This was not the way the 2006 season was supposed to end.The worst part is that the Mets survived the setbacks - they were short on starting pitchers, but John Maine and Oliver Perez came through - huge.
It was one of their most dependable pitchers - Aaron Heilman - who took the Game 7 loss.
It was the opponent getting a dramatic 9th inning homer that won the game. It was the opponent striking out the star with the bases loaded to end the game. I would have bet money those roles would have been played by the Mets.
Jeff Suppan was the NLCS MVP - I would have given the award to Yadier Molina. For some reason he lit up the Mets' pitchers, and he was the one handling the St. Louis pitching staff every game, as opposed to Suppan's two games. Molina did an outstanding job, notwithstanding the fact that he hit the game-winner.
Suppan was outstanding, though. He held the Mets to just two hits in Game 7 - none after the first. He went a total of 7 innings, with the Mets only threatening because of his 5 walks.
This could have been a different story, though, because of those 5 walks. But the Mets couldn't do anything at the bat. There's plenty of criticism to go around:
Jose Reyes: Tried to do too much, like the past couple of years, and as a result kept popping up. He struck gold with the Game 6 homer, but was overswinging and that hurt the Mets - they need him on base, not crushing the ball.
Paul LoDuca: The year finally caught up to him. He looked pretty beat-up by the end of this series.
Carlos Beltran: $17 mil = you must not strike out looking to end the season
Carlos Delgado: Actually, no criticisms - might have been NLCS MVP had the Mets won.
David Wright: Just didn't produce. Have to hope this second half of his was a learning experience - he still hit for average (in the regular season), but the power disappeared. Was pretty non-clutch (non-David Wright) in the post-season. He needs to fix that for the Mets to win.
Shawn Green: Too inconsistent during the post-season. Either a 3-for-3 or an ofer, it seemed.
Jose Valentin: Just turned into an awful hitter the past few games.
Endy Chavez: Wasn't hitting for some reason, but his defense makes up for all of it.
I just don't understand how the Mets bats went so silent so suddenly. The adage still proves true - it's pitching that wins championships.
The good news there? This was the worst-case pitching scenario for the Mets, and they came within a double (assuming Beltran actually takes the bat off his shoulder) of getting to the World Series. And maybe Oliver Perez has figured out how to recapture his promise. And he and John Maine now have post-season experience under their belt. And Pedro Martinez****** should be healthy for next year's playoffs. Maybe the Mets will have dominant pitching this time next year, and not blow it. Maybe they needed to take this step before they win it all.
It still hurts though. I want to blame Tim Welke and his awfully inconsistent strike zone. I want to blame the bad position the Mets were in because of their starting pitching. I want to blame Beltran - but they lose Game 1 without him, so I can't. There's no one situation to blame. It was a team loss. And now comes the hardest part - no more meaningful baseball for me for 6 months.
STATS:
- The Mets broke a streak - 11 consecutive home teams had won Game 7's after winning a Game 6 in which they faced elimination.
- The Cardinals will now face the Tigers for the third time in the World Series, 2 years after facing the Red Sox for the third time. This loss by the Mets really hurt my chart.
- Jeff Suppan's career numbers against the Mets: 4-1 in 8 starts, 1.85 ERA (actually, probably lower after this game), and a 7-1 team record.
SUPERSTITIONS: I did my part - I wore the same clothes as Game 6. Someone somewhere screwed up and wore the wrong thing, though. (By the way - think I'm nuts? Ask the Mets why they wore their pinstripe uni's in Game 7, after wearing them in Game 6...I bet it's the same reason I was wearing the same thing.)
A COUPLE MORE THINGS: I can't believe Tony LaRussa and Scott Rolen weren't speaking. That's the stupidest, most childish thing I can think of in your team's most important stretch of the season.
The Wife stated the Endy Chavez catch robbing Rolen of a homer was probably the greatest catch she's ever seen. She asked me to name one that was better. Considering the setting and everything that factors into the Chavez catch, I don't think I can.
Detroit will beat the Cardinals in 4, probably. I'm not sure where my wager with the Southern Bureau stands - not sure if it was only applicable if the Mets made the World Series. Doesn't matter I guess, he might as well write in my space here. I might not be using it for a while.
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