The Mets’ road trip through Philadelphia, Denver and Miami – which started out so promisingly – has dissolved into a bitter hash of recriminations and rain. The hope was that they could continue their of-late fine play and bring home a winning trip. Instead, they have to scramble in these last two games against the Marlins, just to salvage a .500 jaunt. The fact that two of their last three games ended in walk-off losses only deepens the sense that the Mets’ early-season competence was a cruel tease. In truth, there is really no way a team can sustain a winning skein while being devout practitioners of non-violence at the plate. Yes, they busted out the big sticks in Colorado. This would be good news normally, but for two large factors: 1) they lost three-of-four; and 2) it was in Colorado. On arrival in Miami, it would appear that the team has reverted to its “one burst of scoring, then nothing else” style of offense abundantly on display so far in 2014. A team can succeed this way for awhile if it has stout starting pitching and a reliable bullpen. The Mets right now can only claim the first half of that equation.
The Mets’ bullpen this year has been…well, let’s be kind and call it “unpredictable.” As has been well-documented, the New York bullpen was dismal during the first two weeks of the season. Carlos Torres, in particular, suffered during this time. He appeared on Opening Day and walked the only batter he faced, then in game number three, he was insulted for two hits and two more walks in a single-inning, 31-pitch disaster. As a couple of weeks, passed, though, the fire brigade seemed to emerge as a strong point for this scrappy band of overachievers. As the Mets racked up wins in Atlanta and Arizona, and then came home to swipe three-of-four from St. Louis, the bullpen suddenly became rock-solid, save for Jose Valverde’s propensity to serve up gopher balls. Oh, and Carlos Torres? He became lights-out, striking out 20 batters over his next 16.67 innings and lowering his ERA from 9.00 to 2.55.
Of course, though, given the talent level of this bunch, regression was inevitable. Of course, the timing of that regression couldn’t have come in a worse location than high up in the Rockies. Couple that with the fact that for all his good points as a manager, Terry Collins still cannot seem to figure out how to work a bullpen. He has a maddening tendency to ride a hot horse until it drops, leaving the team in the lurch for the next game. Case in point was last night. Torres and Jeurys Familia were unavailable, having thrown multi-innings on multi-days. Jon Niese did his part for the Good Guys, tossing seven spectacular innings before the pitch count bugaboo forced him to surrender the ball with a 3-0 lead. Collins brought in Daisuke Matsuzaka, a converted starter who needs to start warming up in fourth inning so he’ll be ready for the eighth. He also worked multi-innings and multi-days on the trip – nursing a sore calf, to boot. No Met fan was really surprised when he walked the first two men he faced in the eighth or gave up a base hit to Giancarlo Stanton, which plated the Marlins’ first run. Most fans would take that and run, seeing as Stanton was kept in the park. The next better hit a skittery line drive that shortstop Omar Quintanilla failed to get a glove on, resulting in the Marlins’ second run. Everyone turned to the Mets’ dugout expecting to see Collins ambling out to take the ball from Matsuzaka and hand it to Scott Rice. Only Collins never ambled. He left Matsuzaka in to face Jarrod Saltalamacchia who – of course – delivered the tying run. Only a miraculous bailout job by Kyle Farnsworth kept the Marlins from any further scoring. Lefty Rice started the ninth by utterly failing at his only job, namely to retire left-handed hitters. On came Gonzales Germen, who botched a chance to erase the lead runner on a bunt, then took a vicious liner off his hip for the ballgame. The Marlins, as is their wont, celebrated a win over the Mets as if they’d just won game seven. On the Mets’ side, it has become glaringly apparent that they will be repeatedly done in by a deadly combination of a lack of talent, coupled with a manager who seems incapable of handling the talent he has. For all the glowing reports about wonderful young starting pitchers, it will get awfully discouraging around here if they hand off leads that an incompetent bullpen can’t hold.
Such is the nature of mediocrity.
Follow me on Twitter @CharlieHangley.
These loses were tough to take. It seems no help is available. In AAA all relievers have extremely high ERA’s and strike out to walk ratio are unimpressive at 1 walk to every strikeout. Last night Josh Edgin pitched one inning walking two batters to load the bases, and was lucky getting out of the inning without giving up a run. Edgin is the only lefty reliever in Vegas. He is having trouble finding the strike zone and has walked one more batter than he struck out. It would be nice to see him return to how he was 2 season ago. Rice has been shaky as the Mets only lefty in the Bull Pen, failing to get out left handed hitters on a regular basis. He’s no Felicano or Brydek.
First of all as much as Terry is inept at managing a bull pen you have to give a lot of credit
to our GM for not replacing Parnell and going to the junk heep for his replacements! Terry would still make dumb choices but at least he would have a real closer to save games and
despite Terry’s bull pen follies the mets would have won some of those games the bull pen
blew!! Here’s an Idea bring up Black and Degrom and let’s see what they can do in the closers
and set up man’s roll and dump the two has been’s!! What can the mets lose they can’t be any worse!
“it has become glaringly apparent that they will be repeatedly done in by a deadly combination of a lack of talent, coupled with a manager who seems incapable of handling the talent he has.” Charlie you cut right to the heart of the problem. It is difficult when you lose your closer and the front office refuses to sign the previous years closer for chump change of 2.5M. Sandy should have been aware that there was no guarantee that Parnell would start the season ready and that mistake was compounded when Parnell was lost for this season. It is difficult when the manager is in love with a LOOGY at the expense of taxing the rest of the bullpen. TC use of his bullpen staff just baffles me.
+1
I said at the beginning of the year its not the lack of talent in the bullpen but how the pen is handled as to whether or not the team is successful. What a waste of talented well pitched games that should be in the win column that go year after year in the lost column. It’s the difference between a playoff team and a consistent loser.