Before we get to all that went wrong in this unfathomable 12th loss in our last 13 games, let’s take a look at a few encouraging positives, shall we? New/old first baseman Dominic Smith hit a home run and a double! You know who else hit a double? Jose Reyes! Remember him? Oh, and someone else who’s been horriific all season woke up and came through – Jerry Blevins! He came in with the bases loaded and two outs and…struck out the batter to end the rally.
Okay, now that that’s out of the way… Seth Lugo struggled with his command and left too many pitches on the fat part of the plate, surrendering two home runs and a bunch of hits in route to a five run outing. The Mets bats weren’t totally dead in this game. In addition to the above, Todd Frazier also doubled in a run. When Lugo exited the Mets were only down 5-3, but, as so often seems to be the case these days, our bats went silent against the opposing bullpen. Meanwhile, our battered bullpen, aside from Blevins, didn’t do the team any favors. New scrap heap pick up Chris Beck managed to not allow a home run (he coughed up 16 out of the White Sox bullpen last season), but he walked the ballpark instead. Just to make sure the Mets would have no chance for a miracle comeback in the ninth, Anthony Swarzak gave up another run.
Desperation filled the air in the game as we trotted out a reliever that was just released by one of the few teams worse than us. Meanwhile, as two mysterious injuries keep two of our best players on the disabled list, we did our best to fill in for them. Noah Syndergaard and his weird finger injury was, of course, replaced by Lugo. In left field, where the highly paid and very essential Yoenis Cespedes should be patrolling, but is instead nursing a hip or quad injury (which is it?!), we trotted out another team’s trash that has not yet proven to be our treasure in Jose Bautista and just for fun, career first baseman Smith. Had Blevins not come through in that spot, perhaps we would have been treated to Kevin Plawecki on the mound as well.
There’s no telling what gimmicky tricks this floundering squad might try tonight. The good news is that Wilmer Flores is back and we’re facing a lefty pitcher.
Perhaps Flores remembered how to hit lefties on his rehab stint. He’s hitting under .200 against them so far this year. He and Frazier have to do some damage against LHP.
Another season gone. I think it’s possible we won’t win 50 games