No matter how well he pitches Quinnen Williams Jersey , the New York Mets do not win very often when Jacob deGrom is on the mound.
The Mets were originally going to start deGrom Friday but scratched him due to a family situation, and the ace will start in the middle game of a three-game series against the Miami Marlins on Saturday at Marlins Park.
On a team with one of the National League’s worst records at 32-47, deGrom is doing his part even if the record does not show it. He is 5-3 with a 1.69 ERA, though three of those wins were when the Mets opened 11-1 and were 17-9 in April.
The Mets are 15-38 since then after stranding 10 and wasting nine walks in Friday’s 7-2 loss to Miami. They are 6-10 when deGrom starts and have dropped eight of their last 10 games when deGrom pitches.
Most of it is due to the sub-par offense as New York owns a .232 batting average. The Mets have scored three runs or fewer in nine of deGrom’s last 10 starts, including last Saturday’s 8-3 loss when he allowed three runs and five hits in six innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“My changeup was terrible,” deGrom said. “My slider was good at times, but other times it wasn’t even close to being a strike. So I had one pitch, my fastball, that I couldn’t really locate. You’re trying to get big league hitters out with a pitch that you don’t really know where it’s going, and the other ones were garbage. I just wasn’t very good tonight.”
It is because of the losing that the debate rages on about what the Mets should do with deGrom, who made his major league debut on May 15, 2014 http://www.jetscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-jachai-polite-jersey , and will not be a free agent until after the 2020 season.
Whatever the decision is on deGrom it will be made by John Ricco, who is filling in along with Omar Minaya and J.P. Ricciardi while general manager Sandy Alderson focuses on cancer treatments. Before Wednesday’s 5-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, he discussed the possibility of dealing of deGrom.
“We’re going to talk about that,” Ricco said. “We just kind of got into this. Sandy was on the record with one point of view. We’ll get together to discuss it. Obviously, they’re two huge pieces for us. We’ll have to consider. For me, everything has to be on the table. But you have to look long and hard before you move a game-changing, top-of-the-rotation pitcher.”
Against Miami, deGrom is 4-4 with a 3.62 ERA in 14 career starts. This season he allowed four runs on seven hits in six innings in an 8-6 win at Miami on April 10 and pitched seven scoreless innings in a 2-1 home loss on May 23.
While the Mets start their ace, Miami will unveil another prospect when Pablo Lopez starts. After Sandy Alcantra pitched five innings Friday, Lopez will be the sixth Miami pitcher to make his major league debut.
“It’s still very unreal,” Lopez told reporters before the series opener. “It still doesn’t feel real that I’m right here with this field, with these teammates, this scenario. It’s still very overwhelming Chuma Edoga Jersey , but still very exciting as well.”
Lopez is among four prospects acquired from the Seattle Mariners for David Phelps on July 20, and when he struck out eight in 4 2/3 innings during spring training, the Marlins noticed.
“I remember hearing at the winter meetings in November, I believe, how much our guys liked him and the presence he had,” Miami manager Don Mattingly told reporters. “We were able to see it in spring training. It was impressive, just his whole demeanor, the way he handles himself. You can tell, he’s a sharp kid, well prepared.”
In 12 combined starts for Double-A Jacksonville and Triple-A New Orleans, he is 2-3 with a 1.44 ERA while opposing hitters are hitting .196 (46-for-235). He is ranked sixth among full-season minor leaguers in ERA and WHIP (0.93) and leads all Miami minor league pitchers in ERA.
Lopez started the season at Jacksonville, where he was 1-2 with a 0.62 ERA in eight starts. In his four starts with New Orleans, he allowed seven earned runs in 18 2/3 innings.
They’ll have to do it again this week as they prepare for their divisional round matchup with the Tennessee Titans.
Belichick said Monday that it is ”absolutely” his intention to return as coach of the Patriots next season, despite reports of turmoil in the franchise involving himself, quarterback Tom Brady and team owner Robert Kraft.
Belichick said he didn’t have anything to add to a joint statement the three men released last week in response to an ESPN report, citing undisclosed sources, that detailed an array of tension.
”I haven’t read the article. I’ve already commented at length about that situation,” Belichick said. ”Nothing has happened since then, so I don’t have anything to add to it.”
The ESPN story highlighted purported disputes concerning Brady’s personal body coach, Alex Guerrero, in player-medical affairs.
Also mentioned was a supposed difference between Kraft and Belichick over the decision to trade former backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. The story implied Brady has taken issue with a lack of praise from Belichick this season.
When asked about another report about his supposed interest in coaching the New York Giants where he was a defensive coordinator, the Patriots coach said he is concerned only on New England’s game with the Titans on Saturday night.
”That’s where my total focus is,” he said.
Last season the Patriots played under a similar spotlight after Brady was suspended for the first four games as punishment for his role in the ”Deflategate” scandal.
New England thrived when he returned, and went on to earn its fifth Lombardi Trophy with a record comeback during its Super Bowl win over Atlanta.
The Patriots haven’t lost in the divisional round of the playoffs since falling 28-21 to the New York Jets after the 2010 regular season. New England has made it to at least the conference title game in each of the past six seasons.
Special teams captain Matt Slater, now in his 10th season with the Patriots Clelin Ferrell Jersey , said Belichick’s leadership sets the tone when possible distractions creep up.
”Coach Belichick has always led us in a way that’s been very direct, to the point, very focused on the task at hand,” Slater said. ”Being able to live in the moment, and just take things day by day.”
Slater said it’s why he won’t even give a thought to things such as the Giants coaching rumors.
”I’m just focused on preparing for the Tennessee Titans with coach Bill Belichick as my head coach for the 2017 season,” he said.
”I think everyone in that locker room feels the same way. The nature of professional football is tomorrow’s not guaranteed to anyone; players, coaches. That’s life.”
Told of Belichick’s comment that he plans to return as coach in New England next season, safety Patrick Chung chuckled.
”I’m juiced. Keep coming back,” he said. ”When he’s done, I’ll be done, too.”