Annoying

Thanks to our friends at Baseball Reference, here is some context on where the 2019 Detroit Tigers were going into Friday:

• 3.29 runs per game, last in the A.L. by about a half run
• 351 hits, tied for last in the A.L. with Cleveland
• 37 home runs, last in the A.L. by about 13, making Kansas City look like the ’61 Yankees
• .221 team average, only Toronto with a worse average
• .650 OPS, last in the A.L.
• 72 OPS+. also last in the A.L.
• The only team in baseball that has been consistently worse has been Miami, who just swept them in Detroit.

If you went into Friday evening that they were going to come into Citi Field and score nine runs, including six off Noah Syndergaard, then congratulations for having watched Mets baseball for the last 30 years. Of course the Tigers scored six runs off Noah Syndergaard because that’s how life works. The worst part was that the Mets erased the initial four run deficit on a three run HR by Adeiny Hechavarria which injected some life into the park only to have Syndergaard serve it up again in the fifth. Then after Pete Alonso hit a bomb way up the foul pole to give the Mets the lead again, Syndergaard allowed the Tigers to tie it again.

And it wasn’t as if the lineup the Mets trotted out there was much better with all the injuries. Todd Frazier, .213 hitter, was hitting third. Looking up and down the boxscore to see who could have been a better option, there weren’t a lot of them. They, at least, didn’t have to face the mighty Thor. The Tigers did, and scored one more run than the Mets did.

They even managed to waste a go-ahead home run by Aaron Altherr, who became the third Met this year to hit a home run in his first Mets at-bat to give the Mets the lead in the sixth, after having one hit so far this season. (The Mets actually wasted five home runs.) Drew Gagnon, who has been great all season, gave the lead right back as he gave up a two out, two run double to Jacoby Jones, and then a pinch hit single by somebody named Brandon Dixon. That was the difference as Wilson Ramos’ eighth inning home run only served to bring the Mets one-run short as Pete Alonso made a sad face in the on deck circle to end the game as the Mets went down 1-2-3 in the ninth. That included Todd Frazier for out number three … noted .213 hitting three hole hitter.

But Syndergaard not being Syndergaard was the factor on Friday.

"Pitching's really frigging annoying sometimes," Noah Syndergaard said, adding that he takes "full responsibility" for tonight's loss. pic.twitter.com/fWll35qMTw

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) May 25, 2019

Yeah, that about sums it up.

Today’s Hate List

1. I know there’s not a lot of options instead of Todd Frazier with all of the injuries.
2. But he can’t hit third.
3. I know Keith Hernandez is tickled pink that Alonso was in the classic cleanup position in the batting order.
4. But the problem is that Keith Hernandez isn’t in the three hole for him. Todd Frazier is.
5. Todd Frazier can’t hit third. Ever again.