The Mets have won six of their nine games on a road trip that saw them play the Guardians, Pirates, and Braves after a transformative trade deadline.
The team's offense began to percolate during the trip, with several new players making a positive impression. Among them was Luis Robert Jr., who blasted his fourth home run since his July 20 return and was 8-for-27 (.296) with two home runs, five RBI and four runs on the road trip.
Manager Andy Green said of Robert, "There's a lot of pop there. When he gets into a baseball, it's really good for us." Despite a questionable defensive decision on Wednesday, Robert continues to make a case that his bat could be worth keeping around as a designated hitter or platoon outfielder.
The Mets' rotation also showed signs of rounding into form during the trip. Sean Manaea turned in arguably his best outing against the Pirates, racking up a season-high 11 strikeouts across seven innings while allowing one earned run.
Manager Andy Green told reporters, "Some pitches in the heart of the plate that have gotten hit pretty hard. He's going to be fine. He's coming back from a UCL injury. Sometimes that takes a bit of time." The comment referred to Dedniel Nuñez, who struggled to find his footing in his return to the Mets after Tommy John surgery last July.
Nuñez allowed back-to-back home runs on Wednesday and has given up five earned runs in his first three appearances. Meanwhile, other newcomers in the bullpen, including Kodai Senga and Nate Lavender, showed promise in their first outings.
Senga picked up strikeouts of Matt Olson and Michael Harris II on the way to his first career save, while Lavender tossed 3⅓ scoreless innings with five strikeouts. Jack Weisenburger also impressed, hurling three scoreless frames with three strikeouts.
The Mets return home for series against the Nationals and Padres, beginning Friday at Citi Field. With the team's offense and rotation showing signs of improvement, the next few games will be crucial in determining their trajectory for the rest of the season.
The Mets' rotation, which has been a strength all season, will be tested in the coming days with a series against the Padres, who have one of the top pitching staffs in the league.
Source: Yahoo Sports