The Mets bullpen is such a mess, they can’t even decide who’s pitching.
Instead of Devin Williams — who’s already had enough problems settling in as the closer — starting the top of the ninth with a three-run lead, he was forced to turn around and head back to the bullpen because Huascar Brazobán — who allowed a game-tying grand slam before finishing the eighth — thought he was still in the game and crossed the foul line, which forced him to have to face a batter.
Carlos Mendoza said there was a misunderstanding and Brazobán was told he would start the ninth if the game was tied, but that Williams would come in if the Mets scored in the bottom of the eighth — which they did.
Brazobán said through an interpreter he was still frustrated about allowing the grand slam and “was on autopilot and went out there.”
The right-hander didn’t realize his mistake, he said, until the flashing lights and music that accompany pitching changes began.
“I felt bad [and] a little bit embarrassed because I didn’t fully pay attention,’’ Brazobán said.
He got Austin Martin for the first out before Williams finally was summoned and struggled again before he finally closed the 10-8 win.
“I speak Spanish and need to make sure he gets the message,’’ Mendoza said of Brazobán.
Mark Vientos probably won’t be quite as aggressive on the basepaths going forward.
After making a stunning baserunning mistake by blowing past third base coach Tim Leiper’s very clear stop sign while trying to score on Marcus Semien’s double to the wall in the sixth inning of Wednesday’s win over Minnesota and then insisting he wouldn’t do anything differently, the slow-footed Vientos got a dose of reality from Mendoza.
“It was addressed,’’ the manager said before Vientos was back at first base Thursday. “We handled it. I talked to him. We can’t have that.”
Following Wednesday’s game, the infielder said the team’s recent struggles had nothing to do with his decision to go.
“We want to make the right play, but I’m always gonna be aggressive,’’ Vientos said at the time. “I’m not gonna play passive on the field. I’d rather make a mistake aggressively than [passively].’’
But on Thursday, Mendoza said of Vientos, who is in the 17th percentile in sprint speed in the majors, according to Statcast, “He got the message.”
The baserunning gaffe also came a day after Vientos made an ill-advised throw to third on a bunt to first base in the top of the ninth of that loss.
Luis Robert Jr. is known to have an above-average arm in center field, but it hasn’t been on display much as a Met. In fact, he’s made some ugly throws so far — including a throw that was significantly off target on Victor Caratini’s sacrifice fly in Wednesday’s win.
Mendoza said new outfield coach Gilbert Gomez is working with Robert to make some improvements.
“I’ve seen that,” the manager said of Robert’s inaccurate throws. “We’ve seen him have a better arm.”
Mendoza added Robert is working with Gomez to get his mechanics right to “try to get behind the ball better [and] use his lower half better. We do know there’s more there. He feels good. We have to put him in a better position to throw.”
Right-hander Austin Warren, who struck out the side Tuesday, was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse to make room for Christian Scott, who returned from the IL. … Bo Bichette hit leadoff for a second straight night Thursday and had three hits, including the game-winning three-run double in the eighth. … Carson Benge entered Thursday in an 0-for-10 skid, but had a homer and a double.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
