Not Impossible, Just Improbable
The schedule softens soon, but it won't mean anything unless Mets start scoring runs
Image credit: Chris Simon
Well, it’s getting to be about that time, isn’t it?
After the Mets’ 10th loss in 12 games to the MLB-best Giants and Dodgers over the past two weeks — their latest a 3-2 soul-crusher to San Francisco on Wednesday at Citi Field — New York fell seven games behind Atlanta in the NL East and seven back in the NL wild card.
With just 36 games left to play, the Mets will need to be elite in their on-field dealings and will need a ton of outside help to create any sort of drama down the stretch. As things stand right now, both of those things occurring seems unlikely.
Not impossible, of course. Just highly improbable.
Unfortunately, at the current juncture more of our doubt lies in the Mets’ ability to actually plate runs and win games than in Atlanta or the four teams within striking distance for the second NL wild-card spot crumbling.
We have seen more unexpected events unfold in both cases. Though, the Mets futility at the dish over the last two weeks (all season, for the most part) has all but deflated that balloon.
After leaving nine men on base in Wednesday’s loss to San Francisco, the Mets have left 95 runners on during their gauntlet-like jaunt through the top of the NL West, going 14-for-94 with runners in scoring position (.149) and a .531 OPS in those spots.
That’s not gonna play, but this is nothing new. No need to rehash the substandard performances in big spots this season that’s appeared to doom this team to an early offseason. Again.
Though, as has been the case in a painful amount of New York’s close losses this season, the Mets had their opportunities to change the narrative on Wednesday and simply couldn’t.
Taijuan Walker getting shown the door after throwing just 74 pitches over six-plus innings with just two hits on his scorecard certainly didn’t help the cause. The right-hander was cruising.
Walker undoubtedly earned the right to clean up the mess (that wasn’t even really his doing; Jonathan Villar E5, Corey Dickerson bloop single), and with plenty left in the tank and his repertoire working splendidly up until that point, a double-play safety rope was arguably within reach.
Pivoting to the impermeable Aaron Loup, who allowed his first extra-base hit of the season to a left-handed hitter in Brandon Crawford’s go-ahead two-run double, wasn’t necessarily the “wrong” move for Mets manager Luis Rojas. It just didn’t work out, as he noted after the game.
That all said, the game wasn’t lost on that decision alone. As has been discussed so many times this year, the Mets coming up empty in bonafide scoring chances remains the prime culprit.
Pete Alonso came to the plate with the bases loaded twice on Wednesday, settling for a game-tying E5 in the fifth and softly lining out to Tommy La Stella to end the game.
Can’t harp too much on that, as Alonso is in the midst of a 10-game hitting streak (.317/.378/.610) and has been one of the Mets’ more potent (and consistent) contributors this season.
Naturally, you’d certainly like to see a little more production than that with whatever remains of the team’s chances of contention hanging in the balance, but what can you do? This is baseball. It’s literally a game rooted in failure.
As for what’s ahead, the Mets finish off their series with the Giants on Thursday night before starting their 15-game stretch against the lowly Nats and Marlins on Friday. If there’s ever been a time for this team to wake up, that would be it.
Atlanta welcomes the Giants in for a three-game set this weekend then head west for three in Los Angeles. Again, friends, we’ve seen wilder things happen.
LFGM until further notice.
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