…I really thought I just hit rock bottom. But today, it’s like there’s rock bottom, then 50 feet of crap, then me. — Friends
On this doggiest of dog days, the Mets wilted in the humidity and completed being swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks — yes, you read that right: swept by the Diamondbacks — with a humiliating loss.
Noah Syndergaard started and continued his troubling trend of throwing 20-plus pitches in the first inning. He actually got out through the first three unscored upon, but in the fourth, a leadoff double by Chris Owings, a long fly by Brandon Drury moving Owings to third and a bloop ground rule double down the left field line by Socrates Brito plated Arizona’s first run. Then, the race was on. Brito stole third, the first of three thefts on this day and the eleventh of thirteen in this series. Catcher Tuffy Gosewich — that’s a name? Really? Tuffy Gosewich? — then hit a triple and starting pitcher Brandon Shipley helped himself out with a single up the middle and the Diamondbacks led 3-0.
As for the Mets’ offense, there wasn’t any. They spent this game making Shipley look like the second coming of Don Drysdale. They could only muster three lousy singles off him, and two more off the bullpen. And while Shipley looked like a Hall-of-Famer, the Mets looked like the Keystone Kops, with a mix of long hits — a home run by that catcher with the funny name — errors, passed balls, stolen bases and the like allowing Arizona to put up a sixth inning six-spot. Before all that, one clever wag — OK, it was me — suggested that the Mets “just [bleepin’] forfeit already, the final score is gonna be 9-0 anyway.”
Sometimes I really hate being prescient.
San Diego comes in tomorrow night and I’ll be at the game, but at this point, it’s hard to really care.
Time to get the ready and near ready kids up to Queens and see if they can play this game. Im done hearing about the mystical playoff race we are accidentally falling into. We havent been in “it” for 2 months. We need to assess what our needs for ’17 are, and we need to do it immediately.
We need to get Matz in surgery immediately and assess if Noah needs the spur cleaned out. Obviously both are in real trouble. Neither are getting wins for the team.
Over at MLB the Mets sit at <20% chance to see the post season, with separation between us and the Marlins.
Chris, I applaud you for commenting. While most Mess fans are a combination of sick/sad for the reality of things, you were accepting of it several weeks back.
However, I confess that my hope dies well after the reality of things. Therefore, give me Backman and let’s go for it! This team is sooooooooooo mismanaged, any change has to be a positive. You know, I was watching a game (I believe it was a Cardinals’ game, maybe a Tigers’ game) about a week ago and the announcers said that they had taken bunting practice that previous Monday. I thought that was against the MLBPA agreement, along with giving yourself up to move runners up? Isn’t it?
All the numbers the Mets have put in since then end of May have been uniformly sliding down hill. There was a faint glimmer of hope when we rang up the Cubs, but that excitement was extinguished immediately thereafter. Since the ASG, its been all bad no matter how lucky we were to be near the WC.
That said, I know a lot of people dislike TC and many of the coaches. I think there is a real limit to how much that impacts the game. No matter what, TC is not telling Conforto to swing a 55′ curve balls. The milquetoast offense has been this bad for years…with only August and Sept last year being an anomaly. This year has been a regression to Mets “normal”. Its hardly a surprise given the M*A*S*H state of affairs, and what I will say is simply not enough consistent players. I do not believe a superstar coaching staff of Maddon+Bochy+Yost+ insertanynameyouwishhere would change the outcome in any manifest way.
I believe the issue is Alderson and a bankrupt philosophy of playing the entire game. Its not just wait and drive balls. Its slow, defense-be-damned, swing-and-miss pitching. There are strong points like all the HR, but there are limitations as we have all seen. Thats not Collins in my opinion…he’s playing the folks SA gave him. We lived the rebuild…and its not netted a lot. Noah (awesome), Wheeler (not sure), TdA (nothing special) were had by spinning off assets. I think the Yankees did better with Miller and Chapman and Beltran. Our best draft appears to be Conforto, but thats hardly a sure bet at this point. None of this is on Collins.
Backman will never be the manager of the Mets, and not likely ever in the MLB. You can close that dream down completely. Pedro Lopez on the other hand…
Anyway, lets hope we move on to seeing the kids and prepping for ’17.
You don’t think this mess is on Collins? Remember how long ago we said this team showed no energy? But today, Collins saw it; two months later? What about this team’s execution? How about using all three of your lefties in the bullpen today in a blowout? He bitches about his team checking out? Hasn’t he scre
Maybe he’s managing it like that? Look at other teams, how many superstars do they have?
Walker is solid, Loney is solid, Bruce replaced Cespedes. If these kids were playing good ball and outmanned, then yes. But are they?ed them long enough? What was he expecting after not even challenging calls because he did it think of it!? Come on.
Also, I agree that Alderson should be replaced, but for more than just a defective team. The second reason is that he has allowed this charade to continue. He needs to be kicked upstairs and a new talent evaluator should be hired.
Ok, I guess I pasted something by mistake and didn’t realize it. Hear is better syntax and order of the post:
You don’t think this mess is on Collins? Remember how long ago we said this team showed no energy? But today, Collins saw it; two months later? What about this team’s execution? How about using all three of your lefties in the bullpen today in a blowout? He bitches about his team checking out, but hasn’t he screwed them long enough? Think these guys don’t see that? What was he expecting after not even challenging calls because he did it think of it!!?? Come on.
Also, I agree that Alderson should be replaced, but for more than just a defective team. The second reason is that he has allowed this charade to continue. He needs to be kicked upstairs and a new talent evaluator should be hired.
I dont Gus. He sits in the dugout. He plays the guys in the dugout. I dont like some of his decisions, but a team getting 3 hits a night and batting .200 with RISP is not because he is doing something to the hitters. Hes not telling Flores to throw into the next zip code. I believe managers dont have huge roles in game outcomes. Occasionally a W or L is on the skipper, but not usually. Im not prepared to say the Mets went to the WS *despite* Collins. He’s doing the same things he’s always done. What mattered was better players, or players having wildly good seasons/stretches. Period.
I agree with all this.
Except that 2 1/2 games out is 2 1/2 games out. The ’73 team was horrendous, too.
In baseball, you never know, and I don’t see the benefit of giving up or bringing up some under serving “kids” who are not ready.
All signs suggest this team is done. But that doesn’t mean you stop trying.
Think 2017. Let’s resign Walker. Get Matz squared away. Get Lagares in center. Bring up Backman. Maybe sign Ramos (ok that is not likely to happen)…but let’s think 2017 anyway.
Hey, Jim! Long time no see! Welcome home.
During the past week (and month) only Kelly Johnson and Neil Walker are hitting. The remainder of the batters did nothing against a weak Arizona pitching staff and a very soft Detroit middle relief corp. In the last 30 games only DeAza and Rene Rivera could be considered hitting well with the remaining players under a .700 OPS. The initial seasonal problem was not hitting with RISP and now it has expanded to not hitting anytime.
There are still forty eight games left to play. I will also repeat that they are only three games back. Many offensive players have failed this year and apparently are incapable of turning it around. Yet, Walker recently did, so it can happen.
The ones that can’t turn it around need to go. So far only Cespedes, Walker Cabrera and Johnson are returnees. In the next 48 games some other players could join the group but right now it is a total melt down and makes those three games back look like 300.
But its full system failure. Neither Matz nor Noah are going anywhere. And we may be seriously injuring them. You couldnt pay me all the money in the world for a chance at game 163 with this roster in exchange for hurting assets of that caliber. Verrett is terrible. Niese is terrible. Colon is hot/cold, Matz is not good, Noah is not good. It leaves deGrom, as formidable as he is, to carry the team to the post season alone. Seriously?
It is clear, I cannot summon my hope and “ya gotta believe” DNA to the level to overcome what I see in all aspects of the game. Game after game after game after game.
If ever there was a game that deserved the puking image — it was this one.