Reed Garrett at a loss over awful outing for Mets
Reed Garrett of the Mets walks to the dugout after the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first game of a doubleheader at Citi Field on Wednesday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Mets have far too many problems to single out a non-closer relief pitcher as a primary culprit in their midseason swoon.
But Reed Garrett made it impossible on Wednesday afternoon not to notice his part in this tragicomedy, the most recent chapter of which was a 7-2 loss to the Brewers.
There the Mets were, playing before a sparse crowd at Citi Field in the makeup of a Tuesday night rainout, and Clay Holmes left after 90 pitches with a 2-1 lead and a runner on first.
Should manager Carlos Mendoza have yanked Holmes so soon? Mendoza offered some seemingly sound logic when it was over, citing among other things the four walks Holmes had issued starting in the fourth inning.
Holmes said he would have preferred to keep going, but he did concede to the early stages of fatigue on a warm day.
The only real flaw in the plan was that this was the Garrett of June and now July, not the reliable, high-leverage bullpen arm the Mets enjoyed in March, April and May, back when they were one of the best teams in baseball.
Complications immediately ensued. Brice Turang hit a run-scoring double. Fans booed. Isaac Collins singled. Fans booed. Jake Bauers walked. Fans booed.
Joey Ortiz hit a grand slam to leftfield. Fans booed. Just like that, it was 6-2.
Garrett then got the last two outs of the inning, at which point the crowd booed louder than before, an impressive display of volume given how few people were in the building.
Thus did Garrett’s ERA grow from 2.25 to 3.31 in a single inning. It was the latest in a recent series of misadventures, including a blown save in Atlanta on June 17 and allowing four runs without recording an out in Philadelphia on June 20.
Before the Mets started the 3-14 slide they took into Wednesday night’s second game of the split doubleheader, Garrett had an 0.95 ERA. Those days seem like a long time ago now.
Garrett looked and sounded shaken when he spoke to reporters between games. “Just sucked,” he said. “No other way to put it. Just sucked today.”
But he promised on multiple occasions to learn from it.
“I think they had an approach,” he said. “That’s fine. I’ll have to do some research on myself and see what else I can find out. But I can promise you, I will figure out what it is and do the best I can to be better next time.”
Mendoza said he thought opposing hitters had made adjustments in facing Garrett.
“Maybe,” Garrett said. “Their guys are good players, too. But I’ll find a way to counter it. Keep throwing my best stuff in the box and challenge them and go from there. Whatever it is, I’m going to take a look at it and do the best I can and try to figure out how I can be better.”
Said Mendoza, “I feel like hitters are adjusting to him and are being aggressive with that cutter, so he’s going to have to make some adjustments.”
The bullpen has carried a heavy load of late, but Garrett declined to use that as an excuse. He said he is sound physically.
“I feel fine,” he said. “I’m not taking it for granted by any means the fact I’m pitching in high leverage [situations]. I look forward to that challenge. I look forward to when the game’s on the line being the guy with the ball in his hand.
“Today didn’t go my way, but I know that when I’m right I will figure it out and keep going after guys and get the results that are needed.”
Garrett said he has been pitching in bad luck — “some of the balls getting put in play aren’t getting hit at guys,” he said — but there was not much luck to it when Ortiz, the Brewers’ No. 8, hitter, scorched his first career grand slam.
Again, this is not all about Garrett. Not on Wednesday, and not in general.
The Mets totaled two hits in the first game of the doubleheader. They had been outscored 37-6 in their past four games entering Wednesday night.
There was no relief in sight, from Garrett or anyone else in blue and orange.
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
