Mets Win! Mets Win!
The Mets losing streak is history, over at seven as they held on to beat the Braves 3-2 on Sunday. Dillon Gee proved he should have been in the rotation at the start of the season, allowing just one run and striking out four before Terry Collins inexplicably took him out of the game with two outs in the sixth inning.
The quick hook was surprising — yes, there were runners on first and second, but after just 89 pitches, Gee (left) showed no signs of tiring. Maybe Collins just got nervous, although what could be more nerve-racking than handing a close game to the Mets bullpen? Collins must have known that, so he called on two starters to help win the game. First Chris Capuano — who appears destined for a full-time bullpen gig — got the final out of that inning, then R.A. Dickey pitched a scoreless seventh.
The regular relievers then made it interesting — Jason Isringhausen allowed a Jason Heyward solo shot in the eighth to cut the lead to 3-2, then K-Rod walked his usual tightrope to escape the ninth with the tying run stranded on third.
The Mets offense was pretty anemic, managing only eight hits (two each by Jose Reyes, Josh Thole and Ike Davis) and striking out 14 times (three more by David Wright, second in the NL with 19). But they got the hits when they counted, and they were able to get a much needed win.
The Mets need to build on this, and the immediate schedule is favorable for that. After a day off Monday, they host a three game series against a terrible Astros team, then the Diamondbacks, who are also off to a slow start, come to town. A 5-1 or 4-2 record is conceivable, and could help right the ship.