(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) via ESPN.com
R.A. Dickey was again on the mound to yet again halt a Met losing streak. Gio Gonzalez threw for Davey Johnson’s first place Nationals.
With Lucus Duda in the minors and Manny Acosta in the bullpen and Tejada riding the pine after yesterday’s take out slide, the Mets needed win in the worst way….they didn’t get it.
Scott Hairston began the bottom of the second when he reached first on an error, he later stole second. After Ike Davis and (surprise, surprise) Jason Bay struck out, Ronny Cedeno poked a ball over the first base bag that scored the first run of the game and the only Met hit until the seventh inning. The Nats got to Dickey when Zimmerman hit a double and scored on a Espinosa double later in the inning. The Met offense was asleep. The Nat offense waited until the sixth inning when Dickey gave up five straight two out hits that included a Adam LaRoche two run bomb over the Pepsi Porch. Dickey would exit the game after six innings, and despite striking out seven batters, gave up five earned runs.
Manny Acosta took over for Dickey for seventh a pitched a scoreless frame, With two outs in the seventh, Ike Davis hit the second Met hit in the and Jason Bay drew a walk but the two out magic didn’t fall from the skies as Ronny Cedeno hit a weak grounder to end the Met threat. Josh Edgin pitched a scoreless eighth striking out three even though he gave up two hits.
Jordany Valdespin set a Met record when, in the bottom of the eighth inning, he hit his 5th pinch hit home run.
And that was it as the Mets would fall to the Nats again and fall three games under .500.
20 comments
srt
7/24/2012-9:54pm at 9:54 pm (UTC -4)
This is not fun anymore.
3 hits. Blah
So glad we’ve upgraded our defense in RF with Duda sent down. And for the love of my sanity, please just bench Bay.
I want the first half Dickey back.
Only positives from this game was Spin breaking the PH HR record and the BP looked good, for a change.
I’m sure tomorrow will conclude the sweep with poor Hefner vs. Strasburg.
trs86
7/24/2012-9:59pm at 9:59 pm (UTC -4)
Well, in the words of the grounds crew from Major League II. “We’re shitty again”
Hazmet
7/24/2012-10:02pm at 10:02 pm (UTC -4)
Maybe we could sign Betty White to hit clean up.
trs86
7/24/2012-10:07pm at 10:07 pm (UTC -4)
Before or after the Snickers bar?
NJStuckinTX
7/24/2012-11:29pm at 11:29 pm (UTC -4)
Not a fun game. Hairston is still better than Duda in the OF, but Hairston certainly did his Duda impression tonight…
gategem
7/24/2012-11:33pm at 11:33 pm (UTC -4)
Joe D. over at MMO blames the present collapse on Sandy. You see Sandy could have saved the season with a trade to correct the problems in the pen. He and others like him fail to distinguish the forest from the trees. As has been discussed the Mets are a terribly flawed and limited talented team that overachieved with excellent, though tissue paper thin, starting pitching couple with a “balls to the walls” attitude. In a 162 game season talent will always win out. It’s impossible to sustain a football attitude over a long 162 game season. And when the losses start to mount the attitude eventually dissipates and without the talent to stop the slide a snowball effect takes hold. Although they’re not as bad as they seam presently they were not as good as Joe D. and others like him seem to believe the Mets were back when they were winning. Sandy took the correct path in maintain the original plan to build a solid team. My only concern is will Sandy be able to build a perennial winner in Flushing with the Wilpons as majority owners.
NJStuckinTX
7/24/2012-11:41pm at 11:41 pm (UTC -4)
Valid concern, with the Wilpons. Honestly, though, the Wilpons didn’t have a problem spending, it was who they gave the credit cards to. It’s going to take some time (ie, get the debt in order), but I can’t see them not spending again down the line. Might be with Depo as the GM and Sandy as the Commish, but it will happen. Ideally, the groundwork will be laid where the FA pickups will finally be the icing on the cake instead of filling major needs on the team.
Stick
7/24/2012-11:48pm at 11:48 pm (UTC -4)
well, hopefully at some point they start doing things to actually build this foundation. So far the Beltran trade is it. At this pace, Sandy will be getting birthday wishes from Al Roker before the Mets build a winner.
NJStuckinTX
7/24/2012-11:52pm at 11:52 pm (UTC -4)
To that, I agree. At some point, the minor league pickups and bargain purchases can’t be the culmination of the moves.
trs86
7/24/2012-11:56pm at 11:56 pm (UTC -4)
Well considering I just read on the shoutbox there a poster wishing Sandy has a stroke in his sleep tonight, the site has gone a little extreme.
I saw some today saying that they are tanking because Sandy didn’t believe in them and now they are demoralized. LOL.
So he got no credit when they were playing over their heads and all the blame when they came back down. Seems fair.
oklahoma met
7/25/2012-12:20am at 12:20 am (UTC -4)
I’m of the belief that the owner (person in charge?) of that other blog provides content that will get the majority of his readers worked up. There is no way in Hades anyone is that much of a conspiracy theorist. I think I’ve said this before so i apologize for repeating…but TRDM is THE place to visit for Mets fans and the reasons above are why I don’t visit over there. That is not a knock on anyone who frequents MMO. Hopefully no one takes it as such.
trs86
7/25/2012-12:30am at 12:30 am (UTC -4)
Thanks Okla. I hope we are still providing the content you are looking for and any suggestions are always welcome.
oklahoma met
7/25/2012-12:37am at 12:37 am (UTC -4)
This place needs it’s own version of a “shout box”. An “amicable discussion box” or some such =D
Honestly, the content here is great and the writers AND commenters are top notch! Read alot, rarely have much to say that someone else hasn’t said. Keep up the great work.
LGM
Stickguy
7/25/2012-7:39am at 7:39 am (UTC -4)
We actually have that (it is the dugout link above). Normally though people are only hanging out in there during games.
SaltyGary
7/25/2012-9:57am at 9:57 am (UTC -4)
Yea gotta hit the RDM-dugout, the link is also available in the bar below. During evening games there is a strong crew in there, stop on by.
Today’s game will probably be light since most are working but I try and stop by and whisper sweet nothings to Miss SRT if she is there
.
srt
7/25/2012-10:14am at 10:14 am (UTC -4)
HAHAHA – Laughed right out loud.
As the regulars know, I’m usually always there – even during day games. I’ll be here today to see how poor Hefner survives against Strasburg.
Stop on by!
oklahoma met
7/25/2012-10:41am at 10:41 am (UTC -4)
Well…how embarrassing. I’ve been coming here for a while and didn’t know about the Dugout. Sheesh. Thanks for the head’s up on it folks. I will give it a try. Does it have soft walls and will the carpet absorb liquid? The last couple of weeks have been a test in flight patterns of remotes and drinks during the games and I’d hate to be the party guest that trashes the place.
NJstuckinTX
7/25/2012-10:46am at 10:46 am (UTC -4)
We’ve scotch-guarded every thing, so no worries.
srt
7/25/2012-8:53am at 8:53 am (UTC -4)
Well said.
This site has always had well balanced content – which thankfully does not attract most of the lunatic fringe like some of those found over at MMO.
darknova306
7/25/2012-2:22am at 2:22 am (UTC -4)
With all my driving back and forth across the state, I’ve missed a lot of Mets games lately. Not a bad thing, I guess.
Did anyone really expect Dickey to keep up his ridiculous historic pace? Remember when Ubaldo was looking at the All-Star break like he’d hit the mid-20s in wins? Didn’t come close. The knuckleball is a very fickle pitch, even for the best. And this “two-out magic” was never anything more than a statistical oddity. Expecting it to just always happen is absurd.