Dreams End

So the aged Archie Graham is the 2025 Mets season.

Shoeless Joe refers to April and May.

But Archie is headed into the cornfields because of June, July, August, and especially September. 

 

Here we go...

Six games.

Tied with the Red. Diamondbacks and Giants trail closely behind.

We do not hold the tiebreak with Cincy.

Here we go.

We shouldn't be here. The Mets were a 90%-93% to make the playoffs into September. Now it says 51%, and it doesn't even feel that promising. They simply have kept losing winnable games. Starters went 3 2/3. Relievers let leads go. Hitters weren't timely. Other players didn't hit at all.

But here we go. 

You See the Luck I've Had...

Game 125 - Mets

Nationals 5, Mets 4
Record: 67-59

Follow the events:

Francisco Alvarez is getting super hot at the plate last week.

He goes for a two-bagger unadvisedly, what with him being built like John Kruk. 

He's safe! Oh, but he's hurt. 

What's worse than TOOTBLAN? SASBISTEW. Safe at second but injured so therefore even worse.

Luis Torrens, whose season has been reminiscent of the Point Break skydiving scene, is reinstated as our starting catcher.

Torrens commits an egregious catcher's interference that seems to open the flood gates in the third against a crappy Nats squad last night. 

Mets lose.

Alvarez on the IL.

Likely needs surgery.

Questionable to return for the stretch.

Cue Morrissey crooning...

♬Good times, for a change ♬

This isn't over yet, Buster. Do you read me?

Game 124 - Mets

Mets 8, Nationals 1
Record: 67-58

Sgt. Peterson and a four-pack of hostess dingers (Vientos, Baty, McNeil, and Solo-- I mean Soto) made this a rare laugher. 

Pete had one of those lost in the box nights. It happens. Still, it's been over a week since he cleared the fences and the top of the Met-tater leaderboard. How about a back-on-track night for the big guy?

Fast facts: Speaking of the Polar Bear... he leads the league in GIDP with 19.
#2 on that list? Juan Soto with 15. 

Let's take 2 more from the Nats and get going. 

LFGM

We'll Take That

Games 122 & 123 - Mets

Mets 3, Mariners 1
Mets 7, Mariners 3
Record: 66-58

And I didn't even see it coming.

The M's are a better team than the Mets, at least over the last two months. Much. And the Metsies staved them off to take the series. Lookie there.

Francisco Lindor ended his super terrible mudslide, Pete hit well, and Francisco Alvarez had really caught fire... when he hurt his thumb sliding into 2nd. Now on the IL. Bleh. 

That last bit especially hurts, because behind him stands a bucket of shit, to quote the king. I do really like Luis Torrens, but he's been rolling down the hill snowballing getting way worse -- mostly after I touted him as a hidden weapon repeatedly in the early going this season. And Hayden Senger has naked pictures of David Stearns or some other x-factor beyond skill and ability. 

Pitching is still in doubt much of the time. But wins are wins, and losable wins are highly encouraging. Of note, Nolan McLean has some killer stuff and a good first name for a pitcher. 

Fast facts: since coming to the Mets at the deadline, Cedric Mullins has a -0.3 WAR, according to Baseball-reference. Not bad compared to Ryan Helsley's -0.8. Let's go, people. Mike Bordick is not the model here. 

Off the Metmen go to the nation's capital. Watch out for the stormtroopers, ICE, and whatever's in the White House. (My old town is in shit shape.) Let's take 3 from the Nats and get going. 

LFGM

For No One

Games 121 & 122 - Mets

Braves 4, Mets 3
Mariners 11, Mets 9
Record: 64-58

Here's the sad truth... when Rob and I were in our groove . . . oh, say, late in that fateful 2004 season (fateful for the Mets in that their 71-win campaign meant the last that Art Howe would ever manage, though the Moneyball film -- fair or not, and I don't give a damn -- hammered in the final nail)... oh, geez, did you get all that? Phew.

Sorry. Case in the very point I was trying to make. My point: back then, when we were grooving, MLC was as pertinent and spunky as any of the Mets or Sox (or Mets/Sox in one crazy coincidence called East Coast Agony) blogs in a relatively new medium. Sure, we looked up to many of our peers. But we got props from a number of them along the way for what I'd label was our "clever crasshole" brand of baseball reporting. Rob captured the angst of eight decades of ultimate futility in a banner year while I force-fed myself 162 doses of Metdreck and pulled few to no punches. Candidly, I got a ton of joy when strangers from the same brutalized fan bases would laud our work. 

Later, Misery Loves Company faded into the ether about the same time that many of our mates hung 'em up. Only the strong survived.

Now, however, those strong institutions that have stood the test of time have both been rewarded by what I presume is a decent fiscal return (ad city) and elevated their games to something truly worth tuning into.

As opposed to my drivel.

For example, tonight was the 60th anniversary of the Beatles playing at Shea Stadium, and there was an appropriately light-fare tribute to that event at Citi Field. If you haven't watched footage from that night in 1965 (a textbook display of why the band quit touring to focus on record-making) or the cool doc Last Play at Shea, stop reading (you already have) and go watch something. Catnip for Marls, I assure you.

Anyway, as tonight unraveled in increasingly predictable fashion, I made my way over to a site that stands as one of the originals from our heyday: Amazin' Avenue. Far from simple reporting and bemoaning of the state of Metville, those folks deliver the same clever crasshole work we once did, but better.

Exhibit A, their parlaying of the Beatlemania at Shea into a theme, a la "Help." Here. Not bad, AA.

And that's all I have to say. Go there for better stuff.

Although... just for kicks...

Why wouldn't you go with "A Fool on the Hill" to portray every member of the Mets' pitching staff? 

I mean, that's easy pickin's. 

"Golden Slumbers" for Soto when runners are aboard. Too easy.

I don't know. It won't be long... until Mendy is yesterday. You know what we need? Something. You know what we weren't doing at the trade deadline? Fixing a hole or 6. Where are the Mets' problems? Here, there, and everywhere.

Eh. Leave it to to pros over at Amazin' Avenue. I'm so tired I'm only sleeping. 

Braves, New World

Games 119 & 120 - Mets

Mets 13, Braves 5
Braves 11, Mets 6
Record: 64-56

It's not the sad ineptitude of the Art Howe Mets of 2003. 

It's not the Great Collapse of 2007.

It's not the Great Collapse II of 2008.

It's not pre-MLC doldrums like 1977, 1981, or 1993. 

Of course it's not 1962.

But it's bad.  Lordy, it's ugly. A checklist:

• Starting pitching: good for 2-3 innings of serviceable work. Unacceptable. 
• Bullpen: [make explosion noises]
• Batting: Still mostly weak, but also untimely with no sense of clutch
• Baserunning: [cue circus music] TOOTBLAN galore!
• Fielding: [cue Bizet's Carmen]
• Situational awareness: Ha. Ha ha. Hahahahahahahahaha.

Sense that this team has the means to proceed to the postseason: Ø

Best thing about the Mets: you can make money off them! Do what I did last night; when they build a lead, best the moneyline against them. It's a winning strategy, unlike anything in Queens. 

 Last night:

Sigh.

The night before, though! Pete hit dingers 253 and 254. 

Reminiscent of the salad days of April and May. 

To quote H.I. McDunnough, I preminisce no return of the salad days.

Swatting Cobwebs, MLC Style

Afternoon, everybody, Sure is quiet here.

Well, I took July off, and nearly half of August came off with the Band-Aid. 

Last I checked in, the Mets were 48-37, fresh off a skid but with plenty in the tank. Now, it seems like the Mets are . . . in the tank. Good lord, has it gotten ugly.

The Metmen have dropped:

• 7 straight
• 11 of 12
• 31 of 49

In a lot of crazy, stupid, unlovable ways. 

Where do we go from here?  Looks like down. It seems like we will be lucky as Mets fans to see our team vie for a playoff spot. You can't have your starting pitching, relief pitching, defense, baserunning, and every aspect of hitting be lousy for a long time and think there's any other way. 

So what do we do in Mets Township? I mean, we could throw in the towel, but these Mets have earned more faith than that. Last season did that. That said, this season kind of looks like the negative image of 2024, though. And it's less fun.

No Grimace.

No OMG.

No smiles. 

Pretty dreary.

Listen up. It starts tonight. Pete sits tied with Darryl. The Braves are in town. Seems well suited for a smash to left and the Citi Field fanfare that would come with it. 

LFGP

LFGM

Just What Our Boys Needed

A smart Mets follower recently opined that the Mets needed some rest. Hard to achieve during the long slog that's the 162-game schedule, though.

What we could use...

What we really would love...

"What we need is a rainout."

And here's what happened at Citi Field:

Well done, Crash. Have some beers, boys, and we will see you tomorrow, hung over but spiritually renewed.

What If?

Games 77 through 85 - Mets

Mets 11, Phillies 4
Phillies 7, Mets 1
Braves 3, Mets 2
Braves 7, Mets 4
Mets 7, Braves 3
Mets 4, Braves 0
Pirates 9, Mets 1
Pirates 9, Mets 2
Phillies 12, Mets 1
Record: 48-37

"Yikes, what a mudslide." That's what I said the last time I checked in. 

[Which was 10 days ago. That's some super weak output here at MLC, I know. But without anyone else to share in the misery, it's really not as fun as it used to be here. I've had thoughts about jettisoning the rest of the season, and it's not just the usual summer heat apathy and too busy with fun to comment stuff. Rob's yin/yang counter with his barbs at his Sox aren't here. Marls has been a phantom. None of my other Met-lovin' friends and family have shown a sparked interest in collaborating anywhere except angry text threads. It's... eh.  I've neglected my (usually paltry) duties at Gheorghe: The Blog to focus on the Mets, but secret squirrel echo chamber Dear Diary desert island blogging has limited appeal. We'll see how it goes from here.]

Anywho... the Mets. What a shit show. 

I've had it with this stretch. We've got no runs, we've got no wins... our pitcher's heads are fallin' off! (Arms, legs, etc., actually. But still.)

Swept by the Bucs by a count of 30-4 is rather eye-opening. Bludgeoned by the worst offensive team in the league. Yipes. As Juan Soto has surged to a superhuman status that matches his contract, the rest of the team deflated. Alonso and Lindor deflated. Even the guys that were mostly limp anyway have deflated some to the point where they are utterly airless. 

But not errorless. 

Jack did you watch the series? Didn't it suck? It sucked.

Just breathe, as Eddie Vedder would sing to you. Going 3-13 in pants-wetting fashion is bad, yes. It's bad. Real bad. Very bad. But the Mets still sit 11 games over .500. A lot can happen. David Stearns' phone is probably permanent on its charger, what with all the back and forth that's likely happening. 

• Wouldn't it be great if Manaea, a signing I applauded over the winter but who has now missed more than half the season, comes back with the same vengeance that he had last year?
• Wouldn't it be great if Fragilé Senga can come back quickly and resume his role as the ace?
• Wouldn't it be great if, especially around the All-Star Break, the pen can get some rest, get healthy, and resume their level of pristine outings?
• Wouldn't it be great if Mark Vientos could remember how to hit the baseball?
• Wouldn't it be great if Huascar Brazoban could find the frickin' strike zone?
• Wouldn't it be great if... wait, is this a Keystone commercial? 

Funny, the need for bottled beer taste in a can has really been rendered moot by Dale's Pale Ale and a million others these days. 

Anyway, we can sit here and dwell on the negatives, but that would take up all our time, because there are scores of them.

I'd rather have a cold beer and focus on each and every positive with the Mets.

1. Juan Soto!
2. We're not Rockies fans!

...still drinking... still thinking...

(speaking of which, guess whom the Mets play tonight)

Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want

Games 68 through 76 - Mets

Mets 5, Nationals 0
Mets 4, Nationals 3
Rays 7, Mets 5
Rays 8, Mets 4
Rays 9, Mets 0
Braves 5, Mets 4 (10 innings)
Braves 5, Mets 0
Braves 7, Mets 1
Phillies 10, Mets 2
Record: 45-31

Okay, we can talk about it.  Yikes, what a mudslide.

The series against the Rays, I was blissfully oblivious in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Couldn't tune in, just checking scores that got worse every time I looked.

I was hopeful that the sweep wouldn't bleed into the Braves series -- one desperately critical to prevent Atlanta from generating the kind of momentum and confidence that could lead an inspirational return from the brink to contention like another NL East team did last year -- but it did. Of course it did. 

I actually did catch much of the Braves series. Tuesday night I swung by my Met-lovin' buddy Andrew's house with the Mets up 4-1 late. That went up in flames but fast. 

And it's been a dumpster fire since.

7 game losing streak.
Outscored 51-16 during that stretch.
The starting pitching, amazingly good for 2 months, is crapping out.
The pen is leaky.
Runs are still all too scarce.

Yesterday the fam and I flew up to Long Island for my cousin Teddy's wedding celebration in Amagansett. The whole family are rabid residents of Mets Township. At a cocktail party for the young newlyweds, our inner Metcircle inevitably isolated from the rest of the gathering and talked blue and orange with much chagrin.

Last night after dinner back at my uncle's house, I tuned in on my phone as the Mets were going down a pair of runs. Mind you, the SP matchup of ex-Met Zack Attack Wheeler vs. Blade Tidwell, yes his name his Blade Tidwell, was not one considered even money. But Tidwell had gotten to the 4th with no trouble. Two singles and a walk in that frame, though, sparked action in the Metpen. 

Tidwell induced a grounder to third, and Baty went for the DP... a long shot at best, and McNeil couldn't turn it fast enough. Run scoring fielder's choice for the first Phils run. Mendy then turned to Jose Castillo to lock it down, which he did right after he allowed a Brandon Marsh single to plate the second run. I announced the result to my gang, and a collective meh emanated from the group. 

But then!! In the 6th, back-to-back taters from Alonso and McNeil sucked mi familia right in. Tractor beam. 4 cousins, an uncle, my mom, and I hunkered down around the couch as I AirPlayed my AppleTV phone app onto the tube. Technology is neat.

Bottom of the sixth, the other Jose (Butto) looked dominant, expecially thanks for several egregious called strikes. Seeing the Phils Phaithphul so angry was just lovely.

♫Good times... for a change♫

And then...

Bottom of the seventh, Reed "Him and Weep" Garrett entered and did a little bit o' this:

• Marsh doubled to left.
• Turner doubled to right, Marsh scored.
• Schwarber walked.
• Bohm singled to right, Turner scored, Schwarber to third.

♫You see the luck I've had♫

Enter Justin Garza.

• Castellanos singled to center, Schwarber scored, Bohm to second.
• Kepler flied out to right, Bohm to third.
• Realmuto walked, Castellanos to second.
• Stott doubled to left, Bohm scored, Realmuto scored and Castellanos scored, Stott to third.

♫Can make a good man... bad♫

Stott's hit was really the only one crushed, but the other ones were well enough hit and simply fell in and that's more than we can say about the Metballs.

Holy Metballs, it was a disaster. On Stott's double, three runners came around to score in quick succession, nearly single file like a first-grade run to recess. Looked like Major League when Willie Mays Hayes almost caught someone as they both scored. But way, way less cool and funny.

The doom and gloom committee among the family ensued -- basically just pointing out an array of truths (Jared Young is not the answer to any question beyond "who's DFAed next?"; Lindor is in a major slide; we need Soto to mash like Leia needed Obi Wan). 

But Teddy chimed in: "I've still loved this season more than any in a very long time."

Tonight: upstart Phillie stud Mick Abel vs Griffin Canning.

Canning shuffled up is Cain (+ gnn which means nothing, a la Night Shift)

vs 

Abel

I think we know how that goes! (really stretching but we need it!)

♫Lord knows it would be the first time♫

Okay, not really, but come on!

The Fam Said It Just Right

Game 67 - Mets

Mets 5, Nationals 4 (10 innings)
Record: 43-24

Amen, cuz. 

Rocking Colorado

Games 63 through 66 - Mets

Dodgers 6, Mets 5
Mets 4, Rockies 2
Mets 8, Rockies 1
Mets 13, Rockies 5
Record: 42-24

Oh, the 2025 Colorado Rockies. What a mess. And the Mets capitalized on their messiness to sweep the season's six games against them in a 10-day span. 

You don't have search too deeply into the MLC annals or have watched this franchise for so long to conjure a Mets team would play down to the level of the opponent and drop a game or two . . . or maybe even three or four . . . against a suffering squad like the Rocks.  Hell, just searching on "Give us your tired, your poor" on this site tells you what it used to feel like. Here's one from 2004:

Game 14 - Mets
Give Us Your Tired, Your Poor, The Wretched Refuse . . . We'll Find a Way to Lose to Them

Expos 2, Mets 1
Record: 6-8

At least last year we didn't have to see the Mets play the dreadful Tigers, which no doubt would have resulted in at least one loss to one of the worst teams ever fielded. As soon as my cohort posts the inaugural Expos Watch, the Mets drop a bad one to them. Within hours. To Rob I simply say: Wow, the Red Sox are really clicking on all cylinders right now. Probably destined for one hell of a year unless some bad breaks come their way.

What a refreshing change that the Mets rolled over the league doormat this year.

The exclamation point was yesterday, as the Metbats went wild for six homers and 13 runs. Pete continues to mash (18 RBI over his last 8 games), and he and Jeff McNeil both his a pair of taters. Tylor McGill limited his standard one bad inning to 2 runs in the 5th. Paul Blackburn, off a stellar first start since coming back from injury, looked... really hittable. He managed garbage time, allowing 3 runs in 4 innings off 7 hits (4 of them for extra bases). But it never really became a concern, what with the fireworks from the Mets' lineup. 

Blackburn and Megill are two of the question marks when the discussion turns to the rotation after Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas get back to the bigs. Canning, Holmes, Peterson, and Senga all sport ERA marks under 3, which is just outstanding. We will have to see what Stearns and Mendy see as the gameplan moving forward. Great challenges to have.

The same goes with the infield (2B/3B). With McNeil killing the ball, Ronny Mauricio hitting well since his callup, Baty hanging in there despite a recent sluggish stint, and Acuña filling in here and there, it's just as well that Vientos is on the shelf. He was struggling mightily, anyway. We want Lindor's toe to heal quickly and need no additional attention (time off), but it was good when he had to take a game-plus off that we have a crew of capables ready to play.

Nats and Rays at Citi this week before we see a series with the Phlailin' Phils (dropped 5 in a row and 9 of 10) that's nestled among 7 games against the flagging Braves. That will be a proving ground, and there can be no letup now. 

LGM

Pete and Repeat

Game 62 - Mets

Mets 6, Dodgers 1
Record: 39-23

Ham and egging. That's how you go far in a 162-game slog and then some.

Some nights, the Big Three carry the load and the supporting cast gets a free ride.

Other nights, the stars flicker out, but the scrappy bottom part of the lineup steps up.

Many nights, the Metbats are mostly quelled but starting pitching goes 6 sharp and the pen doesn't leak.

And sometimes, every once in a while, the Mets manage just 4 hits (but claw out 4 walks and a pair of HBP's, plus a lovely gift of an ugly E-4) and step aside to let the venerable Peter M. Alonso, Esquire go wyld stallyn all over Dodger pitching. 

Most triumphant.

2-run tater in the 1st to set the tone. Nice. 3-run bomb to deep, deep left in the 8th to seal it. My man. 

Griffin Canning was aces: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 7 K, 0 runs. A semi-shaky Jose Castillo and a gopher ball by Ryne Stanek were rendered moot by the sheer, bodacious force of Polar Pete.

I'll say this 100 times between now and when he inks his next deal. He's fun to watch, awesome to root for, easy to get behind, and integral to this clubhouse. Also he hits colossal home runs into the night. 

Met for Life, please. That is all.

One more time. Beat L.A. 

LFGM

To Live and Die in L.A.

Game 61 - Mets

Dodgers 6, Mets 5 (10 innings)
Record: 38-23

It's super lame to go to sleep rather than stay up for barn-burners like this. And for the second straight night, I went to bed with the Mets winning and awoke to find they'd blown the lead. This time, they didn't come back and win. 

For the recap, you're best off visiting longtime aces of the Met Blogosphere at Amazin' Avenue for their take on last night's loss. Brandon Nimmo did an amusing (well, it would have been amusing) spin dance in left field as the game-winning hit dropped in 2 feet from him. Brazoban blew the lead an inning before. Max Muncy killed us again. 

Sigh... such is life playing the best offense in the bigs. On the plus side, we got our first-ever MLC post title reference to Wang Chung* out of this game.

*Okay, so I did use this reference 19 (!) years ago in a post where I conflated the Mets roster with musical acts. Rereading this, I apparently used to be a more fun blogger!

On the other plus side... Soto looks like he's warming up. And Megill, who was trash in the first inning, held fast after that and went 6. I like the pluck in this team against the mighty D Train. 

I'm going to try to stay up tonight and watch 'til the end.

(Me writing that means this is where the Mets go down 9-1 in the 3rd inning and I don't need to.)

Beat L.A. 

LGM

Stay Gold, Metsies

Game 60 - Mets

Mets 4, Dodgers 3 (10 innings)
Record: 38-22

Paul Blackburn! 5 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 3 K . . . zero runs. A fine comeback start that gives the Mets a delightful dilemma when it comes to sorting out the solid stable of starters. Good news there.

Max Kranick let the erstwhile Trolley Dodgers cut the 2-0 lead in half when Shohei Ohtani went deep to right. I think that's just gonna happen sometimes when you are dealing with a Terminator in stirrups and cleats. 

Unfortunately, Edwin Diaz, who's been -- what's beyond airtight . . . hermetic? . . . for a long while, let one get through in the 9th. Credit the best offense in baseball, and Diaz holding Ohtani to a game-tying sac fly was a victory in its way. 

Alvarez and Diaz came through with doubles in the 10th, and the Mets proved they needed that extra run. Jose 1 (Castillo) was relieved by Jose 2 (Butto), who locked it down for the last pair of outs and fielded his position incredibly well on the final play to save it. 

These are the Dodgers. They represent the best. Take this win and put it in your back pockets, boys. Now go get us another. 

Fun SNY Stat of the night: Juan Soto in 2025 gets much, much better as the game goes on. In his 1st time through the order, Soto sports the 4th-worst OPS in the league. 2nd time through, he's middle of the pack. By the time he gets to the 3rd time through the order, however, he's 2nd best in baseball. Credit his approach and his eye. (He's currently 56th in the league in OPS overall, and . . . well, we could ask for more there.)

Mark Vientos took a spill coming out of the batter's box last night. Hammy. Not good. Ronny Mauricio makes his first trip to Citi Field since 2023 due to ACL surgery. Godspeed to Vientos. In the meantime, Mauricio has sported the following OPS at each stage of the minors thus far this year:

• St. Lucie Mets: 5 games, .321 OPS
• Binghamton Rumble Ponies (actual name, has to be an S.E. Hinton reference, right?): 5 games, .402 OPS
• Syracuse Mets: 9 games, 1.382 OPS

Alrighty then. 

Beat L.A., as they were wont to say, back in the day.

L...G...M

Yo Holmes, to Bel-Air!

Games 55 through 59 - Mets

Mets 6, White Sox 4
White Sox 9, Mets 4
Mets 4, Rockies 2
Mets 8, Rockies 2
Mets 5, Rockies 3
Record: 37-22

One year ago, on June 2, 2024, the Mets sat at 24-35.
16.5 games behind the first-place Phillies.
In 4th place in the NL East, a few games worse than the Nats and a few better than the Marlins. 

As we know, those Mets then went 65-38 to qualify as a wild card team, and all hell broke loose. Grimace, OMG, Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, etc. But man, was June 2 a depressing nadir for the Mets and across all of Mets Township. 

Win the games you're supposed to, we are wont to say. Racking up losable wins is a primary ingredient in success out there. Against the 2025 Colorado Rockies, though, some days the games don't appear losable. They're 9-50. 

In fairness, it's not like the Metmen blew out the Rocks in all three games. They just did what they needed to. Heads, up, fellas, you'll need to do the same thing against them in Denver next weekend. 

Before that happens, thanks to nifty scheduling, the Mets get four (4) games at Chavez Ravine. Somebody in blue and orange must've pissed off the MLB scheduling office. Alrighty then, here we go.

This evening's tilt features Paul "Welcome" Blackburn rejoining the team. He's rehabbed from a knee injury and is tonight's starter versus L.A. RHP Dustin May. Another arm into the mix. He's got a much higher bar to meet in the rotation than he did a year ago. 

The book on Blackburn, at least based on his lone season as a Met (and not his 8 years in Oaktown), is that he's terrific against lefties but against righties... they hit it very much, to butcher Pedro Cerrano. Will Smith may be telling some of Blackburn's offerings "smell ya later." 

Yep. Terrible. 

LGM

Your 33.3% Report Card

One-third of the Mets' 2025 season is in the books. It's as good a time as any to stop, breathe, reflect, and take stock of where we are.

For example, to know that we are officially 33% of the way through this slog is to fallibly project that Juan Soto’s 1.6 WAR thus far tracks to 4.8 over the course of the season. That number would be the lowest since his rookie year, and the lowest per-game-played of his career. Huh.

It's also the second-highest in the NYM lineup, a hair behind the April power/May showers Pete Alonso. Huh again. More time is needed for Soto to really get into his groove, I guess, but a pro-rated $17 million for output to-date hasn’t drawn big smiles.  

As it was with the first check-up, the Mets' starters -- even minus Manaea and Montas, amazingly -- continue to be Steady Eddies. The pen is mostly airtight. 

The hitting... yeow. Of late, every run seems to be a rare treasure, something our guys labor to scratch across. Whither the days of Vientos, McNeil, Nimmo, and Alvarez smashing balls out to complement Lindor and Alonso? 

And the team hasn’t been... clutch. Now, that’s a term that some people equate to Sasquatch or the non-coaster Loch Ness Monster. Hard to know if the Mets are just players who tighten up in big spots these days, but that's additionally hard to believe after the Fall of ’24. 

We just need some collective cosmic change in Citi to make this analogy work:

Mets are to RISP
as
Talking Heads are to RISD

Nope, that doesn’t work. Not at all. 

Which brings us to our own 33.3% performance eval here at MLC.

The Stats

Posts since Re-launch March 27: 31
Days since Re-launch: March 27: 61
Days per Post: 2

Games Played: 54
Games Per Post: 1.74

Posts per MLC Staffer
Whitney: 59
Marls 2:
Unnamed Other Blogger: 0

All in all, I'd say the MLC output of the past 2 months has been 4/5 Exceeds Expectations.

The cleverness is at times not quite there, but the silliness is. Our attention to the team and its games is very high, and our understanding of what's going well and less so feels on the mark. 

So far it hasn't been a reboot as great as the Jack Ryan series from a couple of years ago, but it's been better than the stab at Magnum, P.I. Maybe mostly like The Kids in the Hall. Goofy, weird, not quite there, not quite all there.

Mainly people miss Rob and the juxtaposition of two teams and fan bases in vastly different places. And the expected coming-out party for Marls has been endless waiting. 

On we go to the middle bits. 

LFGM

The Gospel According to Ebby Calvin

Games 51 through 54 - Mets

Dodgers 7, Mets 5
Mets 5, Dodgers 2
Mets 3, Dodgers 1
Mets 2, White Sox 1
Record: 33-21

Quick and dirty to start the work week after a holiday weekend. 

Friday's loss against the Dodgers was lost in a blur for me. See "holiday weekend" above. Moving on. 

Saturday I was in Richmond along with the fam for my stepson's travel baseball tournament. (One of one million.) Watching late Saturday night with some baseball fans (non-Mets fans), the Metsies pulled it out.

Sunday I returned after the travel baseball tourney victory (and there was much rejoicing) to catch the end of the series win over L.A. Solid.

Yesterday I caught the last few innings of a game that the Mets seemed poised to upchuck against a lousy club. Our Lads did what they needed to do to eke it out. 

Here's how I feel about the past few nights of Metball:

Profound, I am. 

The Phillies, meanwhile, feasted on a juicy schedule of ChiSox and Rockies last week. They play the Rocks (possibly the worst team ever) 7 times, whereas the Mets only get a shot at them 6. 

No worries, though, it evens out. The Mets have the Dodgers on the schedule 7 times while the Phillies, NL East Division winners in 2024) only get to play them 6. 

Wait, what? Okay, fine. 

Press on and keep winnin'. It's like better'n losin'. 

Long May You Run, Metsies

Game 50 - Mets

Mets 5, Red Sox 1
Record: 30-20

I wagered against my favorite team again last night. I don't feel great about it, but as our friend Dave digs lightly into the phenomenon of betting against your emotional interests -- something ex-MLCer Rob called "psychic hedging," it's a coping mechanism.

Save for a Lindor blast in the 9th, I would have had it exactly... backwards. As Willy Wonka would've put it:

Tylor McGill fanned 10 Sox. In four and a third! Half the batters he faced. It was only a couple of bad breaks in the 5th -- an inning that gets him consistently, which ain't great -- that ruined it for him. Nubbers and grounds just to the right spot, squeezed on a pitch or two. Such is life on the diamond, and he hit the showers in Frame 5 again. But a stalwart outing. 

And Huascar Race Brazoban came in and locked it down. Reed Garrett did his usual "did I make you nervous?" routine while shutting the Sox out in the 8th, and Diaz issued a leadoff walk for consistency before closing it out. 

Meanwhile, Garrett Crochet stitched together a nice looking five-plus innings himself. He left with the game tied at 1, and Liam Hendriks struck out Alonso and Vientos to round out the 6th. That was good Liam.

Fortunately for our camp, bad Liam came out for the 7th. 

Luis Torrens, who'd doubled in a run-scoring 2nd inning earlier, singled to lead off. Torrens is the catalyst, I'm telling you. Más Luis, por favor. No offense, Francisco Alvarez. Well, maybe.

After a Ty Taylor hit and an Acuña infield single, the stage was set for Brett Baty. Again. (He'd singled in one, almost two, in the 2nd.)

The Brett Baty of April would have been helpless, helpless, helpless, but as Neil Young would sing about Baty, "All [his] changes were there." 

Baty came through with another run-scoring single, this time for the deuce. Baty!

He's also made some damn fine plays in the field, meaning Mark Vientos will spend more time at DH. Pete has rebounded from a few games of utter glovedreck with some nice work at first, so he's not jockeying for time there just yet.

Starting pitching is still humming 

Bullpen back under control

This summer Mantos is coming

Manaea, too, get ready to roll

Gotta get down to it

Okay, enough Neil. Except to say to the New York Mets, with a day off and the might Dodgers coming to town tomorrow...

Am I lying to you when I say

That I believe in you?

I believe in you.

Cue the bludgeoning... And yeah, I might still bet against you. But I believe in you. 

LFGM

Step 3: Profit

Game 49 - Mets

Red Sox 2, Mets 0
Record: 29-20

More pictures. You slump, I slump, Metsies.

Not a huge wager, but I think there will be more of these to come. Monetizing fandom irritation.

What a douche.

Hey, Marls, I hear that misery loves company....

Illustrating My Point

Game 48 - Mets

Red Sox 3, Mets 1
Record: 29-19

A post in pictures . . . about numbers.

This Weeknight in Baseball (h/t Mel Allen) T.W.I.B. Notes:

• Pete smashed one that hit just feet below the top of the Monster. Paused out of the box just a touch, tried for 2, gunned very easily.
• Soto smashed one off the Monster, began his HR trot, got a single when he could've had a double. Now, he did then steal second, but you just can't be doing that when you're pressing. Channel Charlie Hustle. 
• 3 critical GIDP's by the Metmen. Nimmo, Soto, Alvarez. Two of them with a pair of runners aboard, one of them in the 9th inning to quash the limited remaining hope. 
• Nimmo and Vientos are still batting blindfolded.
• McNeil is looking sharp at the plate. Move him up in the order. 
• Last night we saw some of the worst stuff Senga has sported, but he gutted out 6 innings admirably. 
• Team José (new LHP acquisition Castillo & old RHP target Buttó) kept the Mets where their late-inning stunted hitting really hurt. Well done, Josés. 

In other news, Marls and I launched a new era of 2025 MetWatching: gambling against the Mets. 

I won $12 on an Alonso whiff and predicting 3 Up 3 Down in the top of the 8th. (It should be noted that it was the 2-3-4 in the Mets' order.)

If you're going to be uncannily inept in the most important spots -- to the point of predictability, we might as well make a few bucks for our misery. Stay tuned.

LFGM$

Red Sox Nation, We Need a Favor

Games 43 through 47 - Mets

Mets 4, Pirates 3
Pirates 4, Mets 0
Yankees 6, Mets 2
Mets 3, Yankees 2
Yankees 8, Mets 2
Record: 29-18

A weekend in Nashville, Tennessee attending a friend's son's bar mitzvah -- which means that my Metwatching was minimized. Just as well.

I did follow along and catch a bit of Saturday's win over the Yanks whilst taking in several bands and many more beers on Broadway in Nashville. A fun day made more fun.

Last night, however, I was back to soaking in every pitch, and... well...

For seven and a half innings of play, the intracity enemies were neck and neck. The Mets didn't look incredibly sharp, but they were hanging in there thanks to another solid start from David Peterson. 6 innings, 2 runs, one earned - thanks to Mark Vientos on the first play that the Mets fielded last night. 

Pete Alonso chipped in another defensive gaffe when he threw away (way away) a throw to the plate in the 8th. Dear lord. Meanwhile, his plate struggles continue. 0-for-4, 2 K's again. 

Ryne Stanek dropped the "e" once again. Very stank last night, despite throwing many pitches over 100mph. They just sailed high and wide too often, and when they didn't, they all looked the same. The dude could be dominant if he could control it a wee bit better and added something offspeed (and effective) to the repertoire. For now, he's lost 4 games and seems to let us down.

And then offseason signee Génesis Cabrera came in and gave up a grand slam. 8-2, representing the last chapter of this game. 

April was bliss. The salad days. 22-11.

May has not been an abject disaster, but it's been disappointing given where we were. 7-7 so far. 

Phillies a half-game out. Braves right behind them, as I have said they would be. 

Off to Boston to take on the 23-25 Red Sox. Rob, very sorry, but we need the Mets to win this one. 

LFGM

A Tale of Two Citi Plays

Game 42 - Mets

Mets 4, Pirates 3
Record: 27-15

Last night came down, in small part, to a juxtaposition. The same play, twice. Sort of.

The Play, Part I

With the scored tied 1-1 in the top of the 5th, Pirates second baseman Jared Triolo doubled to left. After a groundout (in which Brett Baty made a heck of a play), Ke'Bryan Hayes hit a grounder 'twixt 3B and SS. 

Brett Baty then made a heck of a bad play, neutralizing the path of the ball with his glove just enough that it caromed away from Lindor and dribbled meekly into short left, where it came to rest gently on the Citi grass -- grass as green as the green light that Triolo had to race home with the go-ahead run. 

So Triolo rounded third and had a clear path for the plate. 

But then he hesitated,
and then he looked back,
and then he stopped. 

Your hesitation has betrayed you, you could hear bellowing from the heavens. Or at least from Gary and Ron, who were besides themselves with gratitude that Triolo didn't capitalize on the botched fielding. 

David Peterson then induced a strikeout to end the inning harmlessly. 

The Play, Part II

With the Mets down 2-1 (thanks in part to a really dumb Butto disengagement violation) in the bottom of the 7th, Tyrone Taylor took a pitch off his foot and moved to third on a single by Acuña. After a Lindor whiff, Soto stepped up and mightily swatted a dribbler that nearly made it to first base down the line. The Bucs' 1B snagged the ball and took the out. Taylor darted home with the tying run, and Acuña went to second. Two down with Pete at the plate, who laced a sharp grounder to 3B.  

Hayes, the Pirates third baseman, then neutralized the path of the ball with his glove just enough that it caromed away and dribbled meekly into short left, where it came to rest gently on the Citi grass -- grass as green as the green light that Acuña had to race home with the go-ahead run. 

So Acuña rounded third and had a clear path for the plate. 

But then he hesitated,
and then he looked back,
and then turned and sprinted home!

The throw came in, and it was bang-bang, but Acuña was safe, even after a challenge. 3-2, Mets!

Your hesitation has betrayed you, but you are very, very fast... nice recovery, dude, the voice could be heard to say. 

Eerily similar play, with two results from two teams. 

And then the Mets coasted easily to... wait, what???

After Brandon Nimmo pulled a would-be tater back over the wall to save a run in the 8th, Huascar Brazoban came on the close it out in the 9th. 

• A groundball up the middle got through because Brazoban "fell off the mound and didn't field his position" (Ron's words). Come on.
• Lindor booted a routine grounder. Dear lord.
• Acuña at the hot corner (hotter when the infield is in), he misplays one as the tying run scampers home. Son of a...
• A nice 4-6-3 to curb the damage doesn't totally redeem the shoddy Mets' defense.

And so, the Metbats go back to work, bottom 9. With one out:

• Lindor hits a groundball up the middle, it got through because it hit the bag and scooted under the glove. 
• Then Soto knocks a solid single to right that gets Lindor to 3rd.
• Walk Pete to load them up, right?
• No?
• Why not?
• We've been over this before.
• Walk the top 3 guys and get everyone else out.
• No?
• Okay then.
• Pete hits a sac fly, Mets win, Pirates lose.

"Ugly but I'll take it" was a Marls textquip applying to an earlier inning of subpar pitching and defense. It applies to this game on the whole. 

Beating the Pirates with Paul Skenes on the hill is substantially more challenging than on other days. Mets clawed it out and won a losable one. Keep on truckin'.

And maybe take a few extra grounders this afternoon. 

Weekend Bookend

Games 39 through 41 - Mets

Mets 7, Cubs 2
Cubs 6, Mets 5
Mets 6, Cubs 2
Record: 26-15

A weekend in Columbia, South Carolina watching my younger daughter wrap up her undergraduate studies in fine form -- which means that my Metwatching was minimized. Pity, as the gang played well.

Weekend Takeaways:

• Clay Holmes and Griffin Canning contributed stellar starts to bookend the series. Each went 6, allowing 1 ER, fanning 5, and keeping runners off the bases for the most part. 
• The jam in the starting pitching sandwich was Tylor McGill, and it was gooey. 4 ER in 4+ innings of work. His ERA still sits at just 3.10. Shake it off, dude.
• Here's who homered this weekend for the Metmen:
• Francisco Lindor (2)
• Juan Soto
• Brandon Nimmo
• Mark Vientos
• Jeff McNeil
• Brett Baty (3) (!) (!) (!)
• B R E T T  B A T Y ! ! !
• Baty hit 2 dingers, knocking in 5, in Saturday's game. Wasn't enough to win the game, as Baty looked the part of Eric Idle saying "There is only me, sir."

• But still. New life in the Baty bat. Highly appreciated in the Township. 

Who's missing from that HR list?

• Well... Polar Pete has gone cold. Not Arctic, ahem, but chilly. He was 3-13 with 2 doubles and no walks on the weekend. 
• He's 3 for his last 21 with an OPS of .429. Brrrr.
• It was bound to happen, as white hot as he had been. But let's relight the Alonso fire soon.

Other takeaways include the bullpen executing at B+/A- levels. Stanek has re-added the e to his name, Diaz looks to be gaining momentum, and Dedniel Nunez reduced his ERA from a zillion to 40.50. Kranick and Garrett were porous at times (walks kill), but not dumpster-fire bad. 

And finally, here's to Luis Torrens, who shook off his "Warning Track Power" moniker to hit one off the wall (getting there!) for a triple yesterday afternoon, then took a foul tip off his... tip, and lay face down and motionless for a very long time. It always leads the booth to issue sympathetic groans and deal in obvious euphemisms. (Gary: "It hit him in a very bad spot.") Sounds like he's okay. Phew. 

2 of 3 from the 1st place Cubs. We will take it. Pirates heading into town now. Don't take them for granted, and maybe let's rev some engines in a sweep before leaving for Yankee Stadium and Fenway? Just an idea.  

The Mets are only up a game and a half on the Phils. And the Braves, despite losing one to the Bucs yesterday, are slowly building momentum. They will be there when the season comes down the stretch. Bank on it. Both these teams are among the best in MLB. Your Mets have to keep plugging away. 

LFGM

It's a Simple Message and I'm Leaving Out the Whistles and Bells

Games 37 & 38 - Mets

Diamondbacks 5, Mets 1
Mets 7, Diamondbacks 1
Record: 24-14

The wheels on the bus go round and round, so I used to hear ad infinitum 20 years ago. Just as it goes with the Metbus.

Ah, yes. This is familiar. I'm now remembering the teeter-totter, tug-of-war, carousel, name your playground activity of choice as it relates to the ups, downs, and revolutions of Metplay and the damn near schizophrenic reactions by Mets Township and baseball fans everywhere.

162 games. It's a slog. We look for trends developing, good or bad. But a baseball game is a much smaller entity than a microcosm.

All of this blather is to say that after Tuesday night's game, I was reasonably sure the wheels on the Metcart were loosening quickly. The rotation was drifting away from the stellar start to the season. The pen was banged up and showing cracks. Other teams began taking my unfortunately shared advice and walking the first 3 Mets in the lineup and getting everyone else out. The end is nigh. 

Hyperbole. Overreaction. Putting too fine a point on it. 

After yesterday afternoon's game, all is well! Everyone's hitting (except Brett Baty, natch)! Soto is finally on a tear! Senga is super sharp, the pen is still great.

Hyperbole. Overreaction. Say I'm the only be in your bonnet. Speaking of which...

 

Anyway, we can breathe after yesterday. Breathe and prep for: 

• a homestand that features the Cubs (tough) and Pirates (don't choke, dudes)
• trips to the Bronx and Boston (yikes)
• hosting the Dodgers, stacked to the rafters and sporting the best record in baseball (voof)

So stop overreacting, Whitney and Townshippers, and let's go get some wins. We're good enough, we're smart enough, and doggone it, people like us.

LFGM

The Pete and Francisco Light Show Continues...

Game 36 - Mets

Mets 5, Diamondbacks 4
Record: 23-13

Whew. This one got interesting. 

I tuned in with the Mets down 1-0 early, thanks to a Corbin Carroll dinger on the second pitch Griffin Canning hurled last night. Suboptimal, as Marls would say. 

The Metsies squandered one in the 3rd. Tyrone Taylor, who's caught a little bit of fire in the last few games, smacked one into the triple-gap in right-center at Chase Field and took 3 with one out. Lindor followed with a meek pop to shallow right, and Taylor ill-advisedly tried to tag up. Wasn't even close, Carroll gunned him cleanly. Dammit.

An inning later, after a 4-pitch Soto walk, the Polar Bear unloaded on a Ryne Nelson offering and deposited it deep, deep in the seats. 

Watermelon, watermelon, watermelon, Ryne. 
Look at the scoreboard and see who's behind.
You!

2-1, Mets. I'll confess I dozed off during the later innings. (Looks like Marls stayed up for it!) 

Turns out...

Lindor smacked a 3-run jack in Top 7 to give the Mets a comfortable* 5-1 lead.  

*Ha. Ha ha. Ha ha ha.

While Brazoban looked back on track in a harmless 7th, the 8th saw the season advent of "Better Off" Dedniel Núñez, a highly effective bullpen asset from 2024. Last night was rust, we sure hope. 

Núñez threw exactly six pitches to three ARZ batsmen. Two strikes and four balls each. Full count every time, and in each instance, he lost him. Bases loaded in a flash. Whoops.

Reed Garrett came in and threw a bit of kerosene on the campfire before snuffing it out. One K, 2 singles that scored all three of Núñez's walkees, another K, and a foulout. 5-4. 

Collar... tightening...

After a meager 9th for the Metbats, Edwin Díaz, the once and future king of the closeout, entered. 

Pete Alonso's 1st batter error made things even tighter for the Mets, but Alvarez gunning Alek Thomas at second on an attempted steal mitigated it. Nice. One flyout and a 3-pitch strikeout later... Mets win.

Losable win. Striking back at the D-backs. More of this, please. 

Beat Me in St. Louis

Games 33 through 35 - Mets

Mets 9, Cardinals 3
Cardinals 6, Mets 5
Cardinals 5, Mets 4
Record: 22-13

My pep talk seemed to work! For one whole game.

Well, this fall back to earth was scheduled to happen. After sweeping the Cards -- not one of the league's top squads -- at home two weeks earlier, the Mets won Friday night in St. Louis by a large margin . . . and then let both ends of Sunday's rain-induced doubleheader slip away. 

Yesterday they began poorly -- spot starter Blade Tidwell tidpoorly, allowing 6 earned through 3+. That number held up despite a late surge by the Metbats. 

Of note:
Team LOB --  12
Team RISP --  3-15

In Game 2, Tylor McGill wasn't as dialed in as he's been thus far this season, allowing 4 through 5. A 4-run 3rd inning by the Mets meant that things were squared as the bullpens . . . uh, squared off.

The Cardinals' starter, Andre Pallante, absolutely labored through 3⅓ innings. He had a bit of luck in that a few of the Mets' smashed balls went right at guys, sometimes for double plays. As it was, he gave up 9 hits and 4 walks in that abbreviated start. Just 4 runs, though, as the Mets continued their unwelcome trend of abandoning baserunners at an alarming rate. 

Mike McGreevy, a tall, young (24) pitcher with major upside, came in with the bases loaded in the 4th and shut the Mets down. For the rest of the game. Max Kranick, who lately has been like Obi-Wan (our only hope), allowed a single to Yohel Pozo and a double to Victor Scott II that scored Pozo from first.

...which is saying something. Pozo is 27 and built like Chris Farley at 27, trudging 'round the sacks at a pace not suited for the extra base. There seemed to be some cutoff miscommunication on the throw back in, however, and no relay was made homeward. The Metmen need to hone our work on the little things.  

5-4. And so it went.

Of note:
Team LOB --  10
Team RISP --  3-11

NB: squandering opportunities like that leads to winnable losses. It just does. Starting pitching is suddenly shaky, and the pen isn't exactly watertight with a pair of Mets on the IL and others starting to show signs of hittability. 

Of note:
AJ Minter and Danny Young are now both on the 60-day IL, both likely out for the season. Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea are still a ways away from reemerging. Jesse Winker flew east instead of west to get his oblique checked out. Mets futures took a major dip with all this news. Look out. 

The Mets took the late flight to Phoenix. I've encouraged my daughter to go to a game out there. Let's hope I don't ruin one of her nights out. 

Today's Guests: Phil Collins, Larry Hockett, Ty Webb, and The Hollywood Shuffle

Game 32 - Mets

Diamondbacks 4, Mets 2
Record: 21-11

21-11.

How'd we ever win 21 . . . Larry?

It's a miracle.

Crud afternooner that saw Juan Soto finally clear the Citi Field fences . . . twice . . . but nobody was on for him and nobody knocked any more runs in. 

Senga went 4+, got into a jam, and was pulled. He gave up a run in the 4th on a(nother) Jeff McNeil error. Keep it up, buddy, and MLC will begin issuing the McNeil Error Report. That joke works better on the audio feed of MLC.

Senga got into trouble in the 3rd and 4th, and then in the 5th, Mendy had had enough. So Max Kranick, one of the few bullpenners who hasn't been leaky of late, came in to save the day. He allowed a sac fly to give the D-backs the 2-0 lead and induced an inning-ending groundout.

Kranick's subsequent airtight 6th was followed by Soto's first shot. 2-1! Yeah, well, Max was brought back out for the 7th, and that's when Geraldo "One Tater" Perdomo took him deep to once again push the Mets 2 down. Drat.

Top 8 featured Reed Garrett, another of the relief arms still locked in. 3 up, 3 down, 2 K's. Nice. 

Garrett's airtight 8th was followed by Soto's second shot. 3-2! Yeah, well, Reed was brought back out for the 7th, and that's when Tim Tawa "of Pawa" took him deep to once again push the Mets 2 down. Drat².

With 7-8-9 up in the bottom of the final frame, it was a different brand of excitement that was generated than in last night's barnburner. The "not, nothing, none of the above" kind of excitement. 1-2-3.  Sigh.

Nota Bene: The best good chance the Mets had was in the 8th. After Soto Solo Part Deux, Alonso walked (now back to the playbook, Arizona) and Winker doubled. 

Winky Dinky Dog!

Up strolled Mark Vientos next. yes, the same Mark Vientos that struck out last night with the chance to give the Mets a lead with a single. 

Redemption? No, not today. Cue the Phil Collins.

Well, would you say if I was wasting my time?
Did I miss again?
I think I missed again, uh huh
Oh, I missed again, oh oh
I think I missed again, uh huh

The whiff. Next up... Nimmo did the same shit. Hey, Brandon, 111 AB's in, an OBP of .258... it's not... it's not good, as Ty Webb would say. 

Alrighty then. Buck up, for the Cubbies are coming for us. 

Stat earlier this week emphasized that most of the Met's opponents thus far are sub-.500. Over the next fortnight, we have Cubs, Yanks, BoSox on the slate. Proving grounds of sorts. Let's show the doubters! Even me.

How to Beat the Mets, Vol. I

Games 29 through 31 - Mets

Mets 19, Nationals 5
Mets 8, Diamondbacks 3
Diamondbacks 4, Mets 3
Record: 21-10

The lambasting I doled out to the Mets and myself last go-around seemed to reverse the bad mojo I'd enacted by heaping too much praise. I won't make the same mistake again soon. 

In fact, immediately after I began fixating on the things that aren't going swimmingly in Metville, the boys in blue 'n' orange went ballistic on Los Nacionales. 19-5, with 9 RBI coming from Brandon Nimmo. And it wasn't even that close.

The Metbats continued to pound the ball in the first game of the series with Arizona. Pete, Frankie, and old, old friend Starling went deep and it was over by the 3rd inning. Ha! Almost fell for that one, didn't you. What do you take me for? We blew a huge lead a week ago in much the same scenario.

This go-around the Met arms held fast and locked in a solid win. 

Then, last night's game. I tuned in with the Mets up 1-0 on a Mark Vientos tater. The good news was that I would get to see Vientos come to the plate three more times, mostly with runners aboard in key spots, and he fanned twice and GIDPed once. Nifty, Mark.

Ultimately, our lads didn't have quite enough juice last night. In our inaugural go at Misery Loves Company, Rob had to endure a long Sox tenure of [loud voice announcing] Closer by Committee. It wasn't great, and eventually they settled into the cadence of Timlin in the 8th / Williamson in the 9th that Grady Little used, until he didn't. 

Well, for the second time in a month, the 2025 Mets used Starter by Committee. And for the second time, it went all right! Huascar Brazoban pitched two nearly flawless frames, and Syracuse call-up Brandon Waddell threw four brilliant, scoreless innings. 6 innings of shutout ball! Not bad.

Enter Ryne Stanek. For the third straight Stan(e)k outing, he entered with the lead and left with a deficit. 3 losses. 3 blown saves. 1.1 IP over the last week. 7 H, 1 BB, 0 K, 5 ER. 

I think we need a Plan B on set-up man. 

The key seems to be, watching him go at this in vain, that he can't get that 3rd strike. He throws strikes. He gets guys 0-2, 1-2. Just no K's. In his first 8 appearances, he had 10 strikeouts. None since. 

As such, he lets hitters repeatedly just get a piece and stay alive, leaving the door open to eventually knocking one into fair territory. Danny Young joined AJ Minter on the IL. Smells like trouble in Bullpen City for the Mets. Right now, we just need someone who can put batters away. 

Someone like Chris Devenski, you, say? No, not Chris Devenski. The 34-year-old journeyman reliever took the hill for the 8th, with the Mets down 2-1 because of the Ryne-stone Cowboy. 8th went swimmingly, 9th went like someone let a gator into the swimmin' hole. The D-backs tacked on 2 more, meaning when the Mets' top of the lineup in the bottom of the 9th got going -- and because we gave up 2 more runs, you knew they would -- it would be maddening. 

Arizona stud closer Justin Martinez had a very, very off night. He gave up a leadoff bomb to Tyrone Taylor, of course. And then walked Lindor and Soto. He didn't record an out. Would've been wonderful for our gang in a tighter game. 

Here's the thing. The way that the Mets lineup has gone in early 2025...

...in case you need a reminder it's like this in my stream of consciousness brain dump...

• Alonso WOW
• Lindor nearly as WOW
• Soto soso but it's him so okay
• everybody else about a .500-.650 OPS occasional swat mostly scuffling all the time thanks guys

...well, then... why on earth wouldn't you just walk those 3 fearsome hitters and get to the E Street Scuffle?

Yep. That's what Arizona did. They walked Pete to make it 3 in a row.

Vientos whiffed. Winker hit one off his foot for a run-scoring groundout (replay doesn't cover this, for some dumb reason). They intentionally walked Jeff McNeil for platoon reasons (and maybe because he's been hitting well since his return). 

Alvarez hit a routine grounder to third. Ballgame. Winnable loss. Eh.

I fear we've established a cheat code to beat the Mets. Pete Alonso has 23 walks and counting (3 last night). Soto also has 23 walks. 

Vientos, hitting in the 4-spot most of the time, has 23 strikeouts. Coincidence????????

Okay, he has 24 K's. But still....