Good job by Carlos Beltran with a walk-off homer in the 13th, a homer he should have never had to hit. But Thursday's game is a great example of why my hair is already going gray earlier than Taylor Hicks'. Ramon Castro hits a solo homer for 1 -0 Met lead. In the third with a runner on and two out, David Wright smashes a shot to right field. But Wright doesn't bust it out of the box because he figures the ball is gone. Endy Chavez scores, Wright tries to stretch it into a triple, and gets thrown out. Inning over.
After chasing Dan Haren in the sixth inning, Fernando Tatis singles home two more in the seventh and I was feeling good with a four-run lead. But before the inning ends, the Mets load the bases with Wright and Beltran up. The two money players. Foul out and fly out. Three stranded.
Meanwhile, Johan dominated. Seven innings, three hits, 10 strikeouts, I had no problem with him coming out after the seventh. 4-0 lead, the bullpen has to hold it.
Eighth inning. Joe Smith in. One on, two outs. Conor Jackson singles and I'm a little nervous now, but still ocnfident. Mark Reynolds triples, scoring two and the D-backs are right back in it. Scott Schoeneweis relieves Smith and gets a fly out with two on to get the Mets out of trouble. Bottom half. Delgado and Easley get on with no one out. Castro strikes out, Anderson flies out, Aguila flies out. Two more stranded. Well, what can you do. Let's go to the ninth and close this.
Wagner walks the backup catcher, and I knew he had to get the next batter. Stephen Drew pinch hits, knocks a grounder up the middle that both Reyes and Easley went for. Reyes grabbed it, but nobody was in position to cover second base. Infield hit. I knew we were losing the lead. I wanted to believe we'd win, but I knew this would be Wagner's third blown save in as many chances. Chris Young doubles, second and third, no one out. Augie Ojeda walks, and up comes Orland Hudson. He grounds one to Reyes, who throws home for the first out. But Castro has his eyes transfixed on first base. He never sees Young hung up between second and third. Wright's on third waving his arms like Jimmy Orr in the end zone in Super Bowl III. If Castro would have thrown to third, it would have been an easy double play and the whole inning turns out different.
Jackson comes up, bounces one in the infield. Of course, the ball hung up for too long to turn the DP. Reyes gets the force at second, they can't turn it, tying run scores. And Wagner comes right back to strike out Reynolds, onto the bottom of the ninth. I am doing all I can not to throw my computer mouse against the wall by now.
Reyes gets an infield single and Chacez sacrifices him over. Newsflash. When the offense is this stagnant, can we give Endy the bat? Let Reyes at least steal a base, then sacrifice him and a fly ball by Wright ends the game. Poor in-game management. Wright smashes a grounder down the line. Ojeda, who had just moved over to third that inning, dives, grabs it, fires it to first, and Wright is out. Beltran and Delgado walk. Easley has a chance to become the hero. Smashes one to short. Drew, who had just come into the game that inning (notice the pattern), dives, grabs it, and flips it to second barely in time to force Delgado. Inning over.
Heilman comes in, allows a leadoff double to Justion Upton, and I knew it was over. A sac bunt, and sac fly later, Arizona leads. Castro fouls out. Castillo pinch-hits, and manages an infield single. I wasn't feeling great with Aguila up, but I figured if Chip Ambred had a game-winning hit last year, why not. Double play ball. Game over.
This team needs a major shake-up. This is not Willie Randolph's fault, but a message must be sent and sent quickly. Either a firing or a major trade. And I don't think Willie is going. for me, I blame Omar Minaya. He promised when he came to New York he would build a team that was young, fast, athletic, sustainable, etc. Willie would have been a perfect fit for that team. But look at this roster. At one point, Abraham Nunez was our best option in the minors. There is next to no minor league system in place. Minaya had no backup plan for Alou or Delgado, who has been terrible. He counted too much on Pedro and El Duque and Duaner Sanchez has been inconsistent.
Oh, and enough of Moises Alou. This stiff comes off the DL, goes 2-for-2, re-aggravates his calf, and is now going on the DL again. Two at bats and he's done. Meaning I have to suffer more of Robinson Cancel on our bench. This guy is more brittle than a dozen eggs. Enough of him.
As one man said, "I am convinced raising my son as a Mets fan is a form of child abuse."
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