ATLANTA — For the Mets, it goes from bad to worse.
In a game delayed one hour and 56 minutes by rain, the Mets lost their third in a row and eighth in nine games when Daniel Murphy’s fielding error at first base in the ninth allowed pinch-runner David Ross to score from second with the winning run to give the Braves a 6-5 come-from-behind victory early today in Atlanta.
“I’ve got to make that play,” Murphy said. “I make it 100 times. I booted it and tonight we lost the ballgame.”
Ex-Met Ryan Church, who hit the grounder, said he wasn’t surprised Murphy booted the ball.
“It had a lot of topspin on it going to the bag,” Church said. “It just seemed like something would happen.”
Francisco Rodriguez (3-5) took a 5-4 lead into the ninth but blew his sixth save of the season. Murphy’s bobble completed the meltdown. Mets starter Bobby Parnell also might have sealed his exit from the rotation by allowing four runs on seven hits in just 3 1/3 innings.
Omir Santos gave the Mets a 5-4 lead with his first career pinch-hit homer in the eighth off Mike Gonzalez, who recorded only one out before leaving with a stiff back.
The Mets, who had 16 hits and stranded 14 baserunners, took a 3-0 lead off Derek Lowe in the second inning. Jeff Francoeur singled to lead off the second and advanced when Jeremy Reed was safe on McCann’s catcher’s interference on his swing. Castillo’s two-out walk loaded the bases before Josh Thole’s two-run single. David Wright drove in Castillo with a single.
After the inning, Lowe left the game with a blister on his right ring finger.
The Mets have found improbable ways to lose all year: Murphy, who switched to first base after Carlos Delgado was injured, dropped a fly ball in left field, Church missed third base while rounding the bag and Luis Castillo flubbed Alex Rodriguez’s ninth-inning popup at Yankee Stadium.
Last night’s loss was another painful blow to the Mets’ lost season.
“It’s tough anytime we lose a ballgame, especially when you feel personally responsible,” Murphy said. “Pretty awful day on my part.”
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The possible Carlos Delgado comeback for the final two weeks of the season that Manuel mentioned last week appears to be off again.
Delgado took 40 swings in the batting cage Tuesday, but the Mets said yesterday that Delgado hasn’t been able to “take the next step” that would allow him back on the field.
Delgado has been out since mid-May because of right hip surgery.
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The Mets remained suspiciously coy yesterday when asked if they plan to raise ticket prices at Citi Field for the 2010 season.
The club released a statement that said: “The Mets in the weeks ahead will be in direct communication with our season-ticket and ticket-plan holders regarding ticket prices for the 2010 season.”
According to the Team Marketing Report, the Mets’ average ticket price of $36.99 this season is the fourth-highest in baseball behind the Yankees, Red Sox and Cubs.