Baseball Can Also Be Very, Very Ugly

I meant it when I said that baseball can be beautiful.

But baseball can also be ugly. And it sure was a special kinda ugly today.

The Mets had a 6-3 lead going into the bottom of the 8th inning. They survived Carlos Carrasco’s four innings of work. They survived Trea Turner being Trea Turner, hitting a home run, and RBI single, and stealing a run by stealing two bases and scoring on an error. They even survived Starling Marte missing a fly ball and looking like the Rock overselling the Stone Cold Stunner.

For comparison:

Go home, Starling Marte… you’re drunk pic.twitter.com/Nyq2qnCT4x

— Degenerate Dungeon (@GCNSports) June 25, 2023

The rock overselling the stunner will always be gold pic.twitter.com/KuAjdZch6U

— ⪽ (@Dursttra) July 24, 2021

But the Mets had survived all of it, until the 8th. Bryce Harper led off against Josh Harper. Now, I know Josh Walker is Josh Walker and Bryce Harper is a former MVP but he’s hitting .175 against lefties this year so the very least Walker could have done was throw two f*cking strikes to him. Instead, he walks Harper, gives up a base hit to JT Realmuto, and walks Bryson Stott thanks in small part to an 0-1 strike that was called a f*cking ball. But whatever, okay. Here comes Jeff Brigham into an impossible situation. Bases loaded, nobody out. He needed a minor miracle and he got that minor miracle. A double play ball.

Unfortunately, Brett Baty took that minor miracle and double clutched it.

That was it. The game was over right then and there. You all knew it. The only question is how would it end? Would it be quick and painless? Or would Nicky Santoro put our heads in a vice until our eyeballs popped out of our head and then slit our throats?

It was definitely the latter.

Omar Minaya just signed Charlie M. (Manuel)

— The Copy Freditor (@fsolomon75) June 25, 2023

If Brandon Marsh had hit a grand slam (and we all thought he did on a long foul ball because whoever was running camera for SNY was aiming at fair territory on it), it would have been the quick and painless option. Instead, Brigham walked Brandon Marsh to make it 6-5, then all of a sudden found himself by striking out Kody Clemens, then going 0-2 on Kyle Schwarber before f*cking hitting him to tie the game. Then he loses control again and then hit Turner to give the Phillies the lead for good. He threw five straight strikes to Clemens and Schwarber, then hits Schwarber and Turner. Imagine if Damn Yankees was a digital short. That was Jeff Brigham today.

And just a couple of notes: Maybe one of Brooks Raley or David Robertson or Adam Ottavino could have been available today. I get that it would have been Raley’s third straight day and that Robertson going multiple innings two straight days might not have been advised, and that Ottavino with runners on base would have been a dinner with the Real Housewives of Atlanta. But certainly one of those three could have gotten warm? Maybe? But above all of that, special thanks to the four idiots who felt that Drew Smith needed to be suspended for ten games because “oh my God his hands are too sticky get me some pearls to clutch.” F*ck those umpires and everyone who looks like those umpires.

The Mets had nothing for us in the top of the 9th, and the kindling of a small flame that was born of two sticks on Saturday was snuffed out on Sunday. It was, easily, the most infuriating loss of the season. Even Gare’s dulcet tones were flavored with a tinge of anger as he called the final out. I, for one, can’t say I blame him. Gare said during his Mets HoF induction that he was the voice for all of us. He sure as hell was that voice today.

Gary Cohen sums up the loss.

"The Mets 42nd loss of the year is their most horrific."

"Buck Showalter tried to stay away from his best relievers and the Mets paid the price." pic.twitter.com/qTYaYx8Bgr

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 25, 2023

The rest of the season will happen simply because the schedule says so. After that, perhaps on Fan Appreciation Day the Mets will rip off their masks and reveal that they were Rey Sanchez, Mike DeJean and Aaron Harang this entire time.

Today’s Hate List

1. Trea Turner
2. Rob Drake
3. Bill Miller
4. Roberto Ortiz
5. Chad Whitson