The Blind Spot That Terry And I Can’t Shake

I’ll keep this simple:

Hansel Robles Career vs. Lefties

• 2.92 K/BB ratio
• .167 batting average against
• .260 OBP against
• .319 slugging against

Hansel Robles Career vs. Righties

• 2.39 K/BB ratio
• .251 batting average against
• .330 OBP against
• .426 slugging against (!)

Terry, looking up baseball-reference.com is not hard.

Look, I get it. The Mets had one hit through the first seven. That’s a problem. The bullpen is generally taxed because starters can’t get an out in the seventh inning. That’s a problem. But I’m going to refer to this post every time Robles gets deployed in the manner of a righty specialist. Because he’s not. Yet Terry Collins keeps pressing his luck by having him come in to face Paul Freaking Goldschmidt, one of the best hitters in the league, and Yasmany Tomas, a feared power hitter himself, in the 8th inning of a 1-1 tie after he got out of the seventh. Both righties, by the way.

Goldschmidt hit one three inches under the yellow line in center field.

Tomas hit one to the moon.

And then for good measure Jeff Mathis, he of the .195 career average, hit one into the seats off Robles to put the last brush stroke of feces on a 7-3 loss to Arizona. Now this may be more of a commentary on Robles rather than how he’s used, granted. But when this pitching staff is completely off kilter because of injuries and ineffectiveness, it’s up to the manager to show a little imagination and guide this team through this injury riddled mess. Instead he’s pushing the same predictable buttons that don’t work. And if the response to this is “well Robles was the best available option at the time because Addison Reed is the closer and Fernando Salas pitched yesterday”, then the answer to that is go get a better option. Sandy Alderson isn’t going to escape on his Teflon magic carpet this time.

Or punt the season and bring up the children. Because our hearts are getting too weak for this night after night after night and we would rather know now that . And as long as the Mets still have to trot out Robert Gsellman and Tommy Milone and Lovesick Matt Harvey to go five effective or ineffective innings, this bullpen problem isn’t going to magically fix itself.

Today’s Hate List

1. Zack Godley
2. J.J. Hoover
3. Jorge De La Rosa
4. Silvino Bracho
5. Matt Mantei