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| Cody Bellinger connecting on his third inning home run. Photo by Jason Schott. |
The Mets received a good report on Starling Marte after he met with his doctor on his right groin strain, and then they went on to fall to the Chicago Cubs, 3-2, in the middle game of their three-game set on Tuesday night at Citi Field.
STARLING MARTE: On Monday, the Mets placed Marte on the injured list, retroactive to Sunday, August 6, with a right groin strain, and Mets Manager Buck Showalter, said he would see the doctor, who performed surgeries on him in the offseason, in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
After Showalter said he could not reveal much about what was said about Marte's condition as he opened his pregame press conference on Tuesday afternoon, he was asked if the team was considering shutting Marte down for the season, and he said, “No, just the opposite, got some pretty good news today, all things considered. No surgery needed, but we identified the issue he’s had and they attacked it today, and I’m hoping I can tell you exactly how, but I gotta be careful with the medical stuff.
“I’ve been told many times don’t be a doctor - sometimes I think I can do a better job. Anybody going to a doctor, be sure you get a second opinion.”
On how important it is that Marte finishes the season strong, Showalter said, “Would like to see how this is going to manage with what has been done, so if he, you don’t want to go into the offseason knowing if it’s going to be an issue again…
“I know what we’re dealing with, I think you’ll see him play again this year, and it’ll be good to see him finish up strong knowing what the issue’s been. Some similarities with (closer) Edwin (Diaz), I mean, if Edwin’s available to pitch September 20th, for instance, what would you do? What would you do? I hope that happens, you know, is it smart for him to pitch? Not? Wait till next year? Is there something to be gained? I mean, I hope we have those conversations.
“Right now, we’re just trying to get him healthy and available, and once that happens, we’ll go down that road, but those aren’t the things that you ask yourself, but every case is a little different. Obviously, Edwin and Marte are two different things, but I expect Starling to be back playing.”
Diaz suffered a knee injury while competing in the World Baseball Classic, which has cost him the whole season to this point, while Marte has suffered through a season in which he has had this groin problem, as well as migraines which sent him to the injured list a few weeks ago. He has hit .248 with five home runs and 28 RBI in 86 games, far off the pace he set for himself last season, when he hit .292 with 16 HR and 63 RBI.
CUBS 3, METS 2: The Mets jumped out to an early lead against Cubs starter Jameson Taillon in this one, as Pete Alonso blasted a two-run home run to center field in the first inning, his third home run in this series with Chicago. He now has 34 home runs and 85 RBI on the season, well within reaching two magic numbers, 40 HR and 100 RBI, in the Mets' final 49 games.
Alonso hit it just above the orange line, off the black wall that comes in front of the home run apple, so when it ricocheted, it was not clear to the umpires, who did not call it a homer. The Mets challenged it, and as they showed a replay proving it was a homer, Alonso started to the plate before an umpire told him to go back to second until the review was completed. When the call was overturned, Alonso put his arms out as if to say, 'told you,' before he came in to score. As he took the field for the second inning, the three umpires on the bases had a little chat with him, which would lead one to believe they might have felt he showed them up.
Mets starter Carlos Carrasco got off to a nice start, as he did not allow a hit until there were two outs in the third inning, a single to ex-Yankee Mike Tauchman.
In the fourth, Cody Bellinger laced one to right field for a solo homer, his 17th of the season, to put Chicago on the board, and they tied it in the fifth when Yan Gomes got an RBI double.
Carrasco would leave after the fifth, as he had one of his best starts of the season. He allowed two runs (both earned) on three hits and two walks, with five strikeouts, in five innings, on just 75 pitches.
Taillon, in his first year in Chicago after a stint with the Yankees, would outdo him, as he went seven innings, and only allowed those early two runs on three hits and no walks, with seven strikeouts.
With the game still tied at 2 in the eighth, Tauchman blasted one to left center field for a solo homer off Mets reliever Drew Smith.
That would be the game-winning home run, as it put Chicago up 3-2, and it would make a winner of Taillon, who improved to 7-6 with a 5.17 ERA.
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