The Mets have supported good pitching with underappreciated small-ball, swiping the extra base and keeping opponents from doing the same.
Led by Eric Young Jr., the Mets’ 24 steals are third-most in the league. Their five stolen bases allowed is the stingiest figure in baseball, having thrown out a major league-best 44 percent of runners.
Though Young Jr. had his NL-best 20-game streak of reaching base safely snapped on Sunday, his 12 stolen bases are just one shy of the Dodgers’ Dee Gordon for the major league lead.
“First of all he’s a master at his trade, he studies pitchers,” manager Terry Collins said. “He and Tom [Goodwin] get together every day and they talk about the films that we have on moves to first and he really studies it. You’ve got to turn him loose. He’s a daring guy, and base-stealers have to be.
“They can’t be worried about getting thrown out, because that’s part of their weapon, being able to take a base when they need one: And he’s one of those guys that’s not afraid to take a chance. … There are guys that are really good base-stealers in innings 1 through 6. All of a sudden they get in the 7th, 8th and 9th and they don’t like to run because they don’t want to get thrown out. He’s not that kind of guy.’’
Daniel Murphy has added to it, having swiped five bases this year and 27 straight dating to June 9, 2013, the second-longest streak in Mets history behind Kevin McReynolds’ record 33 from 1987-89. Murphy is also batting .306 in a nine-game hitting streak.
On the defensive side, Travis d’Arnaud and backup Anthony Recker have stopped other teams’ running games.
Offensively, d’Arnaud has broken out of his slump, hitting .364 with three multi-hit games in his last seven. Meanwhile, the Mets are 6-0 when Recker starts, 21-14 dating back to last year.
David Wright has just four extra-base hits this year; but he had an RBI double Sunday and has always hit well in Philadelphia, the Mets next destination. In 82 games at Citizens Bank Park he’s batting .302 with 19 homers and 61 RBIs — his highest totals at any road park — and has a .920 OPS.
Juan Lagares was expected to play for Triple-A Las Vegas Monday night against Reno. He was put on the 15-day disabled list on April 15 with a pulled right hamstring. He’s eligible to return on Thursday, though Collins had said on Saturday that he didn’t know if the outfielder will be ready to return then.
Triple-A shortstop Wilmer Flores had X-rays on his hand Monday that came back negative. He was cleared to proceed as tolerated with Las Vegas. He jammed his finger in a game Sunday and left after just three innings. He’s hitting .250 with a homer and 11 RBI, but has struggled defensively with six errors.
The Mets open a two-game series Tuesday in Philadelphia at 7:05 p.m. LHP Jon Niese (1-2, 2.45 ERA) starts against the Phillies’ Cole Hamels (0-1, 3.00 ERA).