After two days of basically being stomped on by the Braves, the Mets fought back a little bit and won in what is mercifully their final game against Atlanta for the season. The schedule says they only played the Braves 19 times, although I swear it felt like they played about 66, particularly after the All Star Break.
It was another radio special in the office today, and last year, I'd mentioned that a game on the radio and R.A. Dickey on the mound almost always ended up a winning combination. This year, the combo seems to be the radio and Dillon Gee. This may not be true at all, but it just seems like every time there's an office radio day and Dillon Gee on the mound, the Mets have come up roses.
Today, in particular, was one of those games, as the Mets came out firing early and often and never looked back in a 5-2 victory that actually felt more like a blowout victory than it actually was. Andrew Brown homered early and even Lucas Duda ran into a fastball for one of his own to stake Gee to a lead, and Gee just ran with it from there. He was up to the task of getting out of early trouble, striking out a pair with men on 2nd and 3rd in the 1st inning, which set the tone for his day, as Atlanta barely made a peep against him for 7 innings. Gee even helped his own cause with a floating single that neither Meathead Gattis nor Fredo Upton made any particular effort to catch, causing Howie Rose to state, with exasperation, "The Braves look like they have no interest in playing a ballgame today!"
And yet, for as much as it felt like a runaway, the game was a wayward Vic Black pitch away from being a squeaker in the 8th. Black motored through the first two batters before Freddie Freeman, who may as well just start wearing uniform #10 or start making snide comments in a half-drunk Florida drawl about Mets fans putting on Yankees gear, because that's pretty much who he's turning into, caught up to him, and then Gattis was aboard, and it was a little hairy for a second because Gerald Laird battled, but eventually popped out. Then I went to the bank, and by time I returned, the game was over.
So, the Mets are finally done with these clowns for 2013, although rest assured I'll continue hating them for as long as their season is going. I will be rooting against them in the playoffs, particularly when everyone starts brown-nosing them as they get bounced in the 1st round again. But that's another story for another time. Next, the Mets go off to visit my relatives in Cleveland, a place they last visited in 2010 with positive results.
No comments:
Post a Comment