Wow, just when you thought that there couldn’t be a worse way to lose than the Mets have the past three days, they find a different painful way. Charlie Culberson hit a pinch-hit, walkoff two-run homer, propelling the Braves to a 4-3 win in the first game of a doubleheader.

Jacob deGrom did not have his best stuff, the weather was not very good and the umpires did not handle weather delays very well. And despite all of that, deGrom threw seven innings and allowed just one run. He departed with a 2-1 lead.

Seth Lugo came on in the eighth and leadoff hitter Ozzie Albies laid down a bunt. Lugo fielded it but either rushed his throw or had his plant leg slip on the wet turf. Either way, the result was a poor throw and a runner on first. A single and a sac fly later we had a tie game.

Devin Mesoraco homered in the ninth inning for the second straight day, to put the Mets back on top, 3-2. Mickey Callaway opted to keep Lugo in for a second inning rather than go to his closer. While Lugo gave up a run in the eighth, he was not hit hard in the inning. It was a defensible call by Callaway. But it was one that didn’t work out and one he’ll undoubtedly get crucified for.

deGrom leaving the game with a lead and having the bullpen blow it for him is something Mets fans have seen a whopping 22 times in his career. He deserved better after his gutty performance. It’s hard to comprehend the last four losses by this team. If this was literature, we’d call the Mets tragic heroes. But it’s sports so they’re snake bit. Or cursed. Or maybe a word we haven’t even invented yet.

14 comments on “Gut Reaction: Braves 4, Mets 3 (G1) – 5/28/18

  • Michael

    Might be time for Callaway to upend a few buffet tables. This is unacceptable.

  • Mike Walczak

    This really feels like 2017. It’s May and the season is spiraling down faster than a rocket. Subtract the first two weeks and this has been a bad team.

    Major moves needed. Smart moves though.

  • David Klein

    Mickey keeps finding ways to screw up. I mean either use Familia in the eighth vs the middle of the order or use him in the ninth, but don’t leave your best reliever, who hasn’t pitched in nearly a week in the bullpen scratching his ass, geez. Why warm him up if you aren’t gonna use him? So dumb

    • Bob P

      I disagree. As tough as that was to watch this is the first time in a while that I agree with Callaway’s bullpen decisions. Lugo has been the teams best pitcher outside of deGrom all season and I would rather see him out there in that spot. Callaway said before the season started that he wouldn’t have defined roles but he’s done just that with Familia closing. If a guy is pitching well and has enough left in the tank leave him out there. It didn’t work out today and I’ll admit I didn’t take it well but looking objectively I agree with the decision he made. If Lugo had closed it out people would be saying that it’s about time he made the right decision.

      • Michael

        I didn’t have a problem leaving Lugo in also. Not the way Familia is pitching. The other night against the Brewers Gonzalez saved his ass on a wicked grounder to 1B for the first out. Then came 2 sold hits and I turned it off knowing another loss was in store for us.

      • David Klein

        Syndergaard has been the second best pitcher and Familia leads the Mets relievers in war.

        • Bob P

          Lugo is at 1.1 bWar and Familia at 0.9 but my point is that I think Callaway made the right move in this case. Lugo has been good all year and when a guy is pitching well I think you leave him in rather than take a chance by replacing him with someone else who may or may not have it that day just to stay within a defined role. Although Lugo gave up the lead in the 8th he didn’t get hit particularly hard and I’d prefer to see him finish it. It clearly didn’t work out but I still agree with it and I hope to see more of that going forward.

  • Jennifer C

    The only reason to really take Lugo out was he struggled in the 8th. But, honestly, I was fine either way with Lugo or Familia in the 9th. I checked the score knowing it was 3-2 going to the bot 9th and thought there’s no way they lose this, not again. But, again. I don’t know, after a while brutal losses become the norm. Feels very 2017, when the only thing to look forward to was watching deGrom pitch.

    • Chris F

      “Feels very 2017, when the only thing to look forward to was watching deGrom pitch.”

      Spot on.

  • Joe

    It seems that Calloway managed the pitching just fine in this one. Sometimes another team gets lucky.

    I liked Lugo in there in the 9th.

  • Metsense

    Another discouraging loss. Degrom is a beast unfortunately Lugo was not up to the task. Mesoraco seems to be a find. They are at 500 and need to regroup.

  • TJ

    Familia is the closer. Not inserting him n the 9th was inexcusable barring injury.

    Even if Lugo dominated in the 8th Familia belonged in there. While Familia has been erratic this year 13 save, 4 blown saves, he has saved 5 of his last 6 opportunities and he is still by far the best closer in the pen.

    With all due respect to those ok with leaving Lugo in, given that Lugo blew the save in the 8th, this is one of the worst managerial moves I have ever seen in regular season baseball.

  • Mike Walczak

    I’ll tell you what it is. Take away the 10-1 start and the Mets are 15-24. That is a .385 winning percentage. That clip for 162 games is 62-100.

    Besides deGrom, Syndergaard and Cabrera, who is really performing well ?

    You can’t win when most of your team is not performing.

    I think a veteran manager would have them shaking off a lot of their losses and reboinding. But, Callaway is a rookie manager. I wonder what the mood of the clubhouse is?

    Lugo or Familia, does it really matter who pitched the ninth. What matters is the L, another one.

    • David Klein

      You forget Nimmo, who is playing great. Lagares was doing well and so was Frazier but I get your point.

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