Robert Gsellman was immediately tested in a situation with a high forklift and came up with a bullpen hero for the Mets on Saturday.
In his first appearance since Aug. 11 last season, the referee stiffened the Marlins in the seventh inning – knocking out two of the three fights he faced – played a key role in Mets’ 8- victory. 4 at Citi Field.
“His game was sharp and you could see the movement from the side, it was just annoying,” said manager Luis Rojas. ‘Some strangers swung against him, whether it was the shovel or the sinker. The sinker looked [nasty], as it dropped to a high speed at the last moment. ”
Gsellman’s dominance came after Jeurys Familia ran in the sixth three fights, scoring the Marlins twice and drawing 5-4 inside. Seth Lugo and Justin Wilson each threw a scoreless inning behind Gsellman, who missed summer camp with stressed triceps. He was on the injured list for the last six weeks of last season with a tight lath.
The new normal for the Mets is JD Davis on third base and Jeff McNeil on left field.
With McNeil in the lineup for a second straight night after missing two games in Washington with an intercostal penalty, Rojas stumbled upon a script he made earlier in the week and says he plans to largely go that way to maintain.
McNeil, who started the season on third base but struggled defensively, seems destined to play left field.
“We will pay a little more attention to what we had the last few days,” Rojas said before Saturday’s win. “JD has shown really good athletics on the third, apparently his arm will always play there and his throws have been money, and [McNeil] played good left field for our past year and right field. We will keep it that way right now. ”
Rojas was asked about the Marlins’ quick start to the season, despite replacing about half of the roster after a COVID-19 outbreak in opening week.
“They always play hard – last year they played every game hard, and that’s one of the things that stands out for that team,” said Rojas. ‘We call it, almost’ reckless. ‘They play hard. They have athletes and they benefit from the athletes they have and they will do that. It is a very good, athletic young team. ”
Rojas cited the impact veteran striker Francisco Cervelli has on the organization’s young pitchers.
Pete Alonso joined DH for a second straight night with Dominic Smith on first base. Rojas said he wanted to keep Alonso off his feet to give him something of an extended break.
Marcus Stroman threw about 80 pitches in a simulated game Thursday in Brooklyn, according to Rojas, and has shown improved mobility when he recovers from a sprained left calf. The right-hander is scheduled to throw another simulated game in the coming days before being re-evaluated.
Brad Brach has been playing simulated games for days on end, but is still rebuilt, according to Rojas.
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