The Mets basically dragged themselves kicking and screaming into a position to win this game in the first place. It took overcoming getting generally handcuffed by Shelby Miller, getting Andrelton Simmons-ed to death, having Jacob deGrom give up a Free Steak-level Home Run to Freddie Freeman and having Danny Muno nearly submarine everyone with an unconscionable three errors...And yet somehow they were able to get past that and grab a lead in the 7th inning. It took Jacob deGrom basically outpitching the stink of his team, and the Mets finally took advantage of an opportunity in the 7th inning. It took a Juan Lagares pinch hit, a Curtis Granderson double, a 2-run single from Travis d'Arnaud and an RBI single from Lucas Duda, and all of a sudden a 1-0 day in the doledrums turned into a sunny 3-1 lead.
Things got even better in the 8th inning. Jack Leathersich entered the game and gave up double to Cameron Maybin, who subsequently stole 3rd and was primed to score when Freeman flew out to left. But Darrell Ceciliani, who's had himself a nice little week bopping around here and there, was able to throw a perfect strike to d'Arnaud and nail Maybin at the plate. Though Leathersich departed following the 3rd round of Muno's Follies, he was relieved by Bobby Parnell, a welcome sight for someone whom, when we last saw each other, was moping his way off the mound after blowing a Save last Opening Day with a torn elbow ligament that required the Big Boy Surgery. Parnell gave up a hit, but also got the 3rd out of the inning, thus bridging the game to the 9th inning.
Here's where the turd in the punchbowl reared its ugly head, because Jeurys Familia had picked a rather inopportune time to father a child. The Friday night/Saturday morning birth of Jeurys, Jr. precluded his ability to close out Saturday afternoon's game, leaving the Mets to counter with...Hansel Robles?!
Robles has pitched OK, but just OK in his time in the Majors. I like his stuff, but he needs experience before I'd trust him to close out a game. He needs to be slowly worked in to instances like this. A few weeks ago, Collins ran him out there with a 3-0 lead against Philly and after two batters, the game was tied. The Mets ended up winning that game so everyone forgot about this. But in this game, with a 3-1 lead, now being trusted to finish the Barves out, Robles was nervous, struggled, gave up a walk, and then a hit, then got two outs, then gave up an RBI hit to Maybin, and with Freeman then coming up, Robles was removed in favor of Alex Torres. Torres, then, was the one who had the high pleasure of giving up the tying hit to Freeman and getting hung with the blown Save.
Blowing the lead was particularly deflating, and the fact that the Mets were retired in order in the 9th and then the 10th spoke to a team that really had the wind let out of their sails. This game probably could have continued long into the evening, but fortunately Maybin singled home 2 runs in the 11th off of Carlos Torres, making himself the hero of a game he was probably going to be the goat in at least an hour or so earlier. The Mets finally re-awoke and got hits from Ceciliani and Dilson Herrera against Williams Perez (the Barves' secret weapon, Williams Perez), before Mayberry lined into a rather irritating Double Play and Lagares grounded into a Fielder's Choice, and the Mets ended up losing a game they really had in their pockets.
Now, the key here is can the Mets come out today (you know, in a few minutes), shake off the cobwebs from this debacle of a game and win the series against a team that doesn't look like they're trying very hard at least 65% of the time. Dillon Gee is making a spot start...that's not so encouraging. I'd say hang on to your hats and hope for the best. If they lose today, I'm not going to feel so good.
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