Archive for September 25th, 2008
Seven Nights At Shea - Game 3
If the baseball season is following The Script, is it possible that each game in a season follows a similar Script? It’s the only explanation that really makes sense. This game hit all four of the Mets standard game tactics. Jump in to the lead early, surrender the lead late, leave a mountain of men on base (10, if anyone was counting), and shut down in late innings. Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2008 New York Mets.
I pointed out yesterday that Bizarro Ollie hadn’t made an appearance in recent months and, lo and behold, he showed up at the worst time. The Oliver Perez Walk-a-thon for cancer (cancer is now cured) made a return appearance to Shea Stadium. Bizarro Ollie went 105 pitches over 4.3 IP, with 6H, 5BB, and 5ER. Of course, the final two runs weren’t surrendered by Perez. The Mets called on Duaner Sanchez to get two outs and kill the rally. The outs came only after surrendering the two runs. Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2008 New York Mets bullpen — surprisingly similar in flavor to your 2007 New York Mets bullpen.
The Mets specialize in something I’ve come to refer to as the “ninth inning c*cktease”. This occurs when the Mets almost win the game in the ninth inning. In this version of the story, AA call-up and hitting savant David “Mancrush” Murphy contributed a lead-off triple in the bottom of the ninth. One fly ball wins the game. David Wright struck out swinging when a fly ball wins the game. Following two intentional walks to anyone named Carlos, Ryan Church grounded in to a fielder’s choice that went home and Trapjaw Castro struck out swinging. Lead off triple wasted. Luis Ayala in his second inning of work and one two-out, three-run rally later, a bottom of the 10th where the Mets went away quietly, and the ball game was over. The Mets squandered an opportunity to pull within a half-game of the division and surrendered the Wildcard lead to the Brewers.
Have I seen this movie before?
There is something this team is missing. Balls, maybe? The constantly mentioned “grit?” Guts? I don’t know. They obviously have talent. They can obviously beat up and knock out starting pitchers. Relievers destroy them. I can’t even blame the crowd anymore. The crowd was fired up, ready to go, and knew that they were in the midst of a playoff race. They responded. The team didn’t. Plain and simple. They properly let them know after the game.
The Braves did the Mets a favor for the first time in franchise history by knocking off the Phillies and sending them in to their off day. The Brewers continued their ownership of the Pirates. The Mets simply need to win tomorrow to pull within one game of Philly and force the Brewers to go an almost perfect 14-1 against the Bucs.
The universe is certainly aligning to make this a full seven days of torture. Maybe, for giggles, they can extend the torture into a tie-break.