[caption id="attachment_336" align="aligncenter" width="660" caption="Jose Reyes works out, but does not participate in the All-Star festivities in Arizona. The Mets are hoping his return can bring a spark to their lifeless offense. "]
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The Mets are certainly happy to have their All-Star shortstop back once he is activated from the disabled list later today. The team’s 4-1 loss to the Marlins represents only one of the many games in which the lineup sorely missed Jose Reyes.
The Amazin’s have been missing their key catalyst since the last game of the Subway Series. Before hitting the disabled list with a hamstring strain suffered against the Yankees, he was the National League’s leader in batting average and triples. He was also around the top of the NL in numerous other categories.
In his absence, the Mets did manage to go 6-6 but only three of those wins were against teams with a winning record.
In their last six games, the absence of the NL’s second highest run producer distressed the team even further. The Mets lost five of those games, scoring a combined 11 runs in the losing efforts.
All of the games in which Reyes has missed are especially crucial considering they come in the midst of a wild card run. The lack of offense without Reyes just might have dug the team in a hole so big that not even a Reyes MVP season can save it. Monday’s loss to the Marlins only adds to the trouble.
In that game, the Reyes-less lineup only managed to score once, on Jason Bay’s sacrifice fly in the ninth inning.
The pitching did its job though. Chris Capuano threw seven and two-third good innings and kept them in the game throughout, but when you play for an offense that is only guaranteeing about two runs per start, a three-run inning on the mound will be enough to doom you.
The specific trouble for the offense against the Marlins was creating opportunities for runs. In the first eight innings, the Mets managed only six base runners, none of which advanced beyond second base.
The ninth inning presented the best opportunity for the Mets. Marlins reliever Randy Choate was called on to pitch because it was a non-save situation. It quickly turned into trouble after walking Nick Evans with one out and Daniel Murphy on second. Choate fell behind 2-0 to the next hitter, Lucas Duda, before he was lifted for Leo Nuñez.
Nuñez threw two more out of the strike zone to Duda, giving Choate another walk on the night. This set up Bay for his sac-fly with the bases jacked and one out. Despite the run scoring, this was an ideal result for Nuñez, because he could concede a run with a four-run lead, as long as he got the second out for his troubles.
It was then up to Ronny Paulino as the tying run, but he hits the game ending ground out, tumbling the Mets under .500 and further back in the wild card race.
Game Notes:
Scott Hairston was removed in the top of the second inning after fouling a ball off his shin in the bottom of the first. He was seen running to first base with pain after hitting a ground ball. He was replaced offensively by Nick Evans.
Carlos Beltran (flu) missed his third straight game, although it appeared as if he was available as a pinch-hitter.
The team’s official website reports that Jason Bay may lose some at-bats to hot bench players like Scott Hairston if he continues to struggle.
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