Even more painful than another bullpen collapse in an ugly game yesterday was another dreadful outing by Oliver Perez, who continues to mystify the Mets.
The lefty gave up just two hits, but managed to walk seven and hit another in an awful outing that ended after 3 1/3 innings with him giving up three runs in the 6-5 loss to the Giants, snapping the Mets’ nine-game home winning streak.
And even though the Mets came back against Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco bullpen to take a 5-4 lead in the seventh only to see Jenrry Mejia give it up an inning later, the Mets know they have a problem with the woeful Perez.
Jerry Manuel wasn’t sure what the future holds for Perez, who got a no-decision and stayed at 0-2, but the manager admitted it would be discussed.
“We will have to talk about it, reflect on it,” said Manuel, ruling out moving Perez to the bullpen.
“As I sit here right now, I don’t see at this time making any changes.”
Perez certainly will have to change if he intends on staying in the rotation much longer.
Although Perez, Manuel and even catcher Rod Barajas agreed that the cold, windy conditions at Citi Field bothered the lefty, that’s clearly not the only problem.
“He came out for the second and was a different guy,” Barajas said of Perez, who retired the side in order in the first. “He lost his release point and was walking people. He showed no indications early on it was gonna be that kind of day.”
After Perez escaped much damage through three innings, Manuel finally removed him after he threw an astounding 98 pitches to get 10 outs.
“I was not able to throw a strike,” Perez said. “I wasn’t able to feel my hand. … I know what I have to do. I know I’m better than that. This is not gonna happen again.”
The Mets came back against Lincecum, the two-time Cy Young winner, scoring a pair in the sixth before he was removed to start the seventh.
In that inning, the Mets took the lead, first tying the game when Jason Bay’s fly ball to left — that appeared to be hit well — was held up by the fierce Citi Field wind and landed in front of Andres Torres, who was unable to catch up to it after breaking back.
That allowed two runs to score and was followed by David Wright’s sacrifice fly to right.
But in the eighth, Mejia relieved Raul Valdes, who pitched 3 2/3 shutout innings, and Mejia walked John Bowker before surrendering an opposite-field homer to right-center to Aaron Rowand, giving the Giants the lead again.
Bay was stranded at second in the bottom of the ninth after dropping in a bloop double, but he knows the trouble started long before that.
“When he throws strikes he doesn’t give up hits,” Bay said of Perez. “If he gets his breaking ball anywhere close, guys aren’t taking good hacks. He’s always one start away from putting it together.”
The Mets hope it’s the next one.