The Mets have had way too few dramatic three-run homers lately, and David Wright's 8th inning shot to tie the game off Scott Linebrink was so refreshingly 2006, or maybe even 1999 or 2000. As far as the outcome goes, what can you do? The Mets rolled over for 7 innings, but then came back on a clutch homer, and gave themselves a chance to win the game. In the end, Joe Smith - who has looked a little more hittable at the same time as the Mets have looked a little more beatable - couldn't get the job done as the Padres came back to win. Would I be more angry if it was Heilman who lost the game? Absolutely. But it's Joe Smith. Instead, the loss just sucks.
Tuesday night's game had the air of a breakthrough for the Mets offense and, in turn, the Mets. They came to play - El Duque got everybody up with a sick pitching performance and some prolific baserunning - and they looked like the genuinely solid squad that they haven't looked like in a while. They opened the night's scoring on a 2-out hit (by Paul Lo Duca) with a man in scoring position. They beat Jake Peavy. Carlos Beltran even had two doubles; one with a runner in scoring position.
No kiddingLosing last night's game was a little deflating, no doubt. There might be an undercurrent of positive change underneath the Mets had they managed to pull it out, rather than just a ripple. But out of all the Mets' series losses since the beginning of June, this is probably the most positive and encouraging one since the start of all this madness.
Maybe I should have titled this post "silver lining." Thank God the Braves and Phillies keep losing.
(Photos courtesy calfresno.edu, wikimedia.org, norfolktides.com)
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