The Mets jumped out to a lead but then gave up eight unanswered runs to fall to the Rockies, 9-4, in the first game of their three-game series in Denver Monday night. The Mets have now lost three of their last four games and are five games back of the Cubs in the Wild Card standings.
Steven Matz had a strong first three innings, allowing just one run, but it all fell apart for him in the fourth, as he needed 42 pitches to get out of the inning, one in which he allowed six runs. Perhaps Mickey Callaway could have taken him out a few batters earlier but he didn’t want to go to his bullpen any sooner than he had to.
So, while Callaway gets a pass with that situation, he gets a failing grade on how he handled the sixth inning. The Mets had runners on first and third with one out and the bottom of the order coming up. Callaway chose to pinch hit for both the catcher and the pitcher but elected to use two of his worst three options to bat. With Rajai Davis, Todd Frazier, Jed Lowrie and Wilson Ramos all available to hit, Callaway sent up Luis Guillorme, he of the .687 OPS, and Joe Panik, who’s not any good and who entered 1-8 as a pinch-hitter as a Met. Try to hide your astonishment but Guillorme struck out and Panik grounded out weakly to third base.
Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil homered for the Mets and Pete Alonso snapped an 0-21 streak and finished with two hits. But Michael Conforto and Robinson Cano, batting 3-4 in the game, went 0-8.
Where’s that fork?
Callaway sometimes manages like there’s no tomorrow – bringing in Lugo in the seventh inning or taking out Syndergaard after six innings with a low pitch count for no reason – and sometimes manages like he just finished smoking a joint. Tonight was a need for urgency, but he didn’t have any. To show what a complete mockery of a season these decision makers have made this season, now we are learning that Syndergaard will be caught by Rivera on Wednesday. Now that the Front Office and their puppet have cut off their nose to spite their face, they are giving in? Yes, these are the #LOLMets as Keith Law so perfectly named them. If I were Syndergaard, I’d throw a no-hitter; just because. Meantime, the Mets fall five games out and any fan that has seen this team all year will recognize at least 25 or so travesties between the bullpen implosions and the management brain farts. Again, managers matter, alot!
A championship caliber team does not stop hitting when the season is on the line. The 2015 team would have battled back, scored some runs and not let those add on runs appear late in the game. So many games this season lacked a clutch hit when it was needed most or lacked a BP arm to shut down an opposing rally. So there you have it – we are a second tier team who is certainly on the rise but not a championship team. In fact, if not for the creation of a second wildcard team in each league, we would have already been planning for next season. No doubt that baseball can be a catch lightening in a bottle sport where a short playoff series can be won by an inferior team. We need to ramp up over the winter to compete with the Braves and Gnats, not to mention the Phils. We have a great nucleus of young players and need to retool our veteran presence away from injury prone 30 somethings and washed up BVW former clients. Mickey will be back as he continues to learn as he goes and hopefully the 2020 BP will be stronger and more reliable and our young bats will continue to improve in the manner that McNeil, JD and Alonso stepped forward this year. Lots to be excited about in the future. Let’s enjoy the rest of the season and stay above .500!
Gut Reaction: Matz melted down faster than the Wicked Witch of the West. He walked the 8th batter, he gave up a two run single to a pitcher who was 0-44 and a death blow the Storey. Matz didn’t get the job done.
The sixth inning is a another reason why Mickey should not be a manager in 2020.
On Sept 1st the Mets were 4 back in the WC.
On Sept 17th the Mets are 5 back in the WC.
When you dont control your own destiny, that can be a very difficult needle to move.
Mickey won’t be back so at least we got that.