Did New York Mets lefty Sean Manaea's midseason turnaround already dissipate down the stretch? On September 1, he allowed five earned runs on 11 hits in 5.2 innings of work. Granted, the Tampa Bay Rays are a playoff contender. Yet, that seems like an extraordinary amount of hits in less than six innings on the mound. During the postgame interview, to his credit, Manaea did not flinch in his assessment.
That appears to be an understatement, as the southpaw allowed 19 earned runs over his last 23.2 innings. That remains a far cry from his dominant 11-strikeout performance against the Pittsburgh Pirates, almost a month ago. While the Mets continue to crawl back to decency, Manaea's collapse could not take place at a more inopportune moment. While slim, a Francisco Lindor solo home run staked the veteran to a lead that he promptly surrendered.
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Since the outing against the Pirates, Manaea's performances have left the Mets without an explanation. First, on August 15, against the Washington Nationals (6.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 7 K), he didn't pitch well. The Mets ended up winning that game, but that was the last time Manaea saw the victory column.
Six days later, the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox posted similar numbers against Manaea (6.0 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K) in a New York loss. Following that, losses against the Milwaukee Brewers and the Rays tell an unfortunate tale. In essence, Manaea will give six innings of work, and teammates will pepper him the second time around the order.
Another concern must center around the lack of velocity. While no one expects the left-handed batter to throw the ball by opponents every day, Manaea's game needs a sharp fastball to augment his other pitches. Without much movement, a slower heater is just that, a pitch that players can turn on and drive.
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The Mets veteran looks great in the first two innings, painting the corners with velocity and accuracy. Yet, the fourth inning brings Manaea into a danger zone of sorts, one where he struggles not only to find consistency but also to maintain his command. That does not necessarily mean walks, but wild pitches in the strike zone will see batters tee off with frequency. Despite this, interim manager Andy Green still shows hope .
"I thought he battled up until the last inning. Felt good about him, in the bottom of the order. Those guys were able to spray some balls off of him. Thought it was a tough battle up until that point in time. It's been the third time through bad matchups, top of the order. Those guys did a nice job of putting the ball in play, finding grass."
The Mets continue to use the season as a developmental stage, since they remain far from rational or realistic postseason contention. Green will need to weigh Manaea's slump against the option of returning him to the bullpen, allowing a younger arm to step up. No. 1 prospect Jonah Tong continues to excel in the minors, and Manaea's spot could be the one that needs replacing.
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The post 'I've Been Terrible': Mets LHP Sean Manaea Delivers Honest Take on Late-Season Meltdown appeared first on HEAVY .
