Game #126: Brewers 6, Mets 2

Starting pitcher R.A. Dickey gives up two runs on six hits over seven innings against the Brewers at Citi Field Sunday afternoon. (NYDailyNews.com)

It was less extreme than yesterday, but today's game followed the same basic blueprint: fall behind, rally, lose it all the next inning.

Milwaukee got 4 runs in the final 2 innings off the New York bullpen and the Mets fell to the Brewers 6-2, completing an embarrasing 3-game sweep.

The Bad Stuff:

• After tying the game at 2-2 in the 7th, thing seemed to be looking up for the team. Then, disaster: the ineffectiveness that so hobbled Jason Isringhausen yesterday infected the rest of the bullpen. Manny Acosta gave up a walk and a single to start the 8th and was pulled for Tim Byrdak. A run came in on a throwing error by Justin Turner, and suddenly it went from 2-2 to 3-2 Brew Crew. In came Jason Isringhausen, who got the next two guys out, but then gave up an RBI single to Jerry Hairston to make it 4-2.
• Troubles continued in the 9th: Izzy gave up a leadoff single and was lifted in favor of Pedro Beato. He didn't fare much better, giving up a single and letting Izzy's runner come in on a sac bunt. Ryan Braun put the exclamation point on the collapse with an RBI double, bringing the final tally to 6-2.
• The Met offense, so quiet for most of the game, returned to its muted status for the last 2 frames. Francisco Rodriguez, looking infinitely better than he did yesterday, shut New York down 1-2-3 in the 8th, and LaTroy Hawkins matched him in the 9th.

The Good Stuff:

• As is almost always the case whenever he starts, R.A. Dickey would have benefited immensely from basic run support. The old knuckleballer tossed 7 innings of 2 run, 6 hit ball, walking none and fanning 4. In his past 10 starts Dickey has an ERA of 3.64, pretty good numbers. But he's 1-4 in those 10 starts because the Mets simply cannot score for him. If he was on any other team, his record would probably be closer to 11-5 than 5-11, where it stands now.
• Lucas Duda gave fans a lone thrill in the 7th, bringing the Apple out of the hat with a game-tying 2-run homer, his 6th of the season. There isn't much left to watch closely this year, but Duda's development is worth noting. He's got the tools to be a staple in the lineup for a long time, whether he's in right and Ike Davis is on first, or vise-versa.

Final Analysis:
The nightmare continues. In addition to being swept by one of the hottest teams in baseball, the Mets drop to 60-66, 5-13 in August, and 5-15 since being 4 games over .500 on July 29th. This truly awful stretch has decimated the progress made since starting 5-13, and now the team stands barely over .500 since that putrid start. There's only so much Terry Collins can do to motivate his team, and I don't know how he's going to do it for the final 36 games of 2011, because, most unfortunately, it appears the negative expectations of March have finally caught up to these New York Mets.

MM