Wednesday’s ninth inning was remarkable, unfortunately not in a good way for the Mets. Has anyone ever seen runs score because a first baseman chose not to field a ground ball? And if that wasn’t enough, more runs scored when a broken-bat hit blooped over Ruben Tejada’s head. Three runs scored because of circumstances that can charitably be called “unfortunate.”
It’s one thing that the Mets do not have a juggernaut offensive team. It’s okay that they are going through a team-wide slump this month. It’s okay that they are not a great defensive team. But inventing a new definition of defensive indifference was just too much to take. And it hammered home a point.
The Mets only score when they hit rockets and their opponents put bunches of runs on the board in the least offensive way possible.
In the last three games alone, we saw the Reds score three runs in the unreal circumstance described above, three more on Tuesday thanks to a ground ball that went through David Wright’s legs and two on Monday when a bloop followed an obstruction error by the same first baseman who refused to field a ball on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, here are the last 30 runs scored by the Mets:
5/22 – Double, Double (RBI); Double, sac, SF (RBI); Single, FC, Single (RBI), Triple (RBI)
5/20 – Single, BB, HR (3 RBIs)
5/19 – BB, WP, Single (RBI); Single, HR (2 RBIs); HR (RBI)
5/18 – Single, HR (2 RBIs)
5/17 – HR (RBI); HR (RBI); Double, Single (RBI)
5/16 – Drag bunt, Double (RBI), Single (RBI); Double, Double (RBI), SF (RBI); Double, Single (RBI)
5/15 – Single, HR (2 RBIs)
5/14 – Single, BB, Single (RBI), Ground out (RBI), HR (2 RBIs)
5/13 – BB, BB, Double (2 RBIs), Single (RBI)
This was not a cherry-picked end point. This was how they scored runs in their last 10 games (Mets were shut out once in this stretch). I did not look back any further than this because it was too depressing and it would not surprise me a bit if this streak extended even longer.
Every rally the Mets had except the first run scored on 5/19 included an extra-base hit. And even that run scored on a solid single to left field by David Wright. It did not come on a broken bat and it did not barely clear the infield.
Additionally, 29 of the last 30 runs scored by the Mets were earned runs. The only unearned run came on 5/16. In the sixth inning, Daniel Murphy led off with a rule book double. Wright followed with an RBI double to deep center and then took third base on an error before scoring on a sacrifice for the unearned run.
When you have a .265 BABIP, like the Mets do in the month of May, you could use some good luck to help put runs on the board. But if it wasn’t for bad luck, the Mets would have no luck at all. In addition to the events described above, the Mets have lost runs when their players drilled balls right at fielders or had good plays made, a tale that Ike Davis and Lucas Duda could tell over and over again.
Is all of this a loser’s lament? Without a doubt it is. But it doesn’t make it any easier to watch happen day after day after day. The schedule maker has the Mets without a game on Thursday and the team could certainly use it. And the fans might benefit even more. And who knows, maybe the team will give us a present by demoting our goof-prone first baseman mired in a 1-38 slump that has his OPS down to .481 after 161 PA.
The image is a screen shot of the ninth inning play from yesterday. If you click on the image twice you can see the full size shot.
[…] by bjoura [link] [1 comment] Source: Reddit No Comments. « Standings, […]
Hi Brian,
Well youve certain added the sad numbers that confirm what our eyes are painfully witnessing on a daily basis. Adding the fact that the actual runs scored is so appalling only makes the situation worse. Im almost afraid to ask whether you added up the unearned runs against. It will confirm, I predict, that on top of being unable to hit, we are equally unable to field. Sure you can call it a “loser’s lament”, but I think it more accurately tells us that Alderson has not staffed the team with qulaified MLB-level talent (except for Harvey, Wright, Murph, +/- Parnell who Im still on the fence about). The numbers show that this is a bad team. When the prognosticators lumped the Mets with Astros and Cubs as all having >100:1 odds of a world series championship they were right.
Ive read and heard a lot of analysis about the Mets. While its easy to blame Ike & Co. for the lousy play (and I certainly do), the blame really lies on Alderson who has been a terrible GM. Ike’s eventual trip to LV will not make this team better. Tejada hitting .290 wont either. The plain fact is that Alderson’s brand of moneyball has been a complete failure. He has not brought in a single “undervalued” player to this team, only under-skilled players. The list is long and the demerits are plentiful. I dont think much of the coaching staff either, but no one could make the present roster more than a quad-A version of the Bad News Bears.
For some time Ive been under the sense that us die-hards want to see the Mets do well sooooo bad that we overestimate the good and underestimate the bad. I was taken after the Cubs series that we won 3 of the last 4!!! WOW!!! In looking for a positive light, there was a failure to recgonize the quantum of measure was the road series which we actually lost, and looked horrific doing it, 4-3. Put in context we won 3 of 7 on that trip. The plain fact is that this team stinks. We cannot hit major league pitching. We cannot stop major league hitters. Ok, we took a series from the Cubs, and then looking back went on a month-long losing bender, to our previous series win against the lousy Dodgers.
Its not luck is my point. Sure, there has to be some luck embedded in there, but winning teams get these things because they simply are better…a fraction faster with the swing or whatever. One of my favorite sayings is “chance favors the prepared mind.” Good teams put themselves into the positions to be winners and make winning plays. Bad teams dont. Good teams dont fear bad teams and so play better. Bad teams fear good teams, and even themselves, and so are prone to every hitting, throwing, and running mistake that can be made. The 2013 Mets are a very bad team.
It’s impossible for me to care about the Mets right now. I mean, I care enough to check in on the games and watch them if it’s tied up or the Mets have a lead, but as soon as their opponents take a lead late in the game (or a big lead early in the game) I check out and do something else. But I can’t “care” as in uphold an active interest in the team, believing that they will turn the corner any game now and start moving in a positive direction, because they’re just too miserable right now. Life is too short. I’ve got grass to mow and a dog to walk. Particularly unfortunate that it’s only May… usually the Mets don’t play this poorly till later in the season.
(Still, I check in here every day. I don’t envy you keeping up your site in the midst of all the terrible play, but they say that misery loves company, so keep up the good work!)
Bad Hitters who have no situational approach…… slow runners who are ALSO bad base runners—-this is not only a bad hitting team. This is not merely a team with sporadic power. This is a team that CANNOT create or take advantage of opportunity.
If you ignore some of the issue around “building pitch count”, the hitters sole approach is to find fat pitches to hit…. 1 out, man on third, 2 strikes—same approach as bases clear with none out.
Dan Murphy is a 290 hitter with 40 doubles—I don’t care if he hits 5 homers or 15. I’d like him to understand the difference between a game at bat and a round in the batting cage. I’d be ok if he took a 10-15 point batting average HIT and choose to hit a ground ball to the right side with a runner on third or second. He has no situational approach.
The Pitchers can’t bunt—nobody can.
On a day with Murph, Ike, Buck, Duda and a Pitcher in the ;oneup, you’re starting 5 PLOWS— they are Slow……They are BAD base runners.
The observation that they don’t score “without rockets”—– this is not a loose trend….It’s a FACT based upon the cast that’s been assembled.
How can you lump Murphy into the same group as Ike, Buck, and Duda? He’s not a speedster, but there’s no way he should be grouped with those 3. Last year he even swiped 10 bases!
Dan Murphy is a BAD baserunner,,,,that was only one point. His batting approach is non-differentiated by situation— he has two speeds…HITTING and WAITING TO HIT. The situation and “count” have no play in his approach.
I completely disagree with your assessment of Murphy. I think he’s a decent baserunner, not great but not bad. I like his hustle and his aggressiveness. He’s leaps and bounds better than Angel Pagan on the basepaths.
If you want to talk about Murphy’s situational hitting, he’s hitting .286 with RISP. He’s a perfect 5/5 getting the runner on 3rd in with less than 2 outs. Heck he’s even 4/4 getting in the runner on 3rd WITH 2 outs. Those are excellent situational numbers.
I don’t know why you’re knocking Murph when he’s one of the better players on this team and currently one of the better 2b in the league this year(4th in WAR). There are plenty of players to complain about on this team, but Murphy is not one of them.