Reeling Mets beat themselves on defense
Jose Reyes #7 of the New York Mets completes a third inning ending double play with the bases loaded after forcing out Carlos Gonzalez #5 of the Colorado Rockies during the first game of a doubleheader at Citi Field. (April 14, 2011) Credit: Jim McIsaac
Five straight losses -- leads blown in all -- have sent the Mets into a tailspin. As the Rockies completed a four-game sweep at Citi Field in Thursday's doubleheader, defensive miscues were a primary culprit.
The Mets' outfield made three cringe-worthy plays in the opener, and Daniel Murphy and Brad Emaus struggled while splitting time at second base.
"I think the numbers speak for themselves," said Murphy, who played second in the first game, a 6-5 loss. "We gave them some extra outs -- I think we're all a little guilty in that -- and you can't do that against a team playing like that."
Angel Pagan and Scott Hairston misjudged long fly balls in the opener. Pagan said he lost the ball in the sun, allowing Dexter Fowler a double in the fifth. Hairston said he made a mistake gauging the depth in rightfield on Jose Morales' two-run double in the sixth.
Pagan also was charged with an error in the seventh after Seth Smith's double to left-center deflected off his glove and then off Willie Harris' glove after a near-collision between the two. Both outfielders said it was a good "gapper" that was tough to play. "It was unstoppable," Pagan said.
Mets manager Terry Collins said a lack of continuity in the outfield was partly to blame.
"It's tough because we've run so many different people out in that outfield to try to . . . make sure there is a replacement for Jason [Bay] or Carlos [Beltran] if need be,'' he said. "Guys were all over. We really never gave anybody a chance to settle in too much."
The defensive letdowns were not limited to the outfield. Neither Murphy nor Emaus fared well, which did little to dispel the concerns at second base.
Murphy flubbed what would have been an inning-ending play. Jose Reyes fielded Ian Stewart's grounder and lobbed it to Murphy at second, but Murphy's high throw to Ike Davis drew him off the bag.
"It's a play I like to think I can make," Murphy said. "[Reyes] made a good feed and then it sailed on me."
In the second game, with the bases loaded and one out, Emaus also botched a potential double play. The mistake led to five runs in a six-run sixth that blew open the game.
Emaus bobbled a grounder and the Mets could get only a force at second. That tied the score at 4 before the Rockies tacked on four runs on the way to a 9-4 win.
"It's a play I've made a thousand times, but I botched it in a crucial situation," Emaus said. "It led to a bunch of runs and we lost the game because of it."
