Mets' solution to limiting stolen bases: Pick 'em off first base
Pete Alonso of the Mets applies the tag on Ronald Acuna Jr. of Atlanta before he could get back to the bag in the top of the fifth inning at Citi Field on Sunday. Credit: Errol Anderson
The Mets, who can barely throw out opposing base-stealers, on Sunday night figured out a new way to combat the problem: Just pick ’em off first base.
Luis Severino and Reed Garrett both picked off reigning MLB steals leader Ronald Acuna Jr. in the Mets’ 4-3 win over Atlanta at Citi Field.
Acuna, who had 73 stolen bases last season, had 14 going into Sunday. Severino caught him going back to first in the fifth. Garrett did the same in the seventh. Acuna was called safe on the second one, but Mets manager Carlos Mendoza challenged and the call was overturned by replay.
The Mets have allowed 53 of 56 base-stealers to make it successfully, including former Met Zack Short, who stole against Adam Ottavino without a throw in the eighth inning and eventually scored on Marcel Ozuna’s single to break a 2-2 tie.
This week — after the Rays stole seven bases in eight attempts in a 10-inning game on May 5 — neither St. Louis nor Atlanta attempted a steal in four games going into Sunday.
So does that mean the problem is mostly fixed?
“There’s still room for improvement,” Mendoza said before the game. “It’s a team effort. We will continue to work on it and continue to get better.”
The only Mets catcher to throw out anyone all season is Tomas Nido, who didn’t join the roster until April 20 after Francisco Alvarez was injured.
Nido has nabbed three of 16 would-be base-stealers. Alvarez was 0-for-10 before suffering a torn thumb ligament.
Omar Narvaez, who started on Sunday and was pinch hit for by Nido in the seventh, hasn’t thrown out any of the 30 runners who have attempted to steal against him. Nido started the previous four games.
“It’s something that is happening a lot,” Narvaez said on May 5. “So I’m pretty sure we’re going to keep working on it.”
Mendoza said the Mets are doing exactly that, from pitchers to catchers to infielders.
“When guys are doing their catch play — especially the pitchers — with a throwing program, every time they touch the mound, whether it’s for a short side or a bullpen in between outings, it has been a point of emphasis that we’ve got to get better with times to the plate,” Mendoza said. “And, obviously, we’ve got to limit the walks, too.
“The catchers are working really hard and obviously continue to throw to bases. Infielders, with their techniques as far as tags, how they get to the base and how we set up.”
And don’t forget the ol’ pickoff play.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
