2 Err On The Side of Crushing

by Guichard Cadet

Last night was like déja-vu all over again, or Reality Redux. Or, Groundhog Day. The New York Mets have committed 2 game-losing errors in 3 of the last 4 games. The culprits are the new usual suspects: David Wright and Jose Reyes. No doubt Kaz Matsui would have joined the festival had he played last night.

The Mets young infielders rank either 2nd or 3rd in National League total number of errors committed for their respective positions. Even if we take into account the fielding range Reyes and Wright have shown, these mistakes will serve as the team’s undoing.

It is easy to play ‘Chicken Little’ and exclaim the season over, because these past losses are a stark reminder of last year’s lost season when the infielders committed errors at inopportune moments. When starting pitchers rarely went past five innings, often spotting opponents early runs. When relievers failed to provide reassurance that the other team will not get another insurance run.

The stark difference between these recent losses and last year’s: one really felt the Mets would win these games with late inning heroics. Though manager Willie Randolph sees the errors as growing pains, some of the plays are signs the young infielders are not throwing caution to the wind, and have instead adopted a reckless streak in their approach to the game.

On Sunday, Wright mishandled a ball with the back of his glove. Two batters later, Reyes botched the catch on what seemed to be a routine double-play. As he pirouetted before securing the ball, he lost his balance. The NY Yankees would take the lead and the Mets would go on to lose the game and the Subway Series 2 games to 1.

Last night against the Atlanta Braves, both players made similar fielding errors, negating their hitting contributions. Wright saved a double when he fielded a sharply hit ball, then he tried to make the impossible play of throwing the batter out at first, negating a night in which he hit a homerun, had 3 hits and 3 RBI’s. Reyes let a simple groundball go under his glove and between his legs. He counter his error by hitting a triple and scoring a run. The team never gave up but a late game rally fizzled into another loss.

To say the losses fall squarely on their shoulders would be simplistic. The Mets’ season has been hit hard with injuries, erratic pitching, and inconsistent hitting in which they rely too heavily on the long ball, thereby leaving them unable to use their speed on the bases. The team continues a difficult stretch that has seen them lose series 2 to 1 to the Cubs, Cardinals and Yankees; beat the Brewers 2 to 1; and sweeping 3 games from the Reds.

Mathematically, the Mets have to maintain a pace of winning at least two-thirds of their non-divisional games to have a realistic chance at a wildcard playoff spot. By winning about 54 (out of 81) games out of the NL East, they only have to win half of their divisional games to finish with 90 or more games.

With no team sprinting away with the national league, the race for the wild card spot could be a dead heat until season’s end. After 45 games (23-22 record), the Mets have accomplished the .500 divisional percentage, yet they find themselves 4 games out of first place.

The current series against Atlanta and the upcoming one against the Florida Marlins will determine whether the Mets can even dream of competing for the division. After the Marlins series, the Mets next 18 games are against the western teams of both leagues.

Though the calendar will read June, this stretch is as close to season-making as you can get this early in the year.