Real Snoozer

I knew the Mets wouldn't escape San Diego without losing at least one game, and of course they filled that quota with a legitimate stinker on Wednesday night. Steven Matz didn't have it—he hasn't had it for a while now, which is troubling—and the Mets hitters continually hit into bad luck against Jhoulys Chacin and the result was a 6-3 loss that I didn't bother to stick around to the end for; it being late and I being tired, I shut it down at the 7th inning stretch.

This seemed to be a doomed game from the start. Chacin, whom the Mets beat down completely in May, looked to be a different pitcher on this night and generally did a good job of minimizing potential damage. On the other side, Steven Matz just got clubbed around. Manuel Margot hit a 2-run Home Run in the 1st, and in the 3rd, Matz got in more trouble and couldn't get out of it, allowing an RBI double to Wil Myers and, later, a 3-run triple to Luis Torrens that only by some divine gust of wind did not wind up being a Grand Slam outright. That put the game at 6-1, and basically everything went to hell from there. Matz departed in favor of Erik Goeddel and, later, Tyler Pill, which should tell you all you needed to know.

Meanwhile, the Mets had their opportunities, but of course did not capitalize on them. In the 6th, they rallied a little bit, loaded the bases, got Chacin out of the game and were one long hit away from being back in the game, but Lucas Duda flew out, and although they got a run home on a Jose Reyes walk, a Rene Rivera screamer that seemed ticketed for Center Field was run down by Allen Cordoba for an inning-ending ground out.

From there, not much else. Wilmer Flores hit an academic Home Run but by that point I'd gone to sleep, but I'm told it did actually happen.

One more here in San Diego, a series that feels much longer than the three games it's encompassed so far. Tonight, the Major League Debut for youngster Chris Flexen, up from my old haunt in Binghamton. We wish him well, or at least that he doesn't look like he's choking on his tongue like Kyle Lloyd was on Tuesday.