The other 800-pound gorilla
No outs, first and third in the seventh - no runs.
No outs, first and third in the eighth - one run, on a bases-loaded walk.
A leadoff triple in the bottom of the ninth - no runs.
Say what you want about the Mets' bullpen troubles this season, and how with any semblance of a relief corps the division would already have been won. But there has been another major chink in the armor this season, and that has been the painful inability to convert runners in scoring position. The Cubs did all they could to give this win to the Mets -- on a night when the Phillies lost and the Brewers won -- and the Mets couldn't capitalize.
I knew as I celebrated Carlos Delgado's third-inning grand slam that it was premature. There was plenty of baseball left to be played and a four-run lead meant nothing. Except this time, the bullpen didn't give it back as much as Bad Ollie did. Oliver Perez lacked control and this time failed in a big spot in what could be his last start as a Met. Five earned runs in less than five innings? Not what we needed, Ollie.
But the Mets had their chances. Again and again and again. You can say that Daniel Murphy's lineout double play in the seventh was bad luck, but how does Jose Reyes not steal second base there, with a runner on third. That's a gimme, and it would have kept them out of the double play.
In the eighth, Ryan Church and Ramon Castro with runners on first and third with no outs and second and third with one out, respectively, failed. Only a walk to Ramon Martinez (maybe he should start at second base) got a run home. Pathetic.
And the ninth... can David Wright hit a freaking sacrifice fly there? Or not swing at a 3-2 pitch out of the strike zone?! Can Church hit a fly ball with the bases loaded and one out? Absolutely maddening.
Of course the Brewers won, so now the Mets are tied for the wild card. Can you imagine if the Phillies had won?
Now, Pedro Martinez needs to conjure up some magic for one more game, has to figure out how to get through the first inning scoreless. A Mets win -- win rain looming large for Friday and Saturday, by the way -- on Thursday would at least cut the Phillies' lead to a game with three to play. A loss? We don't want to think about it.
It's going to be hard enough to get some sleep tonight.
No outs, first and third in the eighth - one run, on a bases-loaded walk.
A leadoff triple in the bottom of the ninth - no runs.
Say what you want about the Mets' bullpen troubles this season, and how with any semblance of a relief corps the division would already have been won. But there has been another major chink in the armor this season, and that has been the painful inability to convert runners in scoring position. The Cubs did all they could to give this win to the Mets -- on a night when the Phillies lost and the Brewers won -- and the Mets couldn't capitalize.
I knew as I celebrated Carlos Delgado's third-inning grand slam that it was premature. There was plenty of baseball left to be played and a four-run lead meant nothing. Except this time, the bullpen didn't give it back as much as Bad Ollie did. Oliver Perez lacked control and this time failed in a big spot in what could be his last start as a Met. Five earned runs in less than five innings? Not what we needed, Ollie.
But the Mets had their chances. Again and again and again. You can say that Daniel Murphy's lineout double play in the seventh was bad luck, but how does Jose Reyes not steal second base there, with a runner on third. That's a gimme, and it would have kept them out of the double play.
In the eighth, Ryan Church and Ramon Castro with runners on first and third with no outs and second and third with one out, respectively, failed. Only a walk to Ramon Martinez (maybe he should start at second base) got a run home. Pathetic.
And the ninth... can David Wright hit a freaking sacrifice fly there? Or not swing at a 3-2 pitch out of the strike zone?! Can Church hit a fly ball with the bases loaded and one out? Absolutely maddening.
Of course the Brewers won, so now the Mets are tied for the wild card. Can you imagine if the Phillies had won?
Now, Pedro Martinez needs to conjure up some magic for one more game, has to figure out how to get through the first inning scoreless. A Mets win -- win rain looming large for Friday and Saturday, by the way -- on Thursday would at least cut the Phillies' lead to a game with three to play. A loss? We don't want to think about it.
It's going to be hard enough to get some sleep tonight.
posted by Gaspo @ 8:56 PM
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