New York Mets notebook: 3 things to know as June 1 begins
By Kevin Henry
The New York Mets start the month of June with a 29-27 record. While not the dominant start many were expecting, the Mets have still found a way to stay within striking distance of the Atlanta Braves in the National League East.
While it has been a disappointing season in Queens so far, there are some positive signs starting to show for the New York Mets. A pair of strong pitching performances to end the month gave the Mets consecutive road wins over the Philadelphia Phillies to close out May. Now, Max Scherzer is scheduled to take the mound on Thursday in Philadelphia to start June for the Mets and potentially give New York a sweep over its division rival.
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We were in Denver as Memorial Day weekend began to watch Scherzer and Justin Verlander square off against the Colorado Rockies at altitude. Scherzer provided one of the highlights for the Mets during the weekend, throwing a season-high 102 pitches and striking out a season-high eight while not allowing a walk to earn the victory on Friday night. With the win, Scherzer has now won in every MLB park except one — PNC Park in Pittsburgh. However, the Mets are scheduled to visit there from June 9-11 and, with the way the rotation lines up, it’s possible Scherzer won’t get a start there.
Still, while Scherzer might not be able to accomplish that feat this season, he’s feeling more like Mad Max than he has at any time during the regular season he told reporters inside the Mets clubhouse in Denver.
“I am starting to turn the corner,” said Scherzer, who has battled neck and back issues this season. “I am finally getting healthy.”
That’s excellent news for a Mets team that needs Scherzer and Justin Verlander to be the one-two punch everyone expected them to be before the season began.