The New York Post e-Edition

METS NOTES

After the Mets won 5-4 on a goahead homer by Michael Conforto in the ninth, Alonso praised “Donnie” for getting the team ready to play. Two days later, hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant Tom Slater were fired, but a decision on the change was reached, according to sources, before Donnie Stevenson’s arrival on the scene.

Davis later told The Post he didn’t believe there was malicious intent by the players to undermine him.

“The players were having fun and they didn’t mean any harm,” Davis said. “It was fun time for them. … People were just trying to loosen up as a group and it worked that night.”

➤ About the only thing that can improve John Means’ performance from his last start when he faces the Mets on Tuesday night would be to avoid throwing a wild pitch. The Orioles left-hander retired all 27 batters he faced against the Mariners last week, but was credited with a no-hitter and not a perfect game after throwing a wild pitch on strike three to Sam Haggerty in the third inning, allowing the runner to reach base.

Even so, the individual no-hitter was a first for the Orioles since Jim Palmer’s in 1969. The individual drought was the longest in the major leagues (the Orioles had four pitchers combine for a no-hitter in 1991).

Means threw a first-pitch strike to 26 of the 27 batters he faced. It was the highest percentage of first-pitch strikes in a complete game since pitch tracking began in 1988.

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2021-05-11T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-05-11T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://nypost.pressreader.com/article/282166474062432

New York Post