Your example is kind of null and void (sorry, I've been at work all day). The game was in extra innings, not the 8th or the 9th. Say K-Rod comes in in the 11th inning to face the bottom of the order, which is who was coming up and he retires the order, but labors a little bit. Top of the 12th, ok, the Mets score a run and then have to bring in Acosta or Valdez to "save" the game, and the guy who comes in blows it and the Mets lose. How does Manuel explain what just happened? What are Acosta and Valdez doing on the team if you can't trust them to get the bottom of the order out? Especially, Cincinnati's order. You have guys like Parnell and Calero at AAA. I see where you're coming from. This is a much different game from when guys like Bruce Sutter, Rich Gossage and Rollie Fingers pitched. And, I also agree with you that Valdez and Acosta aren't the guys you want out there in an extra inning game, and, frankly, I'd rather have Parnell and Calero on the team, but you're putting way too much weight on an early May game in Cincinnati. Point is, they're on the team, they have to pitch in that situation, and as a fan, just cross your fingers and hope. The CS obviously has confidence in them or they would be in AAA right now. You have to save your closer for the bottom of the inning in an extra inning game. Just have to. You have to get the last 3 outs. There's a reason they pay him 13 million bucks a year.
good win, it was important to be able to halt the slide where it was and not let it snowball. take two out of three and the three game slide will be long forgotten.
Blowing a 2-run lead with nobody on and 2 outs in the 8th would have been pretty brutal. It's a good thing they pulled it out.
Feliciano faces one batter and the game is over. Mets back to the pre-home stand pattern of losing 2 of 3 in every series.
This is true. THey called him a "streaky" hitter. To me, there is no such thing as streaky. Streaky= INCONSISTENT. Although hes been quite consistent in being awful thus far.
I know this didnt matter as the Mets lost in the 10th, but why did Manuel double switch Wright out of the game to save one spot in the batting order? He actually thought Pedro was gonna go 2 innings, pitching for the 4th day in a row? This guy is a terrible manager.
His reasoning was that Tatis could act as an emergency catcher since both Blanco and Barajas had been used.
Good point. He's so inconsistent that he's had a .895+ OPS every season but one. So Bay had a shitty month. His history indicates that he's going to have a monster month at some point to compensate. Some of you guys are ridiculous with your bashing of the Mets moves and players, there are plenty of legitimate things to bitch about, I'd stick to those.