3 wake-up calls for the NY Mets in their doubleheader sweep vs. the Orioles

Rain, rain, maybe you should have stayed another day. Two losses for the New York Mets against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday revealed many of the club’s shortcomings. It’s not quite panic mode considering how well they played at home prior to this. Taking both series against the Milwaukee Brewers and New York Yankees bought them some leeway. It also helps that the Philadelphia Phillies can’t seem to get out of their own way at times.

Two L’s added to the standings for the Mets before a final weekend series versus the Kansas City Royals left a sour taste in our mouths at the end of the day. It’s time for the players, coaches, and front office to receive these wake-up calls that, yet again, held the team back in both parts of the twin bill.

1) Carlos Mendoza has to learn to trust his starting pitchers

Was there a more discussed moment than when Carlos Mendoza removed David Peterson from the game with no outs in the 8th inning? Peterson, who was awarded a replacement All-Star roster spot after the game, had no reason to exit for one simple reason: Gunnar Henderson loomed.

If not for this big and powerful lefty waiting on the bench all day, removing Peterson would have been reasonable. Alas, Mendoza pulled the same card he recently did with Clay Holmes with an early departure for a starting pitcher who hadn’t shown signs of slowing down just yet.

The Mets led only 1-0 in a game where the offense let Charlie Morton embarrass them outside of one RBI hit by Tyrone Taylor. That seemed to be the theme after the game for fans and Mendoza. Ryne Stanek, who gave up the home run to Henderson, escaped most of the criticism. In fairness to him, it wasn’t an ideal situation to come into the game with a runner on and Henderson at the plate.

The odd coincidence of Mendoza doing this in yet another game one of a doubleheader like he did with Holmes last week shows us he might have a little more stubbornness in him than realized. Mendoza didn’t have any explanation or try to mansplain (that’s when a manager explains something to us fans, I should copyright that!) it away with some analytical jargon. It was simply a poor choice. On a day when you know you’re going to need the whole bullpen militia, push your starting pitcher a little further.