Yes, Ramon De Jesus’s umpire scorecard is going to be a thing to behold. (It’ll show up here if you want to torture yourself.) The most egregious missed call was, rather obviously, the ball four on Francisco Alvarez that was called strike three, turning a bases-loaded situation for the Mets into the end of an inning. But there were others — and Adrian Johnson got into the act at first base as well, punching out Mark Vientos on a checked swing that was on the check side of swing.
It was a total ump show, and yet another exhibit in the case for taking balls and strikes away from the umpires as soon as possible, because their mistakes turn the course of games all the time, sometimes in high-profile situations that everyone squawks about but more often in smaller but real ways you have to be a student of the game to note.
But that’s been true for a long time; the missed call against Alvarez isn’t any kind of tipping point. Meanwhile, it wasn’t De Jesus who robbed Sean Manaea‘s stuff of its bite, or who threw a 2-2 meatball to Rhys Hoskins (of course it was fucking Hoskins), or who let the Brewers run wild on the bases, or who let Brice Turang score a free run on a wild pitch, or who left a sinker in the middle of the plate where momentary Met Gary Sanchez could hit it halfway across Lake Michigan.
No, various Mets did all of those things — for the second game in a row (separated by two nights of MLB nonsense), they came out flat and were thoroughly outclassed by the opposition. And there were other problems, such as Francisco Lindor returning but looking like he couldn’t get much on throws to first, or Alvarez being felled by back spasms, or Jose Iglesias — one of the few Mets who’s kept hitting — taking a ball off his ankle.
(The Padres beat the Diamondbacks, so at least that’s something.)
The vagaries of the wild-card chase mean the Mets can’t be eliminated until Monday. But the way they’re playing right now, getting to play Monday is starting to feel like a poisoned chalice. Things can change, but they need to change in a hell of a hurry.
Well, the Mets need to understand the season is 162 games. They may have a great record since June 1st, but those first two months of stench are a big part of the reason we’re in trouble.
That umpire shit started in the top of the first when he was squeezing Manaea. More than a few of those pitches are usually called strikes.
If we can win 1 out of 4, and ARIZ loses the next 2, we are in. BIG IF!
Trouble is, after that game, Lindor looks like the healthiest one out there.
Bottom of the first, of course. :(
..Things can change, but they need to change in a hell of a hurry.
By my count, things have changed in a hurry approximately 17 times already this season, so, it can happen.
But no, I’m not confident at all.
This September surge has been 95% pitching and about 5% hitting so if the pitching starts doing what it has the past couple of games . . .
I don’t know why Lindor isn’t at DH with Acuna still in the lineup at short. This makes zero sense to me.
Not sure we’ll see Alvarez very soon. Back spasms can take a little while and he has those big muscles that seized.
The nice thing is, our destiny is still in our hands – same as for AZ and Atlanta. None of this backing in or having to agonize over what someone else does – we will but we don’t need to if we just win. Now Quintana gets to pitch on how many days’ rest? I guess that’s what having 20-some straight scoreless innings gets you – a skipped start.
…and yes quintana!
i thought his stuff would have thrown the always aggressive braves off their game.
i guess mendoza thought those scoreless innings/gaudy ERA were a mirage!
Fluck all the panic!
Tonight we rise! LGM!
One can’t help but wonder if DeJesus getting hit by a ball that Alvarez missed may have resulted in the most dishonorably umpired game I have ever witnessed.
Side note – the White Sox lost. I’m hoping they win the next two. We’ll both be in the record books. They’ll have the most losses and the ’62 Mets will have the worst winning %.
Everybody wins (loses?).
Lindor as DH is a good idea.
Alonso should bat lower down in the order.
Enough already with the passed balls and wild pitches.
Yes. That one-knee catching with men on base needs to go.
yea, these have been team fiascos, but the routine passed balls! – to say nothing of his near clobbering of sevy in ATL- a negative inflection point in this late-season’s trajectory!
i *knew* that alvarez’ non-catch of (!)hoskins’ pop-up was gonna end badly…when we actually *needed* the catcher’s sometimes overly-aggressive play! and thanks pete for grounding out 3-0 with iglesias on deck!
i crashed on the couch before this was all over, woke to the post headline of catastrophic injury, but when i saw who it was, thought a breather from his play might give us a chance.
removing acuna – a big reason we’re even still in this – in favor of a completely forked JD was an inexplicable decision. lindor looked delicate from the get-go, and *his* errant throw was another negative inflection point. DH, please.
and Fk these awful umps. 100% with jason on taking these personalities out of calling pitches!
lastly: those brewers are a damn good team, even with ‘nothing’ to play for.
off the mat, mets!!
I thought we had a chance when Mendoza got tossed (with a lot of bullpen to be managed) but no such luck.
Hefner goes out to tell Mannea to throw fastballs and Hoskyns then gets all meatballs and game over.
Insane to start Lindor at SS and sit our hottest hitter. Especially to play 0-35 JD.
Maybe Alvarez, who has balloned this season, might lose a few pounds so he could catch popups at the screen and avoid grand slams. Won’t improve throwing though.
Mets must call up decent C guy from Syracuse and drop the other Alvarez.
Danny Young hasn’t gotten anyone out in the past month but he’s still here for some reason.
Yes. Acuna at SS, Lindor DH, OF = Nimmo, Bader, Taylor, Torrens at C, Iglesias at 2B, Vientos at 3B, Alonso at 1B (batting 6th, 7th?).
Let Danny Young and Ottavino sit.
This is the way.
Surprised they used Butto yesterday. To me him, Garrett, Maton and Diaz are who you use in tight games. And AFAIK Butto still can’t go back-to-back.