An exhausted bullpen could not handle a second straight extra-inning game, as the Red Sox exploded for three runs in the 10th inning for a 6-4 win Friday night.
Logan Verrett, pitching in back-to-back games just days after going 8 IP as a starter, surrendered a 2-0 lead and a win for Matt Harvey. He served up two gopher balls and three runs.
Tyler Clippard and Jeurys Familia, both pitching for the third time in four games, kept the Red Sox in check. But when the Mets couldn’t win in regulation, Terry Collins opted to use Carlos Torres for the fourth time in five days and after pitching 2.1 innings on Thursday. The results were predictably bad.
Collins opted not to use Sean Gilmartin, who also pitched Thursday and who had thrown 5 IP in the past five days, and Hansel Robles, who pitched in three of the last five games.
Why are the Mets’ relievers so taxed right now? Part because of trips to offensive-happy parks in Colorado and Philadelphia, part questionable bullpen usage in previous nights by Collins and part because of the insistence on carrying a pitcher who is useless, simply because he throws with his left hand. The Mets continue to believe that’s a desirable trait, despite all evidence to the contrary since 2011.
During the game, Gary Cohen said, “Lack of depth in the Mets’ bullpen has shown tonight.” That’s an interesting interpretation of events. How about this, instead: Trying to compete with a six-man bullpen after seven games in Colorado and Philadelphia finally caught up with the Mets.
The shame of it all was wasting another terrific outing by Harvey. He pitched six scoreless innings, allowed just three baserunners, fanned eight and left with a two-run lead.
The Mets staged a two-out rally in the 10th, due to wildness from the Red Sox closer. New York loaded the bases, scored a run on a walk by Curtis Granderson before Yoenis Cespedes flew out to center to end the game.
In 60 career starts, he has 17 non-wins when allowing one run or fewer, an MLB record for a pitcher’s first 60 starts. Give the guy a break.
Harvey is at 160 innings and a 2.48 ERA. He’s on a pace to probably go well over 200 if they make the playoffs. Not sure that’s a good thing, but, I’m not a doctor.
Our support for Harvey is atrocious. I don’t get it.
In his last 12 games, he has a 1.34 ERA yet is just 5-3. He should have 8-10 wins in this stretch.
Yep
Pulling Harvey at 103 pitches was the correct move. Collins told Harvey that he wasn’t going to tax him to pitch the 7th after skipping a start. Harvey said he felt refreshed after the skipped start. Skipping a start in August and one in September would probably benefit most starters. Anything to avoid pitching fatigued is a good thing.
Oh-No needs to be replaced by Goeddel. I would give Verritt another chance at the 7th inning. Thursday night taxed the bullpen because there were no double switches allowing some of the relief pitchers to go more than an inning. TC paid for it on Friday.
The Nats lost, still 6 1/2 up. LGM
They just dont hit when he pitches. Reminds me of Ron Darling in 86. Team won 25 of his starts but he only finished with 15 wins due to lack of run/bullpen support – roger mcdowell used to steal his wins.
It’s a shame because non Mets fans must see him as overrated while we all know he belongs in the discussion among the too pitchers in the game. Hopefully, next year with sharper control and looser reigns, he’ll give us more 8 inning starts that will result in more wins. I expect him to be a cy young candidate next year.
i would have sent him out for the 7th; reminding him of the number.
I am torn between Seaver’s assessment and some of the modern stats:
Seaver says that pitchers are no longer having the amazing experience of digging deep within themselves, and pitching while they are tired, a period of learning like no other. Pitchers went to 250 and even 300 innings, with 18 or more complete games. He said that going the distance was exhausting but put him, and his peers, on an entirely new level of learning how to pitch, since their arms were exhausted, and had to “figure things out” and “learn” how to tap into untapped resources.
The argument against this is that by the time kids reach the MLB level, they have been throwing year round and have already put more stress on the arm than kids from his era, who played other sports during school years and had time off from pitching.
I think that Brian’s analysis is spot on. The BP is tired and could use another fresh and useful arm. The Red Sox were the fresher team last night, but their BP is not very good.
It’s nice to read the comments and note that there is no vitriol towards TC. I’m not a great fan of his game management, but he seems to be pushing more good buttons than bad ones. The Mets360 commenters are showing mature restraint.
I don’t absolve TC from blame.
I think he could have handled the days prior to Friday better in regards to the bullpen. And I also believe that there needs to be creative friction between the manager and GM. Perhaps I’m merely clinging on to the past but I think the team ends up stronger if the manager does more than meekly accepting every directive from the GM.
But, hey, not complaining has allowed TC to cash checks for five years.
Your making an assumption that there is no “creative friction” taking place.
Perhaps TC has learned to keep his opinions out of the public eye. We don’t know what interactions take place between TC and the FO. It’s pretty clear that SA is a button down kind of leader who dislikes shows of disagreement being aired in public. Maturity may have taught TC to play that game and “cash checks for five years.”
You’re right – we don’t know what interactions take place between TC and Alderson.
But I would suggest the opposite when you say that TC keeps his opinions out of the public eye. He may hold back some but he doesn’t hold back all of them.
I was at this game. Cespedes just missed hitting a walkoff homer — think Mike Piazza for the last out of the 2000 World Series…