Remember when “Salt and Pepper” was a thing two months ago?
Yeah me neither.
But on the day Todd Frazier, the originator of the Mets unofficial offensive celebration, returned to the lineup, you would hope the club would score some runs.
They didn’t and made Alex Cobb look like Hall of Famer out there in the 2-1 Orioles win.
“We have to try to create some runs,” said manager Mickey Callaway. “We have to do the small things.”
Lay down a bunt and take an extra base? Sure, why not, but that’s not what ails the Mets, who have scored two runs in the last 33 innings and score two runs or fewer now 22 times this season.
They can take all the extra bases they want, but if one of the Mets big bats won’t step up and carry this club then all of this goes for naught.
The Mets miss Yoenis Cespedes, who is on the road back and played in a simulated game today, but it’s a copout to blame No. 52. Michael Conforto and Jay Bruce are hitting in the .230s and need to step up and start pulling their weight. Conforto only has seven homers to his name, while Bruce has chipped in three.
It’s not going to be enough if the Mets want to turn around and start winning again. Five home losses in a row and this team looks dead, just playing out the schedule.
That’s fine in August, but there’s four months left to the season. The club needs for the bats to wake up.
Jason Vargas looked pretty good out there. After a rocky first inning, the nibbler righted the ship and pitched scoreless ball over the next four inning and the bullpen looked great tonight, welcoming back Anthony Swarzak to the fold.
Still not good enough.
The Mets have lost 10 of 12 and look like they are on the road to ruin. Nothing is putting this dumpster fire rolling down the Grand Central out and the team seems to becoming more and more content on losing.
There are no answers.
“There’s no magic potion and you can talk about effort,” Bruce said. “There is nothing there with that. We have to figure out a way to score more runs than the other team. I don’t know what the answer is right now.”
Maybe if Cespedes comes back in the short order, he can carry the offense. But Conforto was supposed to do that Or Bruce. Or Frazier. But nobody is hitting and that’s the problem.
Pat Roessler was elevated to hitting coach after Kevin Long left the club. He is supposed to have the same philosophy after being his assistant for so many year, but for some reason it’s not working out.
Maybe Conforto’s shoulder isn’t 100 percent. Maybe Bruce is playing more hurt than he’s letting on.
Maybe.
But without an answer it’s only speculation on how to fix the offense.
Become a small ball team? Good luck there.
There just are no answers and the Mets know it.
At four games under .500 this season is hanging by a thread.
Time to step up.
Make “Salt and Pepper” a thing again.
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