Last night was the second consecutive loss I’ve experienced at Shea after having a perfect record all season, and both losses featured Guillermo Mota being flagrantly ineffective. What’s worse is that he was effective for 1 and 2/3rds. After a perfect sixth, I turned to Joe and said “Mota went 1-2-3! Imagine that!” In the seventh, with two outs and an 0-2 count, just about any other pitcher would probably make it uneventful and give their team a shot at making a comeback.
But oh no, not our dear Mota! He loves being our favorite nausea-inducing rollercoaster! No, our Mota gives up three runs. Oh Mota, you scamp.
Turns out those three runs would make the difference, after a mildly exciting bottom of the ninth that saw the Mets get three runs and pull to within 7-5. Then Hoffman got Beltran and Delgado. Guess you can’t pray for magic twice in a row.
Observations:
- Jake Peavy is damn good. Except for when he walks the bases loaded. And then he’s damn good again, because the Mets had a lot of chances to blow the game open (when the top half of the lineup was batting, at least), only to have Peavy shut them down.
- Milledge, DeFelice, and Delgado just looked outclassed all night.
- It was a lovely, organic, stand-up cheer when Jose Reyes swiped his 67th base of the season, setting a club record. We didn’t even need the reminder, Shea.
- Were it not for Mota, that bottom of the ninth would’ve been even better. I loved the back-to-back pinch-hits by Marlon Anderson and Jeff Conine. When Shawn Green came up to pinch-hit for Lawrence in the fifth, I incredulously yelled “Where’s Conine?” Oh, saving him for a rally. Good call.
- David Wright reached base all five times he was up to bat, and didn’t even try.
- Have I said that Delgado looked awful at the plate? He didn’t look too hot on the field, either. Any chance of getting Salty next year? A catcher and a first baseman! Also he’s hot! And he hit seven thousand home runs yesterday! And his name is SALTALAMACCHIA fer Chrissake. Seriously the best name.
Lastly, where oh where is Mike Piazza when you need him.
Ah, Guillermo. Whither goest thou goest an uncanny ability to be terrible at your job.
i neglected to mention that, after he got the second out in the sixth, the shea stadium music guy cued up the “MOTORIN!” (har har) part of “sister christian.” to which i said, “no! don’t jinx it!”
and then…
Mota, is always trouble in the second inning of work. He was the same way with the Dodgers, maybe he took the ‘roids to be able to get out more than three hitters in a game.
With all the troubles they’ve had so far, the Met’a still look like the team to beat in the weak NL. The best half dozen teams are all in the AL. Reminds me of the NBA a few years ago when all the talent was in the west.
The Sultan on Sports
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