This was the red flag, redder than the Toyota ad in dead center field, redder than the Coca-Cola sign high atop the right-field porch, redder than the dead-red room-service fastball that Hansel Robles served up to Tyler Saladino in the top of the eighth inning Tuesday night.
Bright red. Neon red. Fire-truck red.
“Lately,” Robles said, “I haven’t been able to locate my pitches, and I’ve paid the consequences for that.”
One bad night doesn’t spoil two months of good work. If there was one area the Mets knew could haunt them entering this season, could sabotage all the good that could be lurking throughout 162 games, it was the bullpen.