6/11 Game Recap: Mets Do Themselves In, Lose to Cards 9-2

Tonight at Citi Field, the Mets played their first game since the roster purge that occurred on Sunday.  With Ike Davis, Mike Baxter, and Robert Carson in AAA and Josh Satin, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, and Josh Edgin here, the Mets opted to slide Daniel Murphy to first base and give Jordany Valdespin the start at second base (where he’ll get at least a week’s worth of run).  After the hell the Mets have been through and with pretty much every player’s job on the line, you would think they’d have played a crisp game tonight.  You’d be wrong.

Jun 11, 2013; Flushing, NY,USA; New York Mets center fielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis (9) misplays a ball during the seventh inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets took a 2-0 lead in the first on a solo homer from Omar Quintanilla and a sac fly off the bat of Marlon Byrd.  The Cardinals got a run back in the fourth to make it 2-1, but the run scored on a double play ball and allowed Jeremy Hefner to avert a potentially big inning.  In the fifth, he and the Mets had no such luck.

Daniel Murphy made an error to open the top of the fifth, first bobbling a ground ball and then firing wide of first base, and St. Louis tied things at 2 on a Michael Wacha ground out.  The Mets had a chance to escape the inning with the game tied, but David Wright bobbled a double play ball from Yadier Molina.  That bobble led to the go ahead run scoring from third to make it 3-2, and allowed the inning to continue.  Later in the frame, Allen Craig launched a three run homer to left center to give St. Louis a 6-2 lead.  All the runs in the inning were unearned.  And it got uglier in the 7th.

After Kirk Nieuwenhuis made a two base error in right field to open the frame, the Cardinals scored their 7th run of the night on an RBI single to center.  With the bases loaded and two outs, Josh Edgin was brought in for his first appearance since being recalled from AAA, and walked the first batter he faced to force in a run.  That made it 8-2 Cardinals and closed out the scoring.  Seven of their runs were unearned.

Highlights:

• Jeremy Hefner deserved better tonight.  He gave up 6 runs (1 earned) on 8 hits in 6 IP.  He struck out 2 and walked 1.

• Omar Quintanilla hit a solo homer in the 1st.

• Josh Edgin was shaky in his return to the big leagues, walking the first batter he faced to force in a run.

• Jordany Valdespin was one of the only Mets who looked like he wanted to be on the field.  He went 2 for 4 in the leadoff spot.

• The last Mets hit came when Jordany Valdespin led off the fifth with an infield single.

Thoughts:

The Mets led this game 2-1 heading into the fifth.  It was then, that they began to embarrass themselves.  They kicked the ball all over the field (committing two errors and one bad misplay) while allowing 7 unearned runs.  They walked in a run, they had lazy at bats, and they looked like they had no interest in being on the field.

Next Up:

The Mets play the second game of their three game set against the Cardinals tomorrow night at 7:10.  Dillon Gee gets the start for New York.  He’ll be opposed by Shelby Miller.

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