Baseball Makes No Sense (Part of a Continuing Series)

You probably know by now, but if not, here’s a bedrock principle: Baseball makes no sense.

If you were going to draw up a blueprint for success, odds are you wouldn’t opt for, “Let’s play terrible baseball and then excise Juan Soto from the lineup.” But that blueprint worked pretty well on Saturday night, as the Mets pummeled the Giants 9-0. It felt like they scored all night, but actually the final tally was built via a pair of eruptive innings against the Gigantes, to use the nomenclature from the hosts’ alt-uniforms.

Leading the way were a pair of forgotten men: The all-but-discarded Mark Vientos kicked things off in the second with a double, the first of his three hits, and the Mets capitalized on some Gigantes defensive tomfoolery to put up a three-spot. (Maybe Matt Chapman should catch the fuckin’ ball.) In the fifth, Bo Bichette and Vientos notched RBI hits before outfield afterthought Tyrone Taylor launched a three-run homer to make further hostilities rather cosmetic. (The Mets ended their night by going down one two three against second baseman Christian Koss, which was actually pretty entertaining.)

Not that Clay Holmes needed much help: He was about as good as he’s looked in a Met uniform, backed up by Tobias Myers. Holmes feels somewhat overlooked in discussing the starting rotation’s travails, but he’s quietly been very good for a season-plus, adjusting from the bullpen to starting duties ably and then making strides this spring in pursuing greater efficiency, which one hopes will translate into more gas in the tank come summer and fall.

The Mets will finish up their first of too many West Coast trips today, with Kodai Senga facing off against Logan Webb, and then return home for an MDs-and-executives skull session about Soto and his balky calf. How will they fare on Sunday? Will Soto play Tuesday? How would I know? We’ve already established that baseball makes no sense.