NAT EVEN CLOSE
Matz, Mets rocked by rival ... but at least no one got hurt:
Give Terry Collins this: he still is willing (OK, or desperate enough, more likely) to try new things. And he still hasn’t completely lost his sense of humor amid a 30-36 start that has been anything but amusing for the Mets or their fans.
This was another one of those nights that positivity and selfdeprecation only can go so far, however, as the undermanned Mets proved no match for Max Scherzer and limply slipped back into double digits in games behind East-leading Washington (10.5) with a second straight outclassing by the Nationals, 7-2, at Citi Field.
But hey, at least they have two more cracks at the division leaders the rest of this weekend. We’ll let you decide for yourself whether that’s good or bad.
“When you sign on for this job, you’ve got to realize it’s never gonna be easy. You can go a lot of days without having a good day, so you’ve got to realize that comes with the territory here,” Collins said before the game. “If this was 2013, this would be a run
of bad luck. It’s 2017, and we’re supposed to be really good. By the way, I support that. We should be really good. We’ve got good players.
“So there’s no way to predict what’s gonna happen.”
Using the logic that the reigning MVPs in each league, Kris Bryant and Mike Trout, often batted in the No.2 hole in their respective lineups last season, Collins shifted slugger Yoenis Cespedes into that slot for Friday’s game. (It didn’t work; he went 0-for-3 with an HBP). The rightfully flabbergasted manager also forced a pregame chuckle when asked whether there’s anything he can do amid this latest obscene rash
of in- juries to keep the spirit high and the attitude right with his gut-punched team. “Bubble wrap,” Collins replied. “Key. Very important.” The Mets often make themselves the easiest of targets, but it’s hard to kill them for trying to take a cautious approach in the past week with Cespedes. The $110 million slugger already had opened nearly as many games on the bench (three) in his first week back from a six-week hamstring layoff than he did in the starting lineup (four), especially since he also revealed he has been nursing a mysterious heel problem, which forced him out of Tuesday’s game against the Cubs. Thus, Cespedes’ regular availability in the coming weeks is far more significant than where he bats in the lineup, with the plan still to give him the series finale off after, if nothing changes, starting for a third straight game on Saturday. “After that, we’re gonna turn him loose and we’ll see how it goes from day-to-day,” Collins said of the upcoming road trip that begins Monday in Los Angeles. “After Sunday, we certainly plan on playing him four, if not more, in a row.” With Neil Walker and Juan Lagares the latest position players to land on the disabled list earlier this week, Collins was hoping that a top-heavy lineup featuring returning leadoff man Michael Conforto, who hadn’t started the previous four games due to back stiffness, Cespedes, Jay Bruce and hot-hitting Wilmer Flores would maximize their at-bats and put some pressure on Scherzer in the early innings.
Perhaps it was worth a shot – why not at this point, right? -- but those top-4 batters went a combined 1-for-12 against Scherzer, while the Nats clubbed three homers against Steven Matz to improve to 5-0 in Flushing already this season.
Anyway, imagine the public criticism Collins would have opened himself up to had he turned to the other option he was considering for the No.2 hole, former fan favorite and fillin shortstop Jose Reyes – particularly while top prospect Amed Rosario still patiently awaits his summoning from Triple-A Vegas. (Reyes, it should be noted, singled and homered late in three trips out of the No.8 spot).
“Against (Scherzer), I thought I’d put as many good hitters at the top of the lineup as I can find,” Collins said. “If you could hit, you’d be out there.”
Collins certainly wouldn’t be saying that if he saw the recent media game against the Boston writers at Yankee Stadium.
(Perhaps if ageless and indefatigable News columnist John Harper had been working Friday night, right Harp)?
“As I said coming out of spring training, we’re sitting here trying to figure out what we’re gonna do with (Seth) Lugo and (Robert) Gsellman. Now, we’re trying to figure out, holy hell, I hope in five days they’re out there, because we’re running out of options,” Collins said.
The swell of unavailable players even forced Collins to use the previously injured Matz for a pinch-hit single in place of Matt Harvey (also back on the disabled list again) in Wednesday’s fourth inning.
Matz instead was needed two nights later to follow up his strong first start after a twomonth DL stint (elbow) last Saturday in Atlanta by giving the Mets a fighter’s chance against Scherzer.
Matz’s third-inning single was the first of only four Mets hits over eight innings (10 strikeouts) against the reigning Cy Young winner.
Still, the Long Island lefty was clocked for early back-to-back blasts by Matt Wieters and Michael Taylor, and then a two-run shot by Anthony Rendon – following a double by, yes again, old friend Daniel Murphy – in the sixth.
“It’s tough. We’re playing a division team, the first-place team and we want to beat these guys,” Matz said. “It’s never fun losing, especially to guys in your division who are on top of you.”
Awin certainly would have gone a long way to prompt a few extra smiles in Collins’ bubble-wrapped clubhouse. Yet, once again, we’ve seen that all of this positivity only can go so far this season with the Mets.