CHICAGO — What must have been a feel-good performance and nice segue into the Subway Series for the Mets was something of a demoralizing win Sunday night.
Edwin Diaz was ejected after entering for the underside of the ninth inning after umpires inspected his right hand and glove and deemed him in violation of MLB’s rules on sticky substances.
Drew Smith and Jake Diekman were summoned to get the ultimate three outs of the Mets’ 5-2 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field, but Diaz now faces a 10-game suspension — during which the team can’t replace him on the roster — for the sticky substance ejection.
“We’ll pay the value, but we’ll use this as a teaching moment,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “But guys will discover a strategy to get through it.”
Diaz said he used the identical combination of sweat, rosin and dirt that he often employs on the mound to get a greater grip on the ball. He said he was informed by umpiring crew chief Vic Carapazza that the quantity of substance on his right hand was in excess and by rule he was ejected.
The Mets had two pitchers — Max Scherzer and Smith — ejected and suspended last 12 months for what was deemed a violation of the sticky substance rule.
“I understood, but at the tip of the day I used to be using sweat, rosin and I put my hand on the dirt,” Diaz said.
“It’s tough, because I’ll let my teammates down for 10 games. That sucks, because coming from the [injured list], I actually have been good to assist this team to win and now being out 10 more days really sucks.”
Diaz can appeal his suspension, but will face a losing battle provided that the judge and jury will probably be MLB officials using the report from Carapazza and his crew because the overriding evidence.
Diaz said he believes the umpires were under the belief he was using an illegal substance. The fitting-hander offered to allow them to smell his hand and conduct other testing, but said by that time a call had already been reached. Diaz said he doesn’t plan to alter anything about his ritual with the sweat, dirt and rosin since it’s nothing different than he often does.
Smith was thrust into the sport on short notice and after getting two outs, with successful allowed, was replaced by Diekman out of fears he would injure himself. Diekman recorded the ultimate out.
In a test of guts to get through the sixth inning, Luis Severino prevailed and helped the Mets win the series.
Severino’s six shutout innings were a marked improvement from his Tuesday outing in Texas wherein he surrendered six earned runs. On tonight the Mets received homers from Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo and Mark Vientos in winning a fourth straight series and improving to 13-6 in June.
Severino was originally alleged to face his former team, the Yankees, on Tuesday. But late last week Mendoza adjusted the rotation and moved David Peterson to the Subway Series opener. Severino began against the Cubs as a substitute. Mendoza’s stated reasoning was he wanted a right-hander to face the Cubs and lefty against the Yankees.
But Severino admitted to The Post he was “a bit bit” dissatisfied he wouldn’t get to face the Yankees this week and said he would push to pitch within the second installment of the Subway Series, after the All-Star break within the Bronx.
Severino rolled into the sixth against the Cubs, but allowed a leadoff single to Miguel Amaya before plunking Nico Hoerner. After Michael Busch struck out, Severino waged an epic battle with Cody Bellinger and won. Bellinger struck out on the twelfth pitch of the at-bat. Mendoza visited the mound and stuck with Severino, who fell behind 2-0 within the count to Seiya Suzuki before retiring the Cubs DH on a fly to center.
All told, Severino struck out 10 — his first time this season reaching double digits — and allowed three hits without walking a batter over 102 pitches.
Severino continued his dominance against the Cubs this season. On April 29 he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against them at Citi Field before Dansby Swanson singled and Severino, who allowed one run, took a no-decision in a game the Mets lost 3-1.
Lindor and Nimmo on tonight went back-to-back with homers within the third against Javier Assad that gave the Mets a 3-0 lead. After Harrison Bader’s double within the inning, Lindor worked the count full and lofted a fly ball to left that kept carrying into the bleachers. Nimmo followed with a homer into the identical area. It marked the third time this season the Mets hit back-to-back homers. Nimmo’s homer was his fourth in his last six games and gave him 11 for the season. Lindor’s homer was his thirteenth — leaving him three behind Pete Alonso for the team lead.
Bader’s double within the fifth — almost a carbon copy of the grounder he sent along the third-base line in his previous at-bat — helped the Mets extend their result in 4-0 within the fifth. Lindor was hit by a pitch, and following a double steal, Nimmo walked to load the bases before J.D. Martinez’s groundout brought within the run.
Assad, who entered with a 2.75 ERA, lasted only 4 ¹/₃ innings and allowed 4 earned runs on seven hits with one walk. The fitting-hander allowed just one run over five innings when he faced the Mets on April 30 at Citi Field.
The Cubs struck against Dedniel Nunez within the seventh. After Ian Happ’s leadoff single, Christopher Morel hit a 420-foot homer to center that sliced the Mets’ result in 4-2.
Vientos countered with a 451-foot bomb to center field within the eighth that prolonged the Mets’ result in 5-2.
CHICAGO — What must have been a feel-good performance and nice segue into the Subway Series for the Mets was something of a demoralizing win Sunday night.
Edwin Diaz was ejected after entering for the underside of the ninth inning after umpires inspected his right hand and glove and deemed him in violation of MLB’s rules on sticky substances.
Drew Smith and Jake Diekman were summoned to get the ultimate three outs of the Mets’ 5-2 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field, but Diaz now faces a 10-game suspension — during which the team can’t replace him on the roster — for the sticky substance ejection.
“We’ll pay the value, but we’ll use this as a teaching moment,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “But guys will discover a strategy to get through it.”
Diaz said he used the identical combination of sweat, rosin and dirt that he often employs on the mound to get a greater grip on the ball. He said he was informed by umpiring crew chief Vic Carapazza that the quantity of substance on his right hand was in excess and by rule he was ejected.
The Mets had two pitchers — Max Scherzer and Smith — ejected and suspended last 12 months for what was deemed a violation of the sticky substance rule.
“I understood, but at the tip of the day I used to be using sweat, rosin and I put my hand on the dirt,” Diaz said.
“It’s tough, because I’ll let my teammates down for 10 games. That sucks, because coming from the [injured list], I actually have been good to assist this team to win and now being out 10 more days really sucks.”
Diaz can appeal his suspension, but will face a losing battle provided that the judge and jury will probably be MLB officials using the report from Carapazza and his crew because the overriding evidence.
Diaz said he believes the umpires were under the belief he was using an illegal substance. The fitting-hander offered to allow them to smell his hand and conduct other testing, but said by that time a call had already been reached. Diaz said he doesn’t plan to alter anything about his ritual with the sweat, dirt and rosin since it’s nothing different than he often does.
Smith was thrust into the sport on short notice and after getting two outs, with successful allowed, was replaced by Diekman out of fears he would injure himself. Diekman recorded the ultimate out.
In a test of guts to get through the sixth inning, Luis Severino prevailed and helped the Mets win the series.
Severino’s six shutout innings were a marked improvement from his Tuesday outing in Texas wherein he surrendered six earned runs. On tonight the Mets received homers from Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo and Mark Vientos in winning a fourth straight series and improving to 13-6 in June.
Severino was originally alleged to face his former team, the Yankees, on Tuesday. But late last week Mendoza adjusted the rotation and moved David Peterson to the Subway Series opener. Severino began against the Cubs as a substitute. Mendoza’s stated reasoning was he wanted a right-hander to face the Cubs and lefty against the Yankees.
But Severino admitted to The Post he was “a bit bit” dissatisfied he wouldn’t get to face the Yankees this week and said he would push to pitch within the second installment of the Subway Series, after the All-Star break within the Bronx.
Severino rolled into the sixth against the Cubs, but allowed a leadoff single to Miguel Amaya before plunking Nico Hoerner. After Michael Busch struck out, Severino waged an epic battle with Cody Bellinger and won. Bellinger struck out on the twelfth pitch of the at-bat. Mendoza visited the mound and stuck with Severino, who fell behind 2-0 within the count to Seiya Suzuki before retiring the Cubs DH on a fly to center.
All told, Severino struck out 10 — his first time this season reaching double digits — and allowed three hits without walking a batter over 102 pitches.
Severino continued his dominance against the Cubs this season. On April 29 he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against them at Citi Field before Dansby Swanson singled and Severino, who allowed one run, took a no-decision in a game the Mets lost 3-1.
Lindor and Nimmo on tonight went back-to-back with homers within the third against Javier Assad that gave the Mets a 3-0 lead. After Harrison Bader’s double within the inning, Lindor worked the count full and lofted a fly ball to left that kept carrying into the bleachers. Nimmo followed with a homer into the identical area. It marked the third time this season the Mets hit back-to-back homers. Nimmo’s homer was his fourth in his last six games and gave him 11 for the season. Lindor’s homer was his thirteenth — leaving him three behind Pete Alonso for the team lead.
Bader’s double within the fifth — almost a carbon copy of the grounder he sent along the third-base line in his previous at-bat — helped the Mets extend their result in 4-0 within the fifth. Lindor was hit by a pitch, and following a double steal, Nimmo walked to load the bases before J.D. Martinez’s groundout brought within the run.
Assad, who entered with a 2.75 ERA, lasted only 4 ¹/₃ innings and allowed 4 earned runs on seven hits with one walk. The fitting-hander allowed just one run over five innings when he faced the Mets on April 30 at Citi Field.
The Cubs struck against Dedniel Nunez within the seventh. After Ian Happ’s leadoff single, Christopher Morel hit a 420-foot homer to center that sliced the Mets’ result in 4-2.
Vientos countered with a 451-foot bomb to center field within the eighth that prolonged the Mets’ result in 5-2.
