Another One Bites The Dust

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April 21, 2004

The Mets blew another one last night losing 2-1 to the Expos. From what I’ve read so far this morning people are really coming down on the Mets for losing this one. While it’s true that the Expos are a team the Mets should beat the fact is that the Mets can’t win every game against them. Add in the fact that the Expos were bound to break their losing streak on this trip (8 consecutive losses going into last nights game) and I’d say it could be worse. If the Mets can win the next 2 games and finish this series winning 3 out of 4 I’d be satisfied. But for that to happen the hitting is going to have to come around.

The Mets spoiled an excellent outing by Al Leiter in which the lefty pitched 7 innings allowing 5 hits and 1 earned run. The earned run ended a personal best 29 1/3 consecutive scoreless inning streak for Leiter. When Leiter left the game for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the seventh the game was tied at one. It’s easy to blame David Weathers for the loss after he gave up a solo homer to Jose Vidro (hardly a power hitter) but that wouldn’t exactly be fair. The blame should go to the Mets hitters who are just not getting the job done. They managed just 4 hits off Expos starter Zach Day (2 in the first inning) and failed to get any hits off of relievers Luis Ayala and Rocky Biddle. In fact, Biddle threw only 6 pitches to retire the Mets in the 9th and earn his third save of the year.

It’s easy to say that it’s too early in the season to panic but you can’t be too patient even this early in the season. If you allow yourself to get into too deep of a hole in April then you’re only making you’re job tougher for later in the season. When you get pitching that is as good as last night’s pitching then the job is made relatively easy. You simply can’t waste good pitching performances like the Mets did last night. Whatever is wrong with the hitting must be fixed if the Mets are going to stay afloat in the early going this year.

Other notes:

  • The New York Post reported that Jason Phillips is upset that he has been benched in favor of Todd Zeille. I don’t blame him for being upset but there are 3 factors working against him. Firstly, he’s hitting just .175> Secondly, Zeille is hitting .320. Thirdly, the Mets as a team are not hitting very well right now. When you’re team isn’t hitting very well you have to expect the manager to go with the hot hand in an effort to spark the rest of the offense. If the rest of the team were hitting then there’s a chance that manager Art Howe would let Phillips work his way out of the slump. But right now Howe simply can’t afford that.

  • Jose Reyes took 5 at bats in an extended spring training game. He’s not yet running at full speed but is still looking toward a return next week.

  • Cliff Floyd took live batting practice yesterday for the first time since going on the DL. The timetable for his return is still uncertain.
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