Bullpen Ruins The Day Again
Let's all give Pedro Feliciano a round of applause. To the head.
Ok, maybe a punch to the head.
Ok, so the Mets couldn't hold a 3-0 lead but jaysus, Feliciano put it out of reach with a pair of homers surrendered in the 10th on Sunday because for christ only knows what reason, Luis Ayala, the one guy to date who has demonstrated some consistency getting outs out of the bullpen, leaves the game after three up three down.
Deliver defeat from the jaws of victory, thanks again. However, the look of disgust on Jerry Manuel's face almost makes up for the idiotic removal of Ayala.
Find the hot hand, that's what Mr Manuel said, post-loss.
So the only hot hand is found in Ayala and discarded for the abusive Feliciano.
Of course, this is a two-game tailspin which, on the heels of a nice stretch of good baseball, is probably to be expected. No team stays hot forever.
But this game's turning point, bullpen's chicanery asidde, was the Mets' failure to do more with the bases loaded in the 3rd. Mark Loretta's ridiculous catch didn't help but nor did Carlos Delgado's childish pop up after they'd walked the bases full to face him.
But what the hell, not the end of the world. A few losses here, the shattered bullpen there. Lack of timely hitting, less than spectacular starting pitching...
Arm hanging on a limb?
It was bound to happen.
Just like Heilman's absurdist performance in the 7th - four straight competent appearances were bound to end in tatters eventually.
More worrisome is the Phillies looking like their 2nd half bat slumber is nearing an end. Last night's walk off homer narrowed the lead to a half game.
Tonight, Pelfrey will try to save this series, the NL East lead and well, the ebbing flow of momentum.
And just as easily as the drunken euphoria of invincibility arrived, well, it's pulling out of the station.
Relying on Brett Myers to meltdown against the Dodgers might just not be enough.
Still, that's why they play the games, isn't it? To see which bullpen cancer will metastize into another grueling Met loss.
Good luck with that hunt for the hot hand, Jerry. You'll need it.
Especially now that Doom Is On The Doorstep
Ok, maybe a punch to the head.
Ok, so the Mets couldn't hold a 3-0 lead but jaysus, Feliciano put it out of reach with a pair of homers surrendered in the 10th on Sunday because for christ only knows what reason, Luis Ayala, the one guy to date who has demonstrated some consistency getting outs out of the bullpen, leaves the game after three up three down.
Deliver defeat from the jaws of victory, thanks again. However, the look of disgust on Jerry Manuel's face almost makes up for the idiotic removal of Ayala.
Find the hot hand, that's what Mr Manuel said, post-loss.
So the only hot hand is found in Ayala and discarded for the abusive Feliciano.
Of course, this is a two-game tailspin which, on the heels of a nice stretch of good baseball, is probably to be expected. No team stays hot forever.
But this game's turning point, bullpen's chicanery asidde, was the Mets' failure to do more with the bases loaded in the 3rd. Mark Loretta's ridiculous catch didn't help but nor did Carlos Delgado's childish pop up after they'd walked the bases full to face him.
But what the hell, not the end of the world. A few losses here, the shattered bullpen there. Lack of timely hitting, less than spectacular starting pitching...
Arm hanging on a limb?
It was bound to happen.
Just like Heilman's absurdist performance in the 7th - four straight competent appearances were bound to end in tatters eventually.
More worrisome is the Phillies looking like their 2nd half bat slumber is nearing an end. Last night's walk off homer narrowed the lead to a half game.
Tonight, Pelfrey will try to save this series, the NL East lead and well, the ebbing flow of momentum.
And just as easily as the drunken euphoria of invincibility arrived, well, it's pulling out of the station.
Relying on Brett Myers to meltdown against the Dodgers might just not be enough.
Still, that's why they play the games, isn't it? To see which bullpen cancer will metastize into another grueling Met loss.
Good luck with that hunt for the hot hand, Jerry. You'll need it.
Especially now that Doom Is On The Doorstep
Comments
It's all i can do not to dream of the day we're free of Errant, Pedreadful, and Shownblow. We have the science. We know they can't get the job done.
I also remember Duaner coming in at one point but when that happened I covered my eyes and ran out of the room, so I don't know how he did.