This is depressing

I was browsing MLB.com today.  Looking at some of the headlines, and I see that the Phillies scored 22 runs last night in a rout.  If you add up the Mets runs going back to June 29th, you finally get 22 runs.  How can they compete with a team that has that sort of offensive ability when they can only put together three runs in a big weekend series?  How can anyone think it’s not a good idea to add offense to this team?  Offense that will still be there when the troops come home!  Not a stop gap, but an addition that would have seemed helpful even with the team at full strength.

I know adding a bat won’t help with the ugly baseball the Mets play day in and day out.  It seems that the only thing that might help that is a new manager.  I’m not out here calling for Manuel’s head (yet), because he’s had some bad luck having to field a team of minor leaguers and pinch hitters, but the team he puts out there is still made up of professional ball players, and they’re looking anything but.

Errors will happen, even a dropped fly ball here and there, but the little things that minimize the effects of errors, like backing up a throw, or hitting a cut off man, are being overlooked.  Mental errors like that make minor damage get major in a hurry, and major damage is not something this line up can’t overcome easily.  I don’t think I’d be the first to say that even at full strength this team had some issues with driving in runs, so they need solid pitching and solid defense.

I’ve always been a believer that things like good defense and hustle are contagious, and if a team gets a spark, it can carry them for a long long time.  Unfortunately, at the other end of the spectrum, laziness, poor habits at the plate, and errors are also contagious, and much like Carlos Beltran had the flu, the Mets have it pretty bad.

Maybe Angel Pagan, who could never be accused of not trying his hardest, is the type of spark that the team needs to get things moving in the right direction.  Pagan is expected to make a few more rehab starts before returning to the Mets.  It’s more likely that they’ll have to wait longer, for a guy like Jose Reyes.  It’s energizing to see Jose standing on second base pointing towards the sky after a stand up double.  The Carlos-es are superstars, but they’re not ignitors like Jose can be.  You don’t truly appreciate what he can bring to the table until he’s gone.  His excitement is not only good for the Mets, but it gets under the skins of other teams, particularly the Phillies.

I’m being very out of character by seeming somewhat optimistic.  I’m dangerously close to wanting to call it a season and play for next year, but I’m not there yet so I’m trying to elevate my mood.  I’m sure a three game set against the Dodgers will bring me back down to the gutter of Mets fanhood.

It’s Mike Pelfrey against Clayton Kershaw tonight.  Pelfrey’s last start has been the only bright spot for the Mets for a while.  Hopefully he can duplicate it tonight against the best offensive team in the National League.

Let’s go Mets…