Oh, No . . .

Game 114 - Mets

Padres 2, Mets 1
Record: 58-56

It's hard to be the guys who operate on the lighter side of the baseball blogosphere when something that serious happens on the field. There are no witticisms available to you after you see that play. When Mike Cameron and Carlos Beltran smash faces while diving for a low liner, all you can do is grip the nearest chair-arm, close your eyes, and will yourself to hope for the best rather than dread the worst.

That this particular line drive led to not only the horrific collision but the game-winning run for the Padres is the most literal employment of "adding insult to injury" I've seen in some time. It also adds fuel to what would have been the primary topic of today's post . . .

Memo to Tom Glavine: You will never, ever reach 300 wins pitching for the New York Mets. Time to relax that no-trade clause, because there is simply no chance of making it to that milestone as a Met. You've known since your first month in New York that the only "run support" in that clubhouse involved Robby Alomar's pantyhose and not hitters driving in runners for you. You're getting older, and those damnable umpires are squeezing your strike zone down to a nearly standard size, but even when you put together a fine outing like last night, something goes wrong. (Very, very wrong in last night's case.) 300 wins in this era is Everest, and you're nearing the peak, but right about now you have to find yourself looking down to see your sherpa has fitted you with roller skates. And if you thought you weren't getting much help before, take a look at what the Mets are probably calling a "lineup" tonight (courtesy of Jeremy Heit at MetsGeek):

Reyes, SS
Cairo, 2B
Wright, 3B
Piazza, C
Diaz, RF
Anderson, LF
Offerman, 1B
Williams, CF

[For the record, I'd like it noted I took a joke off the table that compared the pain of looking at the collision and looking at this lineup. There are some depths to which even I will not stoop.]

I failed to mention that Cliff Floyd was plunked in the kneecap, making his presence in tonight's series opener in Los Angeles unlikely as well. It just keeps getting better for the Mets, doesn't it? When you can't wait for Doug Mientkiewicz to get off the DL for his bat, times are tough. Then again, it's hard to care too much about the weekend series against L.A. when I keep thinking about that grisly impact in right-center. If just for the next few games, New York Mets, try to win some ballgames, but hey -- let's be careful out there.