The Mets 10 game win streak came to an end last night with a 5-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. The Mets looked more like the team of old rather than the team that has been so good in the prior 10 games.
We all knew the Mets were going to lose eventually, but I guess we were hoping it would happen on a night when the Phillies lost too. Instead, the Phillies beat the Marlins 4-2, and the Mets find themselves back in second place.
John Maine was horrible last night. He has really not been good all year. In his last four starts he is 0-2 with a 6.63 era. He has not won a game since the 20th of June. Look, last night he didn’t exactly get anyhelp. With two on, Jeff Keppinger hit a ball to third that David Wright could not make the play on; it was ruled an infield hit, but it was an error. The game changed there, if Wright makes that play, Maine gets out of the inning. Instead, Maine fell apart, he walked Ken Griffey Jr. with the bases loade, gave up a single to Brandon Phillips that scored two; he intentionally walked Adam Dunn but then hit Edwin Encarnacion with a pitch to walk in another run. Jerry Manual finally took him out of the game at that point. Scott Schoeneweis entered the game and got Joey Votto to ground out finally ending the inning.
Bronson Arroyo shut the Mets offense down; he allowed just two runs on four hits. The Mets did put up a two spot in the fourth inning but couldn’t do anything there after. It looked like maybe they would have a scoring chance in the top of the 7th. Carlos Beltran hit a triple to lead of the inning, Damion Easley struck out swinging, Carlos Delgado was hit by a pitch, and with runners on the corners, Fernando Tatis grounded into a double play to end the inning. Beltran had a good game last night offensively, but for the most part the bats were dead. Jose Reyes has an 0-fer going, having yet to record a hit since the all star break, it was so frustrating watching him pop the ball up all last night. Again too, it was a terrible job to have a runner on third with no outs and not get him home.
Ok, am I being a little critical? Maybe so. I knew they were going to lose a game eventually, but I hate when they play like they played last night. It is just sloppy and uninspired. I guess too I worry because you wonder if they will slip back into the mode. We’ve seen so much of that this season, and in the past 10 games it was gone, I don’t want them to become complacent. They need to keep playing with the same firing and driving force they had prior to the all star break.
If you get a chance, make sure you watch the month’s “Costas Now” on HBO. The show is a town hall setting with MLB players from different eras. It appears that it was taped the day after the all star game. Really great stuff.
The Mets will have Oliver Perez on the mound; he will be opposed by Josh Fogg. Game time is scheduled for 7:45 p.m.
