June 29, 2009, New York Mets swept in Subway Series story for Metro NY Newspaper
Back to the drawing board
Mets search for answers after Yankees complete the sweep
MLB.
Two moments, brief and fleeting, encapsulated a weekend the Mets would rather forget.
In the first inning of what eventually last night's 4-2 loss, first baseman Daniel Murphy tried to throw out Derek Jeter at third basel. Instead of the taking the sure out at first, Murphy’s throw was late and the Yankees had runners on the corners. Three batters and two runs later, Murphy dropped a throw from Alex Cora that could have led to a double play.
A fitting way to perform in the Subway Series finale.
In every conceivable way throughout their weekend inter-borough baseball brouhaha, the Mets had been outclassed by the Yankees. The Mets were outscored (18-3), out-hit (26-9) and out-pitched (1.00 ERA vs. 5.33) in the Bombers' three-game sweep. At one point in the series, the Mets had one more hit (four) than errors (three). In short, the Yankees illustrated exactly why the Mets winning three-of-four from the Cardinals last week was happenstance instead of habit.
“I thought I had a pretty good chance of getting him. I had already run through the play in mind," Murphy said of that first-inning play. "I was going to take a shot. It’s early in the ballgame to take a chance like that. I work once a week on that play.”
June has been a brutal month for the Mets. They have lost 16 of 25 games and are in the midst of a 20-game-in-20-day stretch. The Mets will conclude their Baseball Death March this week with seven games in seven days in three cities (Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia).
“It just appears as though anytime we flinch, we’re not able to overcome,” manager Jerry Manuel said. “We have to find a way, regardless. We pitched well tonight. They put up three runs right away and we battled back and put a couple on the board. We have to play mistake free, fundamentally, baseball. That has to be our mindset. We have to be error free, fundamentally sound and continue to compete.”
At 37-37, the Mets are two-and-a-half games back of the Phillies in the NL East and three back in the NL wild card race. In comparison, at 42-32, the Yankees are second in the AL East and lead the American League wild card.
That a .500 team is in a playoff race is an indictment of the National League. It is an even greater indictment of the organization’s laissez faire philosophy as it pertains to adding personnel to a team that desperately needs a warm body. General manager Omar Minaya, Manuel and the players believe there is enough talent in the clubhouse to keep treading water until the key components to the 2009 Mets return from the disabled list.
Also, it is anyone’s guess when the Mets will be at full strength. Oliver Perez should return sometime in the next two weeks and Carlos Beltran expects to come off the DL following the All-Star Break. However, there is no timetable for the returns of Jose Reyes, John Maine and Carlos Delgado.
Maine and Reyes told reporters during the series that they’re not sure when they are coming back. On Friday, Maine estimated that he’ll return after the All-Star Break at the earliest after learning that he has a pinched nerve behind his throwing (right) shoulder. Reyes ran the outfield Saturday. Afterwards, he said that wasn’t able to really cut loose.
Can a team that is starting a collection of reserves and minor leaguers at two infield and two outfield positions win enough games until the Mets are whole once again?
“We hope so. That’s the big question, to see if we can sustain a level of play and get hot,” Manuel said. “What we have to do is continue to put ourselves in games, such as this, with opportunities and hope at some point that we can get the big hit and make the play. We have to position ourselves in that fashion.”
METS NOTES:
Oliver Perez made his second rehab start yesterday, going five innings for the Brooklyn Cyclones. Perez struck out six, while only allowing two hits and a walk. Brooklyn beat Hudson Valley, 13-3.
Ryan Church did not play last night due to nausea. Gary Sheffield started in right while Fernando Tatis played left field.
Fernando Martinez’s fourth-inning RBI double ended an 0-for-16 slump.
When Brian Bruney entered last night’s game in the eighth, he was not greeted warmly by the Mets’ contingent. Bruney and Francisco Rodriguez had a verbal spat that nearly turned physical during the three games in the Bronx two weeks ago.
The first pick in the 2009 NHL entry draft, John Tavares, threw out the first pitch last night. Selected by the Islanders, Tavares mostly received cheers and threw a strike to Brian Schneider.
posted by Denis P. Gorman at 10:55 AM
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