The most frustrating part of the Mets loss to the Phillies in Game 2 of the NLDS

Every loss has its frustrations. Many have a scapegoat. For the New York Mets on Sunday, the biggest frustration of all wasn’t how they lost it, who they lost to, or what it means for them before Game 3 begins. The remote was thrown because the Mets lost despite playing a far more complete game than they did the day before when they won.

The modus operandi of the Mets waiting until late in the game to stack runs together makes for a lot of dramatics. It is precisely how they beat the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1. In Game 2, they played a more average (yet dramatic) baseball game with the runs scattered and home runs included.

On a day where the Mets lineup was threatening throughout, coming away as the losers is a big disappointment.

The Mets had the Phillies against the ropes and got knocked out in the final minute

The Mets’ theme of being in an offensive malaise for 5, 6, or even 7 innings to start games and then putting together a huge frame has been a personal grievance of mine. The theatrics of it are fun to see unfold. Sustainability is something entirely different. Teams need those chip-away games where a run scores in the first, another in the second, and half a one-two-three-third inning, you make up for it with a three-run blast in the fourth.

Scoring runs has come easily to the Mets with the home run ball being a big part of it. Four home runs among the 11 hits for the Mets on Sunday helped them keep pace with the Phillies and even surpass them multiple times.

Herein does lie one counterargument. You can’t rely completely on the home run ball. You need to score on sacrifice flies, wild pitches, and fielder’s choices created by a hustle out of the box. The Mets have had a lot of those this postseason. What they have been lacking is the home run. Until Sunday, Pete Alonso’s grand finale in Milwaukee was it.

New York didn’t improvise completely off-script from what has become a constant for this ball club for several weeks. The Mark Vientos home run in the 9th to tie the game again fulfilled the resiliency of the team. His performance gets filed a few rows behind Endy Chavez instead of Todd Pratt.