Tom Brennan: Failure When Success is Imperative; Minors Highlight

FANNING WHEN IT COUNTS….THAT IS OUR METS

The Mets Achilles heel in 2024 (and in other years, frankly) is playing bad teams poorly. 

Going through a stretch when playing bad to mediocre teams like Oakland, California, Seattle, and the Marlins, they finished that stretch going six wins v. seven losses. Wild card? Really?

On Sunday, the team’s post ASB lackluster hitting continued, but they came from behind to take a 2-1 lead going into the 7th. 

Brazaban again then pitched like crap to allow the score to be tied. 

And Reid Garrett, after being in a 2 on, one out jam in the 8th, picked the lead runner off, leaving a man on first and 2 outs. Easy, right?  Nope. 

Garrett naturally then proceeds to get wild and allows the go ahead run anyway, against a AAA team. 

Then, in the ninth, the Mets get two singles to start the inning. Surely they’d at least tie it up. Nope.  Wrong.  

Jeff McNeil comes up and tries to bunt them over and fouls it off. You would think that a guy like Jeff, into contact as he is, and a guy who is a near-pro golfer at that, could actually get a bunt down when it’s really critical. Heck, Don Cardwell and Jerry Koosman weren’t hitters, but between then they had 134 career sac bunts.  Jeff then bewilderingly took strike two, straight down the middle, belt high, and very hittable, and on the next pitch, he strikes out. So much for contact.

Lindor comes up and launches one 400 feet for a long Citi Field fly out to center, moving the run over to third. First and third, two outs, Mark Vientos comes up badly in need of contact, but all too quickly strikes out to end the game. 

FAILURE, METS STYLE.

A 3-2 loss, and frankly, leaving me with a a deep feeling that they’re wasting my time in 2024. 

Now, in the next 10 games, the Mets play real teams: 

The Orioles, the Diamondbacks, and the Padres. 

Good luck with that. 

Forget the Wild Card. Think “Joker Card” instead.

MINORS?

SUNDAY THERE WERE FOUR WINS.

Megill was strong, fanning 10 over 7 innings for the W. And Baty homered again. Me? I’d cut Garrett or Brazaban and call up Megill. 5th win in 23 games for Syracuse. Baty homered. Five in his last 8 games. Call him back up by September 1.

Binghamton also won behind a guy, Joander Suarez (8-5), has become dominant again in his last 5 starts (5 earned runs), like he did last year at this time. Get him to AAA.  Ryan Clifford broke out of a slump going 3 for 3 and a walk.

Low offense Brooklyn won a 6 inning game, 2-1. Austin Troesser, who had been out for a few months, did not get the win as he was limited pitch-wise, but he has fanned 52 in 36 innings this year, and can dial it up to 98.

Can any of these pitchers stay healthy for a whole season? Some, yes. Many, no.

St. Lucie trailed 6-0 after 5, but rallied for 7 runs in the sixth and seventh for a 7-6 win. Good for them.