Sure the Mets lost, 4-2, to the Yankees on Tuesday night in the most frustrating fashion possible [1], but at least it’s not like they lost, 4-2, to the Yankees on Monday night in the most frustrating fashion possible, too.
Oh.
At least the Mets didn’t put pressure on a struggling starting pitcher like Frankie Montas in the first inning only to let him off the hook.
Oh.
At least the Mets didn’t put more pressure on the same struggling starting pitcher in the second inning only to let him off the hook again.
Oh.
At least the Mets didn’t let the same struggling starting pitcher find his groove in the innings ahead.
Oh.
At least Taijuan Walker didn’t go from throwing three perfect innings to giving up a home run to Aaron Judge that landed somewhere near the Grand Concourse in the fourth.
Oh.
At least Taijuan didn’t get shaken by the experience of allowing a dinger to the major league’s leading dingerer and proceed to give up consecutive hits, then consecutive walks, ultimately walking in another run.
Oh.
At least the Mets didn’t short-circuit their next opportunity for a couple of runs by sending their most inexperienced baserunner home on a single to short right only to see him predictably tagged out to end their inning.
Oh.
At least once the Mets got a break and tied the game, they didn’t succumb at the first sight of Clarke Schmidt, the reliever who replaced Montas, who’d somehow survived five-and-two-thirds.
Oh.
At least the Mets didn’t opt to use a pair of outs on sacrifice bunts in deference to their nine-hole hitter having no obvious offensive capabilities beyond bunting.
Oh.
At least the second sac bunt the nine-hole hitter delivered didn’t go for naught in a rally that produced nothing.
Oh.
At least Buck Showalter didn’t take a well-rested Seth Lugo out after a shutout inning of relief.
Oh.
At least when Joely Rodriguez had a chance to grab a grounder up the middle, it didn’t get by him and go for a leadoff single to center.
Oh.
At least when Pete Alonso had a bead on a pop fly in short right near the foul line, he didn’t miss catching it.
Oh.
At least when Alonso didn’t catch the pop fly, it didn’t fall in fair.
Oh.
At least that pop fly that fell in fly after Alonso didn’t catch it didn’t lead to the Yankees scoring the tie-breaking run.
Oh.
At least when Adam Ottavino replaced Rodriguez, Ottavino didn’t allow Judge to drive in yet another run.
Oh.
At least the Mets didn’t put their first two runners on base in the eighth only to have one erased on a double play and the other die at third.
Oh.
At least the Mets didn’t find themselves down to their last out; have three consecutive batters work full counts; have each manage to get on base; have Schmidt finally removed from the game; have Francisco Lindor up to face Wandy Peralta, against whom Francisco homered last year and was 2-for-3 lifetime; and have our hopes raised one more time only to have Lindor fly out to end the game.
Oh.
At least the Mets didn’t leave ten runners on base and go 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
Oh.
At least the Mets’ ninth inning tease didn’t simultaneously suck you in because they’re the first-place Mets who so often come back and repel you because you knew damn well they were just going to frustrate you some more.
Oh.
At least the Braves didn’t win again and cut a game off the Mets’ first-place lead.
Oh.
Sure the Mets lost, 4-2, to the Yankees on Tuesday night in the most frustrating fashion possible, but at least it’s not like they lost, 4-2, to the Yankees on Monday night in the most frustrating fashion possible, too.
Oh, right.