Mets win season opener 9-4 in Mickey Callaway’s managerial debut

They say that Opening Day is the most wonderful time of the year. It’s the ultimate reset button. For the Mets, Opening Day is where the team thrives, and they proved that on Thursday. In Mickey Callaway’s managerial debut, The Amazins beat the Cardinals 9-4.

With rain surrounding Citi Field, the Flushing Faithful came in droves to watch this team play, as there has been a sense of hope this season.With new additions and a potentially healthy staff, that seemed expected. Thanks to a change in the staff, fans didn’t boo their medical staff for the first time since Ray Ramirez joined the team. It was quite a scene that was later trumped by the appearance of Wilmer Flores. It was the captain, David Wright, looking very thin, who got the biggest reaction from the stadium however.

The team delivered in every single aspect of their game. Here are a few takaways:

– Noah Syndergaard looked impressive, striking out ten batters in six innings. While he allowed four earned runs, he did not give up a walk. He will look to lower his ERA with fewer runs and more K’s next time out.

– Yadier Molina continues to haunt this team, hitting a home run in the second. He was the only true thorn in the Mets’ side, as it was radio silence for his teammates.

– Adrian Gonzalez and Todd Frazier, the new guys, had a solid day at the plate, contributing on the field and in the batter’s box. Gonzalez drove in Frazier in the bottom of the fifth to spark an epic rally by the team.

– One thing to look out for was Callaway’s lineup changes. Batting Syndergaard eighth seemed like a questionable decision, but it ended up working, even with a few small hiccups in the beginning. “Thor” bunted the runners in front of him over before Amed Rosario laced a two-run RBI single. The next batter, leadoff man Brandon Nimmo, then hit a single, which was then followed up by a Yoenis Cespedes RBI single. Jay Bruce contributed in the rally, also hitting an RBI single. For now, Mickey’s way is the best way.

Callaway became the first manager of the team since Jeff Torborg in 1992 to win his inaugural game. Considering the who’s who of managers the Mets have had since then, it is a pretty interesting statistic. Speaking of, with the win, the Mets improved to 37-20 on Opening Day, the best mark of any franchise in the history of Major League Baseball. That record may never be broken, and it’s the one that Mets fans are alright with keeping.

As the Mets wait for their next game, a Saturday contest with Jacob deGrom on the mound, one can’t help but feel a sense of optimism. One game down, plenty more to go. For now, fans can go to sleep knowing baseball is officially back!