Risking an extension of their longest losing streak since 2004, the Metsinstead headed home with a 3-2 win Sunday over the Braves.
Dillon Gee, in a spot start for the injured Chris Young, faced Tommy Hanson in an apparent mismatch, but he outpitched Atlanta's righthander. Hanson allowed three runs in five innings, while Gee allowed one run in 5.2 innings.
Terry Collins, employing a new batting order in an attempt to recharge his team after seven consecutive losses, slid Josh Thole into the no. 2 spot. The move seemed immediately wise in the first, whenJose Reyes led off with a double, and Thole singled him in. Again in the fifth, Reyes singled and stole second, and then scored on a Thole hit.
After Gee left, Collins--clearly feeling the need for a win-used starters Chris Capuano andR.A. Dickey in relief. Jason Isringhausen allowed a Jason Heyward homer in the eighth, narrowing the Mets' lead to 3-2, and Francisco Rodriguez allowed the tying run to reach third base with two out in the ninth. But the Mets closer struck out Brooks Conrad on a 3-2 pitch to end the game.
Mike Pelfrey started for the Mets, and once again was ineffective, allowing 11 hits and four runs in 5 innings.
The Mets once again did not hit, getting just two hits against Jair Jurrjens and the Braves bullpen.
Pedro Beato was the lone bright spot on the night, putting out the fire in the sixth inning as part of a two inning scoreless outing.
The Mets are off to their third-worst start in franchise history next their starts in 1962 and 1964.
The Mets have now lost seven games in a row, It’s the first time the Mets have lost back to back doubleheaders since 1982, and their longest losing streak since losing 11 in a row in August and September, 2004.
Quick Post Game Reaction:
Wow. As Gary Cohen put it during tonight’s broadcast: “This team, right now, cannot do anything right”. They can’t hit, they can’t run the bases, and they can’t pitch right now, which are all vital parts to winning a baseball game. There probably isn’t any one single aspect I can think of that this team can improve upon to right the ship. It’s a combination of so many different things, one of which is clearly their on-field demeanor.
First off, D.J. Carrasco was completely ineffective in game one. He allowed three home runs in 3 2/3 innings, and hung one off-speed pitch after another. Now, to be fair, he is a reliever being asked to give the team some length, but he failed to step up and make any sort of adjustment. They did get some good relief work in game one, and in game two for that matter, but they just couldn’t string any hits together and score a lot of runs.
Regarding Pelfrey, I would like to see him, just once, go after a hitter and be aggressive on the mound, and stop trying to be too fancy. He had good enough stuff today, but it looks as though he’s trying to be too perfect, rather than simply throwing strikes and executing his pitches.
I have always been a fan of Daniel Murphy. He works hard every day, but dude, what on earth are you doing, trying to steal third with nobody out, and down three runs, in the midst of a six game losing streak?
All in all, this team is just absolutely lost right now – as lost as I’ve seen them since 2004. Players are hanging their heads, and in the ninth inning of the second game in particular, seem to be just going through the motions, and it’s only the middle of April. I know they’ve played two doubleheaders in a row, and a lot of guys are being asked to step into roles their not normally accustomed to, but the fact of the matter is, good players seem to be able to rise to that occasion, and right now, there isn’t a single Met doing that.
While discussing the various injuries and roster moves the Mets were facing heading into Saturday’s doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves, Manager Terry Collins mentioned the possibility of left fielder Jason Bay being activated by Tuesday, provided things broke correctly for the Mets, which has not happened much for them so far this season.
“Ideally in a perfect world, yeah,” Collins said. “Which, you know, now, it’s not really perfect.”
If he meant that things could not be much worse, then, yes, the world is not really perfect for the Mets right now. They had lost five games in a row coming into Saturday, were angered that they had to play a second doubleheader in three days, and their mostly ineffective pitching was thrown into even more disarray because Chris Young’s right shoulder continues to bother him.
Collins’s comment came before the Braves beat the Mets, 4-2, sending them to their ninth loss in 10 games as their record fell to 4-10. The Braves used four solo home runs, including one by Chipper Jones, two by Alex Gonzalez and the final one by the rookie Freddie Freeman, to engineer their victory.
Before the games, the Mets placed Young, their most impressive new pitcher, on the disabled list with biceps tendinitis in his right shoulder. The move was made retroactive to April 11. Young, who had been scheduled to start Sunday, last pitched on April 10, and he will miss at least two starts.
The Mets were expected to call up Dillon Gee from Class AAA Buffalo to start in place of Young on Sunday. Gee would be the fourth pitcher the Mets have called up from Buffalo just two weeks into the season.
Although Young and the Mets have played down the severity of this injury, it has to be worrisome because Young is coming off a shoulder injury that limited him to four starts last season. Young said this injury was not related to the old one, and he anticipated it would not prevent him from coming off the disabled list on April 26.
“The irritation of the biceps tendon is just lingering, and the best thing for it is rest,” he said.
Young said he had not had a magnetic resonance imaging test on the shoulder, in part because he did not think it would be helpful, even though an M.R.I. is an often standard procedure with any injury involving the shoulder or elbow. But Young, who had arthroscopic surgery on the shoulder in 2009, said his experience from last year made him reluctant to undergo such testing.
“We did a bunch of M.R.I.’s, a bunch of tests, and a lot of them were inconclusive and it almost created more questions than answers,” he said. “You talk to the doctors, and treating the symptoms is a better solution at this point.”
Young had been scheduled to pitch Friday, but when the shoulder pain flared, his start was pushed back to Sunday. Relief pitcher D. J. Carrasco was tabbed as his replacement.
Carrasco, who had made only one start since 2005, was not awful, but he gave up three solo home runs as the Braves took a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning.
The Mets scored runs in the fifth and sixth innings against Braves starter Derek Lowe, who allowed far too many base runners. In the fifth, Josh Thole led off with a single and scored when Jose Reyes hit into a fielder’s choice. In the sixth, Carlos Beltran drew a one-out walk and scored on Willie Harris’s two-out double into the gap in left-center field.
Harris has started 10 of the Mets first 14 games in left field, but his time there is likely coming to an end. Bay, who has been out since spring training with a strained intercostal muscle in his rib cage, has been playing in games for Class A St. Lucie in the Florida State League. If he continues to recover, he could rejoin the Mets in New York on Tuesday.
After Friday’s game was rained out and a doubleheader was scheduled for Saturday, the Mets protested to Major League Baseball because of the strain consecutive doubleheaders would place on their pitching staff. But the home team is allowed to unilaterally decide the makeup date, and with the Mets scrambling to call up pitchers and make roster moves, the Braves chose to force the Mets to play two games immediately.
The decision infuriated General Manager Sandy Alderson, but the Mets had no recourse. Collins was asked if he understood why the Braves would press their competitive advantage.
“Do I understand?” he responded. “I don’t really care to comment on it at all. They told me I’ve got to play. I’ve got to play.”
The Mets blew 7 different leads in the four-game series. 7.
Quick thoughts and observations on the day:
When the ball boy makes the best play of the day, you know things didn’t go well.
Here’s the thing, now what? When the manager, Terry Collins, lets everyone know that their style of play is unacceptable, and says the Mets need to go 9-2 in their next 11 games, what happens when you drop the first 2 of that stretch in today’s doubleheader. Well, I guess you need to go 11-0. Now, obviously, that doesn’t reallymatter, especially with 148 games left to play. They’re just words. But, he did spend a bit of capital there, and I’m sure that won’t be wasted on any one if he tries that approach again next time and the team still loses.
Speaking of Terry, why in the world is he pitching K-Rod in the ninth inning, in a game they are down 5 runs, knowing full well he’ll get a Game Finished and become that much closer to attaining his $17.5 million option for 2012? I know, I know, he needs work. But, really? He can’t get work some other time? I realize the MLBPA is probably watching, and Terry probably doesn’t care all that much about contractual issues, etc., but, dude, come on now. It’s called Cot’s Baseball Contracts, check it out.
Lastly, while I’m venting, and I hate to be this way, but, when the other team’s best player is 10 for 16 with four HR and 8 RBI in the four-game series, you’ve got to knock him off the plate a bit.I mean, at least throw inside and spook him. He’s clearly too comfortable in the box against you, and that shouldn’t be tolerated. I wonder what other team’s think when they see him dig in like that, all while Jose Lopez or Ty Wigginton hits behind him.
In the end, the Mets need to play better in the field, and make better pitches, basically just make better choices, especially when facing a team like the Rockies, who are clearly the best team in the NL West and, right now, playing like the best team in the National League. The Mets lead the league in walks. They’re making rushed decisions in the field. And, I agree with Bob Ojeda, who said on SNY after the game, that team looks like they’re playing tight, as it seems they’re forcing mistakes. And, that’s not good, and it needs to change… and quick.
The Mets begin a three-game series with the Braves tomorrow night in Atlanta. DJ Carrasco (0-0, 4.05 ERA) will make his first start of the season, in place of Chris Young, while Derek Lowe (1-2, 1.45 ERA) pitches for the Braves.
R.A. Dickey started for the Mets, and struggled once again, allowing four walks and five runs in 6 1/3 innings.
The Mets rallied for a run in the eighth, thanks to a Jose Reyes home run, and two in the ninth thanks to a Scott Hairston two run home run, and while they loaded the bases with two outs, they stranded all three runners after David Wright flew out to end the game.
The Mets have lost four straight, and seven of their last eight games.
Angel Pagan, who scored in the second inning on a wild pitch, knocked in a run with a triple.
The Mets were 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
Rockies OF Carlos Gonzalez made a terrific, diving catch behind third base, with two outs and a runner on a second, which most likely saved a run from scoring.
The Mets have lost three games in a row, and 6 of their last 7.
Quick Reaction and Other Observations:
Man, Tulowitzki is awesome, and he’s killing the Mets this series. What’s worse, he really, really seems to be enjoying it. In the fifth inning, up two runs, and an open base, but runners on second and third with two outs, they chose to pitch to him. I’m OK with this. Niese probably should have pitched around him, and it looked like he was trying to go up and away, but instead left the ball over the plate and Tulowitzki drove it out to right field to put the Rockies ahead. In the 6th inning, now down a run, Niese grooved an 88-mph, 1-2 fastball right down the plate, which Spilborghs crushed over the left-center field wall. He and Mike Pelfrey (and Josh Thole and Dan Warthen) need to do a better job in their approach, especially against the opposition’s best hitters.
The Mets play a straight doubleheader tomorrow against the Rockies in Citi Field, starting at 12:10 pm. In the first game, RHP RA Dickey (1-1, 2.45 ERA) takes on RHP Greg Reynolds (0-0, 3.00 ERA), after which LHP Chris Capuano (1-0, 6.75 ERA) starts against LHP Jorge De La Rosa (1-0, 1.74 ERA).
The latter two relievers combined to get torched for six runs in the eighth and 11th innings, respectively, as the Mets squandered a two-run lead and slipped back below .500 (4-5) with an ugly 7-3 loss to the Nationals Sunday.
Boyer was designated for assignment afterward, and Alderson said the Mets will carry 13 pitchers until outfielder Jason Bay returns from a rib-cage injury.
"(The bullpen) has been inconsistent, and that's probably as positive an adjective as I can give," Alderson said. "Right now, we need some innings. We were short coming in and we're short now, but we're also not getting results."
Young, making his second start for the Mets after missing most of the previous two seasons in San Diego with shoulder injuries, posted another extremely encouraging result, allowing just one hit over seven innings as the Mets led 3-1 entering the eighth.
The 6-foot-10 righty, signed to a bargain-rate $1.1 million contract, pitched to his track record and to the dimensions of his new home ballpark, striking out five and recording 15 of his 21 outs in the air. Washington's only hit and run against Young came in the second inning on a walk, a single, a double steal and an infield out
"Young pitched an unbelievable game. That's a game we have to have, no matter how," lamented Jose Reyes, who had three hits. "We let it get away."
They did so almost immediately after Terry Collins, citing Young's high pitch count, entrusted D.J. Carrasco with Young's 3-1 cushion.
But reserve rightfielder Lucas Duda, who was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo after the game, took the wrong path to Ivan Rodriguez's liner, playing it into a leadoff double.
Carrasco had given up just one run in his first five innings this season, but he walked Matt Stairs before allowing the tying runs to score on Ian Desmond's single and Rick Ankiel's infield grounder.
"It's horrible, man. As a whole bullpen, trying to keep the lead there . . . to give it away like that, it's very frustrating," Carrasco said.
Boyer, who earned the final roster spot over Isringhausen out of spring training, was raked for four runs in the 11th, including a three-run homer by Laynce Nix off the roof of the Mets' bullpen.
"To (blow the game) after a guy goes out and pitches like (Young) . . . it's an utter letdown," said Boyer, who had tossed a scoreless 10th. "You just feel disgusted with yourself."
Outside of Reyes, Met batters struggled, , striking out a season-high 17 times, including four by Willie Harris.
But Collins also remains flabbergasted by how many walks his pitching staff has been issuing in recent games, including 15 over the two losses this weekend.
"You combine those in any game, you're going to win very few of them," Collins said.
Isringhausen, a member of the Mets' lauded but failed "Generation K" of pitching prospects in the 1990s, agreed to remain in Port St. Lucie for extended spring training after failing to make the Opening Day roster. A two-time All-Star closer after being traded away by the Mets in 1999, he missed all of last season following multiple elbow surgeries.
Igarashi was rocked for a 7.12 ERA over 34 games for the Mets last season, but the Japanese righty didn't allow a run and struck out four in his first two relief appearances at Buffalo.
"Hopefully, we'll get another couple of arms in here," Alderson said, "and that will settle things down." (NY Daily News)
