Bad Company

Game 133 - Mets

Phillies 11, Mets 10
Record: 73-60

Feels like a punishment to have to even consider yesterday's debacle, unearthing memories of a painful afternoon in the Bank that I'd buried by the time the momentous William & Mary vs. Delaware college football premiere kicked off. Of course, that game went swimmingly for my rooting interests as well. Bad day for the man who wears my shoes.

Whereas the Tribe simply seem overmatched and rolling downhill towards the nadir of an unfortunate era in their I-AA history, the Mets are underachieving in new and different ways on a daily basis. The enjoyment of watching the Mets has evolved into some sort of masochistic horror movie viewing; much of what you can see on SNY nowadays is cover-the-eyes material. And yet we keep watching.

Billy Wagner is not someone we've had to worry about for most of the season -- nor should we have to. It's an area in which the Mets floundered for some years, and one they addressed. Now . . . as if there were available seats on our worry-boat, we've picked up another rider. Slide on over, Utterly Pedestrian Middle Relief and First Baseman With Misplaced Swing. Suddenly Ineffective Closer is coming aboard.

Willie's getting some heat for calling upon Wagner for the two-inning save. He shouldn't. It was the right call. I was a little unhappy with him leaving Met janitor Aaron Sele in the game once mop-up time had ended when the Mets came back from five down to tie it. But Willie looked like the greatest tactician to ever enter a dugout compared to Crazy Charlie Manuel. His "decision" to walk Jose Reyes was indefensible at the time and idiotic in retrospect. I have a whole lot of confidence that he'll cost the club down the stretch, and that's the only good thing I can say about this series. Add him to the list of Charlies, Gheorghe. He's certifiable.

Off to Atlanta, where the weekend could provide more nightmarish results. But it's a mixed-up, muddled-up, shook-up game, this baseball, and there's every chance that after looking hapless against the Phillies' fourth-string rotation and Grade E bullpen, our lads will shine against the Braves' stellar arms. And if the Metmen can take two of three, the confidence comes right back.

Sounds stupid, doesn't it? It works. Sounds improbable, right? Okay, then, go ahead and tell me with any accuracy how this season is going to write its last chapter. You can't, and that's why I'll continue to tune in despite all good judgment. Sometimes in the movie theater you stop trying to figure out what's going to happen, you turn your brain off, and you sit back and watch, hoping you'll be entertained and that the ending will satisfy. Doesn't make for very insightful blogging, but that's where I am today.