6
2011
Mets On Pace For Nearly 100 Losses
An article by 
We saw what the Mets could do a week ago. They were proficient in tacking on runs, scoring late and getting hits with two outs, and – surprise – with runners in scoring position.
However, they were also doing that against Houston, Arizona and Washington. Teams not much better than them.
Now we are seeing what they can, or should I say, can’t do against the National League’s elite arms.
They were taken down last night by Tim Lincecum. Before that it was Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. Those games also featured wasted pitching outings by Jon Niese, Chris Young and Chris Capuano.
Maybe it will get better when Jason Bay and Angel Pagan return, but their absence is really no excuse. Major league hitters must find away to manufacture runs. Even against the best, the Mets must play better than their current pace, which would net them 65 victories.
That’s good enough for last place, not much more.
As dominating as Lincecum was last night, the Mets left nine runners on base and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. They had their chances.
This isn’t a team without opportunities. This is a team not good enough to convert them.
ON DECK: Even though he is playing well, Beltran will be tough to deal.
Added to by Joe D.
All the good feelings that were spurred on by that six game winning streak are now gone as the Mets went on to lose five of their next six games and are dangerously close to getting swept this afternoon at Citi Field. The Mets are back at the bottom of the MLB heap and things look bleak again. I’m getting pretty damn tired of seeing Chin-lung Hu and Willie Harris being asked to come through in some of the most critical spots in the game only to see them fail. I think it’s time to move on from those two and if Hu was signed to be a defensive replacement, how come he hasn’t been used as one? If that continues to be the case, I’d rather call up another bat from the minors and replace those zeroes Terry Collins has had to rely on in key late inning at-bats.
About the Author: John Delcos
I am an active member of the BBWAA and have covered Major League Baseball in several capacities for over 20 years, including ten in New York working the Mets' and Yankees' beat. I covered the Baltimore Orioles for eight years and the Cleveland Indians before that. I currently serve as an editor and senior staff writer for Mets Merized Online. Follow me on Twitter @jdelcos.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 42 | 28 | .600 | - |
| Nationals | 34 | 35 | .493 | 7.5 |
| Phillies | 34 | 37 | .479 | 8.5 |
| Mets | 25 | 40 | .385 | 14.5 |
| Marlins | 22 | 47 | .319 | 19.5 |
Last updated: 06/18/2013
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Hit the nail on the head with your Hu observation Joe D.
Heck I’ve seen on mlb.tv a lot of games this season. At this point 100 losses would be a successful season for this group (not all of them) od slugs!
While we’re at it, let’s jettison Hairston too.
Agreed, we need a pichhit specialist, not defensive players that do not play or can’t hit.
But wait! According to some softball fans on this site, the Mets bench was put together by a “philosophy” or “theory” that never existed, one which (according to those guys) mean the bench is filled with a bunch of guys that can’t play defense and walk all the time. But those guys can’t be wrong, can they? They’re always right.
But Jim Mancari says when Pagan comes back, the Mets could be contenders! Who IS that guy? And how did he ever get in here?
Without a lead to protect late inning D is useless. Hu has really looked overmatched but he would be a useful part of a team that had a lead in the 8th or 9th inning.
It’s really next to impossible to build a well conceived bench when you really don’t know what your going to get from your starters. Emaus, Murphy and Turner all needed a defensive caddy and neither was considered a sure thing at 2B so the result is four middle infielders. In CF and RF Beltran wasn’t considered a sure thing back in January either and Pagan definitely needed a backup capable of playing CF so that took a bat off the bench too.
For the good of the team we certainly have to see what Beltran could get us going forward and that means a guy who can play RF, which requires some CF like skills at Citi.
I don’t see how anyone could have expected Hairston’s D to be so bad but his approach at the plate is ridiculous. Trying to hit a HR everytime up is not what a practical way to hit in the Majors, especially at home.
I’d really be in favor of just letting Murphy play 2B and Pridie as the 4th Ofer and seeing if we could replace Hairston and Turner to get some bats on the bench.
We weren’t as bad as we looked against Philly and Atlanta nor were we as good as we looked against Florida, Washington and Arizona. Somewhere in between but we have competed against Colorado, SF and Philly, just came up short a few times and failed to take advantage against Washington and Houston so if we can iron out some of the starting positions the bench might be able to be reconfigured if anyone is available.
I said before the season this team will lose close to 100 games…just imagine how many they will lose next year with no Beltran, Reyes, Wright, Pelfrey (who sucks anyway), and KRod. 115?
Traid duh coar??? Fantastic! /sarcasm
I think Collins hit the nail on the head when he said these guys strike out too much. Ike’s at-bat, with the tying run on second in the 6th, was an example of what you should do in close games with guys in scoring position. Avoid striking out. What is most exasperating about this team is the number of times they have runners on second or third with no out and fail to get them home. Players just ignore the concept of contact being good. During the winning streak, they moved them along.