The Mets’ bullpen has been extra sharp to start the season, and Luke Weaver has been a big part of that.
Entering Thursday’s game against the Diamondbacks, Weaver had allowed just one hit and no walks across five scoreless innings. That would change at an inopportune time for the Mets.
After young right-hander Nolan McLean exited the game with a 1-0 lead and two runners on with one out, Weaver was called on to get out of the jam. Arizona catcher Gabriel Moreno stepped into the box as a pinch-hitter and got ahead 2-1 on Weaver. On the fourth pitch of the at-bat, Weaver threw a changeup that was down and away from the right-handed backstop, but Moreno went down and got the barrel of the bat on the ball.
The ball carried to right field, where Brett Baty was. However, Baty could not come up with the ball and a run scored to tie the game. A run-scoring fielder’s choice, a sac fly and a triple later, and the Diamondbacks put up a four-spot in the seventh en route to a 7-1 loss for the Mets.
Weaver would get the two outs needed to end the seventh, but the damage was done. Four runs scored — two counted against Weaver — on two hits.
After the game, Weaver was asked about the inning and gave credit to the team for executing against him.
“They’re a good team. Good lineup, put the ball in play,” Weaver said. “At the end of the day, there’s only one way to look at it, and it’s if you do your job or you don’t. Today was not one of those outcomes. They earned it, but I don’t want to be discouraged. I want to continue doing what I’m doing. Feel like I’m in a good spot. Just got to wrap it up to that.”
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Weaver got in trouble after getting behind 2-0 to Moreno, but gave the Arizona catcher all the credit for putting the barrel to the ball on an executed changeup.
Interestingly enough, Weaver disagreed on whether he executed the pitch.
“There was some indecision on what I wanted to do there,” Weaver explained. “Pitch clock got involved there. It was a backed-up moment and just didn’t get to the right end of what I needed to do. [Moreno] did a good job of staying on the pitch. Just on the wrong side of it.”
Thursday was Weaver’s first blown save of the season and it came at the expense of McLean’s gem. Again, Weaver was upbeat about the situation — all thing’s considered — and is confident he’ll get the job done for McLean in the future.
“Adds more of a sting for sure,” Weaver said of blowing the save for McLean. “He deserves to walk out of that with his head high. Rely on us to get the job done in crunchtime. He deserved the win there. I hated to be that guy for him, but I’ll pick him up at some point and he’ll continue to do a great job for us.”
About that Baty play in the OF
The Moreno at-bat was the catalyst for the Diamondbacks’ win on Thursday, but could the game-tying double have been avoided?
Including Thursday, Baty has made just five starts in right field — facilitated by Juan Soto‘s IL stint — and is an infielder by trade. Moreno’s double had an exit velocity of 99.3 mph and had a hit probability of 45 percent, according to Statcast. But Baty didn’t seem to have a bead on it or know where he was in relation to the right field wall. The ball wound up sailing out of the reach of Baty and bounced off the wall.
Mendoza was asked if he felt Baty could have made the play.
“I don’t think so. He was a little shallow there,” Mendoza said. “Moreno got a good piece on that one. I don’t think Baty had a chance on that one there.”
When asked if the play was catchable, the Mets skipper spoke confidently that Baty wouldn’t have made the play.
“We’ll have to go back and look. But especially with Moreno, he uses the whole field, have to give him credit,” Mendoza said. “Where [Baty] was positioned, which is the right positioning, I don’t think he’ll make that play.”
One batter later, Alek Thomas hit a sharp grounder to Mark Vientos at first base. Vientos grabbed it and squared his body, but bounced the throw wide of the plate, allowing the Diamondbacks to take the lead on the fielder’s choice.
Mendoza said the ball was to his left and it’s a tough play for any infielder to make. He also gave credit to Jose Fernandez, the runner on third, for his execution of getting down the line quickly.
With Soto out and Jorge Polanco potentially joining him on the IL, Baty and Vientos are asked to play positions they haven’t done much of in their careers. Despite that, Mendoza has liked what he’s seen from both despite them learning on the fly.
“I think they’ve been playing the positions very well,” Mendoza said. “Even today, that ball in right field, that’s a tough play. And the one at the plate with Vientos, when you execute the way they did it — hell of a job from the runner on third base going on contact. Anytime an infielder’s got to go to his right, to his left, you’re going to have to make a really good play to get the guy at home plate. But they’ve been good.”
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