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Citi Field seats were not all occupied when the Mets were called to the line as part of Thursday's home opener. Those in the stands, however, voted for their favorites with enthusiasm, as if the place were full.
Jacob deGrom was the decibel champion, followed by Pete Alonso.
It seemed right. Fans have married the best of last year with the hope of this season, deepening the optimism associated with a home opening game.
But nothing brought the Mets offensive on the road to ruin quite like home, especially in 2018. Even with Alonso and Robinson Cano and Wilson Ramos and a full season of Jeff McNeil, the composition of Mets seemed Thursday. as something from the Adrian Gonzalez-Kevin Plawecki collection.
Maybe losing 4-0 to the Nationals was due to sleep deprivation or to Stephen Strasburg or the odds of a match. As Michael Conforto has said, "If we revisit this in the middle of the season and that continues to happen, the conversation will be different."
Nevertheless, the attacking hex in the Citi looms above the Mets. They came back here 5-1, but caution was needed this year, mainly because of last year. The 2018 Mets opened 11-1 and closed in a familiar desperation. At the center of the fading was a historically bad fault at home. No team has scored less points at home (just over three games per game) and the Mets batting average of 215 is the worst at home since the Yankees draw in 1968.
Studies have shown that sleeve removal has been a problem for years at Citi Field, especially for the home team. No consolidated theory, however, explains it. The Batters do not complain about the striking bottom. The park is big, but not cavernous from another world. The wind is most evident in the east of the NL, but it is not Candlestick Park nor Wrigley Field.
To deal with the discomfort, the Mets did not hire a shaman reversing the curse. They named Chile Davis as coaching coach and put in place a philosophy of thinking more about using all the terrain and getting locked into play situations to maximize racing.
And the Mets averaged more than six points in the first six games, scoring .333 with .883 attack with men at the base and .308 with .852 Defense with riders in the scoring position. It was in Washington and Miami. In Queens? They were 1-on-12 with the men on base with six strikeouts and a double play, all three with runners in scoring position.
"Let's have a chance to see if our new approach, our new mindset will change things somehow," said Conforto. "It's very difficult to say anything about a game today. We ran a lot on the road. It was an excellent pitching performance in Strasbourg today. "
Strasburg did not allow a sure shot in four innings, Noah Syndergaard in five, but Washington scored a goal in the second, helped by two goals and a wild pitch. Strasbourg was brilliant, precise with his fastball; his change and curve a weapon bigger than the game has progressed. But he finished after 6 ² / ₃ and he was still only 2-0. And the Washington office is like a person who gets too much facelift, which looks more and more bad with every procedure.
The Nats continue to try to repair their pen and in a way, the problems get worse. The big addition to this off season was Trevor Rosenthal, who has played three games, faced seven batters, retired and has an infinite lifespan. But even Washington's pen could not animate the Mets bats at home.
"This [offensive troubles at home] has been brought to my attention, "Davis said. "I should see more games here to say that there is a different mindset here. Numbers are numbers. I do not deny the numbers. "
Davis insisted that it was about Strasbourg and sleeping. The Mets played a night game Wednesday in Miami and were further delayed as some of their players were tested for drugs. The charter landed around 2.30am. Davis said that everything seemed "rushed" not only because of the morning of Thursday, but also because of the pump of an opening match at home and that it 's was acting in an opening match, which brings meetings.
Davis said with all this that he should have been recommending greater use of small balloons and possibly moving runners, to counter trailing bodies and bats. Conforto, however, said everyone knew the schedule.
"We are adult men," he said. "We are professionals."
And then there is Strasbourg, which owns the Mets at Citi Field (8-1, 2.14 ERA) as if it was a Wilpon. So maybe it was just that – Strasbourg and sleep. Or just a day.
But until proven otherwise, we will wonder why the Mets' offensive can not go beyond its Citi limits.
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