FLUSHING - The best way I can describe today was that feeling you have the casino. You've lost one hand after another at the black jack table. You know you should walk away, lick the wounds and live to fight another day.
That's logical thinking. But, in those times, irrational thought tends to prevail. Been beat by the dealer for four, five, six straight hands. His luck has to run out at some point and mine has to kick in eventually.
If you've followed this season, you know it's been played one game a day, trying to keep a steady and reliabel pace in line with what the actual 2020 schedule would have been. But, when you are mired in a losing streak, extraordinary measures have to be enforced.
Thus, after playing the first of a four-game series with the Pirates, and taking another loss on the chin, I was desperate...had to rinse this losing flavor off the palate. So, I jumped ahead to Saturday, where Pittsburgh pinned the Mets with their sixth straight loss, a 2-1 heartbreaker in 12 innings.
Desparate for just a morsel of gratification, I pressed our luck. With Rick Porcello on the bump and a lineup that looked eager to end the pain that haunted us through a forgettable week of one setback after another, I pushed "Manage Game" one more time.
JACKPOT!!!!
Porcello, who has been dynamite in his short time wearing the blue and orange, threw 7 1/3 masterful innnings, Daniel Zamora came out of the pen to close the eighth with the Mets down, 1-0, and the Amazins FINALLY pieced together some meaningful at bats in the bottom half to rally for a 3-1 victory.
Damn, we need this...BAD! With the pitcher due to leadoff our half of the eighth, summoned Chris Taylor to pinch hit. As excited as I was to land him in the deal with the Dodgers for Jed Lawrie, Taylor hasn't lived up to the expecations I had in mind. Guess he sensed my disappointment.
Taylor delivered, punching a soft single to right and quickly stole second, allowing Amed Rosario to push him to third with a sac bunt. Jeff McNeil, whose been recently betrayed by a glove that's commited some costly - and well documented - errors this past week, atoned to a degree with an RBI single to tie the game. After Pete Alonso fanned and Michael Conforto drew a walk, Robinson Cano came through with a two-out, two-run double, getting thrown out at third to end the uprising.
Admittedly, swept up by how quickly things unfolded, I didn't get Edwin Diaz up until the inning was over, but had Justin Wilson already up in anticipation of the lefties due to the plate in the ninth. With the closer quickly warming, Wilson afforded him the chance to chill, sandwiching two strikes around a fly out to put it in the books!
The nightmare is over!!!
