The 2018 New York Mets season is fading into oblivion. A team that once started out with so much promise after an 11-1 start is now a game over .500 after a 2-1 loss to the worst team in baseball, the Cincinnati Reds, Wednesday afternoon.
What a disgrace.
To make matters worse the Mets opened the game batting out of order, a mistake that can only be pinned to manager Mickey Callaway. The lineup card that Callaway handed to the umpires had Asdrubal Cabrera batting second and Wilmer Flores batting third, but the card sent out to the press box and posted on the dugout wall had the two hitters switched.
The miscommunication created a ton of confusion for the Mets who couldn't figure out where their own hitters belonged. Flores batted second and struck out, then Cabrera doubled. The umpires finally realized what was going on and called Cabrera out because he batted out of order. Cabrera's nullified double was then credited to Jay Bruce who didn't even realize he was out of turn until the top of the second inning.
Considering how things have been going lately for the Mets, it was fitting that the team that can't shoot straight, couldn't even do the simplest of things like send out the right lineup.
Callaway's horrible gaff cost the Mets a chance to win this game, and he even admitted as much afterwards.
Beyond the mistake, the Mets gave absolutely no effort against a Reds team that won only eight games coming into the series. In fact, this was the first series win of the entire year for Cincinnati.
New York managed only four hits, and were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. With Yoenis Cespedes and Todd Fraizer out with injuries the Mets lineup had no thump whatsoever, and it showed on Wednesday afternoon. Wilmer Flores who has done nothing this year was hitless. Jay Bruce, who is batting .233 this year was ... you guessed it ... hitless. Devin Mesoraco? Forget it. Michael Conforto? Why ask.
This lineup, this team has been putrid for weeks now. The Mets are 23rd in baseball in team batting average, and it is probably even worse since the team has gone 7-16 in its last 23 games.
The Mets inability to hit wasted a solid start for Zach Wheeler, who held the Reds to just a run over six innings of work. While his ERA is over five, Wheeler has had moments of brilliance this year, and it seems that overtime he's pitched well, the Mets fail to produce any runs for him. What a shame.
This season is quickly unraveling for the New York Mets.
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