They’re probably not this bad, are they? How could they be? Twenty-two losses in thirty-one games seems to give us all the answer we need, as does the 3-12 stretch that’s unfurled since their last pairing of consecutive wins, not to mention the active streak of five defeats during which the most recent collapse or implosion feels it can’t be bottomed, yet the next day it is. The odds say sooner or later the Mets who are making a science out of finding ways to lose [1] will accidentally win a game, and from there a few balls will bounce in their favor, and suddenly…
Suddenly, what? At best, they’ll soar to the status of not this bad; not a team that lets wins slip away; not a team that leaves almost all of its runners on base; not a team that allows opponents’ runners to come home exactly when they shouldn’t; not a team that swears afterward, in so many words, we’re not this bad. Perhaps I shouldn’t so readily dismiss their habitual recitations of positive-reinforcement affirmations. They’ve been told their whole lives as competitors to shake off whatever went wrong today, hold their head high and go get ’em tomorrow. In theory, it’s a healthy attitude to bring to any task. It’s just a little galling to hear after every loss. I’d gladly take some variation on “We were bad today. We’ve been really bad for weeks. We have to be one of the worst clubs going. I’m sorry our fans have to experience this.” Nobody’s going to say it out loud. Just once I’d like it said. It wouldn’t convert losses to wins, but it would hew somewhere near the reality we are witnessing.
The Mets’ absolve themselves from their wretchedness by noting how close they come to winning most of these games. I honestly don’t believe it works that way. Almost winning on a daily basis is the equivalent of losing day after day. Yes, they’re usually in these games right up until the final pitch or swing (or at least, as on Saturday, until extras roll around [2]). Yippee. You’re professionals. You’re not supposed to be blown out more than a handful of times in a season. You’re also supposed to win more than a few of these close ones. That’s a core competency that’s wafted away from Citi Field in May. It usually takes until June.
I’m past trying to figure out if this team has a chance to creep into the bloated playoff picture. I’m just trying to figure out if this team has a chance to form a handshake line between now and, say, the Fourth of July.
They probably will. Won’t they?