Edwin Diaz and Connie Grob

In baseball, it’s only right that your heart gets broken a few times throughout a season. Outside of the Indians, Cubs, and Red Sox, no team wears or wore heartbreak on their sleeves quite like Mets fans do.

It’s in their DNA.

I get it. Yes, I’m a Yankees fan and my childhood was wrapped around the 90’s Dynasty and winning. I’m also a Knicks fan so, I think I understand losing fairly well.

Granted, it’s been humorous to listen to the pain of Evan Roberts and Joe Beningo on WFAN this morning.

“IT’S KURT SUZUKI! WHO ARE WE TALKIN’ ABOUT?! ALBERT PULJOS IN HIS PRIME?!”

As Evan Roberts screams, I can’t help but laugh. I’m sure I’ve said something akin to this about someone like Roy Hibbert when he dominated the Knicks in the second round of the playoffs in 2013.

In the 9th inning, Pete Alonso hit his 44th Home Run giving the New York Mets a 10–4 lead over the Washington Nationals, who themselves are experiencing a form of nirvana after Bryce Harper left our nation’s capital for Philadelphia, only to struggle in his first year.

With the home run and Wilson Ramos keeping his hitting streak alive at 26, it felt like the Mets were going to pull this one out of their hat and stay alive in the Wild Card hunt.

Seth Lugo, who has replaced Edwin Diaz as the closer since the All Star break, finished a 1–2–3 perfect 8th inning and looked as if he would come out in the 9th inning and finish the job.

Since the All Star break, the Mets have not only come out from being sub .500 by 11 games, but have managed to look like a playoff caliber team since the break. They won 14 of 15 games for crying out loud! However they’ve managed to a market correction and look like a mix of both halves since their series against the Atlanta Braves that began on August 13th.

If we’re to analyze the season in a nutshell, it’s through the performance of Edwin Diaz.

Diaz was the prize possession of the Mets this off season after new General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen made the trade for him and Robinson Cano this winter. While Cano’s age and injuries have caught up with him, Diaz has looked like a shell of his former self. Last year, he was the gem of a Mariners bullpen. This year, he’s looked like Connie Grob of the 1956 Washington Senators.

So it’s only right that one of the culprits of the Mets blowing their lead was Edwin Diaz.

For some reason, Mickey Callaway was comfortable with a six run lead and started the bottom of the 9th with Paul Sewald, who gave up an infield single to Victor Robles, which turned into a Trea Turner double, scoring Robles. With Turner on second, former Met Asdrubal Cabrera knocked in a single which advanced Turner to third. Fittingly, this led to notorious Mets killer Anthony Rendon singled to left and scored Turner and Cabrera.

At this point, I’m sure Mets fans like my father started to look for their local therapist as it could only get worse. Mind you, there was only one out in the inning.

As an attempt to stop the bleeding for a little, Callaway brought in Luis Avilan who did exactly the opposite and gave up a hit to the only batter he saw, Juan Soto. Soto filled up the bases and as Mets fans saw Edwin Diaz come from the bullpen, I’m sure they knew it was all but over. Their dreams to be erased like the Giants lead against the Eagles in 2010 aka the Miracle at Meadowlands II (Sorry for bringing that up, Dad).

In typical fashion this year, Diaz gave up a double to Ryan Zimmerman, which cut the Mets lead 10–8. With Soto at third and Zimmerman at second, Kurt Suzuki was at the plate.

To emphasize what Evan Roberts said, this is Kurt Suzuki were talking about. He doesn’t exactly put fear in your heart.

In only the most Mets way possible, Diaz gave up a home run to Suzuki with Zimmerman and Soto on base, giving the Nationals the win 11–10.

In what seemed like a sure fire win, even with Jacob deGrom giving up 4 runs, the Mets managed to out Met themselves.

Unbelievably, this franchise was in the World Series four years ago and lost to the Kansas City Royals in five games.

After the game, Callaway tried to spin the loss into a positive, but how can you truthfully do that? It was the worst Mets loss since 2008 when they collapsed in September and missed the playoffs.

I mean, yes, I get why Mickey Callaway tried spinning it. He’s trying to keep his job despite every grave mishap he’s made since becoming the Manager in October 2017.

This loss isn’t on him. He’s putting guys in a position to do their job: finish the game. What this is a sign of is Callaway’s inability to properly manage a bullpen. Even with bringing in a new pitching coach, 82 year old Phil Regan and even with Callaway being a pitching coach himself before the Mets job, he’s utterly failed at managing the bullpen.

So what once felt like hope in a lot season has all but turned into a lost season. The Mets may finish around .500 with a core to build 2020 on in Alonso, Jeff McNeil, Michael Conforto, Ahmed Rosario, and J.D. Davis, as well as their starting pitching, but it has to feel like the Mets have just ripped out the heart of every fan once again.

I called my mom this morning and asked how my Dad took the loss. She said, “Oh, God. He was screaming and going nuts. After it was over, he just came in the room and collapsed.”

My Dad started rooting for the Mets when he landed a tryout with the team in the late ‘70’s and for the first few years of my life, before I knew any better regarding baseball, I too rooted for the Mets. But after attending a Yankee game or two in the late ‘90’s, I worshiped at the alter of the Yannkees core four.

Call me a front runner, but I was there rooting for the team when they had their struggles of just playing over .500 this decade!

While listening this morning, the Godfathers of the Mets fandom on New York radio, Beningo and Roberts, baptized Diaz as the worst closer in Mets history. I can’t help but agree. It’s not like the Yankees where they have two elite Hall of Fame closers in their history.

It’s the Mets. They have a history of this!

So yes, it may be reactionary of Joe and Evan, but can you blame them? I mean, how many saves has Diaz blow this year? Over 20?

When it seemed like Diaz may have been getting on the right track being out of the closer role, he all but gives up the lead in one of, if not the worst loss in Mets history.

“I want him gone! He can’t handle the city and he can’t handle the pressure. Get rid of him!…You failed Brodie!”

Roberts is right. Before the season began, Van Wagenen who’s never shy, said “Come get us.”

The Nationals got you. And the Braves. And the Phillies. And right now, it doesn’t look like you’ll be able to get the Cubs or Arizona Diamondbacks.

There’s a lot of apathy to go around for Mets fans today. A month ago, it looked like the Mets could meet the Yankees in the World Series and not i’s just spoiled milk. Like us Knick fans, Mets fans have to be asking, “Will it ever get better?”

This offseason, if Brodie fires Mickey Callaway and cuts or trades Diaz, they’ll be doing themselves a huge service to righting the ship.