Originally posted on Midwestropolitan .
The brutal road trip continues for the Mets (they are now 1-6 if you are playing at home).
Not even a triple play or an inside the park home run could spark the Mets to a victory against the Nationals.
R.A. Dickey Starts Off Well
R.A. Dickey did his part.
He allowed two runs in six innings which qualifies as a quality start. He did walk four batters, but what else would you expect from a Mets’ starter?
I liked his composure on the mound.
Dickey didn’t seem to get rattled when he found himself in a tight spot in the fifth inning. He didn’t come unglued, threw strikes, and was rewarded by the defense umpires (thanks to their indecision on the triple play).
Having a knuckleballer on staff is going to be fun to watch. It definitely makes the hitters uncomfortable as they have no idea where the pitch is going.
The flip side, of course, is neither does Dickey.
Two Simple Reasons For The Loss
1. Hitting or lack there of.
After last night’s loss, the lineup Manuel had on the field included no one batting .300 or better, and three players batting .220 or less.
Ouch.
I don’t blame Manuel for resting Wright. I am torn by the decision, but I understand the rationale.
The offense’s futility is beyond frustrating right now. Last night they only mustered three hits.
I’m happy Jose Reyes is back at leadoff, but I am really getting tired of seeing him pop the ball up twice a game.
Surely, Hojo and Jose could do something to try to limit them.
Might I suggest the Willie Mays Hayes treatment?
“Well, you can run like Mays, but you hit like $#%&. With your speed, you should be hitting the ball on the ground and legging them out. Every time I see you hit one in the air, you owe me 20 push-ups.”
Speaking of Hojo, why is it he gets a pass for the most part? This team has talent offensively. The hitters just aren’t making adjustments.
Most of the blame falls on the players’ shoulders, but Johnson needs to be held accountable as well. He is the hitting coach, after all.
2. The bullpen was not impressive.
After Dickey left, Raul Valdes and Fernando Nieve gave up three runs in two innings.
Nieve looks like a completely different pitcher in his last several appearances.
I am not sure why Jerry pulled Valdes so quickly to get to Nieve. Valdes is actually better against righties than he is against lefties this season (.208 BA vs .292 BA).
Lost In The Shuffle
Angel Pagan has impressed me this season. I know, I know. It is easy to say that when he was responsible for an inside the park home run and starting a triple play with a nice catch.
He has been the Mets’ most consistent hitter of the season. His defense has been excellent. Last night he made two huge catches, both saving a number of potential Nationals’ runs.
His base running has quietly improved as well. At the end of last year, he seemed to be a liability in the lineup due to his ability to make bone headed decisions on the base paths. We haven’t seen much of that from him.
If he continues to play like this, he should be starting over Francoeur or Bay when if Beltran returns.
On Deck
John Maine faces Luis Atilano in the final game of this two game series with the Nats.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com