Another game for the Mets that began with a pitchers duel and ended in a blowout. The Chicago Cubs tacked on runs in the eighth inning, again, en route to a 8-1 blowout and series sweep of the New York Mets.
I rarely throw commentary in this early in the game, but this game was ridiculous. I'm not going to go into all out detail as usual, because even after a few hours, I'm furious.
Nelson Figueroa was betrayed by his defense, as misplays and goofs in the field, doomed the Mets and Figueroa. He allowed three earned runs, all of which came off blunders, on seven hits through five plus innings. Figueroa walked five while striking out two.
Figueroa didn't deserve this loss. Sure he walked people, but he got out of a bunch of jams. If it was possible, the defense should be charged with the loss.
From my live blog:
"Cedeno knocks a ball the other way, down the first base line. Pagan can't make the play and boots the ball off the hop. He kicks it around against the wall in right, allowing Fukudome to come all the way around to score. Total misplay by Pagan."
"Lilly grounds one softly to second base. Delgado thinks about making a play on it, thinks better, and starts to go to first. He spies Figueroa coming over from first, who slowed down when Delgado started back to first. Delgado turns away, thinking Figueroa will make the play. Easley eventually flips to Figueroa, but not in time to get Lilly. The bases are loaded. Bonehead play by Delgado."
Scott Schoeneweis pitched 2-3 of an inning, walking one. Joe Smith also pitched 2-3 of an inning, allowing three hits and one earned run. Smith also struck out one. Pedro Feliciano appeared for the third time in a week and did not retire a batter. Jorge Sosa got rocked for the second straight day, allowing four hits, one of them a grand slam to Ronny Cedeno. Sosa let in four earned runs which put the Cubs up for good.
It looked like the Mets just gave up on this game from the pitching standpoint in the sixth inning. Sosa looked great, retiring the side with runners on in the seventh, but then came out in the eighth and just looked absolutely miserable. Another terrible play in the eighth, when the Mets played the infield in, and therefore were unable to turn a double play, which would have ended the inning. Instead, they got the out at home, and the next batter blasted a grand slam to left. Just terrible.
The Mets had chances, but didn't take advantage of them.
The only run came on a bases loaded groundout, which Mark DeRosa went for broke on, and failed. Brady Clark dinked a ball to second, which DeRosa made a diving attempt, but the ball skipped into his glove. Carlos Beltran scored on the play.
Other than that, the Mets had the bases loaded a few times, but just couldn't get the big hit. They looked terrible today, and yesterday. Both days: 5 hits, 1 run. That's just not going to cut it.
Numbers: 1: Hits picked up by Pagan, Delgado, Easley, Clark and Casanova...1: Extra base hit by the Mets (Pagan 2B)...9: Team LOB...Delgado: 1-4, 2 K...15-2: Score over two days in Chicago...Reyes, Wright, Beltran: 0-8...
Game Ball: Figueroa, I guess.
Again, sorry for the change in format/style/detail but this game was absolutely miserable. I churned out over well over 3,000 words in my live blog, and this game needed only one to really explain it: "miserable."
