Reds 3 Mets 1
There were no answers in the Met clubhouse yesterday afternoon, just as there had been no offense out on the field. After the Amazin’s had suffered their first home sweep in two years at the hands of the Reds, after they’d failed to earn a single run off a pitcher called up from Triple-A that morning, solutions to their offensive drought were as hard to come by as runs.
In a hitting slump that is fast reaching Biblical proportions, the Mets lost 3-1 to Cincinnati in front of 39,643 at Shea, a crowd that is becoming more and more impatient by the day. But not nearly as impatient as the once-disciplined Mets, who are clearly pressing at the plate more and more with each wasted opportunity and each blown game.
After Cincinnati’s Jim Brower (1-0) threw 52/3 sterling innings, giving up only one unearned run in the third, they’ve still scored just four in their last 47 innings, going back to Tuesday’s win over Atlanta. They’ve taken four-of-six from those archrival Braves, but got swept by the Reds and Expos, who arrive at Shea tonight for another three-game set.
Bobby Valentine, who used his 11th lineup in a dozen games, had his tongue planted firmly in cheek when he said they’ll try “snake dancers, voodoo, all the non-traditional things people think we need.”
But a psychiatrist might be money better spent, because both Mike Piazza and Todd Zeile admit the team is tight, and that the problem is in their heads, not their bats.
“It’s very frustrating. We’re struggling, not scoring runs, not being selective when we need to be. We’re stagnant offensively, not moving guys around. It’s just frustrating. You’re obviously concerned,” said Piazza, who says it’s blatant how tight they’ve become.
“I think that’s obvious. We’re having problems producing runs. I don’t detect a lack of effort. I just see guys trying to do too much. It’s human nature when you’re struggling to go out there not to execute, but to go out not to make mistakes. That’s what we need to fix.”
Brower (1-0) replaced Elmer Dessens, who was home in Cincinnati with his ill wife. And facing an offense that’s scoring about as frequently as the MetroStars, the 28-year-old righty gave up six hits and worked out of the only jams he got into to outduel Kevin Appier (1-1) and give the Reds their first three-game sweep at Shea since June, 1999.
“It’s just a matter of time until they start hitting,” Brower said. “I’m just glad they waited until after I pitched against them.”
Even without Ken Griffey Jr. (strained left hamstring) or Barry Larkin (strained left wrist), Cincinnati scored first. Appier hit leadoff hitter Pokey Reese, who stole second. Dmitri Young ripped a 3-1 pitch for a double to left for a 1-0 lead, and the Mets’ inability to hit in the clutch came back to haunt them quickly.
They loaded the bases on three straight singles by Zeile, Robin Ventura and Piazza with one out in the first, and Edgardo Alfonzo worked Brower for a 3-0 count. But Alfonzo, hitting just .109, ended up striking out, and Mark Johnson hit a check-swing dribbler back to the pitcher to end the inning.
The Mets scored in the third after Zeile (2-for-5) doubled, moved to third on a grounder and scored when Piazza grounded to third but Aaron Boone’s throw pulled Sean Casey off the bag. But when Appier lost command of his breaking ball in the fifth, the Reds got two runs off him.
Sean Casey doubled down the left-field line, and scored when ex-Met Alex Ochoa lined a triple to right that just got past a diving Tsuyoshi Shinjo. Boone’s sac fly to left plated Ochoa with the final run. Against a team that came into the game last in the NL in batting, runs and RBI, that proved more than enough.
“I worked out of some jams but my command left me in the fifth inning and it proved too much for me,” Appier said. “It’s not too early to worry when things aren’t going good, worry helps you find solutions. but its not panic time, by any means.”
Danny Graves pitched the ninth for his third save of the series.
“Instead of being relaxed and confident and being part of the whole puzzle that’s put together well, everybody’s putting pressure on yourself to be the guy who gets the big hit, puts the run across, makes the difference,” Zeile said. “At this point we’ve run up against a wall. Everybody’s got to let their guard down and relax.”
