Game #18: Astros 4, Mets 3

Fans show their supports with paper bags on their heads. (NYTimes.com)

With this loss, the Mets' 50th season is beginning to resemble their 1st. Need I remind you how that season went.

New York's knack for coming up with ways to lose was on display in the 8th and 9th innings of last night's game against the Astros, and the result was as expected: a 4-3 loss that dropped the team to the worst record in all of baseball.

The Bad Stuff:
R.A. Dickey lasted 8 innings, but gave up 4 runs; since the offense only scored 3, that makes it bad stuff. Three of those runs came in the 2nd, the last in the 8th on Hunter Pence's scorching solo shot to left. Understandable move, the bullpen being so inconsistent, but Terry Collins probably left Dickey in there one inning too long.
Of course, none of that would have mattered had NY done the next half inning what most teams would have with runners on the corners and one out: scored. But would you expect anything more than for Justin Turner to strike out and Angel Pagan to get thrown out at home? Would you expect anything more than Josh Thole popping up a bunt and Jose Reyes getting doubled off at first the very next inning? You would have? Well then you're following the wrong team, bro.

The Good Stuff:
Considering we went on an Indiana Jones-esque expedition to find this loss, there must have been some good stuff. And there was: we did manage 12 hits off the Astros' staff. Carlos Beltran was solid again, going 3-4 with 2 doubles and an RBI. Despite his fatal blunder in the 9th, Reyes went 4-5 and scored a run. And Daniel Murphy capped off a 3 hit night with a 2-run blast in the 7th which tied the game at 3.
While he was left in too long, Dickey did prove durable by lasting 8 innings and only tossing 104 pitches. Jason Isringhausen managed not to screw things up in the 9th.

Final Analysis:
I think the picture above pretty much sums it up. 5-13 overall, 1-9 in our last ten outings, 1-8 at home. Only the '62 and '64 squads had a worse start than this one, and even those truly awful teams managed to win 2 at home in that span. Still, we're only 18 games in. There's 89% of the season left to go. I'm keeping my hopes alive, and despite what someone suggested yesterday, this is my team, for better or worse. Or even Amazin'ly worse. Perhaps Jason Bay's return today will be just the spark we need. The only way to find out is to play the games.

MM