SNY: Megdal: Like Dutch, Mets tilt at windmills

More like East Phlegmish…

During Sunday night’s game, it was impossible to believe the closeness of the score—just what I felt watching the WBC tilt in March. I felt myself pulling back from the action occasionally, checking out the mismatch in various ways.

There was the indisputable ineptitude of the offense, which included four players with an OPS above .700, two of whom were Brian Schnieder and Luis Castillo. Neither of those two can credibly be called offensive threats.

There was an outfield cobbled together out of a converted infielder (Fernando Tatis), a 20-year-old rookie (Fernando Martinez) and a natural designated hitter (Gary Sheffield). The infield consisted of David Wright, a shortstop without range in Alex Cora, a decent second baseman in Castillo and a first baseman without the skills or decision-making required for the position yet in Daniel Murphy.

Still, the Mets gamely hung in, helped by the pitching of Chien-Ming Wang, who throws more high pitches than any sinker/slider pitcher I’ve seen, and Robinson Cano, whose career line of .302/.334/.470 falls to .236/.250/.337 with the bases loaded. And they say A-Rod can’t hit in the clutch.

But unlike the Dutch, the Mets have not just found magical ways to win, but excruciating ways to lose as well. With such a short-handed team, Francisco Rodriguez’ bases-loaded walk to Mariano Rivera provided not just an insurance run, but a death blow to their chances.