How much more can any of us bear? How many more games do we have to endure where the Mets give up one or two runs and still manage to lose without even threatening to score? The Mets just scored one run in three games, three losses. Who can stand to watch this garbage anymore?
As Mets fans, we know nothing ever comes easy; it rarely has. We got teased in April and we scoffed at the naysayers saying this year would be different. We all started seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. At least we thought we did. That light has since revealed itself to be a locomotive bearing down on us.
Since the win streak two long months ago, we’ve learned that David Wright has possibly played his last game of the season, and potentially of his career. The Mets’ bullpen has gone from a potential strength, to a disaster outside of Familia. Meanwhile, Travis d’Arnaud doesn’t look like a player that will ever play more than 120 games per season and Daniel Murphy has gone from a trade chip to a cornerstone of an anemic offense.
To top it off, the Mets have displayed the fundamentals of a small town little league team, making errant throws, not holding runners, and botching the easiest of plays. Fielders never seem to know the speed of the batter or conversely, the arm of a fielder when on the bases. Wednesday night saw a multitude of disastrous plays, highlighted by a failed squeeze play, a mistake to begin with considering Ruben Tejada’s lack of speed.
First, Darrell Ceciliani couldn’t get the bunt down and Tejada got caught in a rundown. Then like someone who has never played baseball before, he ran back to third base, which was already occupied by Daniel Murphy who wisely moved up on the play. The Mets were incredibly lucky to not pick up two outs there. What did it matter anyway? Ceciliani promptly struck out a couple of pitches later. A half inning later, Daniel Murphy forgot how to tag a runner. Next inning, Wilmer Flores couldn’t turn a double play and before you knew it, the game was over.
These constant miscues have been magnified tenfold by the abysmal offensive performances all around. Does anyone on this team know how to play baseball like a baseball player? Lately after another demoralizing loss, I’ve found myself wondering, would it have been easier had the Mets just stunk this year from the beginning?
Had the Mets lost eleven games straight in April instead of winning them, would we all be a bit happier right now? Maybe not happier, but less stressed perhaps. Terry Collins would most certainly be gone already and there would be zero expectations for the year at this point. Fans could have moved on to simply rooting for whoever was playing the Yankees as they normally do. Life might have been easier than dealing with the frustration that is this team operating on one cylinder day after day.
Is there any hope of turning things around? I suppose we can hold out hope that David Wright returns or that the Mets aren’t hiding something about Travis d’Arnaud’s elbow injury. Jerry Blevins will return at some point, as will Vic Black and Jenry Meijia. Daniel Murphy is now back in the lineup. Still, even if everyone comes back healthy, when will it all be, and will it be too late?
As exciting as the Stephen Matz call-up was this past weekend, it felt like a distraction from the real issue at hand. Sandy Alderson said last Friday that he’d be willing to overpay for offensive help right now. The time for talk is over. Go out and make the trade happen Sandy; it’s July already and the Mets are a few losses away from another season of irrelevance.
If the Mets keep losing these one-run games, Citi Field will be a ghost-town in no time; not because fans will boycott, but because they will be in the hospital of heart attacks and irritable bowel syndrome. Can you pass the Pepto-Bismol please?
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