Mets’ streak ends with whimper
When the Mets signed Jason Bay in the offseason, they thought they had found the cleanup hitter who would make David Wright more productive and generate plenty of offense of his own.
So far, that hasn’t happened.
The heart of the lineup was again unproductive last night in a 9-3 loss to the Cubs, ending the Mets’ first winning streak of the season at a very modest two games.
“I think it’s a rough start both me and Jason,” said Wright, who delivered a run-scoring single in the eighth for his first RBI in six games. “Jason, throughout his career, has been pretty streaky. I’m excited to see him when he catches fire and gets going.”
That goes for Wright and Jeff Francoeur, too. The 3-4-5 hitters have all had their problems this season. Bay is 3-for-16 and hasn’t had an RBI in six games and Francoeur is hitless in 22 straight at-bats, the longest streak of his career.
And that has left Jerry Manuel wondering what to do with his lineup again.
“I do believe the next time we face a right-handed pitcher I think I’m gonna have to make some adjustments,” Manuel said. “Unless I see some things [tonight] in the at-bats, I think I’m gonna have to break that up. I don’t like opposing mangers to have righties three shots in a row. That could be [Ike] Davis, could be anybody.”
Wright wasn’t interested in discussing the potential changes after the loss.
“I’m so tired of talking about the lineup,” Wright said. “It’s no big deal.”
The lack of run production, however, is. Last night, the Mets mustered just two hits off Carlos Silva, who was removed after 87 pitches because he tweaked his wrist earlier in the game.
“I’m glad that I’m finding a way to get on base even though I don’t feel as comfortable as I want to feel up there,” Wright said. “But it’s time for me to get it going and start feeling more comfortable in the box. . . . My job is to drive in runs and I want to start doing that.”
The Mets had other issues, as well. They walked nine batters and the bullpen surrendered six runs in four innings.
That stopped whatever chance the Mets had of coming back.
After Rod Barajas homered to give the Mets a 1-0 lead in the second, Oliver Perez — still searching for his first win of the year — gave up runs in three straight innings before leaving after five.
After Alfonso Soriano homered in the seventh — he fell a double short of the cycle — the Mets tried to claw their way back in the eighth, closing to within 6-3, but Wright’s RBI single was their last big hit of the night.
Davis — who made a terrific play on a Scott Baker popup in the first, flipping over the railing in the Mets dugout, said, “The wind kinda pushed it back [toward me] and I was able to get glove on it.” — couldn’t deliver at the plate in the eighth, striking out.
But that’s not who they want to rely on.
“It’s our turn to return the favor,” Wright said of the heart of the order. “I think when [Bay] gets hot, he’ll be able carry this team offensively for a good chunk of time.”
The Mets are looking forward to that.
“It’s tough to hit,” Wright said. “It’s not easy.”
