Wild Wacky Action Team

Returning to the old baseball axiom of “you’re going to win 54, you’re going to lose 54, it’s what you do in the 54 that decide your season”, Tuesday night’s game was one that they were going to lose. Wednesday, somehow, became a game that was in that “other 54” category. I wouldn’t have thought it after Matt Harvey, who was coming off a decent if not game changing outing in Atlanta, gave up a home run on the first pitch of the game (Anthony Rizzo), a home run to the second batter of the game (Ian Happ), and a home run ball to Kyle Schwarber that’s currently checking into the Fairmont Southampton in Bermuda. (In a fourth inning which started with bullpen action.)

I certainly wouldn’t have thought it after Neil Walker pulled up lame, putting the Mets in a position where Lucas Duda had to come into the game to replace him, forcing the Mets to pinch-hit for Harvey with the bases loaded … with Steven Matz for crissakes. Matz actually drove in a run with an infield hit, but it was only a brief distraction that this roster is built like a Wild Wacky Action Bike.

But the Mets somehow pulled this out thanks to Juan Lagares tying the game with a triple in the sixth, and then Curtis Granderson’s 300th career home run in the eighth which sparked a rally which included Duda tucking a slop pitch into the corner pocket for a three run homer to send the Mets to a 9-4 victory to take the series against the champs. Of course, the 8th also featured a pinch-single by Yoenis Cespedes, who was immediately pinch run for by Robert Gsellman because Cespedes can’t run. Yet, he’s still on the active roster and it could have cost the Mets an injury to Gsellman on the bases.

This team continues to juggle knives … keeping Cespedes active, Harvey in the rotation, Jose Reyes on the team, and Amed Rosario in the minors. Yet somehow they’re catching enough to stay in the periphery of relevant. With the Nationals in for four this weekend with two of the best pitchers in the league going up against To Be Announced, we’ll see how long they stay there.

Today’s Hate List

1. Kyle Schwarber
2. Anthony Rizzo
3. Ian Happ
4. To Be Announced
5. To Be Announced