postGame: Nats 12 Mets 4
The Mets (83–66) lost to the Nationals (67–83) by the score of 12 to 4 in DC tonight.
For the painful blow by blow, read Yahoo! Sports.
…it isn’t bad enough that the bullpen can’t get a batter out, but when the ball is actually put in play they can’t field it or throw it, either…now that is a bad bullpen…i mean, that’s taking-it-to-a-whole-other-level type of bad…best part about this implosion, Guillermo Mota wasn’t even a part of it…amazing…
…the bad play spread, too, and that’s what has me worried right now…i mean, up until Brian Lawrence and the Bullpen imploded, the offense had looked good, as did the defense…yesterday’s loss to the Phillies was shaping up to be a speedbump…then, slowly, as the pitchers flushed the game away, hitters started getting sloppy, outfielder’s began jogging to pop-ups, infielders booted ground balls, and throws, and coaches looked worried, and the dugout looked scared, and the all while i sat silent, pad and pen in hand, not writing, just staring at the television wishing the game would stop and magically flip back to last week when we were all full of hope and confidence instead of doubt and fear…
…and that’s the thing, that’s what i can’t stop thinking about right now, it’s that the Mets look scared, and Willie Randolph looks nervous and like he has totally lost the handle of who he is, what his team is and where they are headed…they all look confused, actually…and right now, despite the standings, they do not look like winners…in fact, again, despite their record and being in first place, etc, just looking at their faces and body language, this team appears to be 180 degrees different than it was one-year ago today…swagger has been replaced by fear…fist pumping has been replaced by shrugged shoulders…and their attitude isn’t cocky or confident, it’s chaois and paranoia…what’s worse, i feel the same way…
…as i said yesterday, i’m all for willie’s even-keel approach, even when the team is losing…but the Mets aren’t just losing right now…they’re playing like garbage…they’re losing, and they deserve to lose, and in this case, even-keel doesn’t work…some fans will say i am finally coming around, or changing my tune, etc, but that is not correct…i always feel this way, the problem is that up until now the Mets have at least performed well, they just get beat on occasion, and that’s okay…to stay steady in those situations is important and wise…but, to stay steady when looking like they have over the last two days, in the final stretch of the season, when looking just flat out bad, against bad competition, well, steady is the last thing i want…
…naturally, there will be super-emotional fans who want willie fired…tomorrow…with two weeks left and his team in first place…which is hilarious, and will not, and should not happen…obviously…but, i can understand the frustration…willie talks a lot about how this or that is a test for his team…will they respond…etc…well, this is a test for him now…i like willie, but even i am not dumb enough to ignore the obvious, which is that he has lost total control of his team right now, and appears to be throwing darts with some of his recent decisions, in the middle of small crisis…as a fan, i can tolerate a lot because i never lose sight that this is only entertainment…i can tolerate odd double switches, burning three players for one move, sticking with curious veterans, etc…but bad play and ugly actions just bug me because it makes me feel like i am wasting my time by watching…in the end, it isn’t entertaining, regardless of wins and losses…this is not to say willie can’t get it all back…actually, i believe and expect that he will…i trust his resume and philosophy and style…that being said, it’s also test time for willie, and even i have an open mind about the result…
…it’s times like these when i tell myself, ‘Ya Gotta Believe,’ but, honestly, in the face of sloppy play, a scared-looking team and bad baseball, it’s tough to believe, it’s tough to even want to believe…the thing is, i can’t help it, i do believe…it’s who i am…for every ounce of my blue-and-orange soul that fears the worst, there is another ounce that believes that the best can and will happen…but you’re testing my faith, guys; all of you, from willie right down to the last man on the roster…so, come on, you’re better than this…like my cousin would say, ‘cut the bullshit,’ and get your act together…have some self respect…i mean, do you want to win or not…the division is right there for the taking…get serious, play smart and win it already…
