The Mets haven’t been shutout since July 23rd while visiting my sunny Los Angeles. They were shut out 10 times before that date, however. That goes to show just how much this offense has improved. But it wasn’t on display versus Adam Conley and the Miami Marlins. Young Conley, who had a 4.93 ERA in just 42 MLB innings previously, baffled the Mets hitters tonight. He struck out six and walked zero. Only the aged ones, David Wright and Michael Cuddyer managed hits. Wright has four hits in his last three games, so it seems he is getting more comfortable at the plate. The part-timers who got starts today didn’t contribute, but Bartolo Colon did a fine job of keeping things within reach.
The Mets finished their season against the Marlins with a 11-8 record. Had the Marlins been as competitive as they were supposed to be, that record could have been viewed as a success. However, Miami is 20 games below .500, and the Mets are competing for home field advantage in the playoffs. The series loss is a touch disheartening. A sudden offensive drought doesn’t seem so impending as it once did, but it will still be nice to see the Mets pummel the Yankees this coming weekend.
Losses aren’t as disturbing as sloppy fundamentals are, so a bad night will happen. Looking forward to them getting back in a grove and clinching second place.
Also, the Marlins took two out of three from the Mets both now and two weeks ago while the Mets had very anticipatory series following them, the Nationals then, and the Yankees now. The guys are human and they get caught up in the hype. While it would be great to win all the games possible, I believe after the Yankees series the Mets will start focusing on the next important series -the Dodgers, and they will start rolling towards it.
My biggest concern is the pitching staff and getting these guys some rest. I wish Collins would stop insisting that deGrom is just fine because he isn’t and his command was just terrible as he was over the middle third much, much more than he usually is.
P.S.: I just saw Terry Collins’ post game conference, and I couldn’t disagree with one word he said. Wow.
They looked like a flat team that ran up against a pitcher that had a good game.
Campbell is not going to be on the playoff roster so there is no reason to be starting him. Duda or Murphy or even Johnson belonged in there. When it got to 6-0 then give him some at bats to avoid an injury to the starter. (I know it is petty but to me it is common sense).
It was disappointing to lose two to the Marlins, especially by a 15-3 margin. The bullpen is rested, the place is sold out, three studs are pitching, the games are very important to the Yankees so this weekend makes for a good dress rehearsal for the playoffs. Let’s win this series !
And national TV, where we aren’t that great. So this is a huge series.
I don’t think Duda is right. He needed to play, except maybe TC looked at him and decided he need two days in the whirlpool. Hitting .120 since his return.
Campbell only makes sense if TC believes one of two things: 1) Rest is important, even for the guys who rest regularly, like Johnson; 2) That the platoon thing is real and a key to the Mets success. He went with the righty.
I think it’s a combination of the two.
I don’t want to see Eric Campbell again until the Mets clinch. I don’t even want the camera to pan the dugout and show his face, grinning after another Cespedes homer. I want him to actually sit in the clubhouse during games. No offense, Eric!
Some of my constituency has asked me to dust off my mayoral pen and pencil desk set….so far I’ve laughed off such notions, however…
However . . . the number 7 1/2 has a certain inescapable resonance.
indeed it does, as does the last half of September, and the Marlins taking 4 of 6 this month…
Go Marlins! If you are going to make it hard on us, I’m glad you are doing the same in DC.
Magic number 9!
8 game lead!
The Marlins have heart. The Phillies also phight. The Braves…same thing as last September. I’m sure Freddi Gonzalez’s resume is up to date and I don’t know how he avoided the ax from last season’s September sleepwalk, but it’s now officially a pattern.