Can’t Anybody Here Pitch this Game?

Friday night’s game in Miami was one of those brutal games that people who don’t like baseball point to and say, “How can you like this game?” Terrible starting pitchers who couldn’t throw strikes or keep a lead, crummy relief work and some shoddy defense — a three and a half hour slopfest.

The Mets staked Mike Pelfrey to a 3-0 lead before he even stepped on the field — David Wright (below, warming up before the game) was right in the middle of things with an RBI double in his first at bat since coming off the DL.

But Pelfrey seemed to have no interest in holding that lead. He allowed a run in each of the first three innings, the last one scoring on a shameful display. With Emilio Bonifacio on first and running on the pitch, Omar Infante singled to the spot vacated when Jose Reyes went to cover second. Lucas Duda picked up the ball and casually lobbed it to second. Bonifacio saw this and just kept running, scoring the tying run.

Bonifacio gave the run back in the top of the fourth when he bobbled a ball trying to force Reyes out at second. He would score on a Carlos Beltran single.

Marlins starter Chris Volstad was terrible — he threw 106 pitches in just five innings. He allowed four runs (three earned), eight hits and walked three. Pelfrey wasn’t much better — throwing 115 pitches in six ineffective innings, allowing four runs  and walking four. He allowed two solo home runs — Pelfrey has now given up 18 homers this year. He allowed 12 all of last season.

Neither starter figured in the decision because the bullpens weren’t any better. After the Mets took a 5-4 lead in the seventh, Pedro Beato allowed a hit and two walks in the bottom of the inning, leaving the bases loaded for Tim Byrdak. The Marlins would tie the game on a sacrifice fly.

But the Mets countered against the Marlins bullpen in the eighth — once again it was a Wright RBI double that broke the tie. It sure is nice to have him back. Daniel Murphy followed with a double of his own, his second RBI of the game as the Mets took a 7-5 lead.

The Marlins added a run off Bobby Parnell in the eighth, courtesy of a Wright error, a walk and a hit to cut the lead to 7-6. But Jason Isringhausen was able to close out the game in the ninth — Mets win a forgettable game, 7-6.