After starting 4-0, the Mets have followed their stellar start with a less-than-stellar performance in the next two games. After posting a combined 1.31 ERA for the first four games, the staff posted a 2.90 ERA the past two games, which isn’t bad in of itself, but when the offense puts up 2 runs in 2 games, then it becomes a problem. The fact that Wright has been down for the past two games also crippled the line-up, but there are other capable hitters in our lineup to pick up the slack for at least one game of the short series with Washington.
What infuriated me the very most about Wednesday’s game was the amount of free runs we gave the Nationals. We gave them 4 runs; 3 off walks, and 1 off a wild pitch. 10 walks simply won’t win ANY team a baseball game. Giving a team like the Nats who are scrappy and pester a pitching staff extra outs is asking for trouble.
This weekend series against Philadelphia will be telling of how we can bounce back, given our poor performance in the past two games. We can really see the dynamic edge that the Mets are missing from Reyes’ absences; from the balls up the middle that Tejada can’t quite get, or those infield hits that we are edged by a step.
This team is no longer a team of superstars, but a team of mostly role players. Each person has a job to do, and cannot do more than he is asked, and cannot think he can do more than he is asked. This group must work as a collective, like in the first 4 victories.
As long as this happens, then we have a chance.
Line up without Wright is terrible and really reveals this teams vulnerability in having a lack of depth.
They can def compete going forward, but it’s been almost impossible to overcome all of these things at one time: 1. Bay a no show 2. Wright out of the lineup 3. Ike an automatic out They’re always going to have a tough time against lefties when Wright is out and/or Bay is the non-factor he’s been. A lefty pitcher right now (like Cliff Lee) will go through this lineup with EASE. Bay needs to be a major league hitter and wright needs to heal up quick.