DODGERS 3 - METS 2
It was a night that we have so many times in so many
different ways. The New York Mets clung to a 2-1 lead virtually the entire game
– until – in the late stages, the bullpen -- blew it again.
Rinse and repeat.
If the Mets, who are now four games behind the surging
Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers for the National League’s final Wild Card
slot, don’t make the playoffs, the Shakespearian tragedy that is the bullpen
will be the reason why.
Don’t fool yourself into thinking that with 13 games to go
that the Mets can somehow rally off enough victories to get in. It’s not
happening. Not with a bullpen built by General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen, and
poorly executed by Manager Mickey Callaway.
Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the LA Dodgers was just another stark reminder
that the Mets are not even close to being a legitimate playoff contender.
After getting two early runs on a two-run triple by Brandon
Nimmo on a ball that appeared to go foul, but was called fair in the second
inning, the Mets offense disappeared the rest of the night.
The Mets didn’t get a hit again until the seventh inning
when Robinson Cano singled to left center with one out. Cano would be the last
person to reach second base on the night when the next hitter JD Davis was hit
in the back. Of course the Mets didn’t score as Nimmo and Amed Rosario both
struck out.
Still the Mets held a 2-1 lead through seven innings, thanks
in major part to a stellar effort by Zach Wheeler. Wheeler held the Dodgers to
a run on six hits, while recording nine strikeouts. He walked none.
It was the fourth straight solid outing for Wheeler, and
perhaps his best to date; and that is including the eight innings of shutout
ball that he tossed against Miami on August 6.
So here the Mets were leading 2-1 in the eighth inning and
the bullpen was at it again. This time it was Justin Wilson, the former Chicago
Cub whom Van Wagenen brought in in the offseason.
After missing a large part of the year with injuries, Wilson
has been fairly solid all season, until tonight.
After walking Jed Gyroko, Wilson balked, allowing Gyroko to
move to second, and later threw a wild pitch allowing the runner to advance to
third.
Finally Chris Taylor, a NLCS hero from two years ago for the
Dodgers made the Mets pay, lining a double to right-center to tie it at two.
After walking Cody Bellinger intentionally, Wilson came back
to strikeout Corey Seager, before Callaway removed him for Seth Lugo.
Lugo retired the side on a fly ball by Will Smith, but
couldn’t keep the game tied in the ninth.
A double off the top of the wall in left by Kike Hernandez set
the table for Gyroko who singled to center to drive in Hernandez to make it
3-2.
The Mets and their playoff chances were dead and buried.
Once again the Mets have teased their fans into thinking the
playoffs were a legitimate possibility. The truth is this team is too flawed,
and too poorly managed to be a playoff team. The Dodgers reminded them of that
fact.
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