Well, at least the Mets bullpen didn’t blow this game.
They couldn’t, because the Mets never led the Braves tonight. But Robert Gsellman didn’t disappoint giving up three in the eighth, letting this game get away from the Amazin’s, for the Braves, 6-2 win.
And now the Mets are 0-1 at 41 Seaver Way.
Look nothing is easy in Flushing these days. The Mets have lost six in a row and blew the last five before with leads late. There’s no shame in losing to the Braves, but this loss hurts more because of the last five over the past week.
And now, you have to start wondering if the bullpen woes are a team malignancy and will seep into other aspects of the game.
“Our job as an offense is to score runs no matter if we are up or down,” said Pete Alonso, who is sounding more and more like the team spokesman and leader and it didn’t hurt that he had No. 28 tonight. “Regardless on how the guys are pitching and that’s all we can do.”
All they could do tonight is two runs and couldn’t score with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh. All they could do is just do enough to lose and that’s the story of this team for this year.
Mickey Callaway is sounding like a broken record here, saying the same things and having it fall on deaf ears. Even though, he supposedly has Brodie Van Wagenen’s confidence and Jeff Wilpon wants to keep him, you have to wonder if he will be here come Jul. 12, if the team doesn’t show any life on this homestand.
And today Callaway said earlier it would take a “miracle” to turn this around, but then backtracked after the ballgame, saying it was a play on 1969.
You know what? It will take a miracle. The bullpen isn’t going to remember how to pitch overnight and the starters can’t go longer than they have. This implosion isn’t going to just suddenly change, no matter what address the Mets play at.
And that’s going to be the story of the season. With the Braves, Yankees and Phillies at home before the All-Star break, the team’s three biggest rivals may just dance on the team’s grave. They are nine games under .500 and just burned their best pitcher tonight in Jacob deGrom.
Change the manager? It’s symbolic at best, because no matter who they bring in can’t turn this bullpen around. They just fired Dave Eiland and nothing. Al least 20 years ago, the Mets had Dave Wallace in the front office to replace Bob Apodaca.
Callaway said the team is supporting the bullpen. Well that’s great. They have no other choice.
“Us position guys do our job every single day,” Alonso said. “Our guys are giving 100 percent effort and people care. It would be a bigger issue if guys are not grinding it out.”
Sure, but there’s nothing else the Mets can do. It’s time to close the books on the 2019 season and just play the season out. Jeff McNeil has a batting title to contend with and Alonso may hit 50 homers, but other than that, there not much left.
And that’s the sad thing, because 41 Seaver Way should be a place for hope.
Right now, it’s a place for sadness.
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