By Rich Mancuso/ Sports Editor
Two catchers down in a matter of days for the Mets with season ending Tommy John surgery for Travis d’Arnaud and a non-displaced hairline fracture of the left hand to Kevin Plawecki. But when you are winning, as the Mets continued to do Friday night at Citi Field with their ninth win in a row over the Brewers, well losing two catchers is not an issue.
Last season there was always an issue but this 11-1 start changes the entire complexion of seeing your two catchers go down in April.
So the acquisition of veteran Jose Lobaton and being called up to fill the void was not in the immediate plan. And the results are a fun team to watch and Lobaton made an immediate impact with a triple in the second inning.
“What they are doing here right now, the energy is going to be good,” he said. A prevailing comment that comes from the Mets locker room is about the energy, having fun. And that attitude of winning every game. Right now this is a team that does not want to lose and eventually they will because this is baseball and a 162-game season has those ups and downs.
The difference, so much from last season, the veterans and how this team wants to win. It’s also the manager Mickey Callaway who said, “It’s a good feeling. We’re a good team” And Callaway is pushing the right buttons out of the bullpen and with the lineup. When Steven Matz departed after 5.1 innings, five relievers took over and Seth Lugo gave up a lone run.
And good teams come from behind as the Mets have been doing that has got them to this 11-1 start through their first 12 games for the first time in franchise history.
“Expecting to hit the ball hard,” said Lobaton. “Thought I get a double, said okay let’s go for the triple. Great win for the team.” It is not easy for a newcomer, even with this experience with thee teams over eight years to acclimate this quick.
Lobaton saw the immediate excitement and chemistry of this Mets team when he arrived after traveling all day Thursday from Triple-A Las Vegas where he expected to be for a long time.
“When we made offseason acquisitions, we had the clubhouse atmosphere in mind,” Callaway said. “Bringing Jay Bruce back, getting Adrian Gonzalez, getting Frazier, signing Jose Reyes back those are all huge pieces in your clubhouse that help create that relaxed atmosphere that we’re seeing and that fight we’re seeing throughout the game.”
Two home runs from Todd Frazier, the veteran, is a part of that atmosphere. This was the fight and keeps the Mets rising to this tremendous start and they are the early season talk of baseball. And there will be more smiles if this Mets team continues to win, even with the injuries to their two main catchers.
And for now, no worries with Jose Lobaton behind the plate.
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