Hansel Robles, RHP

Player Data: Age: 26, B/T: Right/Right, Free Agency: 2021

2016 Primary Stats: 6-4, 3.48 ERA, 77.2 IP, 36 BB, 1.352 WHIP, 85 K

2016 Review:

Hansel Robles‘ 2016 season got off to a spectacular start. It finally seemed as if Robles was going to maximize his potential and put it all together, but it was another up and down season overall.

Through the month of April, Robles had a 1.69 ERA in 10.2 innings pitched during 12 appearances. The Mets thought that Robles could finally be that reliable shut-down reliever during those critical 7th innings, but as the season went on, he just could not be trusted in big spots.

There have been too many times where Robles gave up the big hit that doomed the Mets. Whether that was him giving up a two-run homer to Tyler Saladino of the Chicago White Sox, blowing the lead to the Arizona Diamondbacks in August or having a complete meltdown against the Yankees, courtesy of Mark Teixeira.

The most frustrating thing about Robles is that he has the talent to be a dominant reliever, but it has not come to fruition yet. His greatest attribute is that he does not shy away from the bright lights and high-pressure situations, which is key for a reliever that wants to pitch late in the games.

Robles’ undoing is most definitely his inconsistency. One night he looks unhittable, hitting all of his targets and blowing away the oppositions. Then on other nights, he is reminiscent of Aaron Heilman, giving up the big hits at the most inopportune times due to a lack of command.

2016 Grade: C+

2017 Outlook:

I expect that he will have a similar role next season as he did this past season. Occasionally Robles will be asked to get big outs in big spots. I anticipate that sometimes he will and other times he won’t. Even before the disappointing news about Jeurys Familia it was widely reported and Sandy Alderson said himself that adding a late-inning reliever would be a top priority. That’s essentially a function of Robles not stepping up as the team had hoped.

I wholeheartedly agree with everyone who says the Mets need to bring in a late-inning reliever to supplement Addison Reed and Jeurys Familia. However, with a recent report saying the Mets want two prospects for Jay Bruce, there is a possibility that they might not bring in a player like that. If that possibility comes to fruition, the Mets have someone I believe could fill that role.

Hansel Robles will have a breakout 2017 season. In 2016, he went 6-4 with a 3.48 ERA, striking out 85 batters in 77.2 innings. Those are average numbers for a reliever, but upon further investigation into his statistics, they show that he could be a lot better. Below are his splits by month:

April: 10.2 IP, 15 Ks, 3 BB, .286 BAA, 1.69 ERA
May: 12.1 IP, 12 Ks, 6 BB, .146 BAA, 5.11 ERA
June: 15.1 IP, 19 Ks, 9 BB, .267 BAA, 2.91 ERA
July: 11.2 IP, 12 Ks, 2 BB, .225 BAA, 0.00 ERA
August: 15.0 IP, 13 Ks, 12 BB, .293 BAA, 9.00 ERA
September: 12.0 IP, 13 Ks, 4 BB, .182 BAA, 0.75 ERA

As you can see, one month he would pitch lights out, and the next he would pitch poorly. However, the reasons he pitches poorly vary. In May, despite a very good .146 BAA, his opponents still managed to score seven earned runs in 12.1 innings off him, due to a whopping five home runs allowed that month. However, in June, despite a high .267 BAA and nine walks in 15.1 innings, he managed to keep his ERA at a respectable 2.91.

What is the cause for his inconsistency? What can Robles to in order to consistently put up numbers like he did last April, July, and September? First of all, he needs to be able to throw his secondary pitches in hitters counts. Here are opponents batting averages against him in hitters’ counts:

0-0: .406 (13-for-32), 4 2B, 1 HR
1-0: .286 (6-for-21), 2 2B, 1 HR
2-0: .000 (0-for-4), 0 2B, 0 HR
2-1: .545 (6-for-11), 3 2B, 1 HR
3-1: .400 (2-for-5), 1 2B, 0 HR

I as a pitcher know the importance of getting a secondary pitch over the plate when the hitter is surely sitting dead red. Smart hitters will take the pitch for a strike, and others will be out in front and hit a weak ground ball. Robles has always had a good slider, and has recently learned a changeup which proved effective (.208 BAA in 2016).

A mark of a good pitcher is the ability to get batters out even after falling behind in the count. If he were to throw his changeup or slider in the above counts instead of fastballs, he would surely enjoy more success.

By the same token, he has shown that he is very good at putting hitters away when ahead in the count:

0-2: .167 (5-for-30), 1 2B, 1 HR, 17 Ks
1-2: .119 (7-for-59), 1 2B, 0 HR, 34 Ks
2-2: .159 (7-for-44), 1 2B, 3 HR, 20 Ks
3-2: .229 (8-for-35), 2 2B, 0 HR, 14 Ks

As you can see, once he is ahead, he has no problem doing away with hitters. However, getting ahead is the hard part, and therein lies another one of his problems. Above, you saw that batters hit .406 on the first pitch with four doubles and a home run. However, if he lived to throw another pitch, here is how batters fared against him, throwing a first pitch strike or a ball:

After 0-1: .189 (28-for-148), 8 2B, 2 HR, 11 BB, 56 Ks
After 1-0: .259 (28-for-108), 6 2B, 4 HR, 25 BB, 29 Ks

As is the case with most pitchers, Robles is much more effective when the first pitch he throws is strike one. So, Hansel Robles must get ahead in the count. If he falls behind, he must trust his slider and changeup. If he does those things, I would expect him to have a standout 2017 and emerge as a very good option for the Mets going forward.

The New York Mets have one glaring hole on their roster with just about three weeks left til pitchers and catchers report for spring training.

The bullpen continues to be the target of much talk surrounding this team as they have yet to sign or trade for any notable major league reliever. Names continue to get knocked off the board as we head twoards the 2017 season and Sandy Alderson does not seem too inclined to move on the current market as pointed out by Matt Ehalt of NorthJersey.com.

“I like that we have so much flexibility and so many different options. We go out and sign a reliever we’re locked in. If you go back and look at our history, we haven’t exactly come up cherries on signing free agent relievers and I think that has a lot to do with the volatility they represent,” Alderson said.

“The fact is once you commit to someone that eliminates and detracts from the flexibility we currently have right now and I think we have flexibility with quality.”

Alderson is looking to rely on his right-handed relievers who have performed well against left-handed hitters. Both Jeurys Familia and Addison Reed performed nicely against hitters on both sides of the dish in 2016. One of the more surprising names though who handled lefties with a sense of dominance was Hansel Robles.

Robles held lefties to a .179/.299/.586 batting line this past season. He may be the one pitcher that Alderson and manager Terry Collins look to see continue growth from as part of their reasoning in not signing another reliever. In what once seemed to be a lock, it no longer seems a sure thing that the Mets will sign or trade for any relief.

The Mets though are in need of some help to sure up this pen, especially for a team who will contend. There are some quality options left on the market as our own Michael Mayer pointed out the other day in this article. It would seem silly for Alderson to not bring in some extra help, especially with a lengthy suspension looming over the head of their closer.

Brining back Jerry Blevins and Fernando Salas would be a huge boost to their current corps. This is something that Sandy really must look to do at this point as this team cannot afford to have this bullpen as a weakness with too many question marks regarding its starting staff and how long they may pitch into games.

Personally, I would like to see the Mets take a shot on former Royals closer, Greg Holland. He will be looking to prove his worth yet again, coming back from Tommy John surgery and could be quite beneficial on a one-year deal.

With pitchers and catchers scheduled to report to spring training on February, 13, it will be interesting to see if we are looking at the same bullpen that we currently have now as we ready for opening day of the 2017 season.

New York Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson was a busy man on Friday as he put the finishing touches on the bullpen.

To get the day going he added a depth arm in veteran lefty Tom Gorzelanny on a minor league deal that could be worth up to $2.8 million if he’s in the majors and hits all his incentives. The deal also has a March 24 opt-out date.

Gorzelanny, 34, pitched only three major league innings in 2016 with the Cleveland Indians. In those three innings, he allowed seven runs on four hits, five walks and four strikeouts.

The good news on Gorzelanny is the .229/.302/.356 slash line that he’s held left-handed hitters to during his 12-year career. He’s a similar low risk signing like the Mets made last offseason with Jim Henderson.

Now let’s get to the major league deals that Sandy dished out to bring two valuable relievers back to the Mets bullpen.

First off, they brought back right-handed reliever Fernando Salas on a one-year deal with $3 million guaranteed and another $350,000 attainable in performance bonuses.

Salas, 32 in May, was acquired by the Mets from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in exchange for minor leaguer Erik Manoah last August.

In 17 games for the Mets, Salas pitched to a 0-1 record, with a 2.08 ERA and 3.20 FIP. Salas didn’t walk a batter and struck out 19 in his 17.1 innings to close out the season with the Mets.

To top of the nice little Friday night for Mets fans, Sandy re-signed left-handed reliever Jerry Blevins to a one-year deal with $6 million guaranteed and an option for a second year.

Blevins, 33, went 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA and 3.05 FIP in 73 appearances last season for the Mets.

These moves should finish off a bullpen that was one of the strengths of the team in 2016. The Mets 2016 bullpen had the 6th best ERA in baseball at 3.53, tied for 2nd best FIP at 3.54 and it’s 9.75 K/9 was the 4th highest.

Here’s what the Mets bullpen could look like -

CL – Jeurys Familia RHP
SU – Addison Reed RHP
7th – Fernando Salas
1st Lefty – Jerry Blevins
MID – Hansel Robles
2nd Lefty – Josh Smoker
Swing – Seth Lugo

This could very well change with Familia serving a possible suspension that would bump everyone up a spot and give guys like Erik Goeddel, Sean Gilmartin, Josh Edgin, Ben Rowen or the aforementioned Gorzelanny a chance for the final bullpen spot.

Minor leaguers that have already been invited to big league camp are righties Paul Sewald, Corey Taylor, Chasen Bradford, Logan Taylor and Kevin McGowan to go along with lefties David Roseboom, P.J. Conlon and Adam Wilk.

The Mets have also mentioned that whichever pitcher doesn’t end up being the 5th starter among Robert Gsellman and Zack Wheeler could slide into the bullpen as well.

Looks like the bullpen for the Mets should continue to be a strength in 2017.

Michael Conforto continued his hot start to the Grapefruit League season as the New York Mets defeated the Detroit Tigers by a score of 5-2 on Sunday afternoon at First Data Field.

Conforto, 23, hit his second home run of the Spring going 2-for-3 on the day with a couple of runs scored. He raised his average to .714 through his first three games as he fights for a spot on the Opening Day roster and looks to avoid a demotion to Las Vegas.

Matt Reynolds had a good day at the plate going 2-for-3, while Dominic Smith, Jose Reyes, Amed Rosario and Tomas Nido each had a hit and droive in a run.

Slick fielding shortstop Luis Guillorme came in to play second base and showed he was just as slick fielding at the cornerstone. The kid also slashed a triple and showed off his speed.

Right-hander Paul Sewald started the game in place of Chris Flexen who was a late scratch with a sore right knee. Sewald, who has a bright future ahead of him as a solid MLB reliever, had a good outing, tossing two scoreless innings and allowing just one walk.

Addison Reed followed Sewald with a scoreless inning, LHP David Roseboom tossed two scoreless and struck out two, and new addition Ben Rowen showed off his funky side-arm delivery with a scoreless inning of his own.

The Tigers got on the board against righty Chase Bradford who came on to pitch the seventh and allowed two runs in his second inning of work on a pair of hits and a walk. RHP Corey Taylor wrapped things up in the ninth and sealed the 5-2 victory.

LHP P.J. Conlon will get the starting nod on Monday as the Mets wrap-up their three game homestand against the Houston Astros in a 1:10 PM matinee. RHP Hansel Robles, LHP Tom Gorzelanny, RHP Corey Taylor, and RHP Logan Taylor are all expected to pitch as well.

Let’s Go Mets!

Yesterday’s Game - The Mets lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 6-1 with the lone run coming from a Phillip Evans ninth inning solo homer. Michael Conforto and Amed Rosario each had two hits in the game. Right-handers Ben Rowen, Chase Bradford, Paul Sewald and Corey Taylor combined to throw four hitless innings of relief.

Today’s Game - The Mets return to First Data Field to take on the Miami Marlins with Robert Gsellman getting the start in his first spring action of the season. He will be opposed by lefty Adam Conley for the Marlins. Also expected to pitch are RHP Addison Reed, RHP Jeurys Familia, RHP Hansel Robles, RHP Erik Goeddel, LHP Tom Gorzelanny and LHP Jerry Blevins. Today’s game is on SNY.

New York Mets

1. Jose Reyes, 3B
2. Asdrubal Cabrera, SS
3. Yoenis Cespedes, LF
4. Curtis Granderson, CF
5. Neil Walker, 2B
6. Jay Bruce, RF
7. Wilmer Flores, 1B
8. Travis d’Arnaud, C
9. Matt Reynolds, DH

Miami Marlins

1. Derek Dietrich 2B
2. Martin Prado, DH
3. Christian Yelich, CF
4. J.T. Realmuto, C
5. Brandon Barnes, RF
6. Adeiny Hechavarria, SS
7. Destin Hood, LF
8. Miguel Rojas, 1B
9. Matt Juengel, 3B

The New York Mets travel to The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches to play the Washington Nationals. Fifth starter hopeful Robert Gsellman will be on the mound for the Mets against right-hander Erick Fedde for the Nats.

Gsellman will be making his fifth appearance this spring (fourth start) with a 2.25 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP in 12 innings. He is battling for the Mets final rotation spot with Seth Lugo and Zack Wheeler.

Also expected to pitch for the Mets today are RHP Paul Sewald, RHP Hansel Robles, LHP Josh Smoker and RHP Fernando Salas.

Today’s game has a 1:05 PM start, it will not be available via SNY or WOR. It will be carried on the Nats TV channel MASN however.

New York Mets

1. Jose Reyes, 3B
2. Asdrubal Cabrera, SS
3. Yoenis Cespedes, LF
4. Curtis Granderson, CF
5. Neil Walker, 2B
6. Jay Bruce, RF
7. Lucas Duda, 1B
8. Kevin Plawecki, C
9. Robert Gsellman, RHP

Washington Nationals 

1. Trea Turner, SS
2. Jayson Werth, LF
3. Bryce Harper, RF
4. Anthony Rendon, 3B
5. Ryan Zimmerman, 1B
6. Brian Goodwin, CF
7. Stephew Drew, 2B
8. Matt Wieters, C
9. Erick Fedde, RHP

Weather Note: Thunderstorms are in the forecast for the West Palm Beach area that could delay the game. 

The New York Mets traveled to Disney to take on R.A. Dickey and the Atlanta Braves. Rafael Montero took the mound making his first start of the spring as the Mets defeated the Braves 3-0.

Pitching

Rafael Montero made his first start of the spring. He continued a very strong spring, in which he is making a case for one of the remaining bullpen spots. Montero threw five shutout innings of four hit ball. He struck out one and lowered his ERA to 1.96.

Hansel Robles then came on in relief, making his third appearance since returning from the World Baseball Classic. He threw a pair scoreless innings, allowing a hit and striking out one.

Josh Edgin put forward another strong inning, as he retired the Braves 1-2-3 in the eighth. He has lowered his spring ERA down to 3.86.

Paul Sewald continued his impressive spring as he recorded the save, setting the Braves down 1-2-3 in the ninth. His spring ERA is down to a mark of 1.46.

Hitting

Juan Lagares led off the game with a triple and scored on a wild pitch. He is hitting .300 with two home runs in his last nine games. Juan left the game in the third with a strained oblique.

Michael Conforto hit his third homer on the spring. He is now hitting .346 over 52 at-bats this spring. Conforto also picked up a base hit and drew a walk on the day.

Wilmer Flores made a nice play on a foul ball over near the railing and picked up a base hit.

L.J. Mazzilli poked a sacrifice fly in the seventh to score Rene Rivera, who reached on a walk.

Ty Kelly continued his fight for one of the last bench spots, picking up two hits on the day.

Up Next

The Mets take on the Braves again, however this time at First Data Field at 1:10 PM. Matt Harvey takes the mound for the Mets, he will be opposed by Matt Wisler.

The New York Mets lost to the Atlanta Braves by a score of 3-1 on Wednesday night at Citi Field after 12 innings of baseball.

Pitching:

Jacob deGrom made his 2017 debut against former Met Big Sexy Bartolo Colon. The 28-year old was dominant as he shutout the Braves for six innings, striking out six. He also gave up two hits and walk during his 95-pitch start.

Hansel Robles took over for deGrom in the seventh and did not do well. He got Matt Kemp out on a soft grounder to Travis d’Arnaud, but that was all. He proceeded to give up a triple, walk, and RBI double which tied the game at one. His night came to an end one batter later after he hit Kurt Suzuki.

Jerry Blevins had to come into the seventh inning with the bases loaded. He was able to get out of the inning unscathed as he struck out Emilio Bonifacio and got Ender Inciarte to ground out to first.

Fernando Salas pitched the eighth. He was able to get two outs before giving up a double to Kemp and intentionally walking Nick Markakis. He kept the game tied though as he struck out Brandon Phillips for the third out.

Addison Reed pitched a perfect ninth and Josh Edgin followed with a perfect tenth.

Rafael Montero was the Mets seventh pitcher of the night. He gave up a walk to Kemp and a hit to Phillips in the 11th inning. The hit to Phillips extended his hit streak in Flushing to 35 games. Montero got out of the inning on a double play ball to Adonis Garcia. Montero wasn’t as lucky in the 12th inning as he gave up two runs on a RBI double by Kemp. Josh Smoker came in to get the final out of the inning.

Offense:

The Mets managed only one hit and one walk against Colon for the first four innings. Jay Bruce put the Mets ahead in the fifth inning with a solo shot to right center field.

After the home run, the Mets weren’t able to get much going until the bottom of tenth. With one out, Bruce hit a double and Lucas Duda was intentionally walked. No runs were scored however, as Travis d’Arnaud and Ty Kelly both struck out.

Bruce finished the night 3-5 with a home run, RBI, and run scored.

On Deck:

The Mets will finish their homestand against the Braves on Friday at 7:10 PM. Matt Harvey will make his 2017 season debut as he will face southpaw Jaime Garcia who will make his Braves debut. Harvey will try to keep Freddie Freeman in check as the first baseman has a career .167 batting average in 18 at bats against the Dark Knight.

Bartolo Colon’s return to Citi Field was bittersweet. The former patriarch of the New York Mets pitching staff got a standing ovation, then plowed through their batting order for six innings – his only misstep was a line drive solo shot off the bat of Jay Bruce.

Colon’s counterpart Jacob deGrom bested his old buddy with six shutout innings, a beautiful sign for his first start since undergoing off-season elbow surgery.

Unfortunately Hansel Robles came unhinged in the top of the seventh retiring only one of the five batters he faced, loading the bases until Jerry Blevins mopped up his mess to keep it a 1-1 game.

Addison Reed filling in for the suspended Jeurys Familia was pretty perfect in the ninth, but Rafael Montero, coming off a promising showing this spring, exhibited shades of the wildness he exhibited last year.

Matt Kemp made up for a dismal opening day with three doubles, one of which proved to be the dagger when with two outs, Terry Collins made the dubious decision to intentionally walk Freddie Freeman who was 0 for 4 on the day.

The much-improved Braves relief staff got redemption from their six run opening day implosion by retiring 17 of 22 Mets batters.

The Mets only promising offensive takeaway was Jay Bruce’s prolific 3 for 5 at the plate. Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come from last season’s beleaguered poster boy, who came oh so close to being the unlikely hero.

In today’s rubber match, Mets fans will hold their breathe for the return of what hopes to be the surgically repaired Matt Harvey, making his first start since last July, as he faces veteran Jaime Garcia in his Brave’s debut.

3 UP

1.  Starting Pitching Back to Dominant Form

After a season we saw everyone but Noah Syndergaard have season ending surgery, the pitching has been healthy and as dominant as ever.  The three starting pitchers combined to pitch 18.2 IP allowing just two earned while striking out 17. It is more than the results. Syndergaard was throwing his slider back in the low to 90s. Jacob deGrom hitting 98 MPH multiple times. Matt Harvey was at 94 MPH mostly relying a two-seamer with good movement. His secondary pitches were good as well, especially his vaunted slider. With the stuff there, the Mets can expect similar results from these three for the rest of the season.

2.  Bruce Is On Fire

When Jay Bruce came to the Mets last season, he hit .219/.294/.391. Fans were frustrated with the Mets acquiring him, with him struggling, and with the Mets having been unable to trade him in the offseason. No one needed a hot start more than him. Bruce has had exactly that by going 3-9 with three runs, a double, a homer, and two RBI. Even better, he has three walks.

3.  The Bullpen

Addison Reed has shown his 2015 season was no fluke. Josh Smoker came out throwing 95+ MPH and featuring a slider that could transform him from a guy who only succeeds against right-handed batters to a guy who is a very real late inning option. Josh Edgin had an impressive first appearance that included striking out Mets killer Freddie Freeman. Jerry Blevins got out of a bases loaded one out jam. While Hansel Robles faltered on Wednesday, he was dominant on Opening Day picking up the win. Really, the only pitcher who has not had a good outing is Rafael Montero, who in all likelihood is ticketed for Triple-A once the Jeurys Familia suspension is over.

3 DOWN

1.  Again With The Injuries Prior to Opening Day, Steven Matz went on the disabled list with a strained flexor tendon. Seth Lugo was diagnosed with a partially torn UCL. Syndergaard had to leave his Opening Day start with a blister. In addition to the pitching, Juan Lagares and Brandon Nimmo opened the season on the disabled list. Of course, there is also the issue of David Wright missing his first Opening Day start in 12 years and no one knows when he can return.

2.  Jose Reyes Slow Start

Jose Reyes started the season 0-12 before getting his first hit. This is part of why the Mets have struggled to score in the opening series. Not only has he struggled at the plate, but he continues to look unfortable defneislvey at third base.

3.  Nationals Are Up For The Challenge

This promises to be a tight race in the National League East this year between the Nationals and the Mets. Both teams entered the season with some question marks, but the Nationals look really good so far. Bryce Harper appears to be back to his 2015 MVP form if not a little better. Daniel Murphy is once again proving the 2015 postseason and 2016 regular season was no fluke. That Nationals starting pitching, namely Stephen Strasburg and Tanner Roark, have shown themselves to be every bit the equal of the Mets. Surprise closer Blake Treinen does not seem overwhelmed by the role even if he couldn’t bail out his pen yesterday. The Nationals took two out of three in their opening series against the Marlins, and they looked good doing it.

The New York Mets fell to 2-3 on the season after they lost to the Miami Marlins by the score of 8-1 on Saturday night at Citi Field.

Pitching

Robert Gsellman made first start of the 2017 season. He lasted five innings and gave up three runs on six hits and stuck out seven.

Lefty Josh Smoker threw a scoreless inning in relief a day after allowing five baserunners in 0.1 of an inning.

Hansel Robles was not so hot again as he walked two, allowed a hit and one run while seeing his season ERA go to 7.71.

Paul Sewald made his big league debut after being called up from Triple-A Las Vegas. He struggled as he gave up two runs on three hits and only recorded an out.

Rafael Montero also allowed two runs on three hits and a walk. His ERA on the season is now sitting at 7.71.

Jerry Blevins and Fernando Salas both got two outs and stranded inherited runners.

Hitting

The Mets didn’t get much going offensively yet again with only three hits as a team and 13 strikeouts.

Asdrubal Cabrera and Jay Bruce both singled and went 1 for 4 on the night.

Lucas Duda hit his first home run of the season, a solo shot in the fifth inning for the Mets lone run.

Yoenis Cespedes was robbed of extra bases on a beautiful catch by Christian Yelich, he went 0 for 3 with a walk.

Neil Walker went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts, he’s now hitting .150 to start the season.

Up Next

The Mets try to salvage the series as Noah Syndergaard takes on Edinson Volquez on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.

The New York Mets (6-3) completed the sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies (3-6) at Citizen’s Bank Park on Wednesday by a score of 5-4.

Pitching

Zack Wheeler got the start and looked to rebound from his five-run, four-inning performance last Friday. He did just that as he went 5.2 innings of three-run ball to pick up the win, his first since 2014. He gave up four hits, one walk, and struck out four. He would’ve had a better start, but things got dicey in the sixth as he loaded the bases with one out.

Hansel Robles was then called upon to get out of the jam, but he gave up a grand slam to Maikel Franco charging three runs to Wheeler. Robles started off the seventh and was taken out after getting the first out. Jerry Blevins came in and got the next two batters out to finish off the inning.

Fernando Salas came in for the eighth and had a 1-2-3 inning accompanied by a strikeout. Addison Reed closed things out in the ninth to pick up his third save of the season.

Offense

Michael Conforto and Yoenis Cespedes worked together to get the first run of the game. Conforto got a hit from the leadoff spot and Cespedes doubled him in two batters later.

Conforto helped the cause again in the third when he hit a solo shot to center making it a 2-0 game.

The Mets expanded their lead in the fifth as Asdrubal Cabrera singled in two runs with the bases loaded. Then Cespedes followed with a sacrifice fly scoring Conforto.

Both Cabrera and Cespedes finished with a hit and two RBI each. Conforto had another successful start by going 2-4 with a home run, RBI, walk, and three runs scored. He is now 4-10 (.400) with two home runs, three RBI, and five runs scored this season in seven games and two starts.

On Deck

The Mets head down to Miami on Thursday to take on Wei-Yin Chen (1-0, 1.50 ERA) and the Marlins. Chen picked up the win and his first career hit on April 7 against the Mets in six innings of one-run ball. The Mets will send Robert Gsellman (0-1, 4.50 ERA) to the mound who gave up three runs in five innings against the Marlins on April 8.

Even if the 26-year-old makes you want to rip the hair out of your head on occasions, you have to commend him for gutting out two strong innings to seal the win for the Metropolitans early Friday morning.

Pitching in four consecutive games, Hansel Robles came on for the 15th and 16th innings as the last available pitcher out of the bullpen in the Mets eventual defeat of the Marlins 9-8 in a game that lasted almost six hours.

What was really impressive about Robles’ dauntless performance is that he was effectively able to stymie the most dangerous hitters in the Marlins lineup from knotting the game back up after Travis d’Arnaud‘s solo home run in the top of the 16th.

Robles walked Christian Yelich, but was able to set down the next three batters: Giancarlo Stanton, Justin Bour and Marcell Ozuna in order to earn a much deserved win.

Despite having pitched the three days prior, Robles volunteered to enter the game. Should he have declined, Rene Rivera would have pitched and this would be a whole different article.

Whether he actually did or not, Robles said he felt good and was ready to pitch and while his command was lacking, he was the cherry atop the wacky ice cream sundae that was this game.

Robles who has appeared in seven out of the Mets first ten games and just a day prior, had Mets fans cursing at their television sets for surrendering a grand slam to Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco, but like I said, that’s the Robles method.

It’s funny, I see a lot of similarities in Hansel Robles that I saw in Bartolo Colon. The guy can go out there and get shelled and not bat an eye. He works up a lot of guile and works through the adversity he is presented with.

In my book, Thursday night/Friday morning helped establish Robles as a fan favorite. Someone who takes one for the team and goes out there and pitches. He’s quiet and gritty and I love it, even if sometimes he makes me want to scream.

The Mets fell to the Marlins 4-2 in the final game of a four game set Sunday afternoon. After rallying late to tie the game, the Mets fell on a walk-off blast in the bottom of the ninth.

Pitching

Matt Harvey made his third start of the season Sunday afternoon. He allowed a run in the first on a bunt single, an error on a pick off, and a ground out. After that he was in control for most of the afternoon but allowed a run in the sixth. Harvey allowed two runs, one earned, on six hits and struck out four over six innings.

Josh Smoker threw a scoreless inning in relief, striking out one in a scoreless seventh.

Hansel Robles pitched the eighth and retired the side unharmed.

Addison Reed blew his first save of the season. After being bailed out by his defense, Reed allowed a two run walk-off homer to J.T. Riddle.

Offense

Offensively, the Mets were shut down the whole afternoon until the ninth. Four Marlins pitchers combined for a no-hitter through 7.2 innings.

Neil Walker was the lone bright spot for the offense as he walked three times and broke up the no hitter in the eighth.

Yoenis Cespedes also singled in the eighth for the Mets second hit of the game and walked once. Cespedes also made a beautiful outfield assist to save the game in the ninth.

Travis d’Arnaud continued his strong road trip picking up a single in the ninth to start the rally.

Wilmer Flores picked up a two out single, and took second on an error to keep the inning going in the ninth.

Asdrubal Cabrera lined a two out, two run game-tying double.

Up Next

The Mets have an off day on Monday, but start a nine game home-stand Tuesday night as the Phillies come to town. Zack Wheeler will be on the hill for the Mets, first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 PM.

The New York Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies by a score of 5-4 on Wednesday night at Citi Field.

Pitching

Robert Gsellman made his third start of the season and it was his best start so far. He went seven-plus innings of three-run ball while striking out seven, allowing six hits and one walk.

After Gsellman gave up a lead-off ground rule double to start the eighth, Jerry Blevins came in to maintain the 3-2 lead. With Aaron Altherr at third, Michael Saunders singled on a fly ball to left field. The game-tying run was charged to Gsellman.

Hansel Robles was called upon to get the final out of the eighth. He did just that as he struck out Tommy Joseph to end the inning.

Addison Reed came into the game in the ninth for the save in the last day of Jeurys Familia‘s suspension. He gave up a one-out triple and a sac fly, but was able to close out the game with a 5-4 victory.

Offense 

The Mets were not able to get anything going in the first five innings. Mets batters combined for two walks and a hit during that span against Vince Velasquez.

Things changed in the sixth as Asdrubal Cabrera singled and Yoenis Cespedes walked with two outs. Jay Bruce then hit a go-ahead three-run home run for the Mets first runs of the game.

The Phillies tied the game in the top of the eighth, but that would not last for long. With Cespedes at first, Bruce hit another go-ahead home run to make it a 5-3 game.

Bruce finished the game 3-for-5 with two runs scored and five RBI. He now has 11 runs scored, six home runs, 14 RBI and .309 batting average on the season.

On Deck

The Mets look to take the series tomorrow with Noah Syndergaard (1-0, 0.95 ERA) on the mound. The Mets will face 23-year-old Aaron Nola (1-0, 3.27 ERA) at 7:10 PM at Citi Field.

The New York Mets (8-12) lost 8-2 in the opening game of their series with the Atlanta Braves (7-12) on Wednesday night at Citi Field. The loss extends their losing streak to five games.

Pitching

Robert Gsellman made the start today after the Mets were rained out on Tuesday. Noah Syndergaard was originally supposed to start, but was then pushed back as announced earlier in the day.

Gsellman got off to a horrific start as he gave up five runs in the first inning on four hits, two walks, and a throwing error. After getting out of the inning he fared pretty well the rest of the way. Overall he pitched four-plus innings, struck out two, and gave up 10 hits, six runs, five earned runs, and three walks. He also had to work around three errors on the night.

Josh Edgin came into the game in the fifth after Gsellman gave up three consecutive singles and a run to start off the inning. Edgin was able to retire the next three batters to hold the Braves to six runs. He stayed in for the sixth and got two outs before being taken out of the game.

Fernando Salas then came in to get the final out of the inning and did so successfully. His next inning wasn’t as successful as he gave up two runs on three hits to make it an 8-1 Mets deficit.  Jerry Blevins was called upon to get the final out of the seventh and struck out Freddie Freeman to get the job done.

Hansel Robles also got some playing time on Wednesday as he pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth. He gave up a walk and a hit while striking out three.

Offense

The Mets didn’t score until the fourth inning when they loaded the bases with no outs. Neil Walker hit a sac fly to right field to score Asdrubal Cabrera. That was all that the offense could muster in the inning, however.

Rene Rivera produced the only other Mets run of the game in the seventh inning also on a sac fly to right field.

Mets hitters combined for five hits and four walks. Jay Bruce got on base four times as he had two hits and two walks.

On Deck

The Mets will look to snap their five-game losing streak against their former Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey (1-2, 3.86) at 1:10 PM in Queens. Syndergaard (1-1, 1.73), who the Mets received in their 2012 trade of Dickey, will be opposing the 42-year-old knuckleballer.

To help his teammates shake off a lousy loss, Michael Conforto boosted morale and his batting average with a first inning leadoff homer to center off Julio Teheran.

Ender Inciarte reciprocated in the bottom of the inning with his own leadoff shot, and with the score tied at one, Teheran returned to the mound and retired the next nine batters.

But in the top of the fourth, Teheran’s pitching faltered, and the Amazins’ nailed him for five runs. Asdrubal Cabrera laced a liner to right, Jay Bruce blasted a double down the right field line, and Neil Walker’s base hit to center brought home Cabrera.

After Curtis Granderson loaded the bases with a walk, Jose Reyes tapped a soft groundout that plated Bruce, and T.J. Rivera’s RBI single and Michael Conforto’s two-run single gave starting pitcher Robert Gsellman a seemingly comfortable 6-1 lead.

Gsellman got into a little trouble in the fifth by way of Cabrera’s throwing error on Teheran’s routine ground ball and a walk to Inciarte. With runners on first and second and Freeman at the plate, the rookie uncorked a wild pitch that bounced directly back to catcher Travis d’Arnaud as Inciarte was nearing second, and Teheran frozen on second base, was hung out to dry in a rundown to third for the final out.

Terry Collins took a gamble on Gsellman in the sixth, and Freeman and Matt Kemp greeted him with back-to-back doubles. Josh Edgin and Hansel Robles got outs with run scoring consequences – Nick Markakis’ ground out RBI, and Garcia’s sac fly. And Curtis Granderson’s dazzling defense made up for his unproductive offense with a sliding catch of Lane Adams pinch-hit potential go-ahead line drive to center off Robles.

Jerry Blevins replacing Robles, and mowed down the Braves 1,2,3 in the seventh.

Jose Reyes tacked on some insurance in the top of the eighth with his third home run. In the bottom frame Addison Reed shook off a leadoff single by Kemp by striking out two of the next three batters he faced. And Jeurys Familia closed up shop with his second save giving Robert Gsellman his first win of the season. So just like that, the Mets win their first contest at Sun Trust Park with a stirring victory following a bleak Sunday in the nation’s capital.

The New York Mets (13-15) came from behind to defeat the Miami Marlins (12-16) by a score of 8-7 on Friday night at Citi Field.

Pitching

Rafael Montero (0-2, 9.45) took the mound for the Mets in his first start of the season against Tom Koehler (1-1, 5.40 ERA).

Montero appeared in a game for the big league club for the first time since April 18 due to Noah Syndergaard‘s absence.

In the first three innings, Montero allowed three walks, three hits and only one run while hitting a batter.

He collapsed in the fourth, however, as he gave up four hits and was charged with four runs.

Montero’s final line has him giving up seven hits, three walks and five runs in 3.2 innings while striking out four.

Josh Smoker came on in the fourth to spell Montero to record the final out. However, he intentionally walked Marcell Ozuna before surrending four runs (two of which were charged to Montero) on a hit by pitch and two doubles. .

Smoker hit Dee Gordon with a pitch to start off the fifth, but got the next two batters out before Fernando Salas was called upon to get the final out.

Hansel Robles pitched a scoreless sixth and Jerry Blevins tossed a scoreless seventh to lower their ERAs to 1.65 and 0.82, respectively.

Addison Reed came in for the eighth with the Mets leading 8-7 and promptly pitched a scoreless frame while striking out two.

Jeurys Familia came on for the save opportunity in the ninth and sealed the win with a clean inning.

Offense

T.J. Rivera opened up the scoring with his first home run of the season in the first inning to give the Mets an early 1-0 lead.

After the Marlins took a 7-1 lead in the top of the fourth, Curtis Granderson hit a two-run homer to right center field in the bottom of the inning.

The Mets biggest inning came in the seventh as they put up a five spot.

The first six batters of the inning each had a hit to rack up four runs. Granderson was then intentionally walked to load the bases, which brought Wilmer Flores to the plate. Flores drew a bases-loaded walk on four pitches to give the Mets a 8-7 lead.

T.J. Rivera led the team with three RBIs in addition to going 2-for-4 at the dish with one run scored.

Additionally, Rene Rivera and Flores had two hits and one RBI each on the night.

On Deck

The Mets will send Robert Gsellman (1-2, 6.75 ERA) to the mound on Saturday.

He will be opposed by Odrisamer Despaigne, who was called up from Triple-A New Orleans to fill in for Wei-Yin Chen. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.

Rafael Montero’s rocky start against the Miami Marlins morphed into a happy ending as the Mets battled back from a six-run deficit to beat Don Mattingly’s school of fish 8-7.

After returning from a rainy night in Georgia, in which their postponed 3-1 lead led to nowhere, DL designated Noah Syndergaard’s replacement surrendered five runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings, and with no one else to turn to, Terry Collins will be forced to keep Montero in the rotation.

The prospect that had  so much promise got the first two outs in the first inning then walked the next two batters before retiring Marcell Ozuna on a fly ball to center.

The torrid bat of T.J. Rivera landed him a raise in the line-up, and batting in the two spot he drew first blood in the bottom frame with a solo homer to left.

Montero looked sharp in the second, getting a pair of strikeouts, his only misstep, a single to center by shortstop, Miguel Rojas.

But in the third Miami evened the score on singles by Martin Prado and Ozuna, then in the fourth, the Marlins took Montero to the dugout, sending eleven batters to the plate, scoring six runs, two of which were charged to reliever Josh Smoker.

Giancarlo Stanton, Justin Bour and the red-hot Rojas had three doubles between them for a total of five RBI’s.

Jay Bruce took one for the team to lead off the bottom of the inning, and Curtis Granderson raised the red apple, cutting the deficit 7-3 with a two-run shot to center field.

Hansel Robles had a cringe worthy moment putting runners on the corners in the sixth, but the pinch hitting 43 year-old Ichiro Suzuki, who ain’t what he used to be, popped up to end the inning.

In the seventh, after Marlins reliever Jarlin Garcia got the Mets in order, Don Mattingly, to the delight of the Citi Field fans, replaced him with Brad Ziegler, and NY did a number on his ERA.

Wilmer Flores started the first of six consecutive Mets hits with a soft line drive to field. Jose Reyes rocketed a double, Rene Rivera singled in Flores, and Asdrubal Cabrera poked a pinch-hit to close the gap 7-5.

Magic Michael Conforto loaded the bases with a base hit to center, and T.J. Rivera lined a double to left driving in the tying runs.

Marlins Kyle Barraclough came in to stop the bleeding, and after consecutive strikeouts, with two on, he intentionally walked Granderson on a 3-0 count, loading the bases for the return of Wilmer Flores who walked in the go ahead run, winning run.

Mets relief held the Marlins to five scoreless innings, and it’s nights like tonight that conjure up Tug McGraw’s 1973 rallying cry, “You Gotta Believe.”