First, our closer throws 98 MPH fastballs, collects two easy outs, fires up the crowd and then he loses the strike zone, never to regain it in any meaningful fashion.
Fucking Armando.
Then, our closer induces a pathetic little half-swing squib and, wouldn'tcha know it, that defensive excuse-me whoopsy! cut rolls less than 90 feet to exactly the wrong place to load the bases.
Fucking Franco.
Finally, just when it appears our closer is going to retire this one particular pesky thorn-in-our-side, having gotten him to oh-and-two — oh-and-two! — he throws a fastball that just sits over the outer edge of the plate and it's served into center for a two-run single, the lead and, ultimately, the game.
Fucking Looper.
Games like this, in which we waste dramatic offensive heroics, are nothing new in the annals of Mets givebacks. Hell, games like this are nothing new in the annals of Mets history when we're in first place a wide margin and we're on the verge of vanquishing the Cincinnati Reds.
But aren't we supposed to have bought our way out of them? Isn't this why we signed a fireman deluxe to a king-sized contract? Wasn't that, among all other fragments, the missing piece to our pennant puzzle? And do you feel particularly confident come the ninth inning and we hold a slim lead?
Fucking Wagner.
I can tell by the timeof your post that you didn't sleep much either…
Maybe I'm confused about the “job description” of CLOSER..I really thought they were supposed to come in at the end of games and make some outs,hold some leads, and let us go home happy……
None of which Wagner did last night…..
Somebody should get Elias to add up how many times the Mets have lost after having an opponent down to their last strike. I'm thinking no other team has done it as often in the last 20 years. Ninth inning, two outs, full count, Shea crowd on its feet, and then — ACK! — ball four. It's almost enough to make a fellow watch golf instead.
At first, there were no words. Standing in Loge Reserved Section 7, I could not think of anything to say that could capture my emotions. Now I have one: why.
Why did he have to go and ruin one of the most enjoyable games of the season? Why does he do it in the most excruciating way possible? Why did he have to turn this from “The game where Reyes hit for the cycle… remember, Valentin hit a huge home run and got a curtain call?” to “The game where Billy blew it in the 9th. No, not that one.” Why couldn't he throw a goddam slider – even if it's “loopy,” can we see it on 0-2? Why did he have to break up an amazing half-inning streak where for 3 straight turns at bat the Shea crowd was rocking – Valentin's HR, Heilman's rejuvenating K, and the Cyclic Moment? Why can't he throw a ball past Rich Aurilia? Why do the Mets deserve to be 8-1 in cycle games when 9-0 is so much cleaner? Why does yesterday's Bill Simmons column, about the power of a lights-out closer, make me want to scream? And why does one measly inning make me less interested in coming back today (I still will) and less willing to travel to Boston next week (also probably still will)?
More importantly, why should it be possible to leave Shea with a 9 1/2 game lead and still feel like punching a wall? Why do we still lose games like this after paying 13 million dollars to avoid them? And why is it hard to visualize October baseball without worrying about a one-run, 9th-inning lead?
Finally, and the one that stings the most: Why, why, why, why, why, with two outs and Kearns up and the stadium rocking, did I feel the need to PICK UP MY BAG and put it over my shoulder, just to get a quick start out? I will never forgive myself.
You couln't have captured my feeling any better. I was standing there with my bag in my hand,too.
An absolute killer — with the comfort of a 9-game lead, though.
What a bullshit loss!
Billy Wagner did not blow that save… Dale Scott did!
That game was over twice if Wagner had gotten the inside corner from this (ch)ump, like eveybody had been getting all night. OK, you can miss a call on Kearns, but then do it twice more to David Ross? Please…
I guess Wagner's “not John Smoltz” either…
With two outs, runners on 1&2, came a squib grounder hit to 3rd that was too slow to make any play on. Wright picked up the ball and – correctly – held it. I can practically read his mind: “I better not throw it – I don't think I have a play. We'll be OK – it's 2 outs and Wagner on the mound.”
Next time, same situation, perhaps Wright thinks “Uh-oh – I better get this out”. Then, he throws the ball away.
Thanks, Billy. Lost confidence doesn't come back right away.
OK – Mets still have a large lead, are playing well, and have some exciting players. So, to remove the bitter taste from yesterday's horrid loss, let's play a game. Re-arrange the words in this sentence:
How suck much Wagner Billy does ?
We're on the hook for $40 million worth of this?
How on earth does Billy not throw a slider at 0-2?
And here's another question: why on earth was Beltran glued to 1B all 9th inning? Does his leg still hurt? Or is he just afraid?
Not to go all harsh on the Metssiah; after all, that ball was in no-man's land, but…
If it's me, I let it roll.
The ball wasn't moving so fast that Wright couldn't stay with it while it rolled. If that's true, Kearns isn't gonna score on it if it does stay fair. Then you're no worse off than what actually did happen and you have a better than even shot of it being a foul ball.
My opinion, of course…
Looked to me like the ball was heading further into fair territory. I'm OK with DW.
Not so much Wagner, though.
I know his outing against the Yankees (that one) doesn't really compare, but I think not throwing a strike to Kelly Stinnett on 3-0 with the bases loaded is almost comparable to throwing an 0-2 fastball in the zone to Rich Aurelia with the bases loaded. In other words, both are inexcuseable for any closer, let alone Mr. Sandman here.
Just when I had stopped thinking about that one… *shudders*
I was there at Shea to witness that meltdown and last night's fuck-up, as well as the 14-inning game against Atlanta that he nearly blew. That's 3 Billy Goats in 8 games I've attended this year.
I don't think I've ever watched a Mets game and felt confident going into the 9th with our closer on the mound. I guess that's a function of growing up in the Franco/Benitez era, but a part of me thought that perhaps Wagner would be different. Alas, that's not the case, and I'm just hoping not to hear “We Want Looper” chants the next time I'm at a game.
Amen.
Let's all try to stay calm.
OK, so that was a full-on kick-in-the-teeth hair-puller-outer. OK, so Wagner's blown as many saves already as Looper had halfway through August. OK, so that would have been one for the history books — in the ninth I was thinking “I'm gonna make sure to remember this game..” Careful what you wish for, right?
We're Mets fans. It's our job to panic at the first sign of trouble in the fuselage. But let's not forget: big honkin' lead still intact. Let's hope Billy's getting the kinks out of his system. He'd been pretty solid for a while until last night. Let's keep our crucifixes in storage for now. We may still get our money's worth. Don't forget: $17 mil for Beltran is starting to look like a pretty sweet deal.
No need to panic. We are the kings of the NL East. We've got time for the occasional acid flashback to the bad old days.
True that.
In fact, after today, you could say, all is Wright with the world…
(Blame our semi-divine third baseman for having such a pun-tempting name).