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3 changes we need to see from the Mets before the Braves series begins
All of the good vibes the New York Mets may have had from their sweep over the Philadelphia Phillies is gone, and they now have to find a way to get back on track for a pivotal matchup with the Atlanta Braves.
Now five games back, this figures to be the make or break point for the Mets season. If they are unable to gather themselves and compete in this series, the Braves might start to run away with the division. With that in mind, the team needs to make some urgent changes in order to potentially save their season.
The Mets need to bump Francisco Lindor down in the lineup for the Atlanta series
After another dreadful performance led to boo's from the Mets faithful, Francisco Lindor saw his batting average fall to a dismal .213. Mired in a 2-22 slump, Lindor has more strikeouts than hits on the season and Mets fans are beginning to run out of patience with the $341 million dollar player.
For such an important series, the Mets need to move Lindor out of the top half of the lineup. He has been amongst the worst in the league in first inning production, and the Mets as a whole have gotten off to far too many slow starts this season. With Brandon Nimmo being a constant on the bases and Pete Alonso doing his job as a power hitter, the team needs more production from their other key spots.
To replace Lindor atop the Mets order, Buck Showalter should look no further than options he has already explored in the past. Keeping Jeff McNeil in the #3 spot would allow for former #2 hitter Starling Marte to return to the top of the lineup, as he has turned his season around recently. The Mets could also look towards returning Francisco Alvarez or the red-hot Mark Canha to the #2 spot as well. Either way, there are a multitude of options that would be able to replace Lindor at the top until his bat starts to heat up.
The Mets should move Brooks Raley ahead of Adam Ottavino on the depth chart against the Braves
Outside of David Robertson, the Mets bullpen has been a mess all season. The team didn't do a good enough job of getting reliable arms following the Edwin Diaz injury, and their 4.11 bullpen ERA shows just that. With starting pitching not often able to get deep into games as well, the Mets relievers are overworked and underperforming.
However, recently some bullpen arms have been stepping up to the task. One of those has been Brooks Raley, who hasn't allow a single earned run since April. After a horrid start, Raley has emerged as one of the most valuable members of the Mets bullpen, even more so considering he is their only lefty.
While the Atlanta Braves have been stellar against left handed pitching this season, the Mets need to continue to trust Raley and his hot streak. With only five hits allowed over his last eight innings, he should be trusted as the setup man for these crucial performances.
Meanwhile, the current Mets 8th inning pitcher has had some trouble recently. Adam Ottavino has allowed seven runs over his past 13 innings, seeing his ERA rise from 2.70 to 3.91 over that period. While he is still one of the best bullpen pieces the Mets have to offer, Raley should get the nod for the 8th innings against one of the best teams in the National League.
Eduardo Escobar should get a spot in the starting lineup for the Mets over Daniel Vogelbach
The Mets lineup card has been under much scrutiny over the past month, with the "Baby Mets" being frequently replaced by older, more experienced players. Seemingly every game day, the Mets Twitter account gets bombarded by fans after posting their lineups, with fans frequently questioning Buck Showalter's decisions.
Front and center of Mets fans dismay has been Daniel Vogelbach, who has struggled mightily the season. Hitting just .216, Vogelbach hasn't provided the power that the Mets have needed out of the DH spot. He has just two home runs and 33 strikeouts, much to the ire of Mets fans who want to see some of the younger players get some run.
With three righties set to take the mound for the Braves, it would be safe to assume that Showalter starts the left handed Vogelbach at least once during this series. However, the better option would be another veteran hitter who has been swinging a hotter bat.
After a horrible start to the season, Eduardo Escobar is finally starting to turn things around. He hit .394 in May, providing a crucial bat off the bench for a lineup that has struggled mightily at times. Escobar hit two home runs during the month as well, matching Vogelbach's total on the entire season.
While most Mets fans would like to see Mark Vientos replace Vogelbach at DH long term, the team should look towards Escobar here in what fans would consider a must-win series. As long as Vogelbach doesn't find his way onto the lineup card, most fans would consider that a win as well.
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