There's a Former Linebacker Heading Towards You!!!

The New York Mets got a rare 4-0 lead early for Johan Santana, but some pitches were left up and err of judgement was made by Mike Baxter as the Orange and Blue drop the ball 4-5.

The Mets always have trouble scoring runs for Johan. So, of course when they hand him a 4-0 lead against the most offensively challenged team in the league, he leaves some balls up over the plate and the Pirates take advantage. Will this team and that man ever sync up? I have a feeling they will one day when it is most important, and when they do, it's going to be sooooooo sweet. It's hard to feel optimistic after a loss like that, but for some reason I feel as if everyone will be satisfied when the crunch time comes. I don't know why. Just a feeling.

I had just gotten down to the gym and onto the stationary bike when the infamous fly ball traveled its way to Mike Baxter and Kirk Nieuwenhuis. The whole time I was thinking, "Mike better look up...LOOK UP!!!!" Alas, when you are young and you make a mistake like that in this game, more often than not your team won't be able to bail you out and the game will be lost. It was the center fielder's ball the whole way. Bottom line. I know I was thinking about the loss throughout the hours thereafter, so I can only imagine what how much Baxter was thinking about it. That whole 8th inning was screwy. Kirk got on in the top half, and was over to 3rd by the time people like Mike Nickeas had bad at-bats to set up stranding the runner. Baxter went up as a pinch-hitter and of course they walked him, as he is 8 for 16 or something like that pinch-hitting these days. Andres Torres came up, and I understand Terry showing confidence in the "3 for his last 40 or so" hitter, but the next inning he took Torres out. Sooo...why not pinch hit Daniel Murphy and then put him back at 2nd? And I wish I had seen more aggressiveness on the team's part there, sending Baxter to put some pressure on the defense when Torres grounded to 2nd softly.

This game was clearly a lost cause by the end, with so many opportunities squandered. I am happy to have my favorite player, RA Dickey, on the mound to help us rebound tonight. Every time we think this team will fall into a season-long rut, they bounce back, and I will give them the benefit of the doubt before I start to panic.

Oh, and I'm pretty certain Ike Davis is going back to the minors when Jason Bay arrives from the DL. I know that was a 97 MPH pitch to end the ball game, but Ike used to feast on those. Plus, he killed a rally in the 7th as well with a strike out. He's not right, and I believe they will try to mend him before, say, giving up on the Andres Torres trade (though who knows how long he will last the way he's going and with roster moves to be made.)

And one more thing: Lucas Duda has a great arm, even if it was a little up the 1st base line on the play at the plate when the error scored.

The Mets will look to even up the series tonight at 7:05PM. The aforementioned knuckleballer will take on James McDonald. Slay some Pirates, Metsies.

LET'S. GO. METS.

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