True to form, the Mets followed their blueprint of the season. An offense incapable of generating any runs combined with a bullpen that can’t stop giving them up ended the season.
It wasn’t as gruesome as the Tom Glavine ninth inning meltdown of last season but the end was just as painful.
I refuse to give into the media interpretation and call the end a collapse but I would call the end of this season a disaster only because it came on the heels of last season.
The Mets had a 3.5 game lead with 17 to play. But they also had one of the worst bullpens in baseball. And in fairness, it did not help that closer Billy Wagner went down with a month to go in the season. There is no question that injuries played a huge part of the Mets downfall in 2008. But even with all the injuries, had the bullpen done their job this year, the Mets would have clinched a playoff spot days if not weeks ago. The bullpen was the primary reason why the Mets season ended today.
The other major problem was hitting in the clutch. Too often, this offense was incapable of getting big hits and that includes the big hitters like David Wright.
With the days to come we’ll take it all apart. But right now, like you, I’m just too stunned…again!
