those guys to step up, especially right now when we're banged up.”
Asked about what the plan will be for this spot in the rotation, Mendoza said it is something the club will have to figure out.
“We have a few days before we have to worry about the next turn. And we'll have those discussions, but people have to step up here,” he said.
Myers ‘digging’ for answers
In three outings with Triple-A Syracuse after he was sent down in late May, the right-hander didn't allow an earned run over six innings, with one hit, a walk, and a HBP against him to four strikeouts.
Myers allowed seven of the 11 batters he faced to reach base, with three walks, three singles, and a home run allowed.
What went wrong for the right-hander on Monday?
“His ability to throw strikes,” Mendoza said. “A couple of walks there, he got behind hitters and then he needed to come into the strike zone, and they clipped him. They were aggressive with the fastball.
“When you’re getting behind and giving that team free passes, you put yourself in a position where it’s dangerous.”
Myers said they are in “the process of digging deep" into why his command was off.
"It’s tough to face major league hitters when you’re behind most of the time,” Myers said. “This is something I've seen on the mound with my delivery a little bit mechanically, today specifically. So we’re kinda digging deep on that.”
Not crisp with RISP
The Mets had chances to claw their way back into the game, collecting six hits and drawing six walks, but came away empty-handed every time as they left 12 men on base and went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position, as Bo Bichette, who doubled with the bases empty in each of his first at-bats, accounted for the lone hit with a man in scoring position.
“That’s a tough one, there,” Mendoza said of the lack of clutch hitting.
After going down rather tamely in the first three frames, the Mets got traffic against Reds starter Chase Burns, but left the bases loaded with one out in both the fourth and fifth against the hard-throwing righty.
“We were facing a pretty good arm and – we didn’t score any runs, obviously – but we put together some good at-bats,” Mendoza said. “We created traffic but couldn't get the big hit. We had bases loaded, less than two outs, three times, and we couldn't cash in.”
Hitting with runners in scoring position has been an issue for the Mets all year. The team's .671 OPS and 184 RBI both rank second-worst in the big leagues.
Mendoza added that “even though we were down big in the second inning, I thought the guys continued to put together some really good at-bats, but, again, not enough.”
“Turn the page. Come back tomorrow, you got two more here and an opportunity to win the series,” the manager continued. “We got punched today, the first couple of innings, got down big, but you gotta flush that one. Come back tomorrow ready to go.”
