Just when you think things can't get any worse, they actually get a tiny bit better. The Mets had countless opportunities to blow this game, but defied all odds by not doing so. The Mets were apparently 1-19 when trailing after six innings prior to this improbable victory, so we can bump that sucker up to 2-19 now. The Mets actually came from behind in the ninth AND twelfth innings, getting unlikely RsBI from Endy Chavez and Fernando! Tatis to seal the win.
Is this the game that snaps the Mets out of their season-long funk and propels them to splendiferawesomeness? It had all the makings of a fate-turner: resiliency, stick-to-it-iveness, comeback-ability, grit, hustle, gristle, dirt. Perhaps most importantly, it was a fun-ass game to watch. Oliver Perez pitched well for a while and then less so for a while. The bullpen was tremendous. Carlos Beltran hit into some more lineouts, but also got lucky in the twelfth when he knocked a single through the vacated shortstop hole, sending an in-motion David Wright from first to third. Both would score two batters later when Fernando! put some shine back on that turd and sent us all home happy.
I suspect Fernando! bought himself a few more starts, especially since it looks like Ryan Church may be headed for the disabled list, hopefully sooner rather than later. He says he doesn't even remember his pinch-hitting at-bat the other day, and while my doctorate in neuroscience is an honorary degree from the University of Phoenix Online, forgetting a whole chunk of time during which you were actually conscious is a bad sign. The Mets have been taken behind the woodshed for the way they have handled the Church situation, but I think the best thing for all involved is for Church to hit the DL and work through his problems while freeing up a bench spot for the Mets.
I suspect that Fernando! will be back in the lineup tomorrow night against Brad Penny, while Nick Evans heads to the bench in favor of Endy and his power lefty bat. Damion Easley will almost certainly be spelled by Carlos Delgado, and Brian Schneider will be back in there as well. Claudio Vargas goes for the Mets, and his days may be numbered with Pedro Martinez possibly returning to action as soon as Tuesday. He had a very encouraging start with St. Lucie on Wednesday, and claims that everything feels great physically. I'm assuming Vargas will go, but it could just as easily be Mike Pelfrey, though I'd like to see Pelfrey stick it out for the whole season and see what he can do with some time and a little confidence.
In shameless self-promotion news, the whole RaysGeek thing as been picked up by The USA Today, in which I'm actually mentioned by name. I'll have to pick up a copy of the print edition to see if it made it in there as well. Also, got more hatemail, subject: YOU suck!!:
You bunch of band wagon jumping pansies! What makes you think the rays would want a bunch of fair weather fans like you? Just give it up because nobody is going to take you serious anymore!
Pansies, I tells you! The only thing that keeps me reading them is that I hope I'll actually receive one without a single spelling or grammatical mistake. Wish in one hand, etc.
* More bad spelling update *
Got some new love mail today!
As a Metsblog devotee, today was my first visit to your site, and it will be my last.
I realize the whole Rays bit may be tongue-in-cheek, but please know it appears that you have given up on the Mets entirely, which makes us real fans cringe, insofar as your blog claims to represent us. However, there have been quite a few "fair weather" Mets fans in the past few years, so I welcome your exodus. Let us fans have our fun, our devotion, and our losses. I'm sure you'll be supporting the Texas Rangers when you find it amusing to do so. Just don't come back to Mets land, because you are not welcome.
YOU GOTTA BELEIVE.
Gotta beleive [sic!] indeed! I'll never understand who put certain Mets fans in charge of including/excluding other Mets fans into/from Mets fandom. To accuse anyone at MetsGeek of being "fair weather" is laughable, but I guess that's just par for the course for the indigenous peoples of Mets land™, where respect for the English language is not only eschewed, but downright discouraged.