Monday, September 22, 2008By Mike Steffanos
Game 155: Braves 7 - Mets 6
We're reading a lot about the bullpen today. While they certainly deserve their fair share of culpability, the Mets haven't gone 4-6 over their last ten games -- played against the two bottom teams in the division -- just because their bullpen sucks.
While the bullpen blew two of the games at home against the Braves, the Mets offense managed only 6 runs in those games. They managed almost nothing against the Braves bullpen.
They scored 2 runs combined in the first two games against the Nationals, squandering a terrific outing by Mike Pelfrey in the second game.
After waking up in the final two vs. Washington and the first in Atlanta, the Mets fell back to sleep. Eight runs combined in the two losses, with two of those runs coming in the ninth inning yesterday.
If the Mets had managed to win a couple of those games in this stretch they'd still be up on in the division and comfortable for a playoff spot. Now they have to take care of business against the best team in their league.
Sure, the Cubs are in, but does anyone feel extremely confident based on what we've seen the last ten games? And I don't expect the Cubs to roll over for them -- quite the opposite, in fact.
I wasn't shocked by the bullpen giving up leads, but I was sincerely disappointed by the offensive effort in most of those losses. I thought the Mets would fight more than this.
The road is now much tougher for a team which seems to have lost some of their own toughness recently. The weight of the world sits on the shoulders of Jon Niese, and October seems to be slipping away from the last Mets team to call Shea Stadium home.
On the one hand, I will be sorry if they falter after competing so well for most of the second half of this season. On the other, I won't be too sorry to see them go if what we have seen over the past 10 games is all they got. Heilman and company make convenient scapegoats, but this whole team needs to look in a mirror. They're letting a golden opportunity for redemption slip away, and if that happens we're all condemned to having 2007 thrown in our faces (ad nauseam) for another year.
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Comments (5)
Mike, and everyone - I'm sorry, but I no longer have the strength to continue to watch these 25 players. My hats, my musical Shea candy tin, my David Wright fuzzy dice, my bookmark links to mlb.com and many fine blogs, are all going into storage. I can't continue to pour any more time and mental energy into this swirling drain.
Don't know when or if I'll be back, but the last time I was this downtrodden (the lockout of the mid-90's), it took more than five years.
Peace to you all!
Posted by NostraDONE | September 23, 2008 2:11 PM
excellent post mike, we need to win a few blow out games.the bullpen stinks but losing 2 to the nats and 2 out of three to the braves is inexcusable.maybe playing at shea has cursed this franchise.hopefully next year at citifield we won't be looking at another situation like this year and 2007.here's some strange stats for u i heard on the radio today.if mlb was a six inning league the mets would be 11 1/2 ahead of the phillies.if it was a 8 inning league we would be 5 1/2 ahead of the phillies.unfortunately it's a 9 inning league and here we go again.keep popping the antacids, mike..
Posted by gary s. | September 23, 2008 2:11 PM
Dropping the first game to the Cubs did not sit well and I just don't see them closing out six straight wins even if they could get Seaver, Marichal, Koufax, Drydale, Gooden & Gibson (in their prime) to pitch them. I know they are trying, but it just seems that they stall at the wrong times in some aspects of the game. I think the bullpen has been overworked, but at some point, someone has to grow a pair and say I have got to get it done. The offense is inconsistant again, and they seem like they are taking each atbat to hit the 5run homer. I just don't know anymore, 2 1/2 games back of Philly and 1 up on the wildcard & Brewers. Woe is the fan of the Mets! On a positive note, I like what I see in Murphy, if he can stay as selective and have good atbats, I don't see why he cannot be the real deal. Niese deserves some credit, I think he will make the rotation next year. Reyes, Beltran, & Wright are the core. A healthy Church, someone to play second (eat the contract of Castillo Wilpons), a pitcher or 6 and Citifield may win a pennant in it's first year. I am not giving up on this season, just preparing myself so I dont ruin my television and have to fly to NY and "pimp slap" a few players and personel is all. LETS GO METS!
Posted by L.J.Phipps | September 23, 2008 4:06 PM
One other note: speaking of Niese, I think it was a mistake (even before the outcome) to have pitched him against the Cubs. They should have let him pitch the last game in Atlanta. Then have Pelf on an extra days rest, pitch the opener against the Cubs. When they announced last week that Niese was going to pitch against the Cubs, I thought that was a bad idea right then and there.
Posted by L.J.Phipps | September 23, 2008 4:19 PM
Nostra done, hang in there, its only 5 more games. I feel your pain, I think we all do. who knows we still could make the wild card. Its always darkest before the dawn. But man is it dark.Come on good buddy hold on for the entire ride.You can't get off until the roler coaster stops.5 more games then 4,3,2,1 and then we all can get off. Unless???
Posted by Rev Al | September 23, 2008 7:22 PM