But aha, it isn't the Brewers we should be seeking revenge against it's the Mets own bullpen, isn't it?
In any event for a few shocking moments this game seemed on the verge of being over before it started. That was the moment when you could sense Oliver Perez falling to pieces after he'd foolishly thrown away a likely inning-ending double play grounder to put two men on with one out and The Fat Prince coming to the plate.
The Fat Prince jogs around the bases whilst Oliver Perez begins his nervous breakdown
The Fat Prince hammered a Perez offering off the Miller Lite Live Responsibly sign so goddamned hard and far the Brewers announcers couldn't stop talking about it for an inning and a half and all of the sudden the Brewers were ahead 3-0.
But instead of a nervous breakdown, instead of wild pitches, hit batsmen, walks, Perez sorted himself out and lived to pitch another inning.
In the interim the Mets took the lead right back highlighted by Ramon Castro's three-run shot to silence the crowd and make it a 4-3 lead before Claudio Vargas had even gotten his first out of the second inning.
But that wasn't enough. An abortion of a diving catch cum retarded goal keeper impersonation by Shawn Green in right field turned a single into a double and a second run that gave the Brewers the lead back again and added up to two errors in the first two innings by the Mets that cost 4 runs. One might have wondered at that point with some chagrin, are these the actions of a playoff team?
Vargas appeared eager to give the lead right back though, let the first two men of the inning on base again with no outs. But a bizarre strike out call against Delgado on a pitch that nearly hit him on the hands followed by a trememdous diving grab by Ryan Braun of a sizzling shot off of Alou's bat down the third base line off Alou's bat appeared to seal a scorless fate.
But no, Vargas was more than eager, he seemed downright determined to let the Mets score again and there it was, Marlon Anderson, of all Mets, starting in centerfield for Carlos Beltran doing what Beltran himself can rarily due when he's not on the DL or spending a week and a half getting ready to go on the DL which is, snap a three run homer. That made it 7-5 in favour of the Mets. Vargas' shortest outing of the season was over.
In a way, it sort of looks like Marlon Anderson is goose stepping whilst shooting imaginary birds in the sky with an imaginary shotgun that is really his bat that he hits homeruns with but I think this is just the reaction when you drive in four runs on the night and finally have a stab at failure...
And yeah, the game went on but in essence, that was it. With 7 runs of support Perez finally settled down shutting the Brewers out over the next four innings and finishing with 11 strikeouts although it took him 115 pitches to do it.
Guillermo Mota tried to redeem himself by pitching two scoreless innings of relief - actually two perfect innings of relief with a pair of strikeouts to boot. Think Glavine wasn't seething to see that one night after Mota helped blow his chance for 300? Mota should be pulling horse heads out of his bed every night for the rest of the season for that shameless choke two nights ago.
And then Billy Wagner had to go and give us all mini-aneurysms because, well perhaps because Mota let everyone down by actually pitching well so Billy Ball figured hell, we've gotta create some fun and artificial excitement somewhere here so he allowed two hits before finally shutting the door on the Brewers for the night.
Unless the Mets score a dozen runs in this afternoon's rubber match, don't count on a win with Brian Lawrence out there.
I know, Sosa has sucked of late and deserves his bullpen demotion but really, Brian Lawrence? What is that going to prove? We can still beat you with one hand tied behind our back and both feet caught in bear traps?
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