An entire generation has gone by since Adam Wainwright struck out Carlos Beltran on “The Curveball.” So I don’t expect everyone to be so triggered by Wainwright, especially since the Mets’ 4.50 ERA going into Saturday’s game was the highest be any team against Wainwright in his career except the Reds. Wainwright was about at that pace today, giving up three runs in 6 and 1/3 against the team he will forever be associated with. But today was probably the last time we’ll see Wainwright in Flushing again, unless of course the teams meet in the playoffs.
/pauses for laugh track
And I for one say, good riddance. Not so much to Wainwright himself, but to the stench of that moment in 2006 where Yadier Molina called for a changeup on the first pitch of that at-bat when Beltran was clearly looking for a fastball like he got from Jason Isringhausen in August, and it put the at-bat on a course for disaster. Even though Wainwright wasn’t so much a central figure on Saturday’s game (he didn’t even get a decision), his exit with one out in the 7th officially turns the page on a moment that will trigger us forever. You young’uns can take your cries of “get over it” and kick rocks with it.
Now that we’re done with the ceremonial portion of the blog, the Mets’ Cody Ross sized two game winning streak has come to an end. Kodai Senga had a very uneven performance. Shaky in the seocnd as he up an RBI ssingle to Brendan Donovan, a two run HR to Paul Goldschmidt (perhaps with some help from the new speakeasy), and a home run to Jordan Walker in the third to make it 4-1. But great the rest of the way, as his totals were only goosed up by the long balls as he gave up four runs on five hits aond one walk in 6 and 2/3’s striking out eight. Of his 99 pitches, 63 were strikes. So you know what, I’ll take an outing like this if this qualifies as a “bad” one these days. Give me 63 strikes out of 99 pitches from Senga and I’ll take my chances with that.
But when the bulk of the offense is provided by Luis Guillorme, there’s a problem. His two run homer (you read that right) along with Brandon Nimmo’s homer off Wainwright were it for the Mets. Like I said, the angst that Wainwright provided today was merely ceremonial. The angst that the bullpen provided was real as they couldn’t produce off Andre Pallante (who got Jeff McNeil to ground out with runners on first and third to end the inning, and whose curveball looked an awful lot like Wainwright’s, which was triggering enough today), Giovanny Gallegos (who the Mets previously tagged in 9 and 2/3’s innings against them in his career with a 5/59 ERA and an 0-2 record previously), and Jordan Hicks (who hit Francisco Lindor before striking out three hitters to end the game with 103 mph fastballs which would have made Alisha Woodrow proud.
Rubber game tomorrow. Death struggle against a 28-43 team. Joy.
Today’s Hate List
Adam Wainwright.
(If the Hate List came to life, Wainwright would exit the dugout to a standing ovation. It would be of hate, but it would be begrudging golf claps. So take a bow, Adam. You had a great career. I suppose it makes us feel a little better that the idiot rookie that murdered 2006 turned out to be an All-Star caliber player, at least. We’re not going to look back and answer trivia questions about you. We’ll always know your name.
We hate you. Sincere congratulations on that.
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