Look, I’m not going to sit here and lie to you; the Mets are looking really bad right now. They lost to the Braves last night, 8-2, to drop to 8-12 on the season. This was their fifth-straight defeat, and their last 10 games have not gone well at all. In fact, some could say they’ve actually been rather awful. The Mets have won only one of those 10 games, and they had not gone 1-9 in a 10-game stretch since September 2012. Yes, those wonderful 2012 Mets. And that 1-9 skid in 2012 was actually part of a 1-12 stretch, which featured one of the worst games I can remember in my lifetime. Jeremy Hefner started that game, but never recorded an out. He gave up seven runs without retiring a single hitter. The Phillies scored eight runs in that first inning, and then seven more runs in the ninth. Terry Collins had a frustrated post-game press conference where he insinuated the team quit on him. It was the unoffical low-point of the Mets’ rebuild years.
The 2017 Mets are now in a territory they haven’t been in since then. The 2017 Mets are rivaling a team that literally had someone named Fred Lewis batting leadoff for them. Yes, things appear to be really bad right now. But I can assure you that everything is still fine. Surely the 2017 Mets are better than the 2012 Mets.
And sure, last night’s game may have seemed a lot like that 2012 game. Robert Gsellman’s first inning last night did resemble Hefner’s first inning at times. Like Hefner, Gsellman gave up five runs in the first inning before actually retiring a batter. But unlike Hefner, Gsellman worked out of the inning only giving up five runs, and not eight, because this Mets team is better than that one.
And yes, similar to the 2012 game, the Mets offense did not muster even a few runs. But in that 2012 game, the Mets offense scored only one run on three hits. In last night’s game, however, the Mets scored two runs on five hits. This team is better than that one.
And in that 2012 game, the Mets went through almost their entire bullpen, and you can see how bad the bullpen was just by the names. They were relying on young, inexperienced relief pitchers with control issues like Josh Edgin and Jeurys Familia. But now, the Mets have established, veteran relievers in their bullpen like Josh Edgin and Jeurys Familia. Again, this team is better than that one. Things are different. This is fine. The Mets are a good team, and they will turn it around. Just be patient. Everything will be okay really soon.
Gsellman’s outing last night ended in the fifth inning. He was pulled after giving up six runs (five earned) in four-plus innings with three walks and two strikeouts. His ERA is now 6.23 on the season, but he’s okay. It’s not a problem. This is a good team.
Once Gsellman left the game, the bullpen pitched mostly well, but Fernando Salas gave up two more runs in the seventh inning to make it an even eight for the Braves. In addition, I have a bone to pick with Collins for putting Jerry Blevins in for one batter in an 8-1 game in the seventh, and for leaving a hobbled Yoenis Cespedes in for the entire game. There was no need for either of those things to happen. It’s okay, though. It’s fine. Everything is going to be fine.
New York’s two runs scored on sacrifice flies, one by Neil Walker in the fifth, and one by Rene Rivera in the seventh. No cause for conern there.
The Mets have not held a lead in any game in over a week. But it’s fine. This team is going to be okay. There’s no reason to worry.
The Mets are now be four games under .500 for the first time since 2014. EVERYTHING. IS. FINE.
This is a good team, and it’s not time to panic yet. They’re supposed to be better than this, and they will be. Soon. It’s only a matter of time. Once some guys get healthy, the weather warms up, the starters pitch longer, and the offense gets going, they will become the team we all expected them to be. This is fine, everyone. I would tell you to relax, but there’s no need to, because you’re not panicking anyway. You know things will be better. They have to get better. Really, the Mets are okay.
Please be okay.
OTHER NEWS OF THE DAY
The Mets promoted utility infielder Matt Reynolds and sent Sean Gilmartin back to Triple-A Las Vegas.
Wilmer Flores has been released from the hospital and is returning to baseball activity in Port St. Lucie.
Steven Matz and Seth Lugo are also making progress in their rehab. See, things are getting better!
TODAY
The Mets have an afternoon tilt against the Braves. The game, of course, comes with some backstory, as the two starting pitchers, R.A. Dickey and Noah Syndergaard, were once traded for each other in a blockbuster deal. It’s also Dickey’s first start in Citi Field since the knuckleballer was on the Mets. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m.
Photo credit: Andy Marlin – USA Today Sports