Waterloo

It seems that invariably, the Mets have at least one series a year in Atlanta where they go in and just stink up the joint, and usually it ends up with them getting swept and looking really bad in doing so. This past weekend was that series, when the Mets needed to just sort of keep themselves afloat, but instead fell victim to their own personal Waterloo once again.

Fortunately, this was also one of those weekends where I really didn't get to see much, or any, of the three games. I'd mentioned that I was out Friday night and arrived home and fell asleep with the game on the radio, which was just as well considering how things turned out.

Saturday was more or less a repeat of Friday, except that I arrived home earlier in the game, fell asleep earlier in the game, and awoke to find that the Mets had still managed to lose. Noah Syndergaard had a not-as-good outing, where he expended too many pitches too early in the game, only pitched 4 innings, and was gone by time the game was decided. I did hear Travis d'Arnaud tie the game with a 5th inning Home Run, and then I heard him depart from the game with a rather frightening sounding elbow or shoulder or both injury, which happened when the Barves took the lead and ultimately didn't give it back. Later, I found out that the injury was not so severe, although if Ol' Cortisone Shot Ramirez has his hands on Travis, we might not see him again until mid-August.

Sunday, I was visiting my Father for Ralph Kiner's Birthday and while we were out to dinner, I saw the final inning and a half of the game, where the Mets, desperately in need of a run, created opportunities for themselves and then did a wonderful job of screwing themselves out of said opportunities. Matt Harvey pitched his ass off for 7 innings and allowed 1 run and 4 hits (or at least I assume he allowed 4 hits). Usually, when you get an outing like this from your best pitcher, you ought to be able to win the game, except when you're pitching in front of the Mets lineup, in which case your chances of winning are at best dicey. The Mets managed all of one hit off of Julio Teheran in his 7 innings of work, and so by time the starters left the game, it was the Braves with the 1-0 lead. Eric Campbell hit a double in the 8th inning—his first hit in weeks, it seems, but was stranded. In the 9th, with The Great Rivera Kimbrel no longer an option for Atlanta, and Hairy von Flugelheim Jason Grilli unavailable, the Mets were facing non-entity Jim Johnson. Curtis Granderson singled, and then Juan Lagares beat out a sacrifice bunt attempt for a hit, and the Mets were in business. Lucas Duda flew out, which was OK, because Michael Cuddyer could still get the job done. Except that for Cuddyer, getting the job done meant grounding into his 44th Double Play of the season, an unconscionable outcome of that particular at bat, and the Mets were officially sunk.

So, the bloom is pretty much off the rose for this season, and I suppose that's a kind way to put it. Were I more succinct, perhaps I would just say they're up Shit's Creek once again. 5 losses in a row, including 3 against a team that they probably should be feeding their lunch to, and now 1st place is gone, .500 is up their ass, and everything is terrible once again. The Mets have the worst road record in Baseball if you don't count the Phillies and what the hell kind of team with any sort of aspirations plays to a 10-24 record on the road? If it makes you feel any better, and it probably doesn't, the Mets now have 3 more games on the road in Milwaukee, owner of one of the 3 worst records in Baseball. I give the Mets one out of 3. Let them surprise me. Hell, let them surprise themselves.