It ws the top of the fifth and Jimmy Yacabonis just imploded. Tommy Hunter, who usually mops up with big leads or big deficits late in the game, was already in the game. We were about to get 4 and 1/2 innings of the Bill Brasky SNL skit.
This will either be the rock bottom moment of the season, or the point where we all knew that 2023 was not going to be anywhere close to 2022.
It’s important to know how we got to this point. After Joey Lucchesi gave up a run in the top of the first (which has been an annoying Met trend this season, giving up runs in the first), the Mets came back with three in the bottom of the first. It seemed like the kind of pressure release that the Mets really needed. But the pressure was immediately put right back on the Mets when Luis Guillorme singled to right and Bretty Baty was headed home with the fourth run. Daniel Vogelbach, who was on first, rounded second on the hit as if he had somewhere else to be. Kris Bryant, meanwhile, played the kind of heads up baseball that has been escaping the Mets lately, and threw behind Vogey, who only rounded the base by a fraction, but he’s Vogey so that’s all it takes. And he was tagged out before Baty could deliver the fourth run. It was just more vapor lock baseball by the Mets, which I thought Buck Showalter got rid of last season.
On cue, as if to provide extra torture to Vogelbach, the Rockies scored twice in the 3rd to tie the game, making Vogey’s vapor lock a major issue. But the Mets threatened to make it a non-issue in the bottom of the 4th. With one out, Francisco Alvarez hit a double off the wall, Brandon Nimmo reached on a hit by pitch, and Francisco Lindor drew a walk. So with Jeff McNeil coming up, Bud Black finally realized that bringing in a lefty to face Jeff McNeil was a good decision, so he brought in Ryan Suter. Except it didn’t work, and McNeil hit one hard to the gap and Alan Trejo kept the ball in the infield but he couldn’t make a further play and the Mets suddenly had a 4-3 lead with Pete Alonso coming up with the bases loaded against a lefty.
That red circle with the number five on it that’s nowhere near the strike zone? That was called strike three. That was quickly followed by Luis Guillorme striking out and the inning was over.
So in comes Jimmy Yacabonis in relief of Joey Meatballs, who gave up three runs in four innings. Now at first glance, this is another example of a Mets starter not giving the team length. But with Lucchesi going on three days rest for the good of the team, I think the plan was always for the Mets to handcuff Yacabonis to Lucchesi and hope that Jimmy would continue to be somewhat servicable for 2-3 innings
/narrator: “he wouldn’t last one.”
https://twitter.com/ATTSportsNetRM/status/1655290054510784512
It could have been just another twist in a back and forth game. Instead, Yacabonis walked C.J. Cron, then gave up two doubles to Ryan McMahon and Ezequiel Tovar, the latter of which would drive in two runs. So in came Tommy Hunter in the 5th inning and the Bill Brasky portion of the game was on. Except the Bill Brasky skit usually happened at about 12:54 AM. This game was done before Weekend Update.
https://twitter.com/ATTSportsNetRM/status/1655293431001001984
Seven runs later, the Mets were down 10-4, and you could have shut the game off there. I didn’t, because someone has to make sure you didn’t miss anything when you switched to the Celtics game. I can report to you that the only thing you really missed was the cruel ironic twist of Daniel Vogelbach’s solo home run, which in another universe would have made up for his baserunning gaffe. But in this universe, it just reminded you that this 17-18 team (that has gone 3-11 in their last 14) has been playing some mentally deficient baseball lately, to go along with their deficiencies in their lineup, their starting rotation, and their bullpen. But when you put all of those pieces together, it becomes this really cool looking Transformer that doesn’t have any special powers or abilities. It just sits on your couch and eats all of your chips along with the last fish filet in your freezer. And it doesn’t offer to replace any of it before it finally leaves, but not before it breaks your heart. And your sink.
Today’s Hate List
- Marvin Hudson
- Brenton Doyle
- Kris Bryant
- Ezequiel Tovar
- Justin Lawrence
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