Here It Comes Again?

Well, that didn’t go as we might have hoped huh? At least we’ve got Brandon Knight starting on Wednesday. Uhh, yea. This can’t be happening again. Can it?

Mets lead in East down to one-half game with loss vs. Lannan, Nats

WASHINGTON — There was no late-game meltdown by the Mets this time, no real reason to point fingers at the relievers. This was a start-to-finish loss, New York’s third loss in four games, and there will be no escaping the references to September 2007 now.

Washington’s John Lannan limited New York to one hit over seven innings, Anderson Hernandez delivered a two-run single off a tiring Pedro Martinez, and the Nationals beat the fading-again Mets 7-2 Monday night.The Mets’ lead over idle Philadelphia in the NL East fell to a half-game; New York held a 3 1/2-game cushion as recently as Wednesday. The Mets have 13 games left, Philadelphia has 12.Last season, the Mets led the Phillies by seven games with only 17 to play before a historic collapse ceded the division title and kept New York out of the playoffs altogether.”It’s, unfortunately, just a part of who we are, as long as we’re in a race and competing,” Mets manager Jerry Manuel said before the game. “Until we win it or get into the playoffs, that’s something we have to deal with.”Trailing 7-1 Monday, the Mets threatened to make things interesting once Lannan (9-13) left the game. The rookie left-hander gave up a double in the third to Brian Schneider, who wound up scoring on Jose Reyes‘ RBI groundout — and that was it.New York’s Nos. 3-5 hitters — David Wright, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado — went a combined 0-for-11 with four strikeouts on the night.It was quite a contrast to Lannan’s previous outing, also against the Mets: He allowed five runs and eight hits in three innings.Garrett Mock entered for the eighth and immediately gave up Luis Castillo‘s double, a walk and Reyes’ RBI single. Mock was replaced by Mike Hinckley, and Ryan Church greeted him with a single that loaded the bases.That brought up Wright, he of the 31 homers and 114 RBIs and MVP candidacy. But Hinckley got him to ground into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.Martinez (5-5) went six innings, allowing four runs and eight hits.He looked good in the fifth, setting down the Nationals in order. He looked weary in the sixth, when his pitch count for the night rose above 100 and seven batters came to the plate.A single, a walk and a groundout put runners at second and third with two outs. That brought up Hernandez, who was hitting .203 at Triple-A New Orleans when the Mets sent him to the Nationals last month to complete a trade that sent reliever Luis Ayala to New York.Hernandez bounced a two-run single through the hole on the right side of the infield to put Washington ahead 4-1.Elijah Dukes padded the hosts’ lead with a three-run homer off Duaner Sanchez in the seventh.It’s mainly been bullpen trouble that has hounded the Mets. They have blown 27 saves, including 11 in the ninth inning. But there were other, more glaring, issues on this night.Game notes
Nationals third-base coach Tim Tolman missed the game to attend to a family matter. Rick Eckstein, brother of 2006 World Series MVP David Eckstein, filled in. … RHP Brandon Knight will start Wednesday for the Mets. … Nationals LF Willie Harris robbed Fernando Tatis of a hit by making a diving catch in the second inning. … Mets RHP John Maine (DL, right shoulder) tossed a ball 35 times on flat ground Monday and said he hopes to return during next week’s homestand. Maine said he’d be willing to work out of the bullpen — maybe even as the closer.