Mets News
The Mets.com subhead says it all: “Collins opts to sideline Cabrera as Mets gear up for lefty-heavy stretch.” Asdrubal Cabrera sat out from May 14 to the 25 with a sprained left thumb. Apparently, the Mets brought Cabrera back to the active roster when the switch-hitter was still in pain while hitting from the right side against left-handed pitching. In other words, Mets brass was so eager to shut down the “Jose Reyes can’t be the starting shortstop” meme that they disregarded the incomplete nature of Cabrera’s rehab. (But not so eager as to promote Amed Rosario before the Super 2 deadline.)
Setting aside that the Mets can’t keep anyone remotely upright, why is Terry Collins credited with the decision to send Cabrera back to the 10-day disabled list? How is the manager in charge of decisions more appropriately made by the medical staff? Does that mean Terry is also to blame for bringing Asdrubal back before he was fully healthy?
ESPN’s Keith Law recently bestowed Collins with the “Teflon Terry” moniker. He’s presiding over a team projected to win the division — or at least a wild card. Instead, it’s struggling to reach .500. You take the converse of that fact pattern — a mediocre roster contending for a playoff spot — and you’re talking about the Manager of the Year. Can we start a campaign to award Terry Collins the Bizarro Manager of the Year?
MEANWHILE, the Cubs sent 18 batters to the plate during the second and third innings. Eight of them scored. Cubs 14, Mets 3.
Punditry
Mets pitchers walked 12 Cubs and allowed five home runs. Former Mets savior Jay Bruce had the Mets’ highlight of the game when he pulled back a Kyle Schwarber eighth-inning parabola to avoid further embarrassment.
I mean, Mets *relief* pitchers batted three times last night, or three times more than Mets starter Zack Wheeler came to the plate. Think about it: The game was such a depressing blowout that not only did Wheeler get knocked out before he could come to the plate, but Collins determined it was more valuable to suffer through extended Josh Smoker and Neil Ramirez appearances than to increase the chance of a comeback by sending up real hitters. With no off-day on Thursday, I can’t say I blame him.
The contest was so unwatchable that Gary, Keith, and Ron cracked open the box of old Topps in the sixth inning. They were literally flipping through baseball cards and telling stories about the players they found throughout the game’s last three innings, Gary keeping half an eye on the action. Were you still watching in the bottom of the ninth when Neil Walker and Lucas Duda went back-to-back off Felix Pena, the very last guy in the Cubs’ bullpen? Were you watching when Jose Reyes swung and missed at a 58-foot slider for the final out?
If the guys paid to watch the game couldn’t be bothered to do so, what’s in it for the fans?
Social Media
The Mets just announced in the press box that "Yoenis Cespedes was removed because of the game situation." I've never heard that one before.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) June 14, 2017
GKR-isms
“Last night, Jacob deGrom was the first Met to throw a shutout at home since Jon Niese in 2013.” — Gary
“Tonight, Zack Wheeler was the first Met to throw 46 pitches in an inning since… Jon Niese in 2013.” — Gary
“It’s a double Jon Niese bonanza!” — Gary
Forecast
Every time fans think the Mets’ season can’t get any worse, we suffer through a 4 6 3 3 4 5 1 line from Josh Smoker, a much better performance than the one produced by the Mets’ starting pitcher. It’s the kind of performance that produces more questions than answers. Tonight, former Mets ace Matt Harvey faces glorified swingman Mike Montgomery in the series’s rubber game.
Photo Credit: Brad Penner – USA TODAY Sports