The Mets and Yankees will meet for the umpteenth time in still another Subway Series (yawn) this weekend, and was there EVER a Subway Series with less at stake? The under-performing Mets go into this latest matchup in 3rd place in the NL East while the Yankees have been even worse overall, inhabiting last place in the AL East. But given all that, it sure seems as if the Yankees are the better team.
I t would be hard to imagine a worse loss than the Mets had last night. This seemingly rudderless bunch made the big mistake again, this time losing the game on the basepaths, but it's always been something with them, either horrible relief pitching or batting slumps or just bad decisions.
All the Mets problems were accentuated last night by Billy Wagner, who wondered aloud why he was the focus of attention after a game in which he took no part. Of course, it was an entirely rhetorical question. The goats weren't around.. And it was the second time this week that Wagner has expressed his frustration with this group and its losing ways. I say "group" because they certainly don't play well as a team.
Although I'd ordinarily condemn one teammate trashing another, in this case I think Wagner is entirely justified. His first target, Oliver Perez, routinely turns wins to losses, giving about 5 innings of great pitching before blowing up. Wagner's frustration last night could have been with anyone in a blue and white uniform.
Although Delgado has had a myriad of problems and has either been mired in long slumps or has made huge mistakes in the field, Delgado can't really be blamed for last night's loss. He hit the ball right on the nose when he had to. That his hard line drive was caught wasn't so terrible. What is remarkably terrible was Willie's decision to send the runner on contact.
One run down in the 9th with just one out and you're sending the runner? It just doesn't make sense and, of course, Beltran was doubled up. Any Little League coach could have done that. It was just another example of bad baseball, making the big mistake, and making the wrong decisions in critical moments of the game.
As a Mets fan, I couldn't be happier that Willie Randolph will be re-evaluated soon. The sooner the better. He may know the game, but he doesn't act that way. He stays with players too long, he gives veterans way too much latitude, he makes horrible pitching decisions, and now, it seems he's lost touch with a good running game. What else is there? Oh, his players seem to have lost faith in him.
The Yankees, while in last place, have a couple of excuses. They’ve been playing without Arod for a couple of weeks and Posada for even longer. They’ve been trying out some new pitchers.
But they do ordinarily play good baseball. When they lose, it’s because they just couldn’t put enough hits together or their pitching wasn’t good enough. Or the balls and strikes called were ridiculous, as they have been too often this year.
So, on the one hand, we have a team with lots of talent that just seems too stupid to win versus a team that’s less talented but playing hard and just coming up short. It’ll be hard to root for the Mets under these circumstances.
Tonight, it’ll be Santana vs. Rasner, a match that should certainly favor the Mets. Even Willie hasn’t been able to make Santana play badly. Rasner looked good, though, in both his Yankees starts, pitching six full innings each time and giving up just two runs per outing. And the Yanks won both those starts.
Arod will still be out of the lineup as will Posada. That won’t make things any easier for the Yankees. The Yanks can’t be thrilled, either, that they’ll see two more lefties in Santana and Oliver Perez before getting a right-hander on Sunday in John Maine.
The Mets should win the first two of this best-of-three at least, but I wouldn’t put money on it. The Mets don’t deserve the confidence. Sure, they may take the lead but they’ll figure a way to lose it.
The Yankees have been easy to root for in their depleted state. I’ve always liked Morgan Ensberg and Alberto Gonzalez has shown a nice glove, a kid who’s trying hard, an Ensberg with a little more potential. Either Jose Molina or Chad Moeller have been adequate defensively.
While it is always an interesting Series, and I’m sure old Yankee Stadium will be rockin’, it could be a disastrous Series for the Mets if they manage to once again falter, with their best pitchers going against a Yankees lineup depleted by injuries.
While it’s technically an “away” game for the Mets, I’m sure the Mets boo birds will be out there somewhere, or maybe the Yanks fans will be smart enough to boo for them. It certainly hasn’t improved the Mets performance.
A sweep might be the best thing that could happen for the Mets, either way. If they win three, it’ll mean Willie has managed to turn things around. If they lose three, it’ll help prove Willie’s team has been, is, and will be lost for as long as Willie’s the manager.
I really hope the Mets can turn it around. Steal a base or take an extra base IN THE RIGHT SITUATION, don’t get thrown out of a game when the team needs your bat, and make all the right moves, come from behind or win a one-run game. Can these Mets NOT make the big mistake?
If momentum means anything in baseball, the odds are against them. And for Willie.
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