Mets interim manager Andy Green and some players discussed the pivotal moments of the team’s loss to the White Sox on Friday…
Yan’s premature celebration
In a tied game in the ninth, Jefry Yan was called on to hold the line and send it into extra innings. However, the left-hander could not, ultimately allowing a walk-off two-run shot to catcher Jake Rogers.
But that inning started rather oddly. Going up against left-hander Colson Montgomery, Yan threw a slider down in the zone on a 1-2 pitch. The Mets southpaw was convinced he just struck out Montgomery and did his signature celebration. But it was called a ball and the at-bat continued. Two pitches later, Montgomery was on with a walk.
“Jefry will learn not to jump before the play is over,” Green said after the game. “That’s something he’s still working through. The emotions of the moment got him there.”
To Yan’s credit, he got the next two batters out and was one out away from stranding Montgomery on third. But a 0-1 fastball down in the zone was taken deep by Rogers.
“I went out there with a plan to do what I always do. To execute, to compete,” Yan said via an interpreter of the Montgomery at-bat. “That at-bat, I threw a pitch a little prematurely. I still don’t let my guard down at that point and I was trying to execute my pitches there, but I walked him.”
Green said that the premature celebration didn’t affect Yan, and chalked it up to being a rookie who has a lot of enthusiasm but is still learning.
“We encouraged him very strongly to wait to the play is over. The emotions got to him,” Green said.
“That’s one of those that becomes a learning experience,” Yan said. “Can’t go out there and lose the goal, which is execute pitches. It won’t happen again. Once the job is done, you can celebrate the way you want to.”
Yan also said his celebration didn’t affect him, and he was just bested by Rogers.
“In the at-bat to Rogers, I threw the ball but I was trying to attack him and he got it,” he said. ” It’s the first home run I’ve given up in the major leagues. It’s something to learn from- learn how to execute better. I wouldn’t say it affected me.”
Manaea’s tough sixth
Sean Manaea was on the verge of another fantastic start. He cruised through the first five innings without allowing a run and entered the sixth with a comfortable 4-0 lead.
That changed very quickly.
After allowing a one-out walk to Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas, Randal Grichuk and Colson Montgomery took the Mets southpaw deep to tie the game at four apiece.
“The sixth inning got away from me,” Manaea said before later explaining what changed the third time through the order.
“I was throwing a little more sweepers than I was, and ultimately, fastballs home runs to two of them. Yanked them down instead of getting them up. Earlier in the game, I felt like I did a better job getting the ball up…Don’t know if I’ve ever given three [home runs] back-to-back.”
“He was pitch-efficient throughout most of the day,” Green said of Manaea. “He struggled to get the fastball up today. Got a lot of deep flyballs for outs.”
Green admitted that the team didn’t “love” the part of the order that had Vargas and Grichuk for Manaea, but it was hard to take out his starter when he was cruising to that point.
The interim manager was asked if he considered taking Manaea out after giving up the first two home runs, and Green said that he liked the favorable matchup against the lefty Montgomery.
Manaea has given the Mets some much-needed length of late. This is the sixth game in a row that he’s gone at least six innings, but it’s the second consecutive start he’s allowed four runs. Prior to these two starts, Manaea had allowed two or fewer runs in four consecutive starts.
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