August 4, 2009, Arizona Diamondbacks-New York Mets game story for Metro NY Newspaper
Mets knocked Back down
Diamondbacks 6, Mets 5
MLB.
Perhaps the moment that would summarize the Mets’ 2009 season took place on opening night.
Minutes after the Mets opened their $800 million baseball palace, a cat ran onto the field and Karmic entities may have laughed derisively. It’s an explanation for a season that has been characterized by injuries, inept play and off-field idiocy as a once promising season spirals into an abyss of what-could-have-been, typified in last night’s appearances-are-deceiving 6-5 series finale loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Nelson Figueroa (0-2) was pounded for six runs and 10 hits in 1 2/3 innings. It completely erased Jerry Manuel suggestion earlier in the afternoon that the starter could go deep into the game to save an overworked bullpen. Diamondbacks slugger Mark Reynolds crushed his 31st and 32nd homers of the season in the first two innings and finished with three RBIs and two runs scored. Reynolds tormented Mets’ pitching in the series, going 5-for-12 with four homers, four runs scored, five RBIs and two walks in the four games.
Arizona starter Dan Haren (11-6) wasn’t spectacular as he was roughed up for five runs on eight hits in seven innings. Chad Qualls threw a perfect ninth for his 20th save.
This morning, the Mets are 50-55. Comparatively, the 2004 Red Sox were 58-48, while the 2007 Phillies were 57-53 and the 2007 Rockies 56-53 at the same point in those seasons. Boston, Philadelphia and Colorado qualified for the playoffs in those seasons.
Before yesterday’s game, Jeff Francoeur and Manuel offered the state of the Mets’ playoff potential.
“We have to start winning ballgames. We can’t lose three-out-of-four to the Diamondbacks," Francoeur said. "We can’t start splitting games and expect to get back into the playoff race. You have to do something to stand out."
Well, they didn’t split with the Diamondbacks. Arizona beat the Mets, 6-5, last night to take three of four in the series. The loss basically erased all the optimism created by last week’s five-game winning streak.
“We were hot at the right time. We were all hitting, driving in [runs[, pitching was good,” Francoeur said of the team’s play last week against Houston and Colorado. “Right now, it seems we’re getting one [but] not getting the other. Maybe we can claw our way back in.”
With 57 games remaining, the Mets are 10 games back of Philadelphia in the National League East and 7 ½ back in the wild card. Of the seven teams ahead of the Mets in the wild card race, five of which added personnel to their rosters at the trade deadline. The Mets chose to stand pat and wait for their injured components to come off the disabled list.
“It’s always feasible to make a run. Getting the players back? That’s a whole different deal,” Manuel said. “We can make a run but getting the players back, that’s something that’s still up for discussion or debate.”
posted by Denis P. Gorman at 3:27 PM
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