Well, it wasn’t one of the usual culprits, but the Mets beleaguered bullpen blew yet another game for us in this long season. Jacob deGrom had an unhittable slider today, striking out nine and walking none, and scattering eight hits and two runs. Unfortunately, his manager chose to pull him an inning too early and left a slim lead in the hands of a leaky bullpen that, once again, couldn’t get the job done.
The Cubs began the scoring with an unlikely RBI single from pitcher Cole Hamels in the second inning, but Pete Alonso tied it up with a solo home run. In the process, he set the Mets rookie record, eclipsing the old mark held by Darryl Strawberry. In the fifth inning, the Mets took the lead 3-1, courtesy of a Tomas Nido solo home run and a deGrom RBI single. deGrom got into some trouble in the bottom of the inning, but managed to escape with the lead still intact at 3-2.
The score held there after six innings, but with two outs in the top of the seventh, Mickey Callaway thought it made sense to pinch hit for his ace and thus remove him from the game he was controlling at least an inning too soon. Naturally, pinch hitter Adeiny Hechavarria struck out.
Seth Lugo pitched a scoreless seventh, but the Mets couldn’t get anything going in the bottom of the inning. Lugo got in trouble in the eighth, but where’s a manager to turn with no lefty and a bunch of AAAA guys, plus Robert Gsellman who needed to be saved for tomorrow? Instead, Callaway left Lugo in there to cough up the game himself The righty couldn’t get his curve ball over today and he threw a hanging slider to Javier Baez that resulted in a lead-changing three run home run. The Mets went down in order against Pedro Strop in the ninth to lose the game and leave Chicago with a series split.
The Mets kick off a four-game series with the struggling Phillies tomorrow and can hopefully gain some ground. Come on, Mets.
Loss is on Mickey talk about having no feel for the game and I never thought the Mets could have a more incompetent manager than Terry and more careless in handling bullpens and yet here we are. Mickey probably wanted deGrom to pitch the seventh but deGrom seemed to have discomfort so you couldn’t send him out for the seventh so Mickey went with Lugo vs the bottom of the order when he could have easily go with a Gsellman or Pounders in that spot. Mickey decides to go with Lugo fine so Lugo couldn’t get his curve over and got squeezed by the ump yet somehow got out of it in the seventh. I have no idea why he sent him out for the eighth but once it was clear he had nothing how do you not pull him how do you let him face Baez? They’ve talked about using Diaz for more than an inning and he’s thrown 12 pitches in the last six days? You can nitpick Lugo’s pitch sequence to Baez on a 0-2 pitched but he was on fumes throwing 45 pitches just insanity. There should be some blame on the ump for squeezing Lugo but the majority is on Mickey, who as a former pitching coach should know better but he’s way over his head, what a fucking dumbass.
This went from a feel good series to a gut wrenching loss thanks to the bearded douche manager. What a disaster.
David, I love reading your comments. Passionate and pointed, with analytical explanations for your views.
Typical Mets. deGrom and Alonso are the only reasons to even consider watching them at all. Callaway and about 20 players need to be sent packing…and Broken down VolksWagon. The Mets are what the Philthies need to get back to winning.
Callaway proves almost every day why he should get the ax. Bullpen has ruined this season so far.
I said before that Rosario has a horrid on base percentage, but he hits better than Lagares. If he can play center, maybe there goes Lagares roster spot.
I was following the score on my phone while I was out. Up 3-2. I get in and log in to The Mets game, and it is 5-3. Cant be surprised.
How many games have they given away this year?
It truly will be interesting to see what Van Wags does at the deadline. My bet is nothing.
Breaking news: Callaway had a full throttle curse-filled shout at Tim Healey and had him removed from the clubhouse. Jason Vargas apparently charged Healey and needed to be separated from fisticuffs.
Welcome to the Mets 2019!
Ehalt asked why Diaz was sitting after having thrown 12 pitches in a number of days, to which Callaway said, why should he be in there? because “you” said so. Followed with Diaz will *not* pitch 5 outs under any circumstance.
The wheels have come off the cart with not a single adult in the room.
Two days ago, Healey wrote an article on how BVW has ruined the Mets and how his off-season moves were without a plan. Also, he wondered why Callaway is still the manager.
This is why beat reporters are altar boys during the season, but I guess Healey couldn’t hold it in any longer. These guys naturally are emotionally tied to the team they cover. Marc Carig’s article came out on September 28th two years ago for a reason, and now he’s at The Athletic ripping The Coupons. Coincidentally or not, Carig used to write for Newsday, too.
I didn’t watch the game but am incredulous about the lineup. Why sit both McNeil and Conforto? I get that a tough lefty is throwing, but both have the hot hand and the Mets needed the win. Nido, Gomez, Lagares, Pitcher (I dont care that JDG drove in a run or that Nido went yard) are 44% of the lineup that are gimmes for whoever is throwing against us.
The fight with the Newsday reporter is just a symptom of the undue stress that Callaway is probably feeling. I wonder about Vargas’s reaction. Is he acting like a veteran leader? Maybe something like this move the Wilson’s to fire Callaway. Let’s not kid ourselves that Brodie has the final word.
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He lost riding his best horse… but he road that horse into the ground
Hard to blame the manager for 17 blown saves… also , tough to defend him
John Harper
Catching up on the Mets’ ugliness. Callaway was clearly agitated by post-game questions, probably led to him later overreacting and cursing out reporter. Unprofessional, obviously, and further evidence he shouldn’t be managing, especially in New York.
Callaway’s unprofessionalism aside, most damning mistake was inability to recognize Lugo didn’t have it today, and get him out before it cost the Mets. Lugo himself said “I wasn’t executing any pitch. I threw probably 2 or 3 pitches I was happy with (out of 42).”
Callaway said Lugo “threw one bad pitch.” Sheesh!
I’ve wondered how much of the daily decisions are made more by the Wilpons and BVW with Mickey the venerable scapegoat, but today solidified my opinion even without seeing it. Callaway is incapable of managing, BVW makes tons of mistakes but is too slick to be accountable, and the Wilpons are still rectus. This was an easily-winnable game, even with the B- team) if the Mets have more than Lugo and sometimes Diaz in the pen.
Gut reaction: every time Callaway throws the dice he rolls snake eyes. TJ said that in the chatter and it is so true.
Everybody could see that Lugo was struggling in the eighth. It became a high pressure situation. It called for the best pitcher available. A called for Diaz. If Callaway didn’t want to pitch Diaz for more than one inning, then the one inning should have been the 8th after Lugo got in trouble. Callaway doesn’t have the Killer Instinct nor a New York attitude. He is not innovative and he is not quick on his feet. The post game tirade shows that this job is just eating him up. He is not the person who is going to right this ship
Amen.
Mickey may be inexperienced and incompetent but at least he saved Wilpons some money.
Agree with most comments. Will take the split with the Cubbies although you have to be thinking dejavu for poor Jake who again pitched his heart out. Biggest screwup is not playing our best guys day in and day out. Let’s see if my boss gives me a week day off because he thinks I need the rest. McNeil and Conforto, two of our best bats, don’t need a day off. Shame on Mickey. Strong bench players are great to have to fill in and pinch hit. That’s why they make up the bench not the starting 9. It’s BVW fault for having such a crappy pen filled with not ready for prime time players. On to Philly. High hopes and low expectations.
Nobody ever got rich in NY sports by taking on the media or the fans: just ask Rey Ordonez, Bud Harrelson, Gregg Jefferies, K-Rod/Omar Minaya, Clint Frazier…the list is endless.
(Notable exceptions being Dave Kingman and Thurman Munson)