Last night was rough, but New York Mets fans were met with good news this afternoon: Jose Siri is back. His return, if anything, brings a spark to the Mets, who certainly need one. His defensive prowess and speed on the basepath add a lot to a team that has struggled to get runners across. He’s not a good hitter, but he shouldn’t be any worse than Cedric Mullins, who is 0-for-his-last-25, bringing his slashline down to a measly .174/.284/.272 since joining the Mets.
Jose Siri’s return will help the Mets in more ways than one, but it’s hard not to think about how useful he would’ve been last night.
Yes, they could’ve used him in centerfield over Mullins, but that’s a low-hanging fruit. Besides, it was only a 1-0 loss. Siri being in center defensively wouldn’t have made much of a difference, and we’ll give Mullins credit where it’s due for managing to throw Bader out at second as he attempted to stretch a single into a double. Mullins’ bat, however, has been so bad that even Siri probably would’ve given them a better chance to score in a game where the Mets managed to get shut out by an Aaron Nola with a 6+ ERA (as a surprise to absolutely nobody).
The aspect of the game in which Siri truly could’ve changed the tide came in the ninth inning — and I know, none of us want to think about that dreadful inning. The Mets, of course, set up false hope by getting runners to second and third with just one out. McNeil came up and struck out after his near go-ahead hit went foul by mere inches, followed by a three-pitch strikeout from an absolutely lost-looking Francisco Alvarez. Frustrating.
Before all that, though, came Mark Vientos’ one-out double that moved Ronny Mauricio, who was pinch-running for Pete Alonso, from first to third. I’m not saying Mauricio should’ve gone home; he would’ve been thrown out by a mile. However, he didn’t get a great read on Vientos’ hit, leading to a lot of hesitation before he took off. A more experienced runner, like Jose Siri, probably would’ve gotten a better read on the ball and taken off right away, potentially allowing the Mets to score and tie the game — just another of many brutal examples where a slight change could’ve won the Mets a game this season.
Could’ve, should’ve, would’ve; what matters is that Siri is here and healthy now, right when the Mets need him. They’re hanging on tight to a wild card spot that is slowly beginning to slip away, and the value that Siri provides, both defensively and on the basepath, serves as somewhat of a lifeline for a team that looks to go far in the playoffs — if they can even make it there.
