In a nutshell, the Mets are incredibly inconsistent. They’ll score 15 runs one game and make Sidney Ponson look like Cy Young later that night. Reyes can go from hitting triples and stealing bases to popping up on the first pitch and making errors. There is a lack of focus throughout this organization so it pretty much absolves Randolph. Every game, win or lose, there are numerous mental and/or physical errors. Reyes alone has been picked off 2nd TWICE in the span of a month. If you’re going to score from second on a hit, stealing 3rd with two outs is moot.
The pitching, which was supposed to be the team’s strength, has been spotty at times. Every pitcher, whether it’s Santana, Pedro, Maine or Perez seems to be sailing for a few innings before getting derailed in the 4th, 5th, or 6th. Again it just seems to be a lack of focus that prevents the Mets from winning these close games. Is it any wonder that they lead the majors in HBP with 43? That being said, I can’t really blame the pitching because the lineup is horrifically anemic. You can’t expect to win a lot of games having near automatic outs after your 1-4 hitters are up. You can’t have corner outfielders of Chavez, Phillips, Tatis and Anderson and think you’re going to outscore anyone. The team has the worst LF production in the game and there’s someone available who can produce a 1.000 OPS without the cost of prospects. You can’t tell me Bonds wouldn’t have better numbers than those guys. Forget creating a circus atmosphere, this is a team that twice held press conferences to announce nothing was happening with the manager before firing him in the middle of the night. I hate to say it but Bonds gives this lineup an instant shot (no pun intended) of credibility. Otherwise the opposing pitcher can take a breather after getting out Beltran because it’s smooth sailing until Reyes comes back up. It puts more pressure on the pitchers because this isn’t a team that will outslug anyone. One bad pitch can mean the game. An error on the field or on the basepaths can mean the game. This is a team with absolutely NO margin for error.
This brings me to my last point. Santana has been very very good this season, but not great. I understand he’s a 2nd half pitcher but he’s pitched well enough to win but well enough to lose at the same time. He has been victimized by no run support, bad defense and a bad bullpen, but what makes a great pitcher one of the best is being able to win those close 2-1, 1-0 games. I do know that the best pitcher in baseball shouldn’t be giving up a grand slam to a pitcher no matter HOW the bases were loaded. Wright made an error, fine. Pick him up and get Hernandez out. What do you don’t do is throw your teammates under the bus like you did with the Seattle game and yesterday’s Yankee game. This is what he said yesterday:
“I’m doing my job. Other than that, there’s nothing else I can do. I can’t go out there and do the things that my teammates have to do.”
Holy shit. Not only did he throw all of his teammates under the bus, he backed that fucker up to make sure it hit all 24. It’s a cliché but you win as a team and lose as a team. I don’t think the guy who stalled negotiations to milk every last dollar should be acting all high and mighty, especially when he’s getting taken yard by a guy with 8 career ABs and walking & balking his way to another loss. You want to show some fire? Do it on the mound and pick your teammates up when they’re not scoring or fielding for you.
