On a chilly April night during which several players donned ski masks that hid half their faces from the chill, Mets hitters matched the weather. The lineup was frigid, particularly when it most mattered, in going 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
Failures in the clutch are forgotten, though, when the opposing lineup fails in and out of the clutch.
The Mets lugged baseball’s best ERA into play and smothered it even further with a 2-0 shutout of the Marlins in front of 28,630 shivering fans at Citi Field on Monday for a fifth straight win.
Kodai Senga, Danny Young, José Buttó and Ryne Stanek combined for a seven-hitter that made the Marlins look overmatched — just like the Blue Jays often looked overmatched, as did the Marlins last week, as did the Astros in the season-opening series.
There are no guarantees that a Mets staff that is without Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas; that has received brilliance from its bullpen; and that is not facing MLB’s best will continue rolling, but the club’s arms have been unmatched around the league thus far.
In 10 games (seven wins), the staff has allowed 17 earned runs in 89 innings for a 1.72 ERA, the second-best mark in franchise history through 10 games behind only the 1968 team (1.67).
Thirteen Mets arms have essentially pitched like 2018 Cy Young Award-winning Jacob deGrom, who pitched to a 1.70 ERA.
“It’s contagious — it’s like hitting,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of his staff. “They’re feeling pretty good about themselves. They know they’ve got each other’s backs.”
More powerful lineups than Miami’s will reveal more about the Mets, but the club should enjoy these 10 games while it can.
On Monday, Senga allowed five hits and two walks in five innings with four strikeouts. He was pulled after 77 pitches because, Mendoza said, “it’s still early” as they stretch him out.
Those five innings were not dominant — Senga only induced five whiffs — but they were crisp, Senga pitching more to contact as Marlins batters, who faced him last week, keyed in on laying off his ghost forkball.
Young (one scoreless frame), Buttó (two) and Stanek (a perfect ninth that gave a break to Edwin Díaz, who had pitched two consecutive days) had little issues navigating the middle and final innings.
The Mets bullpen ERA is down to 1.15, and Stanek joined Díaz and Huascar Brazobán as Mets who have recorded saves already this year.
“The bullpen is doing a great job,” Senga said through an interpreter, “not only the guys that threw today but the whole staff in general.”
The Mets launched two successful rallies and only needed one. In the third inning, Francisco Lindor (who finished with three hits, his final one a milestone) reached on a gorgeous bunt down the third base line then hustled his way home on a double from Juan Soto, who knocked in his fourth run of the year.
“It looks good, right?” Mendoza said of the 1-2 punch that is Lindor-Soto. “You envision those two doing special things.”
With a single to left in the fifth inning, Lindor logged the 1,500th hit of his career to become the 24th active player to make it halfway to 3,000.
In the clubhouse after the game, Lindor sought out executive director of communications Ethan Wilson and gifted him the bat that made a bit of history.
“I’m very appreciative of the moment and everybody that contributed to my journey,” Lindor said before the gesture that left Wilson touched, “but I’m just happy that we won today.”
The Mets added insurance in the eighth, when Mark Vientos (who has been struggling but walked three times in four plate appearances) drew a walk, and pinch runner Jose Siri stole second before scoring on a single from Tyrone Taylor.
The extra run was appreciated, but Stanek, who picked up his first save in his Mets tenure, didn’t need it.
“We’re winning the games, but we’re playing good baseball,” Lindor said. “That’s what I care about.”
