3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Earn Series Split With Cubs

The 2024 New York Mets are a difficult and weird team to try and figure out. There was the 0-5 start, then the hot streak, and now we’re in another strange stretch where the bullpen continues to reign supreme, but yet there are notable red flags across the offense and the defense. We saw the […]

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Earn Series Split With Cubs appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The 2024 New York Mets are a difficult and weird team to try and figure out.

There was the 0-5 start, then the hot streak, and now we’re in another strange stretch where the bullpen continues to reign supreme, but yet there are notable red flags across the offense and the defense.

We saw the great, the not so great and the confusing sides of the Mets throughout the four-game set against the Chicago Cubs, culminating in a wild rollercoaster of a series finale on Thursday at Citi Field.

All in all, there are a plethora of things to worry about with this team, yet another thrilling finish to earn a series split with the Cubs made those concerns easier to ignore in the moment.

On that note, let’s dive into all the good, the bad and the damn ugly in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

3 UP

LINDOR’S FLU GAME

Francisco Lindor felt like he was in danger of throwing up or doing No. 2 on the field on Wednesday. That’s how ill the shortstop was before being pulled from the game in the third inning. Still battling sickness on Thursday, Lindor was just well enough to come off the bench. And, thus, the Lindor Flu Game was born. The magic began in the sixth as he hit a two-run double as the pinch-runner to make it a one-run game. The Mets were losing 5-2 prior to that at-bat, by the way. Then, with the game in extra-innings, Lindor truly came up clutch with another two-run double to complete the comeback and give his team a 7-6 walk-off win.

Talk about toughness. Lindor, despite being incredibly sick, operating on little sleep and with zero energy, refused to bail on his team. Instead, he toughed it out and highlighted once more his commitment to this franchise. The Mets needed saving in the series finale, and Lindor defied his own sickness to do exactly that. This is why he’s a star and such an important player. Furthermore, Lindor now owns a .999 OPS batting left-handed over his last 12 games and is starting to look more like himself at the plate.

BULLPEN PROWESS

Where would the Mets be without this bullpen? It is a good question worth asking. This mishmash of a ‘pen has saved the day time and time again, and that was the case once again in this series. Four relievers combined to allow just one run over four innings in the 4-2 win on Tuesday. The bullpen also didn’t allow a run on Wednesday, giving the offense every opportunity to win the game. Then, on Thursday, Jake Diekman, Reed Garrett and Edwin Díaz combined to throw four scoreless innings. Díaz, who gave up two earned runs in the opening game on Monday, pitched two innings on Thursday for the first time since his injury. The bullpen played a huge role in the Mets splitting the series with the Cubs, as they have throughout the team’s 16-15 start.

TIME TO SHINE

Christian Scott‘s moment has arrived. The No. 62 prospect in baseball, per Baseball America, and the No. 5 prospect in the Mets’ system, has been called up to The Show. Scott is expected to make his major league debut against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. The right-handed pitcher has been dominant at Triple-A Syracuse, going 3-0 with a 3.20 ERA and 36 strikeouts over 25 1/3 innings. Scott has the tools and the stuff needed to become a future ace, and his debut will provide a tantalizing taste of what could be to come down the road. It is also the perfect time to call up one of the best pitching prospects in the farm system given Adrian Houser’s continued struggles.

3 DOWN 

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

FEARING THE WORST 

Life is never simple for the Mets. Or easy. Per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, reliever Brooks Raley could be at risk of missing the rest of the season. The lefty isn’t recovering from left elbow inflammation as quickly or as well as first hoped, and further opinions are now being sought. The bullpen can’t afford to lose Raley for the rest of the year. Period.

CLUTCHLESS 

The offense continues to be a real concern. In the two losses to the Cubs, the bats combined for just one run, including a shutout on Wednesday. Granted, the lineup did eventually break out in the finale with seven runs. But, even then, Pete Alonso, who is 1-for-his-last-26, struck out with the bases loaded. The Mets left a ton of runners on base throughout this series, and they just aren’t getting the big hits in the big spots. Even with J.D. Martinez in the lineup, this offense doesn’t look clutch consistently enough. That will need to change, and soon.

BASIC ERRORS

Simple mistakes continue to bury this team. It began on Monday when Joey Wendle chose not to throw home in the eighth inning, leading to the Cubs tying the game before going on to win. Wendle struggled defensively again on Thursday as well. Jeff McNeil committed a couple of brain farts in the series finale too, while the stellar Garrett made a mess of a routine groundball. Furthermore, the Mets are now 41-for-42 in stolen bases allowed after permitting five more attempts on Thursday. This team just isn’t getting the fundamentals right, and that isn’t conducive to playing baseball in October.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Earn Series Split With Cubs appeared first on Metsmerized Online.