The Mets ended their 2006 April with a record of 16-8, and although they won't join the record books, they still hold a six game lead over their mortal enemies in the NL East. If you'd have been told of this scenario in Spring Training, you'd not only have taken it, but you'd have taken it with the unbridled enthusiasm normally reserved for flipping through SI's annual swimsuit issue.
Not only that, but by taking 2 of 3 at Turner Field, the Mets paid the Braves back for Shea, changed the psychology of momentum with an even more impressive road trip, face the pasty Nats and Pirates before returning to their nemesis yet again with a chance to put the final distance between the Braves and immortality.
Yesterday should probably just be forgotten. Steve Trachsel demonstrated he could be equally ineffective on regular rest (you recall the last bad outing was propagandised as being owed to Willie keeping him off the mound for an unusually long break between starts,) as he can on irregular rest.
Not even a mother would like that face. These sort of facial contortions indicative of the type of day starter Steve Trachsel experienced on Sunday.
Indeed, Trax will forget his 5 walk, 8 hit outing which not only allowed the Braves to score first and then let them score twice more for a 3-0 deficit in the 2nd inning, but also marked the shortest outing by a Mets starter this season, 3 2/3 innings.
But the Mets, despite Trachsel's embarassing outing and showing vertebrae of their spine, counterpunched with Beltran's two run homer and Cliff Floyd's RBI single to tie it at 3-3 in the third inning.
Unfortunately, Trachsel was determined to see this through, loading the bases in the 4th as though he couldn't wait to give away the Mets hopes of sweeping and by the time he was mercifully removed for Darren Oliver, who immediately allowed a two-run single, the Mets were down yet again, this time by a 6-3 margin.
Taking a page from the Tom Glavine School of Ump Mongering, Trax found himself dropping little innuendos about the strike zone of home-plate umpire Alfonso Marquez which saw Trax's strikes to balls ratio a turgid 44-43.
"How can the best two pitching staffs in the league give up 15 walks?" he asked rhetorically. Glavine had a similar problem a few days ago but adjusted. Then again, Glavine is a potential Hall of Fame pitcher and Trachsel is well, the statistical equivilent of Pedro Astacio of this staff.
There were a few more bullets in Jeff Francoeur's bat, he of the 5 RBIs and 4 hits after a two-run shot off of Jorge Julio who was foolishly allowed to enter the game with the run margin less than five and predictably perhaps, allowed the deficit to balloon. We'd almost forgotten about auld Jorge, running out of barbs not only because he had been mildly effective in a string of meaningless appearances but because well, he hasn't been sighted all that much of late.
The Mets had one more chance in the 8th when reliever Oscar Villarreal allowed the Mets to load the bases with only an out between them and a season-killing comeback rally. You might be persuaded that Willie made another bonehead move in sticking Victor Diaz to pinch hit in lieu of the more dependable bats like Xavier Nady, LoDuca or Julio Franco.
You might think perhaps Willie was feeling guilty for starting Endy Chavez start in place of Nady instead of Diaz and this was his chance to make it up to little Victor. Or you might go with the thought that Willie, in spite of the Met record, has not proven himself capable of overcoming the sort of nonsensical head scratching micromanaging moves which have handicapped his managerial career to date. Whatever the reason, Diaz popped up uselessly and the life of the rally was nearly entirely snuffed out before it began.
"You go by what you feel," Willie bemoaned afterwards. "I had a feeling Victor would come through there and he didn't." Take a hint, Willie. Your "feelings", gut instincts, whatever, are flawed. Tragically flawed. Just stick to the menu, Willie, no independent feelings, no ordering a la carte.
But let's give credit where credit is due. Not even in losing did the Mets appear to be relinquishing ground to the Braves because of the Braves' dog-in-traffic sort of bullpen makes no lead safe and the Mets were not willing to relinquish their potential sweep without a fight.
Look ma, no hammies!
Finally eluding the delicate fragility that is Carlos Beltran, who managed not only to make his second consecutive appearance in a Met uniform but also managed the homer and a great catch in addition to three strikeouts, the Mets fought this game tooth and nail until the final out.
And before I forget to mention the most incredible stat line of the season for the Mets, Jose Reyes walked three times in one game!!!
The Kaz Man's hitting streak ground to a halt with an 0-5 effort that saw him leave 7 men on base.
Another nice aspect this loss demonstrated was the chance to use people like Julio who struck out five in two innings, Darren Oliver, Chad Bradford and Pedro Feliciano, all of whom comprise the "B" level bullpen, whom we haven't seen in a dog's age, and bleed the bullpen like radiator pipes for a few innings. That combined with the doom on our doorstep as Victor Zambrano, the Mets' No. 5 starter, returns to work after seven days off in Monday's series opener against the Nationals at Shea Stadium. His opponent is Ramon Ortiz, who already has lost twice this season to the Mets.
And of course, everyone's favourite mystery: who will replace Bannister?
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment