Run Away, Quick!

The Mets played their second "Stupid Marlins Game" in three days on Sunday and with that having happened, I can't even begin to tell you how glad I am that the Mets are now done in ElectricLoriaLand until 2016. When you have the same stupid thing happen to you and you get walked off by the same stupid fake-ass team twice in three games, you just have to lick your wounds, shake it off and come back the next day with a clear head. Annoyingly, the Mets had this happen to them on the lead-in to their biggest series of the year, which begins this afternoon in Washington. Washington is now 4 games back, having picked up a pair of games this weekend as they had the advantage of playing Atlanta, who seemed only too happy to lay down like a bunch of bitches for 4 straight games. I can only hope that they give the Mets the same courtesy when they travel down to Dixieland this coming weekend, but the Mets have had too much bullshit happen to them in that city over the years for me to feel too comfortable.

Unlike the usual "Stupid Marlins Game," the Mets actually had a lead through much of this game. Steven Matz made his long-awaited return after one of those mysterious injuries that's reported as "no big deal" and ends up keeping the player out for 2 months. So Matz, who lest we forget is a veteran of all of two Major League games, took to the mound and started this game about the same way he started his debut, which is to say that he was a little all over the place. He managed to grit and gut his way through 5.1 innings and left in line for a victory, but as far as a clean outing, this wasn't it. The Marlins reached Matz for a run in the 1st to counter Yoenis Cespedes' 1st inning Home Run into the Mystery Machine, and in the 5th inning, Matz allowed a Home Run to Jeff Mathis. But Wilmer Flores hit a 2-run Home Run in the top of the 6th and at that point, everything seemed to be working in the Mets favor. Hansel Robles finished the 6th, Addison Reed battled through the 7th and the Mets then had the game where they want it.

But on this afternoon it was Tyler Clippard's turn to lay the stink bomb. In the 8th, Clippard got the first two men out before Mouth-breathing Neanderthal Justin Bour put down his rack of PBR long enough to pinch hit and smoke a Home Run into the next county to tie the game up. The Mets had an opportunity to go back ahead in the top of the 9th against Carlos Zambrano A.J. Ramos, but in a spot that screamed for a lefty bat, Travis d'Arnaud was sent up instead with 1 out and the bases loaded, swung at a sucker pitch from Ramos and grounded into a killer double play.

Clippard remained in for the last of the 9th, which I was actually OK with, except that everything quickly melted down around him. He struck out Mathis to start the inning, except that Anthony Recker couldn't handle the ball and couldn't prevent Mathis from reaching 1st base. Clippard got an out but then Dee Gordon pulled his Hanley Ramirez act and got a hit, and the runner went to 3rd, and there was an intentional walk, but by that point the game was clearly beyond salvage.

So...yeah. Enough of the fucking Marlins. Fortunately, as I said, the Mets don't need to come back to Miami until 2016 so they don't have to worry about more Miami bullshit. But, now, they have to deal with the Washington bullshit which is a whole other story and with an unfavorable pitching matchup this afternoon, you can't help but feel like things might get worse here before they get better. But, who knows. The Mets have made a habit of getting up off the mat this season far more often than they let the mat get on top of them.