NY Mets News: Rich Hill takes the blame the hitters should get

After Friday’s loss to the Washington Nationals, New York Mets pitcher Rich Hill essentially took the blame for dropping the series opener. Hill allowed a pair of runs to score in the third inning and that would be it for the night. Mets pitchers shut down the Nationals each at-bat thereafter, eventually dropping the game with a 2-1 score.

Hill said what you might expect Jacob deGrom to say:

"“It’s disappointing just having that third inning. I expect more out of myself, to be able to keep the other team at bay and give us a chance to win the ballgame.”"

Even if there is no better way for a starting pitcher to put it without throwing his teammates under the bus, this approach has clearly not worked. Mets hitters need to be held accountable.

Mets coaches and front office staff need to put the hitters on notice

Expecting Hill to join the Mets midseason and a month later call out the hitters for supplying him with a single run of support is ridiculous. deGrom has been with the club, received very little in return from the offense, and has never put his teammates on blast. Too much can go wrong. Your reputation as a teammate then comes into question.

That’s why it’s up to someone else to hold the hitters accountable. Unfortunately, with everyone slumping through the 2021 season, they can’t really do it to each other.

And holding yourself accountable isn’t always foolproof. How many times have you broken a diet because nobody else would possibly know how many cookies you actually ate?

When Steve Cohen tweeted out his now-famous tweet, he sent a message. The Mets won that day. While not a direct result of the owner giving a virtual backhand to the hitters, I have to think it did more good than bad.

Mets starting pitchers have continued to hold themselves to a high standard, which is amazing to see. However, the batters are doing the complete opposite.

Pete Alonso’s “we got this” message a few weeks ago after getting swept by the Philadelphia Phillies won’t go on any t-shirts. It’s the complete opposite of what pitchers like deGrom and Hill have served up. They expect themselves to be perfect each time they’re on the mound.

Maybe this is a veteran mentality. In time, maybe the Mets hitters made up of mostly younger players will see things differently. Thinking they’re only one swing away—which to be frank, they have been!—does not equate to winning games.

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Hill earned the respect of fans and his teammates by stepping in front of this one. He also earned a loss.