The Mets got swept out of LA last night. The loss and the sweep are the least of the Mets concerns. The Dodgers after all, are chasing history as one of the best home teams of all time. Their mark of 17-3 at home so far this season is the best record a team has had through 20 home games. Stealing one of these games away would have been impressive, and the Mets had a shot at each. A shot that they blew in each of the games, but still a shot.
The Mets real problem is injuries. They are in a lot of trouble with 1 of their 4 superstars, Carlos Delgado, out for at least 10 weeks and another, Jose Reyes, looking like he won’t be able to miss a stint on the DL after last night. Reyes reaggravated his calf trying to leg out an infield hit in the 3rd inning and left the game immediately following the play. He limped back into the dugout and walked straight down the tunnel to the clubhouse. He was in obvious pain. A calf injury that can be so easily strained, is not something that will heal with 5 days off. Jose seems like he’s going to need significant time to rest the injury, and it may be something that nags him for the rest of the season.
Yesterday I wrote about adding some stability to the lineup. With the loss of Alex Cora to replace Reyes at short, and Ramon Martinez not being a viable option, it may be time to give Fernando Tatis his shot at short. With Daniel Murphy’s success at first base last night, I think a shot is the least Tatis deserves. The lineup would still have the potential for a lot of success if the Mets hitters started hitting the way they did in San Fransisco, singling and doubling their way to 8 runs a game. What should the lineup look like without Reyes?
1. Luis Castillo – 2B
2. Daniel Murphy – 1B
3. David Wright – 3B
4. Carlos Beltran – CF
5. Gary Sheffield – LF
6. Fernando Tatis – SS
7. Ryan Church – LF
8. Match up based catcher
9. Pitcher
Moving Wright to the 3 hole takes away the option of pitching around him that the Dodgers used in the recent series. LA walked David 6 times in 3 games. Having Beltran hitting behind him will get him a lot of good pitchers. Also, having Sheffield behind Beltran, although not as intimidating as he used to be, still leaves the potential for a pitcher paying the price for pitching around Beltran. I’ve said in the past that Luis Castillo would be a good lead off hitter on this team, especially since he’s been getting on base a bit more than Jose Reyes. Murphy has the bat control to be a perfect #2 hitter, having the ability to hit a ball to the right side and move a runner over when it’s necessary. Whatever lineup Jerry Manuel settles on, I hope it does not include Ramon Martinez.
The Mets have a much needed day off today. Let’s see what news Jose’s doctor visit brings.
