New York Mets: unbroken chain of defeats - Part 2
That which one finds amazing is the persistent confidence the New York Mets manager has been exhibiting all this while. If it is not an inaccurate postulation, his optimism largely lays in the fact that the team fought all their games till the end. A quick
look at the record proves this assertion. The last three games that were mentioned previously resulted in the defeats that hardly had a big margin. The New York Mets lost them all by the inconsequential difference of one run.
The fourth game brought forward a result that was woefully discomforting for the Mets. The defeats that had come in uninterrupted sequence did not seem to have any expected end. On April 15, Colorado Rockies literally routed the Mets by 9-4. Troy Tulowitzki
was the star for the Rockies. His feat enabled Colorado to complete the four game sweep. However, like stated above, one was not likely to hear Terry Collins show any pessimism.
After yet another disappointing result, his view was a subtle manifestation of disappointment and hope. "Depressing," manager Terry Collins said. "We're better than this and we'll play better than this. I still believe we're going to straighten this out."
But as the series ended here and the new one was around the corner, the Mets had to see the similar fate.
The next encounter was at Denver. Scheduled to be played on May 9, a new beginning could hardly be there for the Mets. The team once again lost and this time they lost it by the margin of only one run. Rockies were the first to take the lead in the fifth
inning, but Mets came back in the game with a single in the sixth inning.
The Rockies, as is expected, would not let it go so easily. It was Chris Iannetta whose tremendous performance brought another victory to the Rockies, leaving the Mets in tatters once again. Defeating the Mets on their own home ground had imbued Rockies
with confidence and they were adequately poised to put on display the same game at Colorado.
Beyond any shadow of a doubt, it was Iannetta who singlehandedly endowed victory on his team. “I think the biggest thing is not pressing," Iannetta said. "It's knowing I'm going to be back there offensively and defensively and allowing myself to go through
a process to make adjustments as opposed to trying to force some adjustments in the video room or the cage or B.P. and then try to get the hit.”
However, optimism finally brought its’ fruit. It came on May 10 when the Mets, after a considerably long period of time, finally won their first game. The victory did not come easy. Interestingly, the dedication of purpose and fortitude in the face of such
difficult challenges eventually brought good news for the Mets with their 4-3 victory over the Rockies.
This win was simply unlikely if it were not for Mike Pelfrey who was not only good with the bat, but also with the ball. “Pelfrey's a good pitcher," Tulowitzki said. "We put some good swings on him. That was encouraging. But the double by him really I think
is one of those plays where momentum really swings the other direction. You're not expecting the pitcher to put a double in the gap, let alone two RBIs in a big situation.”
The ups and downs that the Mets have recently undergone are pretty much an inescapable part of game. If it comes as a staggering surprise as to what gave the team manager so much confidence to continue hoping for something better despite defeats, it probably
was his belief in the players that represent the team.
The Mets are the kind of team that the manager positively thinks of: A persistent fighter.
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