Game 147: Loss

Pirates 3 Mets 2

The Mets wasted a valiant effort by El Duque, who pitched seven marvelous innings and allowed only 2 runs on 6 hits and struck out 7. It appears that Orlando Hernandez is getting warmed up for the playoffs.

Unfortunately, outside of El Duque, it seemed as though no one on the Mets was interested in winning the game. It looked more like they were trying to avoid a loss, and each batter was hoping and waiting for someone else to step up and deliver a moon shot. Carlos Delgado, Paul LoDuca, and Shawn Green each hit a double, but they seemed to be the only guys half-interested in stomping on the Pirates.

Maybe the Mets are laying down in Pittsburgh so that they can share the clincher with the fans in Shea Stadium. I can’t figure out any other reason the Mighty Mets don’t annihilate this glaringly weak Pittsburgh team — which resembles more a AAA team than one in the NL.

Notes

Guillermo Mota threw brilliantly, once again working out of what appeared to be a difficult situation. His stuff is downright nasty.

You can’t put the blame of this game on Aaron Heilman; he’s been lights out since Duaner Sanchez went down and he is not Superman. Eventually, he had to give up a run sometime, and better now in a meaningless game against the Pirates than in the NLCS. This game was all about the Mets bats going to sleep.

Notes

El Duque needs to at least consider the runner on first once in a while. Paul LoDuca had no chance whatsoever to throw out anyone, except on a pitchout, and even then it was a very close play.

LoDuca, by the way, continues to swing the bat very well as we enter the deepest part of the season. He’s showing no signs of slowing down, and I wonder if his thumb injury is actually beneficial to his hitting.

I thought Shane Youman was one of the guys the Mets sent to Montreal for Gary Carter ? Whoever he is, he did a yeoman’s job in his second big-league game.