Frank Francisco’s patent on arson expired last night, just in time for Jon Rauch to reach for the matches and pass them to D.J. Carrasco.
With a shameful bullpen performance, the Mets again mugged Johan Santana and were left wondering whom they can trust in the late innings. This after the Reds scored four runs in the eighth and sent the Mets to their third loss in four games, 6-3 at Citi Field.
The knockout punch was Todd Frazier’s two-run homer against Carrasco, a night after the veteran reliever was ejected for drilling Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun following Rickie Weeks’ home run. After last night’s fiasco, Carrasco was designated for assignment and replaced by lefty reliever Robert Carson, who will arrive today from Triple-A Buffalo.
“I would have done the same thing if I was the GM,” Carrasco said, referring to general manager Sandy Alderson. “I haven’t been able to produce, and the bullpen is struggling right now and you need to get guys they have confidence in and I don’t think they have that [in me], so I can’t blame them.”
But Rauch was brutal before the Mets even got to Carrasco last night.
The Mets led 3-2 in the eighth when Rauch entered and allowed a leadoff single to Drew Stubbs. Joey Votto’s ensuing double put runners on second and third before the Reds tied the game on Brandon Phillips’ RBI single. Rauch then recorded an out before Jay Bruce’s sacrifice fly against Tim Byrdak gave the Reds a 4-3 lead.
It left Santana with a fourth no-decision in five starts, after last night allowing two earned runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings with two walks and five strikeouts.
“I have screwed [Santana] over twice at least this year,” Rauch said. “I’ve won two of his games, so it’s really tough. I can’t even look the guy in the eye right now.”
This latest bullpen meltdown came after the Mets watched Francisco implode in ninth-inning losses at Miami on Friday and Sunday. Francisco then survived a rocky ninth inning to hold off the Brewers on Monday.
The Mets (20-17) have lost consecutive home games for the first time since April 23, when the Giants swept a doubleheader at Citi Field. Lately, they have scraped for runs.
“We’ve got to add on,” Terry Collins said. “We’re living with, sitting there with three runs and two runs and four runs. If we can add on some runs it will take a little heat off the bullpen.”
Santana was done after getting two outs in the seventh, an inning in which he surrendered a solo homer to Frazier that pulled the Reds within 3-2. Bobby Parnell then entered with the tying run at second base and struck out Zack Cozart.
The Mets had taken a 3-1 lead with two unearned runs in the sixth against Mike Leake, highlighted by Mike Nickeas’ squeeze bunt that scored Daniel Murphy.
Ike Davis’ RBI double had snapped an 0-for-16 skid for the scuffling first baseman and given the Mets a 2-1 lead. Lucas Duda’s third hit, a single leading off the inning, started the rally before diving first baseman Joey Votto scooped Murphy’s grounder and threw wide of second for an error. But a Mets bullpen implosion was looming.
“We’re not firing on all cylinders right now,” Rauch said. “It’s one of those things, when one guy is battling and trying to get the job done the other guys need to pick him up and today I flat out didn’t do my job.”