The Mets needed three things tonight: a much needed win, an umpire who could call strikes behind the plate consistently and a starter who could go deep into the game. Niese did his part, the umpire did his, and the Met offense waited until the ninth inning to do theirs. It was a tale of two games with two different leads and for the Mets….two different closers. However, the Mets would lose this heart-breaker.
Jon Niese was on the hill tonight to try to halt the Met losing streak. Jason Bay was back in the line up trying to recapture, yet again, some semblance of his old self. Both pitchers were dealing tonight…and it reflected in the speed of the game-done with four innings in 56 minutes. Niese had a great game only giving up a home run to Tyler Moore in the bottom of the sixth.
The Met offense almost clicked in the top of the seventh when David Wright lead off with a double and advance to third on a wild pitch. After a Scott Hairston strike out, Jason Bay had a chance to make an impact on his return off the DL…he didn’t. Bay would hit a weak fly ball to center field. Ike Davis would ground out and waste the opportunity.
The Nats would tack on another run in the bottom of the eighth before the Met offense would wake up.
And boy did it wake up.
It was the ninth inning with Tyler Clippard, the Nats closer on the mound. Josh Thole lead the game off with a single, followed by David Wright. Scott Hairston would strike out for the third time and Jordany Valdespin, who was batting for Jason Bay, would crank a video review three run home run.
But Bobby Parnell couldn’t close the game out. It was almost a done deal. The Nats put runners on the corners with only one out but Parnell struck out Tyler Moore with a wicked curve ball. He actually threw the same curve ball to Danny Espinosa but lined it up the middle scoring knotting the game at 3.
The Mets wouldn’t be denied, Daniel Murphy lead the top of the tenth with an infield hit. Murphy was bunted over but Tejada failed to advance him. Josh Thole hit a double and scored Murphy giving the Mets the lead again going into the tenth.
But it wouldn’t last.
It was Tim Byrdak’s turn to close the game out but he couldn’t do it either. He gave up a lead off single and then a booming triple to rookie Phenom Harper that would tie the game once again. Pedro Beato would come in and throw a wild pitch that would score the winning run.
16 comments
NJstuckinTX
7/17/2012-10:30pm at 10:30 pm (UTC -4)
This was just a sumation of this team. The BP blows it. Yet again. 17 or 18 losses this year by the BP? Is Anthony Young still around?
Stick
7/17/2012-10:33pm at 10:33 pm (UTC -4)
man, that sucked.
but that GB to tie it wasn’t a liner was it? I thought it was a multi-hopper right through the box?
But, I think it is time to give up on the season. getting pretty far out of it.
darknova306
7/18/2012-12:22am at 12:22 am (UTC -4)
The goal was always to end the season at or over .500, to me. A playoff run would be awesome, but ya gotta keep in mind the flaws of the team. It’ll get really bad once Santana’s shoulder starts to fatigue due to all the time off for the recovery.
Still, Mets baseball is fun regardless of their chances at a postseason birth. And fun is what sports is all about… or something. I may be druink…
Hazmet
7/17/2012-10:36pm at 10:36 pm (UTC -4)
Are we having fun yet?
What’s unfortunate is that it’s actually too late to make a trade to improve the pen. By the time they get somebody in via a trade this series will be over and they could be 9 games out. Done – Fin.
Maybe this was the plan all along so as to not have to force a trade of assets. If we stick in it great maybe we’ll do something, if we pull el foldo then no need to make a move. The time to make a move was over the all star break and they did nothing.
Disgusting.
NJstuckinTX
7/17/2012-10:46pm at 10:46 pm (UTC -4)
Byrdak, Murphy, Hairston, Familia…
srt
7/17/2012-10:56pm at 10:56 pm (UTC -4)
All reports said the trade market was stagnant. I’m assuming in large part b/c of the additional WC berth this year.
Mr North Jersey
7/17/2012-10:37pm at 10:37 pm (UTC -4)
What a punch to the gut. After coming back from 2-0 in the 9th to take a 3-2 lead then to blow it only to once again take a 4-3 lead only to blow it once more and lose 5-4.
Sigh…
Parnell, dude how is it that a guy that throws a fastball as hard as you struggles to make bats miss? I’m pulling for you but you just are not a closer. Maybe you need the Heath Bell treatment with a trip to S.D. you can be a great closer over there but here in NY you are just not cutting it.
The one guy I expected to get his batter out Byrdak vs Harper and even that doesn’t happen as Harper ropes a ball over Hairston’s head.
Sigh…
Props to Niese for finally breaking the string of bad starts with a great performance and Valdespin continues to get big hits. Don’t know if he will eventually start to be figured out and struggle similar to Capt Kirk of late but Collins you need to ride the hot bat for now.
Need to find a way to end what is now officially the longest losing streak of the season, 5 games with Young on the hill 2morrow.
LGM!
Hazmet
7/17/2012-10:40pm at 10:40 pm (UTC -4)
Young and his 84 mph fastball against Bryce Harper’s bat speed – don’t blink you might miss how fast the ball leaves the yard. BH is impressive.
Connor O'Brien
7/17/2012-10:38pm at 10:38 pm (UTC -4)
“He actually threw the same curve ball to Danny Espinosa but lined it up the middle scoring knotting the game at 3″
The pitch that Parnell threw to Espinose that he hit was a FB. I like the FB in that situation, but it has to be up and out of the zone. Can’t leave that low ball over the plate to a low ball hitter.
Also, glad to see people liked my graphic!
Other than that tonight was awful…
Mr North Jersey
7/17/2012-10:40pm at 10:40 pm (UTC -4)
Yea dude I was going to say as well that nice job on the graphic.
Connor O'Brien
7/17/2012-10:40pm at 10:40 pm (UTC -4)
End the five game streak tomorrow and start a five game winning streak. That’s what we need right now
srt
7/17/2012-10:48pm at 10:48 pm (UTC -4)
So, we finally get a quality start from one of our starters and what happens? Once again the BP blows the lead and the game. Not once, but twice.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before.
There isn’t one arm in that BP you can trust. And it’s only exposed more when the ‘closer’ is on the DL.
darknova306
7/17/2012-10:57pm at 10:57 pm (UTC -4)
Let’s not understate how important it is to at least score one run in an inning that begins with a runner on third. Three outs to bring him in, and the offense fails big time. That’s why the bullpen had its multiple chances to blow the game in the first place.
Just an awful game once the pitching duel portion ended.
Stick
7/17/2012-11:14pm at 11:14 pm (UTC -4)
my sister just texted that she was at the game. In her words, the nats kept giving it to us, but the mets just kept giving it back.
Yes, she is a nats fan (even a partial season ticket holder). Odd, since as kids, she was an obsessive Met fan, and the one that got me hooked. I guess living in DC for almost 30 years got to her.
mr mojo risin
7/17/2012-11:51pm at 11:51 pm (UTC -4)
I would love to quit smoking, but I’d have to quit watching Mets games. Maybe I’ll wait for the offseason to try again.
Stickguy
7/18/2012-8:08am at 8:08 am (UTC -4)
Lost in the shuffle here I think is Terry. He did not help matters.
I did not agree (as they were being made) with his pitching moves (a common thing!). In the 8th, Ramon gets 2 quick, clean outs. But Terry decides to yank him for Edgin. OK, so he is going OOGY happy again. But in that case, why not use his LOOGY? Then after the first guy gets on, he stops OOGYing and bingo, a 2nd run.
Then, starting the 10th with the Byrd man. Using the LOOGY vs. 2 RH batters, predictable results. I know that they were low on pitchers at that point (see the 8th inning…), but again with a lead, you have to try to win. So since he already went OOGY happy, why not start with rauch for the righties, keeping Byrd for harper?
Of course the pen guys have to get outs at some pint, but Terry IMO often does make it even more difficult than it needs to be.