Emotions and Mistakes
It was a weekend filled with drama, heroics, and stunning comebacks. Not at the top of the standings, but we’ll get to that later. In the cutthroat battle for the 8th spot, Metz showed incredible heart with a victory that could prove decisive, while Béziers, let down by their bullpen, missed a chance to catch their breath. Down 4-6, the Cometz staged two three-run rallies to take the lead, but they were on edge until the final out, with Béziers having two runners on base.
Let’s take a moment to discuss the rookie’s strong start to the season, particularly their explosive offense. Collectively, they’re hitting from everywhere. 6 games with at least 10 hits, only Rouen has done better with 7. In fact, Béziers is right on the heels of the Huskies: 2nd in batting average, slugging, on-base percentage, just as many doubles as the league leader, and two more runs scored. Individually, Pilar and Meza are the only hitters with at least one hit in each of the 10 games played so far this season. But don’t think it’s just the imports making the difference. Surjus had a stellar 4-for-5 against Metz, and Keurinck did even better with a 5-for-6 (3 RBI) against Savigny. Fortunately for their opponents, the JFL pitching isn’t quite as dominant (even though it was Brown and Lira who couldn’t hold the result last Sunday), otherwise Béziers would be nearly unbeatable.
Metz deserves a lot of credit for escaping the Pirates’ trap and must thank their scouting department for bringing in Cameran Brantley and Beyker Pastran last week. Without them, Metz might not have turned the tide. Together, they went 6-for-12, drove in 2 runs, drew 6 walks, and stole 3 bases over the weekend. But it’s especially the 8th inning of the second game that will be remembered. Pastran had a 9-pitch duel with Lira to draw a walk. Then, four batters later, with Metz leading 7-6 on Launay’s sacrifice fly, Brantley stepped up with Ruiz on base. He also worked a full count. He also reached the 9th pitch. But he crushed it deep to right field for a two-run homer. Welcome to France! It would be reductive, of course, to talk only about these two, as it would forget the huge work of the two Paredes, or the excellent start to the season of S. Hansch, often at the heart of his team’s best innings.
Metz and Béziers have the means to stay up, and that’s very worrying for Lions who are stuck. Only 1 run scored against Montpellier, everything seems complicated for Savigny. Opportunities to rejoice are rare, even if Coste seems to be finding his level again and Nunez continues to perform well. But they will really need to raise their game to hope to get out of this season. And above all, drastically reduce the number of errors. 36 since the start of the season, that’s far too many.
Speaking of errors, how not to be alarmed by the number committed in a match between two top-of-the-table teams, Sénart and La Rochelle. The Templiers’ ground is not known for its difficulty, its pitfalls and false bounces. But the two teams totaled 17 errors in two games. It’s unworthy of D1. From this sad spectacle, Sénart emerged doubly victorious. Will La Rochelle, like last season, be struck by the hare syndrome? The men of Pablo Ossandon were 5-1 after 6 games in 2024 before losing the next two games and starting a slide that took them out of the playoffs. They were 5-1 before this round, and lost twice. Let’s hope they’ve learned the lesson. La Rochelle quickly fell behind 1-4 in game 1, came back to 4-4 before losing 4-6 to Templiers who rely perfectly on the Lopez – Martinez duo and are indeed very effective in turning the situation around at the end of games, after their two extra-inning victories against Rouen and Toulouse. The second match was much simpler for Sénart who jumped on Canelon in the 1st inning, scoring six runs, including a home run by Horike.
Meanwhile, Montpellier confirmed that their two losses in the 1st round were quickly forgotten. Since then, the Barraducas have shifted up a gear, and Flores’ arrival has largely contributed, notably by stabilizing the defense and bringing additional solutions to an already very solid offense. They will definitely be a force to reckon with this season.
You’ll also have to reckon – but is it a surprise – with the Rouen Huskies who find themselves alone at the top of the standings. Last season, the Rouen lineup was led by the Defries – Smith duo. This season, the danger seems to be coming from everywhere. In any case, the lineup is very balanced, and if the big guns are silent (Flood, 0-for-8), it’s Vissac and Harrison (4 hits each) or Bert (3 hits) who are stepping up.
Toulouse has nothing to regret, first because of Rojas’ new injury which changed the course of game 2. But also because their young talents held their own against the French champions. The young Stadiste team has bright days ahead.
