Those Mets

MISERABLE MAINE FAILS AGAIN

When Johan Santana and a raucous offense led the Mets to an Opening Day romp over Florida last week, the question seemed briefly reasonable, if premature: Can this team defy expectations and contend? Just nine days later and following a humiliating 11-3 loss to Colorado Tuesday night, the questions are far less comfortable. Is John Maine OK? Is the offense irrevocably flawed? And how quickly is Jerry Manuel's job security eroding? The Mets left New York following Sunday's flat loss to Washington needing a respectable road trip to prevent their season from imploding. That was more of a wish than a plan, as the six-game swing was against superior teams in Denver and St. Louis. Tuesday night, putrid pitching, quiet offense and sloppy defense ensured a demoralizing start to this crucial swing. Maine, one of the mid-rotation men the Mets need this year, tied a career-worst by allowing eight earned runs in three innings. The 28-year-old righthander endured a disappointing first start of the season last Wednesday, when he allowed four runs in five innings and failed to extend the positive feelings left over from Opening Day. Maine rarely appeared comfortable during that game, and he scowled and struggled though a troubled performance Tuesday night. The Colorado attack began almost immediately. After the Rockies made two quick outs in the first, the middle of their order proved insurmountable for Maine. Todd Helton singled, Troy Tulowitzki walked, and Brad Hawpe scored both runners by sending a change-up to the right-field corner for a double. Maine trailed 2-0, and threw 24 pitches in that opening frame. At the outset of the second, the pitcher struggled again, this time against the bottom of the order. He walked no. 7 hitter Ian Stewart and plunked Clint Barmes in the back, putting two runners on with none out. Pitcher Greg Smith sacrificed the runners to second and third, but Maine quickly settled, getting Seth Smith to pop out and Dexter Fowler to ground out. That prevented the Rockies from extending their lead. Maine's brief reprieve ended abruptly in the third. Helton walked and Tulowitzki singled to begin the innings, but Ryan Spilborghs and Miguel Olivo followed with consecutive strikeouts. Unlike in the second, Maine could not escape: Stewart singled in Helton, making it 3-0, and opening the door for the ugliness to follow. Barmes followed Stewart and knocked a comebacker to Maine. The pitcher fumbled it, then bounced an errant throw past first baseman Fernando Tatis and into right field. Two runners scored. Moments later, pitcher Greg Smith banged a double to left for his first career RBI. Seth Smith followed with a home run, making it 8-0. The offense was given little chance, and responded by showing little energy. Smith, who had not won a major league game since September 6, 2008, held the Mets hitless until the third, when Jose Reyes singled. The first Met run came on David Wright's solo homer in the sixth. The night contained further horrors for the team. The defense committed only one error, but was consistently shaky. Jason Bay failed to glove a Miguel Olivo single in the seventh, and Reyes bobbled a potential double-play ball in the same inning. The one questionable moment for which the Mets might not have been responsible came in the sixth, when Luis Castillo lined a single to left and was thrown out on a dash to second. Manuel argued, and replays showed that he might well have been right. But, as with this suddenly dire season, forces largely beyond the manager's control created a result damaging to him. Unless the Mets resurrect their season quickly, that pattern will only continue. (NY Daily News)