Manager Mickey Callaway has one reason for Jason Vargas’ very forgettable Mets season debut. The Padres lit up the lefty for nine earned runs in 3 ²/₃ innings Saturday in San Diego. It was his first regular-season game after Vargas missed much of spring training with a non-displaced fracture of the hamate bone in his right (non-throwing) hand.
“Throwing in front of this screen for a month, he changed his mechanics a little bit,” Callaway said of Vargas, who will start again Thursday as the Mets try to salvage the finale of a three-game series against the Braves. “He was really diving in with his shoulder and it looked like he was trying to throw around something. So they really worked in between on getting him where he needs to be, sitting back a little bit more. We’re definitely not worried about his mentality or anything going out there tomorrow.”
So the Mets are scheduled to start Vargas on Thursday, when they try to salvage the finale of the three-game series with the Braves at Citi Field.
“It’s kind of hard to judge what really goes wrong in a game like that where you give up that many runs in that short of a time,” Vargas said, explaining there were points in that cameo appearance where he could have limited the damage but didn’t. “That gave them the momentum they needed other than the home runs to get in a position where they felt good at the plate.
“Fortunately, I can say that hasn’t happened too many times in my career,” said Vargas who surrendered two homers in that first start and claimed no issues at all with the hand.
Yoenis Cespedes doubled in the first inning of Wednesday’s 7-0 loss, and though it extended his hit streak to eight games, it was costly. As Cespedes stood at second, he removed his diamond necklace. The chain broke and diamonds spilled all over the basepaths. Asdrubal Cabrera picked up a bunch while playing second the next inning.
“I got a couple,” Cabrera said laughing. “I don’t know if they’re diamonds or not but I picked them up.”
Jay Bruce was again taking practice at first base before the game.
“That was my fifth time to do it,” said Bruce who has played 15 major league games at first base, including 11 with the Mets last season. “I played there my whole life until I was 16 and then I moved to the outfield. … I’m as comfortable as I’ll be. Only way to get more comfortable is by doing it.”
Bruce said “the speed of the game” has been the toughest adjustment in the infield.
“Learning how to slow it down and not trying to speed up to try to make things happen. Just play the game,” said Bruce who stays on alert for the infield call. “They said it could be soon, that’s all.”
The call did not come Wednesday, when Wilmer Flores got the starting assignment. What was the toughest part of learning first for Flores?
“Knowing when to get the ball between first and second,” he said. “That was the hardest.”
Wednesday represented the first time the Mets were shut out this season. … It also marked the first time they were out of first since April 3. … The Braves have won four straight and six of seven games. They also have won 12-of-17 games at Citi Field. … Flores broke a personal 0-of-19 streak with a ninth-inning double. He also ended the team’s 0-of-18 streak against three Braves pitchers.
