The Mets are really beginning to confuse me. First, they start out 4-8. Then they manage to win nine straight home games. Now they just got swept by the Marlins.
In a four game series. Ouch.
Oh boy. Where to start.
First, the bad.
Oliver Perez. Perez is probably responsible for half of the Mets’ losses. He was sent to the bullpen yesterday. About time!
Next-Francisco Rodriguez. Believe it or not, K-Rod has blown some major games for the Mets this season. He needs to get back on track, or else…oh yeah, he will still be the closer.
And the offense. Oh, the offensive ineptitude. Every day I look at the box score and see sub .300 batting averages. And at least half are under .250. In the major leagues, that is unacceptable. What makes it more unacceptable is the fact that this team has David Wright, Jason Bay, and Jose Reyes on it. Get it together guys, seriously.
But for all the bad, there may actually be more good. You now, the stuff that propelled the Mets to their winning streak earlier this season.
Their pitching, minus Perez and a few other bad starts, has been great. And that includes their starting pitching and relief. Relievers I was worried about at the beginning of the season (like Hisanori Takahashi) have been fantastic. Mike Pelfrey has been a nice surprise too.
Now back to their offense. Despite their many struggles, they have managed to pop some more homers out of the park. New catcher Rod Barajas has been a big help, and David Wright has provided more than last year, though his batting average has taken a dip. And first baseman Ike Davis has been HUGE. What a breath of fresh air, both offensively and defensively.
With all of that being said, the season is young. First and last place in the NL East is separated by just 5.5 games. The Mets can get back on track and go from 18-20 to 22-20 in a span of just four days. Now I’m not saying that they will, but these Mets have shown some fight in them. For once, there are no expectations.
If Jerry Manuel can manage right and the Mets can get back on track, they can contend for a playoff spot. Yes, I’m completely serious.
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