Dash it all

One of the most frustrating things about not having the Force is that yelling at the TV screen has no effect on what you're seeing.

Flashback - two on, one out, Roberto Hernandez pitching to Alex Rodriguez; the Mets cling to a 3-1 lead provided by Pedro Martinez' wicked stuff. Nightfly, he don't worry. For a guy currently leading the AL in homers and RBI, Rodriguez is mighty mushy in the clutch. Yup - popped it up.

Now it's Hideki Matsui, and I start to worry. Here's where you'd want a lights-out lefty like John Franco was all those years. The current applicant, Dae-Sung Koo, is pretty good, but he started this inning and was lifted after those two guys got on: both on errors. Still, we should get out of this.

Then Hernandez starts throwing the same pitch over and over - sinkers outside. He still throws them mighty hard, but against any major-league hitter, you have to change speeds and locations. Otherwise, you've got nobody to blame but yourself when the final pitch winds up rattling around the outfield. This is where I started to yell. "Bust him high and tight!" Matsui was trying to go to left the entire at-bat, so jam him, let him pop out too, or nub it to the infield. Instead, it was a fifth sinker outside, and to no-one's surprise, it was dumped into left for the tying runs.

The Mets went on to lose. Thankfully, I can't choke people by pointing, either. But if the Mets fail to reach the playoffs, it will be because their bullpen can't hold leads. "You have failed me for the last time, Mr. Hernandez..."