Bullpen Troubles

What an aggravating loss yesterday. Here Tom Glavine is going for win number 300. I have been quick to criticize Glavine this year because I do not think he has much left, still when he has pitched well, I have given him credit. Yesterday was a magnificent game that he pitched. He deserved a win. Unfortunately, Willie Randolph and the Bullpen blew it. There is not too much positive to say about the offense eitehr.

It is nice to see that Castillo, playing his first game with his new club, made such significant contributions. I know it is only one game and he is a good ballplayer. I just was frustrated at Castillo popping out with the bases loaded and only one out, as well as not coming through later when the Mets had a runner on second base. Way to get off to a good start with your new team.

Despite my frustration with Castillo and the rest of the offense, I really think the bullpen blew this one and Randolph allowed that to happen. He let Glavine start the seventh inning. Unless Glavine told Randolph he was done (and I do not believe that to be the case because he probably would have said it between innings), there was no reason to take him out at that point. Give him another inning, at least another batter or two. If he is going to lose the chance at number 300, allow him to blow it.

Randolph took Glavine out, however, and brought in Aaron Heilman. Okay, Heilman gets us through the seventh and starts the eight. I would have left Heilman in for the entire eighth at this point. Randolph instead starts playing lefty-righty percentages, which I have always hated. So, Feliciano comes in, faces one batter, whom he hits, and leaves. Now Mota, who has not been the lights out pitcher he was last year, comes in and there goes Glavine’s shot at 300. With Glavine pitching as well as he did and Feliciano and Heilman your two best set up men at this point, I don’t understand burning all of them in a matter of a little more than an inning. Yes, the bullpen let him down, but Willie Randolph blew the game for Glavine.

To make matters worse, after four and a half hours, After 12 and a half inning of baseball, the Mets lost the game in the bottom of the 13th inning. This one was winnable, big time, for Glavine and even after he was no longer in contention for the victory, for the Mets.

The only good thing I can say about the game was the Milwaukee crowd. As a child I traveled with my parents to Milwaukee and we all felt that this was a very friendly and helpful city. Yesterday, despite pulling and cheering for the home team, the crowd was very respectful of the Mets and of Glavine. They gave Glavine a nice ovation when he left the game with a lead. I thought that was very classy.

Well, I have little doubt that Glavine will ultimately get his 300th victory (in a Met uniform, this year), but I am having more and more doubts that this team will be around come postseason. Even worse than that, with the way they are currently playing, I feel like they don’t even deserve to be around.

Hopefully they will turn it around.

Let’s Go Mets!