I keep waiting for something positive to happen… I’m looking for a sign… An omen… Anything…
What can I say about Jon Niese? Last week against Atlanta I was so wowed by him I couldn’t stop talking about him for days on end. Now, I don’t know what to say. Seeing him serve up that grand slam to the opposing pitcher, Jason Marquis… well let’s just say I knew it was over right there and then. The whole scene reminded me of a similar critical start by Philip Humber last season. Remember that one? Anyway, seeing Jerry Manuel run out there as fast as he did sent shivers down my spine. We were going to the bullpen and we need eighteen outs. The thought of that killed me.
Later on in the game, when I saw Carlos Beltran lying on the ground and writhing in pain, I was overcome with the sudden fear that our season — the Mets season, was over. I died all over again, if only for a few minutes.
“I hit my elbow into my rib cage, and I had trouble breathing, but I’m more concerned about my knee because it’s swollen and it hurts,” Beltran said. “I don’t expect to have a day off. We’re in a situation where we have to play.”
Beltran is a warrior, but a couple of hits instead of two ill-fated strikeouts in his first two at-bats and we might have had ourselves a game…
And then there is Luis Castillo.
He has become the embodiment of all that is wrong with the Mets. Watching him hobble to first base simply nauseates me. Seeing all those ground balls elude his glove by just an inch exasperates me. Watching him swing feebly at the plate last night, absolutely killed me.
Castillo is batting .129 in September. He has more strikeouts (9) so far this season, than he has in any month in his career in the last two years.
I’m running out of lives… Three down and only six to go. I need Johan Santana to revive me and breath some life back into me.
