I was kinda hoping, before this “we’re-just-lucky-to-be-here” postseason began that I might finally be blasé enough to deal with eventual (inevitable) disappointment. But buoyed by Washington’s utter collapse, Sandy Alderson’s late-season acquisitions, a thrilling defeat of L.A. in the NLDS and a sweep of the Cubs in the NLCS, well, wouldn’t you know it, I was totally set up for a World Series even more exasperating than the last one the Mets participated in.
I’m glum but cannot deny KC are a far superior team, one with few discernable weaknesses. But it obviously sucks to have 2 leads blown in the 9th, one in the 8th over the course of 5 games (and you can only really fault Familia for Alex Gordon’s tying HR in Game One). Terry Collins was seriously outmanaged but it comes down to the players executing, too. While rookies like Michael Conforto and Steven Matz excelled, monumental gaffes were made by veterans like Yeonis Cespedes, Daniel Murphy, and finally last night, Lucas Duda.
At first glance there didn’t appear to be a ton separating the teams, but KC has a far deeper pen, and they fact they were able to run on Travis d’Anraud at will was pretty big, too. In a tight game, (mostly) being shut down by opposing pitching, the Mets were far less likely to manufacture something out of little or nothing, and while Curtis Granderson and Conforto showed power, the failure of Murphy or Cespedes to do likewise made a big difference. Hard to say how seriously injured golf enthusiast Cespedes was going into the series, but full credit to the Royals for having an effective means of dealing with Murphy.
The Mets bench, Lagares aside, contributed almost nothing (hope you enjoyed your excellent vantage point, Michael Cuddyer). That KC got something out of Paulo Orlando, Christian Colon, Jerrod Dyson,could use Morales as a PH in NY, etc., all helped to make Ned Yost look just a little smarter than Terry Collins.
Though Terry contributed to that perception, too. I can’t blame him for Cespedes or Murphy’s errors, but everything went wrong in his handling of the pen.
The 4 out save-that-wasn’t for Familia in Game One,
putting Familia into a blowout in Game 3 for no apparent reason, then calling on him to get 5 outs in Game 4, inserting the closer into Game 5 with the tying run on second when he could’ve begun the inning with the bases clear where it not for the capitulation to Harvey.
Familia told reporters last night that it’s his job to get a ground ball on the first pitch. Given the element of risk, maybe it would be better if his job was to blow the hitter away? In Game 5, Collins inexplicably caved to Matt Harvey’s demand to start the 9th, then kept him in after allowing a lead off walk to Lorenzo Cain, finally proceding to bring in Familia with zero margin to screw up after Hosmer’s tying double.
Would it have been a great story for Matt Harvey to get a complete game shutout? Sure. But with the season on the line, Collins chose Harvey’s ego over the higher percentage play, and that’s just ridiculous. No one should criticize Harvey for wanting the ball, but a 66 year old manager should be smart enough to say, “this is about keeping the season alive, not about your personal redemption”.
There was a lotta talk last night about Hosmer being lucky, that a routine throw nails him in the 9th, ending the game. All true enough, but he forced a subpar defensive 1B in Lucas Duda to make a play under pressure.
Many have insisted a good throw gets Hosmer. Alright, but, sans google, name one single instance where Duda’s made a great throw from home to first to end a game, let alone with his club facing elimination? Is it impossible to acknowledge that Duda is not exactly the second coming of Keith Hernandez in the field?
The Mets came painfully close to winning all 3 games they lost. Without taking anything away from the Royals, the Amazins’ inability to get that 27th out when holding a late lead really does say a ton about their maturity, poise under pressure, and yeah, what kind of preparation was in place under the stewardship of Collins and his coaching staff.
All of that said, there’s much to look forward from the core of Harvey/deGrom/Syndergaard/Matz (not to mention a recovering Zach Wheeler) and while it hurts like fuck all to watch the Royals celebrating on the field in Flushing, at least we’re spared the gruesome visage of who-sucks-more, Jim Breuer and Jeff Wilpon celebrating together or individually. If you can devise a way to shoot one or both into outer space, I might even continue to turn a blind eye to Josh Lewin’s suspicious resemblance to Billy McKay from “The Days Of The Week”.