The New York Mets were three outs away from putting a stop to their four-game losing streak, but a blown save by Bobby Parnell helped extend the game to 15 innings, and the team ultimately lost to the Miami Marlins.
Ironically, the rest of the Mets bullpen was great Monday night against the Marlins, but Parnell, the Mets’ best reliever this season, was the one that let the game slip away. Starter Matt Harvey didn’t have his best night, but only allowed the Marlins to put one run on the board. After Robert Carson and Scott Atchison helped Harvey get out of the sixth inning, LaTroy Hawkins and Brandon Lyon helped bridge the gap to Parnell in the ninth, as it appeared as if the Mets might get away with the win.
Of all the pitchers in the Mets bullpen, Parnell was the least likely to let the game get away, but that’s what happened in the ninth inning. Even after the game was tied, Jeurys Familia and Scott Rice came through with scoreless frames to extend the game. It was only after Mets manager Terry Collins was forced to put starter Shaun Marcum into the game that the Mets lost, after once again entering the bottom half of an inning with the lead.
Monday’s game, which extended into Tuesday, was another example of New York’s inability to put it all together. The relievers that have struggled most of the season finally performed adequately all on the same night, while the team’s most reliable reliever failed to shut the door on a weak team. It extended the Mets losing streak to five games as they continue to spiral out of control.
If a start from Matt Harvey and a solid effort from most of the bullpen won’t put a stop to the Mets losing, what will?
Bryan Zarpentine is a New York Mets writer at www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @BZarp and add him on Google+.
