Asdrubal Cabrera is going to the doctor Thursday. He would much rather be headed to Chicago for the NLDS, but the Giants’ Madison Bumgarner turned in a typically legendary type of postseason performance, and the Mets did not capitalize on the few chances they had.
Cabrera had one of those chances in the eventual 3-0 wild-card defeat Wednesday at Citi Field.
It was the bottom of the eighth with the game still scoreless. Ty Kelly was on second through a single and groundout. A run at this point would be huge. Cabrera got a 1-1 fastball and made good contact.
Right back to Bumgarner on a line.
“Fastball in, I tried to stay inside the ball and put it in play,” Cabrera said.
A foot either way and maybe the Mets are up 1-0.
“I thought it was going through. Had a chance. This game is so crazy,” Cabrera said, giving all respect and praise to Bumgarner, who fashioned his third postseason shutout. “He does a really good job. He’s really good on the mound too defensively. There’s nothing we can do about it.”
Well, a good sulk never hurt anybody.
“Nah, he did a really good job. He’s one of the best pitchers in the league,” Cabrera said. “He was so good tonight.”
Cabrera was no slouch down the stretch for the Mets, despite playing on a gimpy knee — caused by a strained left patellar tendon — that landed him on the disabled list from Aug. 2-19 and is the reason for his doctor’s visit Thursday.
Cabrera doesn’t want to use the “S” word — surgery. But he said he doesn’t know what the exam will find.
“I don’t know,” Cabrera said of the possibility of surgery. “Depends on how it looks [Thursday] on the X-ray. I hope not. We’ll see. We’ve got to look at the X-rays and see what we’re going to do.”
Cabrera was a revelation for the Mets. The guy who scouts said couldn’t play short anymore excelled there — and finished with 23 homers, his second best total ever. After leaving the disabled list, he hit .345 down the stretch. He accomplished just about everything.
Except a trip to Chicago.
“I was working for this [postseason],” Cabrera said. “It’s tough. We both played good ball. The starting pitchers did such a good job. They scored the runs.”
And the Mets didn’t. Even when it looked like they would.
