Saturday, May 31, 2008By Mike Steffanos
Game 53: Dodgers 9 - Mets 5
Ah, those last three days were great, weren't they? Mets fans were relaxed, smiling, and filled with approval for what they were seeing from their lads...
I guess what bothers us most about last night was a return to those evil pre-last Tuesday days where a lack of timely hitting and a volatile bullpen hung like a dark cloud over these Mets. Where terrible pitchers like Chan Ho Park could come into a game and shut them down. Where a struggling pitcher like Clayton Kershaw was allowed to dance out of trouble. Where the final result of an evening with the Mets was another dreary "L" and a fall back to below break-even.
Sigh...
Give John Maine some credit. He pulled it back together after a terrible first inning and gave the Mets a chance to win with a credible six innings. Aaron Heilman, on the other hand, reverted back to his form of most of the early going. I've always supported Rick Peterson, but Heilman is a big blemish on his record right now. As is Mike Pelfrey, albeit to a lesser degree. It's all about results, and the results have been quite mixed for two years now.
If the Mets had been playing better, losing a winnable game like last night's would be seen as merely a small spot on the overall picture. Everything is magnified as the club strives for credibility with the fan base -- and even with themselves. They really need to put a nice run together, and that was a disheartening detour on the road to that goal.
Subscribe to Site Feed
