A Tough Night in Port St. Lucie
The New York Mets faced a challenging evening against the Houston Astros on Thursday night in Port St. Lucie, ultimately falling to a 5-1 defeat. The game saw two of the Mets’ young pitchers, Brandon Sproat and Edwin Diaz, struggling to keep the Astros in check, while the Mets’ offense was largely silenced by the Astros’ pitching staff. This summary of the game highlights the key moments and performances, providing a deeper look into the night’s events.
Brandon Sproat’s Early Struggles
Brandon Sproat, one of the young right-handers in the Mets’ roster, had a mixed start to his outing. In the first inning, Jon Singleton delivered a soft-contact single to center field with two outs, driving in a run off the end of his bat with an exit velocity of just 74.7 mph. The ball dropped in front of Jose Siri, who couldn’t make the play. Sproat’s night didn’t improve in the second inning when he allowed another soft-contact single to start things off. However, Francisco Alvarez’s quick work gunned down Quincy Hamilton trying to steal second, providing a brief moment of relief. Sproat managed to tally a pair of strikeouts, one on a cutter and another on a fastball, but his night came to an abrupt end in the third inning. After issuing a walk and giving up a sharply hit single to right, the bases were loaded with no outs, and Sproat was pulled from the game. Overall, he was charged with two runs on four hits and a walk, throwing 35 pitches with 23 strikes. His sinker and fastball remained his primary weapons, generating eight called strikes and whiffs, with the heater sitting between 94.1 and 97.7 mph.
Edwin Diaz’s Bumpy Debut
Edwin Diaz, the Mets’ closer, made his spring training debut but encountered significant difficulties. He opened the third inning by issuing a leadoff walk on his first five pitches, all of which were fastballs. This sequence allowed Chas McCormick to steal second without opposition. With one out, McCormick took off for third, and Diaz’s slider missed the mark by about five feet, reaching the backstop. Brendan Rodgers capitalized on the next pitch, a hanging slider, with a powerful hit (107.7 mph) that one-hopped the wall in left for a double. Jacob Melton followed with a single to right, scoring a run, and after Lindor’s error in the outfield on a subsequent pop-up, Diaz’s night came to an end. He allowed two runs on two hits and a walk, throwing 19 pitches with 10 strikes, including 14 fastballs and five sliders. The fastball’s velocity sat between 94.2 and 96.9 mph, but its accuracy was lacking, with eight pitches out of the zone.
Mark Vientos Shines in the Field and At the Plate
Mark Vientos, the Mets’ third baseman, was the standout performer of the night. Despite the team’s overall struggles, Vientos had a stellar game, going 3-for-3. In the first at-bat, he managed an infield hit when Guillorme made a diving stop but couldn’t complete the throw. Vientos continued to impress in the third inning, yanking a slider to left for a two-out single. In the fifth, he took an up-and-away sinker and sent it into right field, putting two runners on base with nobody out. On defense, Vientos fielded a good bounce to initiate a 5-3 double play, showcasing his versatility and skill. However, he did mistime a hot liner (108.2 mph) that hit the heel of his glove, leading to a difficult play. Despite this, Vientos’s consistent performance at the plate was a ray of light in an otherwise gloomy game.
Francisco Lindor’s Mixed Bag
Francisco Lindor, the Mets’ shortstop, had a night of ups and downs. In his first at-bat, he fell behind 0-2 but managed to work a walk. His second at-bat saw him putting significant power behind a fly ball (101.5 mph) that traveled 376 feet but was ultimately caught in the tough conditions of the Port St. Lucie ballpark. Statcast gave this hit a .630 xBA, indicating it had a good chance of landing in the outfield. Lindor scored the Mets’ only run with an RBI single when the Astros’ third baseman, Cam Smith, failed to handle the grounder (an olé play). However, Lindor’s night ended on a less positive note when he committed an error in the outfield on a blustery night, allowing a ball (100.8 mph) to kick off his glove as he retreated to the warning track, resulting in an RBI double for the Astros.
Key Batting Performances
Pete Alonso, the Mets’ first baseman, had a noteworthy but ultimately unproductive night. He struck out swinging in both the first and third innings, the latter after a long battle with a slow sweeper up in the zone. However, in the fifth inning, Alonso took the first pitch he saw and sent it to center for a rocket of a single (108.9 mph), finishing 1-for-3. Jesse Winker, as the designated hitter, also had moments of promise but failed to capitalize. He tapped out to first in the first inning, leaving two runners stranded. After falling behind 0-2, he worked a walk to load the bases in the third. Winker got another opportunity with men on base in the fifth but struck out looking at a slow slider. Jeff McNeil, another key hitter, hit a ball hard (97.6 mph) in his first at-bat but came away with a flyout to center. He finished the game 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout.
Game MVP: Mark Vientos
Despite the Mets’ overall poor performance, Mark Vientos stood out as the game MVP. His 3-for-3 night with consistent good hitting was a highlight of the game. Vientos demonstrated both his offensive prowess and defensive skills, making a nice play in the field to start a double play. His contributions provided a glimmer of hope and a positive takeaway from an otherwise difficult night for the Mets.
Upcoming Schedule
The Mets will look to bounce back on Friday as they head to West Palm Beach to face the Washington Nationals. The game is scheduled to start at 6:05 p.m., and the team will be hoping for better performances from their starting pitchers and a more productive night from their bats.
