3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Snap Skid With Mariners Series Win

This weekend will go down as one to remember for the New York Mets.
Mired in an all-time slump, the Mets hit rock bottom in the series opener on Friday night after blowing yet another lead. It was an ugly start to the weekend.

However, a new day brought fresh hope, and an electric debut helped inspire a big win on Saturday. Then, in beautiful Williamsport for the Little League Classic, the Mets, led by a familiar big name, recorded another big win to secure the series.

It was New York’s first series win since late July.

All in all, it was a memorable couple of days for the Mets. And, on that note, let’s recap everything from an eventful weekend in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

3 UP

DEBUT TO REMEMBER

Nolan McLean both wowed and offered Mets fans plenty of hope in his MLB debut on Saturday. The righty was electric, striking out eight while allowing just two hits and four walks across 5 1/3 scoreless innings. You could not have scripted a better first impression in Queens. Furthermore, McLean showed off his pitch mix, filthy stuff, and impressive poise throughout his first big league start. Not only did McLean help set his team up for success on Saturday, but he also gave this team lots to be excited about.

KEY TO EVERYTHING

When Francisco Lindor goes on a tear, everything is okay in Mets world. That was certainly the case this weekend. Lindor is currently on an absolute heater, and he was key to his team taking the series from the Mariners. The shortstop went 3-for-5 on Friday with a pair of home runs, two runs scored, and four RBIs in a losing effort. He followed that up with a double and an RBI on Saturday. Then, on Sunday, Lindor came up with another massive effort, going 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Overall, Lindor drove in six runs against Seattle and is now hitting .560/.607/.1.040 over a six-game hitting streak. The Mets are a much more dangerous team when Lindor is fully locked in.

ALL ABOUT THE KIDS

It is rather apt that the Mets’ young guns all made sizable contributions in the Little League Classic on Sunday. Brett Baty came up with an RBI single in the second inning, while Francisco Alvarez‘s double got the Mets on the board in the first. Alvarez also finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored. The star of the show, however, was Mark Vientos. The struggling third baseman took inspiration from all the pre-game festivities to come up with a monster game. Vientos finished 2-for-4 with one run scored and four RBIs, including an opposite-field, three-run home run in the fifth to effectively put the game to bed. It was arguably Vientos’ biggest hit of the entire year. Talking of big hits, Alvarez hit a three-run bomb in the eighth inning of Friday’s game. All in all, this weekend proved to be a hugely productive one for the kids.

3 DOWN

SUNDAY DAMPENER 

Only an injury could sour the mood for the Mets. Sunday’s win was significant, but it didn’t come without a potential heavy price. Francisco Alvarez, who enjoyed a productive weekend, was forced to leave the series finale with a right thumb injury. Alvarez has now returned to New York to undergo an MRI on Monday. We now wait and pray for positive news. Losing Alvarez for any amount of time would be a blow, especially considering how good he’s been at the plate since his return. Alvarez has a history of hand injuries throughout his career. Hopefully, this one won’t be cause for concern.

TIME TO WAKE UP

Brandon Nimmo needs to produce more. And fast. The outfielder has shown signs of waking up offensively as of late, but ultimately, he’s still mired in somewhat of a rut. Nimmo went 4-for-13 with just one extra-base hit, no RBIs, and four strikeouts against the Mariners. Overall, he’s hitting just .182/.302/.295 over his last 12 games. His numbers were good heading into this series, and look good over the last six games, but consistency continues to be an issue for Nimmo. He needs to start putting it together on a night-to-night basis for this team.

NET NEGATIVE

Sean Manaea continues to trend in the wrong direction. The left-handed starter endured another rough outing on Friday night. He allowed four earned runs on six hits and one walk. Manaea struck out a season-high seven batters, however. Still, the veteran lasted just five innings yet again and has now allowed a total of 15 earned runs over his last five outings. With the playoff race tightening up, the Mets will need Manaea to lock in and become the big-innings starter he was last year. If these struggles continue, that could prove costly down the stretch.

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