Old baseball wisdom is that you’re going to win one-third of your games no matter what and lose one-third no matter what. It’s what you do what that other third that matters. This was one of those games and the Mets let a 4-0 lead slip away, took a 5-4 lead in the top of the 10th only to lose 6-5.
Marcus Stroman cruised through the first five innings but at the end of the fifth got into some verbal jousting with some of the D’Backs players. Benches emptied but nothing happened. But in the sixth, Stroman gave up three runs and suddenly it was a game.
Edwin Diaz allowed the tying run in the bottom of the ninth inning and we went to the gimmicky extra innings. The Mets had both Drew Smith and Trevor May warming up for the 10th but once they scored, Smith sat down. May pitched last night and was not good and it was more of the same in this outing.
Luis Rojas has shown before that he likes to get a struggling reliever right back out there. It’s one thing to do that in a game with a big lead. It’s another thing to do it with the game on the line. This isn’t a second guess – look at the Game Chatter for proof of that.
With a bunch of games with the Padres looming, it’s tough to lose a game to a cellar dweller in this fashion.
By the end of the year, how many game losses will be called into question by Rojas’ decision making?
Josh Rojas is a weasel and he should get beaned in today’s game. With his team down 4-0 and Stroman cruising, he shouted some crap on Stroman to rattle him and trigger an altercation in hopes of sparking his team. He admitted as much in the post game presser. Not sure how the league will treat this, if it’s a fineable offense, but in the unwritten rules of baseball, this kid needs to get plunked. Can’t help but wonder what he said. Makes me think of that scene in Bull Durham – “Crash must have called him a @&#$%sucker.”
Stroman should not have let the kid get in his head. He’d have been good for two more innings the way he was cruising and this would have been an easy win. Instead, we let this one get away.
Matt, come on. Stroman threw a meatball and Smith hit it to the Grand Canyon. McKinney bobbles in the ninth; Drury can’t move a base runner up in the tenth, then can’t field a ball… those aren’t Miguel Rojas’ doing. He might have bitched at Stroman, but Stroman had no business paying him any mind. You don’t bean a guy for getting in your head, you bean yourself – sort of.
With all the infielders on the roster, why did they keep Drury? Does he really offer more than Maybin, who was hitting into some tough luck there at the end?
Luis Rojas manages like a deer in headlights when the decisions are pressured, and like Miller Huggins when the heat is off.
Maybe Luis Rojas is related to Miguel Rojas, and they are both descendants of Cookie Rojas. I once knew a Doyle Rojas. No, really… his mum was into classic literature
Was Miller Huggins the guy who used to manage/dance like he was carrying a baton in a parade?
Really? Maybin? No thanks. Stroman should have known better, then to be rattled by Rojas. And no; no reason to bean him……he did exactly what should have been done against a (emotional) pitcher who was cruising. Kudos to him.
Dias blew a save, and (our) Rojas dialed up the wrong reliever for the 10th. Question? If your only going to let your starters go six, then why not use a multiple innings guy (like Gsellman) to finish up…if he’s cruising.
I was right with you until the last sentence. No way would I willingly use Robert Gsellman in a one-run game in the 9th.
Well, I tell my students to call me Mr. Math because I get tired of their mispronouncing of my actual name, so that explains the origin of that screenname, but who would actually want to be called SiteAdmin? I almost feel like you’re watching me to make sure I behave myself…
Hey Mathie, stop coming over here just to be an asshole. Maybe growing up is an option for an educator as you claim to be?
Well garsh, Gustavo, calling me an asshole just because you don’t appreciate my sense of humor? So what does that make you if you resort to such unjustified provocation? After all, do I ever comment directly on your regularly ludicrous proclamations?
Bottom line, it’s up to Brian to decide who he wants commenting on his blog. If he wants me to split, I can live with that. In the meantime, let I suggest you engage in some anger management efforts
Quite right on Luis Rojas… not good at realtime decision-making, and too prone to do the same thing over and over (God, I hate that), with little imagination and gut instinct. Bringing in Trevor May in the tenth made no sense. Seemed like the perfect situation for Lugo. Certainly Lugo should have seen the field in one of those innings.
This was a bad loss. I feel it marked the end of the Mets’ grace period, of getting by with band-aids and a good spirit. Let’s hope they salvage the rubber game and head into San Diego in one piece.
Gut Reaction: The right field defense failed them. McKinney’s error allowed the tieing run to get in to scoring position and take the DP away. Drury didn’t handle clean the last play either although and it wasn’t ruled an error. Maybe it didn’t matter because it would have been a close play anyway.
May threw 26 pitches Monday and Castro threw 25 pitches Monday. May shouldn’t have been an option. This loss can be attributed to the bullpen usage Monday. Degrom should have pitched another inning and with a lead, Lugo should have pitched Monday.
^
Preach Metsense!