Another week of baseball down means a new National League East report, including a debut with ties to a legendary player, an epic collapse, a day for the moms, and a look at the division after a month of action. So, without further ado, let’s look at everything the division had to offer from Monday, May 2, to Sunday, May 8.
Welcome to the Show
On Saturday, the Miami Marlins called up third baseman Joe Dunand.
Dunand, the nephew of legendary infielder Alex Rodriguez, immediately made his presence known at the plate, homering in his first major league at-bat. Dunand went 2-4 on the day, including a double and a home run, and scored two runs to help the Marlins in their shutout win against the San Diego Padres.
Phillies Historical Collapse
One week removed from being no-hit, the Philadelphia Phillies found themselves on the wrong side of history yet again in Thursday’s 8-7 loss to the New York Mets. The Phillies were up 7-1 heading into the ninth inning and yet somehow, someway, they managed to beat the odds and find a way to lose.
So how bad was this collapse?
Well, the Phillies had a 99.9% chance to win entering the ninth inning. If that isn’t bad enough, MLB teams were previously 0-684 when trailing by six runs entering the final inning, and the Mets themselves were 0-330 throughout the past 25 seasons when entering the ninth down six.
The Mets bats showed up big time for the late-game comeback. Prior to, the Mets had only scored one run on three hits, however, they clobbered Phillies relievers, James Norwood and Corey Knebel, scoring seven runs on eight hits.
Mets closer Edwin Diaz shut the door in the bottom half of the inning, securing one of the greatest comebacks for the Mets, and one of the most demoralizing losses in recent history for the Phillies.
For Mom
Players all around the league were rocking special pink gear on Sunday in honor of Mother’s Day and some players within the division put on some great performances to make Mom proud.
Phillies designated hitter, Bryce Harper, hit a home run in the first game of the doubleheader against the Mets and gave his mom a shoutout afterward.
Jazz Chisholm of the Marlins hit a home run against the Padres while rocking the pink bat, arm sleeve, and cleats.
Mets’ first baseman Pete Alonso went deep twice in game two of the doubleheader to make his Mom proud, and Washington Nationals starter Erick Fedde shut down the No. 1 offense in the American League in runs scored for five innings.
William Contreras, brother of Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, also hit a three-run home run while rocking pink batting gloves to blow the Atlanta Braves game open against the Milwaukee Brewers, a fierce rival of the Cubs, to make Mom proud and help out his brother in the process.
NL East After a Month
This Saturday was the one-month mark of Opening Day, so let’s see how the teams are doing one month in compared to their preseason win totals.
The Mets projected win total has jumped from 84 to 91, due in large part to the great pitching performances they have gotten so far this season and the offensive resurgence from both Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil.
The Braves have gotten off to a slower start and their projected win total replicates that, dropping from 93 wins before the season to 88. Getting Ronald Acuna Jr definitely helps, but the Braves’ problem has resonated with the back end of their starting rotation.
The Phillies bats have gotten off to a tremendously slow start and their win total shows it as well, dropping from 85 to 80 projected wins. The Phillies seemingly cannot play a collectively great game of baseball right now, and until they do, that win total is going to keep on plummeting.
The Marlins have been one of the better surprises in 2022, thanks to their nasty pitching core with the MLB ERA leader, Pablo Lopez, leading the way. However, the projections are still hesitant on the Marlins, only increasing their projected wins by one, going from 76 to 77.
As for the Nationals, it’s been a rough start to the season. Due to the lack of pitching in DC, projections don’t like the Nationals’ odds at making a run, dropping their win total by five, going from 72 to 67.
Injury Update
On Saturday, the Phillies placed shortstop Didi Gregorius on the 10-day injured list with a left knee sprain, retroactive to their game on Thursday against the Mets. They recalled infielder Bryson Stott from Triple-A to fill in for Gregorius while he’s out.
With another week down, let’s look at this past week’s top performers and some guys who struggled a bit, along with the standings heading into the second week of May.
Who’s Hot
Jesus Aguilar (Miami Marlins, 1B/DH) – 5 XBH, 8 RBI, .367 AVG, 1.033 OPS
Yadiel Hernandez (Washington Nationals, LF) – SB, .429 AVG, 1.095 OPS
Pete Alonso (New York Mets, 1B) – 3 HR, 8 RBI, .357 AVG, .750 SLG, 1.143 OPS
Erick Fedde (Washington Nationals, SP) – 12 IP, 8 H, 7 K, 0.75 ERA
Ronald Acuna Jr (Atlanta Braves, RF) – 4 XBH, .348 AVG, 1.217 OPS, 2 SB
Who’s Not:
Marcell Ozuna (Atlanta Braves, LF/DH) – 0 BB, .074 AVG, .222 OPS, 16 LOB
Francisco Lindor (New York Mets, SS) – .107 AVG, .179 OBP, 16 LOB, 2 E6
Avisail Garcia (Miami Marlins, RF) – .105 AVG, 0 RBI, 5 BB%, 33 K%
Austin Riley (Atlanta Braves, 3B) – .148 AVG, 15 LOB, 37 K%, E5
Rhys Hoskins (Philadelphia Phillies, 1B) – .133 AVG, .167 OBP, E3
Standings (As of Monday, May 9)
1. New York Mets 20-10
2. Atlanta Braves 14-16 (6.0 GB)
3. Miami Marlins 13-15 (6.0 GB)
4. Philadelphia Phillies 12-16 (7.0 GB)
5. Washington Nationals 12-20 (10.0 GB)
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