Get used to seeing the words "lost" and "lifeless" when describing the Mets this season.
Two days after their inexplicable 9-7 loss on Opening Day, the Mets put together a total stinker against the Nationals, Wednesday night, dropping a 5-1 decision.
A team already reeling from the nightmarish opener and apparent incompetence by their baseball staff for allowing an injured pitcher (Bobby Parnell) to pitch, looked like they were already eliminated from the playoffs and this was only the second game of the season.
Josh Satin was slumping his shoulders; Travis d'Arnaud looked bored; Chris Young looked disappointed after getting injured in the top of the first inning, and Bartolo Colon was ... well ... Bartolo Colon.
Colon wasn't awful, but he wasn't good either. He allowed three runs on nine hits, including serving up a solo home run to opposing pitcher Gio Gonzalez in the fifth inning. The Gonzalez homer, which happened to be Gonzalez's third career dinger, was the dagger in the Mets back. They were finished from that point.
The Mets never pushed, never flexed their muscles. Other than Juan Lagares' two hits the Mets would have been 1-hit by Gonzalez and the Nats staff. Listless would be kind. The Mets looked defeated before the 27th out was even recorded.
They even forgot the fundamentals of the game when Ruben Tejada didn't even attempt to slide into home plate on a base hit by Lagares. Tejada practically walked toward home plate, and was out by a mile as Nationals' left fielder Bryce Harper drilled home a bullet to the plate.
At 0-2, the Mets now turn to Zach Wheeler to stop the bleeding. Wheeler is the team's defacto ace this year with Matt Harvey on the shelf. Wheeler better get used to the roll of stopper. He will be asked to stop many losing streaks this season.
Even though it's two games into the season, one has to wonder how low this team will go. The lineup is dead, with the exception of Lagares and David Wright of course; the rotation is decent, although vulnerable, and the bullpen is a total mess. How far will the Mets fall before change happens? The question, even now, is legit.
No comments:
Post a Comment