Day: July 2, 2023

The New York Mets had a rough June, and after they went 7-19, they are hoping that the new month has better things in store for them. New York managed to get off to a good start on the first day of the month by snapping their three-game losing streak in a 4-1 victory over the Giants on Saturday afternoon at Citi Field. It also helped that Justin Verlander gave them length.

“We got July off to a good start. We’re hoping to build on it,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said.    

Verlander was the difference, pitching seven innings, allowing just one unearned run and striking out six batters to pick up his third victory of the season. He looked like the Verlander of old in the first six innings, allowing just three baserunners through his first 18 batters faced.

“Verlander pitched a phenomenal game, and we weren’t able to score runs early on,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “Historically, we do a really nice job in the first couple of innings of games. Right now, we’re just a little short in that regard.”

Verlander mentioned that he was developing new mechanics before the game, and throughout his start, he appeared locked in. His throw was free and easy, he felt it was his best match of the year.

“It was much better,” he said. “The slider was the best thing I can take from today. I was a bit more around the zone. It wasn’t perfect, but I was able to make pitches when I needed to. I felt better than last time. … It’s a huge step in the right direction and trying to build off that momentum.”

Justin’s toughest inning was in the seventh when he allowed his lone run. With a runner on first, Patrick Bailey struck a ground ball to first baseman Pete Alonso, who threw the ball away hoping to induce a second. With runners on first and third, J.D. Davis came home to deliver the Giants’ only run when Thairo Estrada hit into a double play.

However, the inning did not end easily. After the double play, Blake Sabol doubled, and Austin Slater walked to put runners on first and second. But Brandon Crawford struck out to end the attack.

The Mets gave Verlander all the run support he required in the third inning by playing a home run derby off Giants starter Anthony DeSclafani. With one out, Francisco Alvarez hit a solo shot over the right-field wall to give New York a 1-0 lead. When Luis Guillorme made the second out of the inning, Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor hit homers successively. It highlighted the first time the Mets hit three home runs in an inning since last year October 4th.

For Nimmo, the home run happened on the seventh anniversary of his first career homer against the Chicago Cubs Jason Hammel.

“Put a punctuation mark on hitting the hardest homer of my career so far,” said Nimmo, whose knock had an exit velocity of 111.8 mph.

An inning later, he scored the fourth run of the game on a double by Tommy Pham. 

“It was huge,” Verlander said. “As a starter, to have those guys put some runs on the board, you can really attack the zone, not really worried about giving up a solo home run and putting your team behind. It felt great.”

New York is off to a great start in July, winning the type of match they prayed 2023 would bring.

“[Saturday’s game] is how you draw it up,” Nimmo said. “It was a well-played game overall. It’s definitely what this team is designed to do, just more of it in the future is what we need.”

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Eovaldi updates All-Star résumé by shutting down Houston Astros.

When Texas Rangers catcher Jonathan Heim was announced as American League starter in this year’s All-Star Game, he had just one thing to say about the potential starting pitcher “Hopefully I’m catching [Nathan Eovaldi].” Referring to Nathan Eovaldi.

The All-Star pitchers will be named tonight and on Saturday, Eovaldi made one last start to beef up his résumé which was ironically against the Houston Astros.

Eovaldi delivered a masterclass before a sellout crowd of 40,380 at Globe Life Field. The Rangers ace pitched seven scoreless innings on only two hits and five strikeouts, leading Texas to a 5-2 win in a big AL West matchup against the Astros that evened the four-game series at one match apiece.

On the other end of the pitch, the offense knocked Astros starter Hunter Brown around, tagging him for three runs on 10 hits. Texas totalled 15 hits and would have blown the match open if they had not gone 4-for-22 with runners in scoring position.

But Nathan was undoubtedly the star of that show.

And if he is named to the All-Star squad, he will be joining Heim and three other Rangers – Marcus Semien, Corey Seager and Josh Jung in Seattle to participate in the Midsummer Classic.

“I mean it’d be a huge honor to be able to go out there,” Eovaldi said. “We’ve got four of our guys starting in the game. They’ve done an outstanding job this season, and all four of them had a great game today as well. To be able to go out there, and not only to be able to represent the Rangers but to be able to play alongside those guys would be a huge honor.”

Eovaldi did everything possible to prove he belongs there on Saturday. 

He commandeered the Astros’ lineup facing only two over the minimum and not allowing a hit over his final five innings of work. He forced more double plays (3) than he permitted hits (2).

“He was good,” Baker said. “The thing about him is he throws ground balls. I think he threw up double plays every time we got something going. I noticed he’s leading the league in double plays. We just had the shortstop-itis.

“Between the third baseman and the shortstop, I don’t know how many outs [we hit into] … they probably had 10 combined. They had us played right, and we couldn’t keep the ball off the ground. He was tough. He kept the ball down, in, out, mixed in his fastball with his slider and his split-finger. He threw a real good game against us.”

Fresh off a June 25 start in New York where he felt he did not give his best, Eovaldi made certain mechanical adjustments to his arm path over the last week which helped him utilize his pitch mix to its fullest potential.

Against Houston, he used the four-seamer 29 per cent of the time, which matches his season averages, but he threw the curveball 21 per cent of the time, way above his usual 12.8 per cent. He added the cutter (19%), splitter (18%) and slider (14%) for a full five-pitch mix that kept the Astros hitters on edge for seven innings.

“Looking back at it, I feel like a lot of times I get too predictable out there,” he said. “Being able to rely on my splitter, my cutter, the curveball when I’m behind in counts to help me get back ahead in the count or just in the bat, I think that’s helped me out a lot.

Eovaldi will probably get one more start before the All-Star break, but this was by far the first half he has had in his career. Saturday’s meeting lowered his ERA to 2.64 on the season. Before his first All-Star appearance in 2021, Eovaldi had a 3.66 ERA entering the break.

“I think you start with the stuff,” Bochy said of Eovaldi’s success. “He’s got a good fastball, big fastball, and then the cutter and curveball and splitter. He’s got the four-pitch mix. He’ll go to both sides of the plate. He’s got a game plan when he goes out there.

“But I think you have to look at the man himself. He’s just a tough competitor. He’s been through a lot of battles, not just during the season but postseason. It’s all the little things you like from a pitcher.”

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Blake Wheeler signed a one-year, $800,000 contract with the New York Rangers on Saturday. The deal came with a possible $300,000 in bonuses.

Wheeler was an unrestricted free agent after he had a final season of his five-year, $$1.25 million contract displayed by the Winnipeg Jets.

The Forward captained the Jets from 2016-22 before he was relieved of his duties this season. He had 55 points (16 goals, 29 assists) in 72 regular-season games last season and six points (two goals, four assists) in five Stanley Cup Playoff games.

 “I want to thank everyone in Winnipeg for all the love and support over these past 12 years,” Wheeler said. “It has been my absolute honour and privilege to be a Winnipeg Jet and to represent this city and organization. My family and I can’t thank everyone in the city and province enough for everything you’ve done for us. Winnipeg is always going to be a home to myself, my wife Sam, and our children: Louie, Leni, and Mase. Thank you so much for the support, love and friendship that you’ve shown us these past 12 years and we look forward to rooting on the Jets in the future.”

Chosen by the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round (No.5) of the 2004 NHL Draft, Wheeler has 922 points (312 goals, 610 assists) in 1,118 regular-season games for the Jets, Atlanta Thrashers and Boston Bruins and 45 points (10 goals, 35 assists) in 65 playoff games. He is first in games (897), assists (550) and points (812) in Jets/Thrashers history and third in goals (262).

Blake was not the only player signed to the Rangers on Saturday, Jonathan Quick penned down a one-year $825,000 contract with the team. It includes a possible $100,000 in bonuses.

Quick was 16-15-6 with a 3.41 goals-against average, .882 save percentage and two shutouts in 41 regular-season fanes (36 starts) for the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings last season, plus 5-2-2 with a 3.13 GAA, .901 save percentage and one shutout in 10 games (nine starts) after he was bought in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 2.

Jonathan did not play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Golden Knights, who won the Cup. He also won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2012 with the Kings. 

See Vegas Golden Knights defeat Florida Panthers in Game 5 to clinch first Stanley Cup title

Forwards Riley Nash and Alex Belzile were also signed by the Rangers, each to a two-year contract, and forward Tyle Pitlick to a one-year contract.