Mets swept and falling fast

The weekend series vs the Philadelphia Phillies and the stumbling Mets was to be a measuring stick for a team that has struggled so mightytly, this series was to determine where the Mets may end up come the all star break, if the Mets were to continue on this bad path, they could easily find themselves 7 games out and out of contention, but with a good series with the Phils they could still be in it to win it in this weak division. Yesterday the Mets found them selves trying to avoid the sweep as the Phillies had easily taken care of the Mets in the 1st 2 games, on Sunday the Mets sent out Johan Santana to try and save face. Joe Blaton and the Phillies were looking to sport out the brooms on the Mets and what you saw in the very 1st inning was Jimmy Rollins going deep on the 1st pitch delivered by Santana to quickly set the tone and a message to the Mets who must had felt like here we go again. By the 6th inning Joe Blaton had only given up 1 hit to the Mets, but in that 6th the Mets had loaded the bases with 1 out when Castillo walked to open up the inning, Santana then got on when his sacrifice bunt turned into a single that Blaton could not handle, as Cora then bunted the runners over to 2nd and 3rd, Daniel Murphy then walked after a long battle with Blaton, fouling off 5, 3-2 counts pitches as Murphy took a ball 4 to load it up. This was the Mets only real opportunity as far as I was concern, both Gary Cohen and Ron Darling on SNY made the same call comment saying that this could be it for the Mets if they were going to win this game with Santana on the mound, we were understanding the Mets trails and tribulations on the Mets offensive where pretty much the Mets lineup of late has not been able to generated much offense. All you have to do is look at the numbers, surprisingly they are 7th in baseball with a 270 team batting average, but when you focus at the other numbers that's where it gets bad. They are last in baseball when it comes to team HR's with a total of 50 for the season, worst then the Pirates who have a team total of 55. Now with the bases loaded up to bat comes David Wright who has been pressuring and feeling the heat lately trying too come through in big situations. This was the big moment in the game and it was on David once again, Lately it's been strikeouts and double plays in these situations for David Wright, so on a 1-1 pitch Wright would do it again, and no it was not the strikeout, Wright bounced one weakly to 2nd for a inning ending DP that crushed the Mets hopes of ever winning this game, it was over right there if you were a Met fan watching that moment unfold. It was only 1-0 Phillies at the time, but you knew right then and there it was not going to happen for the Mets again. Once again Santana would fall short in this one and it was made even worst when in the bottom of the 6th and with 2 outs, Chase Utley took Santana deep into the seats to make it a 2-0 lead for the Phils, it was the 3rd time this season Utley had taken Santana deep, and it was the 15th dinger given up by Santana this season. Santana who has been in a slumping for the entire month of July pitched a good game in this one but made 2 mistakes to Utley and Rollins that was all that was needed on this day.
On this occasion it was the Mets offense once again that had failed to put any runs on the board to back up Santana's effort. Again it was that AAA offense for the Mets that showed up and it would be hard to find a weaker looking lineup in the majors right now. The Mets have turned into the Pittsburgh Pirates but this is what you got as you try to stay positive for a season that is only in midseason form, and 4 games out.


But On top of all the injuries the Mets have been playing some awful defense because you have several players playing out of position, Murphy can't catch anywhere you put him, you have Tatis at 2nd and as an outfielder he is just a little better then Murphy, Gary Sheffield who has done a decent job in the outfield is 42 years old and is practically playing everyday, this from a guy who was an afterthought when the season began, as the Mets got him on the cheaps to make him a guy they can use him on ocasions, now he is a key looked at as a key player because of the beleaguer lineup who is leading the team with 10 homeruns, right now the Mets have guys like Alex Cora, Agenis Reyes, Nick Evans, and 20 year old prospect Fernando Martinez as regulars all whom were not on the opening day roster when the season began. The formula is not good and it shows, for the Mets right now it is wait and see at least until the ALL STAR break, wait and see if any of the injured players can make it back in hopes to make something of the season. Right now the news is that the Mets will get Oliver Perez back on Wesdesday, really not good news at all, it only seems to get worst and worst. The Mets would go on to hit into 4 DP's as the Phils swept the Mets to push them 4 games back in the standings. In the entire series the Mets were only able to score a total of 3 runs on 10 hits and only 1 of the hits was a extra base hit, a double by Ryan Church. No homeruns for the Mets once again, and it won't get any easier for them either, up next for the Mets is the team with the best record in baseball as the LA Dodgers get ready to come into town along with Manny Ramirez. Right now it is hard to believe and to stay up beat, being a fan of the Mets one tries to stay postitive that all that has gone bad so far for the Mets will soon turn around for the better, but for me it is hard, I am a realict, and I keep it real, this Mets team must just take the hit that has riddled them with injuries to the point where it is over in my eyes, and from the looks of thing Omar and the Wilpon's seem to be on the same page if you look at what has been done during this period of bad luck, so Let's go Mets!