Mets Subway Series sweep should spur David Stearns into action

In this year's Subway Series, the New York Mets swept both games against the New York Yankees. Winning on Tuesday night with a final score of 9-7 and Wednesday night, 12-2, the Mets have a record of 39-39, winning 15 of their last 19 games. For the first time since May 7, the Mets are a .500 team.

The Mets' strong offense gives opposing pitchers like Yankees Gerrit Cole a run for their money. Cole gave up four home runs in four innings during Tuesday night's game. Mets' RHP Dedniel Núñez was awarded with the win and Cole with the loss.

The Mets, a lineup with no weaknesses, have been strong from top to bottom, averaging 8.1 runs over their last nine games. The team has hit seven home runs combined during the two games against the Yankees.

Each night, different players are delivering. On Wednesday night, Mets’ catcher Francisco Alvarez homered, scoring two and doubled, tacking on insurance runs. Right fielder Tyrone Taylor cashed in a three-run home run, and center fielder Harrison Bader topped it off with a solo shot in the seventh inning.

Mets' pitcher Sean Manaea worked through five scoreless innings despite two hits and five walks before his pitch count, and a storm delay forced him out of the game. Three Mets relievers, with Adrian Houser closing out the final three innings, sealed the victory. Manaea recorded the win, and Yankees pitcher Luis Gil had the loss in the final game of the two.

The Mets are red hot but still need to fix their bullpen

Although the Mets are hot, there are still concerns within their bullpen as Adrian Houser didn't begin his Mets career as hoped, and Edwin Díaz began serving a 10-day suspension after getting ejected from Sunday night's game for having a foreign substance on his hand — a sticky situation.

Houser, the experienced pitcher who started the season as one of the last starting pitchers, was in a tough spot, struggling with an 8.16 ERA and 1.85 WHIP. He managed 16 strikeouts but also had 20 walks in his first six starts.

With top prospect Christian Scott excelling in the minors and other depth options recovering from injuries, the team opted for a change. Rather than part ways with Houser, the front office chose to keep him and transition him to the bullpen, a move designed to help him regain his confidence. This move has proven successful, as Houser has shown significant improvement in his new role.

The 31-year-old pitcher has lowered his ERA to 1.46 and his WHIP to 1.19 following another impressive performance in Wednesday's victory against the Yankees. He has pitched two or more innings in six out of his 10 appearances. Houser made significant contributions to the Mets' bullpen, pitching three scoreless innings to secure his first career save.

“He’s been huge,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said during his postgame interview. “Not only has he been giving us length, but he’s been throwing the baseball really well as well, which we saw again tonight with the two-seam changeup and the breaking ball.”

“He’s staying on the attack and getting big outs for us. It was huge for him to give us the last three innings. Every time he’s taken the ball he’s given us multiple innings and he’s showing that he can get righties and lefties out and keep us in games, so that’s a good weapon to have.”

Houser has been exceptional, especially in recent outings, giving up just three runs, two of them earned, across six appearances during the Mets' impressive June resurgence. While the success might be unexpected for the Flushing fans, those familiar with the former second-round pick, like David Stearns, understand that this has always been his potential.

During his eight seasons with Stearns and the Milwaukee Brewers, Houser has thrived in the bullpen, pitching to a 1.73 ERA and 1.16 WHIP across 41 appearances. After joining an off-season trade and facing initial challenges, it is enjoyable to see Houser in the Big Apple achieve success.