Buck Showalter focused on Mets, not resurgent NL East rivals
Mets manager Buck Showalter (11) works in the dugout in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Credit: AP/John Minchillo
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Atlanta and the Phillies are stacking wins, but Buck Showalter is paying it no mind — and doesn’t intend to start.
“If it is time [to look at the standings], I’m not going to be a part of it,” Showalter said. “We’ve got too many bridges to cross and too much to [do]. Just take care of your business. Focus on us tonight and what we have to do and all those other things, you can’t control. To me, it’s a given that all the clubs in our division are going to do well on paper, for sure.”
The Phillies beat the Diamondbacks on Saturday for their ninth win in a row while Atlanta won its 10th, its longest-ever win streak under manager Brian Snitker, who took over in 2016 and led them to a World Series title last year.
Going into Saturday’s Mets game against the Angels, Atlanta was six games behind in the NL East and the Phillies were 8½ games back. The Mets once led the division by double figures.
“I’m focused on this game tonight against the Angels,” Showalter said. “All that stuff, there’s nothing you can do about it. When you look at how good those teams are, it’s kind of obvious that at some point they’re going to get going. We’ve just got to try to win a game tonight — I haven’t looked at the standings since we left New York.”
Alonso, Marte updates
After returning to the lineup two days after taking a 95.7-mph slider to his right hand, Pete Alonso “feels good,” Showalter said. Alonso went 1-for-5 on Friday in his return and played first base. Starling Marte, meanwhile, was a game-time decision. The rightfielder, who’s been running with trainers, preferred not to serve as the DH and wanted to return to action only if he could play the field as well. Alonso played again Saturday, hitting cleanup and playing first, while Marte continued to sit.
Love thy everyman
Showalter said the All-Star Game should honor the important and oft-overlooked role of utilityman, and he knows exactly who should get the nod for the Mets: Luis Guillorme. Guillorme came into Friday’s game with a .321/.419/.396 slash line in 40 games and has played three different infield positions, and has been used in the DH spot
"You can’t win without one,” Showalter said of utilitymen. “There should be a column there for those guys. They should get recognized — the way they’re playing four, five positions, like Guillorme, they’re valuable.”
Trout back, Noah mum
After leaving the game Tuesday with left groin tightness, Mike Trout returned to the lineup against the Mets on Friday . . . Meanwhile, after getting scratched from his start this weekend for extra rest, former Met Noah Syndergaard declined through an Angels spokesperson to speak to New York media.
Laura Albanese is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. She's been covering MLB since 2014 after starting at Newsday as an intern seven years earlier.
