Craig Kimbrel Posts Clean Eighth Inning in Mets Win

Craig Kimbrel gave the Mets another clean inning on Monday, working the eighth against the Colorado Rockies and earning a hold. That came with New York leaning on him more in higher-leverage spots, even as the bullpen still carries obvious risk.

Craig Kimbrel and the Mets bullpen

The right-hander has thrown 7.1 innings across 8 games and has a 3.68 ERA, a 1.36 WHIP and a 1.91 FIP. He first pitched for the Mets on April 11, and the early sample has been enough for the club to keep pushing him into tighter late-game work.

Monday was the latest example. Kimbrel handled the eighth inning cleanly against Colorado, and that usage fits the direction the Mets have taken with him after a mixed start that still leaves room for trust.

Early results and rough spots

His best outings have been sharp. Kimbrel struck out the side against the Washington Nationals in the Mets' 8-0 win, a clean burst that showed why he remains part of the late-inning mix.

He has also had the kind of outing that keeps a bullpen in check. Kimbrel blew the game in the 10th inning against the Chicago Cubs and took his lone loss of the year, and the only game in which he was charged with any runs ended with a Mets win anyway, a 10-8 result over the Minnesota Twins.

Devin Williams, Luke Weaver

The Mets need the help because the bullpen has not settled around him. Devin Williams and Luke Weaver were already raising some doubts, which has made every reliable inning from Kimbrel more useful than it would be on a deeper staff.

He turns 38 later this month, so the Mets are not asking for a full-time return to old form. They are asking for workable late-inning outs, and Monday gave them one more of those without the cost that came with the Cubs loss.