PHOENIX -- Twice in the seventh inning Thursday night at Chase Field, Mets manager Mickey Callaway marched to the mound hoping that this time, he would find the right reliever to halt his bullpen's season-long woes. Twice, Callaway walked back to the dugout, vexed, as his best-laid plans unwound around him.
At issue was the Mets' inventory, more than Callaway's decisions. With Jeurys Familia and AJ Ramos on the disabled list, and Seth Lugo in the rotation, the Mets have struggled to find consistency closing out games. They struggled again Thursday, when Hansel Robles issued a leadoff walk, Jerry Blevins allowed both batters he faced to reach base, and Paul Sewald forced home a critical insurance run in the Mets' 6-3 loss to the D-backs.