Mike Pelfrey doesn’t figure to play much of a role for the Mets once October rolls around, and he certainly didn’t do anything to help them get to the postseason last night.
The right-hander coasted through the first three innings last night and looked to be continuing his recent stretch of solid pitching, but he quickly faltered in the fourth before completely unraveling in the fifth and sixth.
“It got ugly fast,” Met manager Willie Randolph said after Pelfrey walked a season-high five (four of whom scored) and gave up seven runs in 52/3 innings in a 13-4 loss to the Nationals at Shea.
And it was the loss of control that has hurt Pelfrey frequently during the season that did him in again.
“I got what I deserved,” said Pelfrey, who fell to 3-8. “I walked guys. I fell behind. I lost my command and tried to regroup, but I just kept missing. And they made me pay for it.”
After getting the first two batters in the fifth, Pelfrey walked a pair before hanging a slider to Austin Kearns that was blasted over the left-center field wall.
“I’d rather give up three home runs right there,” Pelfrey said of the sequence which left the Mets trailing 5-1.
Randolph agreed.
“I hate walks, no matter what,” the manager said. “When you give up free passes and then a home run behind it …”
Pelfrey issued two more walks before being lifted in the sixth for Joe Smith. After the bullpen helped Pelfrey in his previous outing, he wasn’t as fortunate this time. Smith surrendered a double to Ronnie Belliard that scored both of the walks.
And it was more than just an ugly performance from a young pitcher, since it also prevented the Mets from getting some more distance between themselves and the Phillies, who were off last night. The NL East race is certainly of more importance right now with the regular season rapidly coming to a close.
After beginning the season in awful fashion (0-7, 5.92 ERA), Pelfrey had won three consecutive starts. Last night brought an abrupt and untimely end to that streak.
“I don’t look at it as a step back,” said Pelfrey, who threw just 55 strikes among his 97 pitches. “It’s a learning process. You learn from it and move on.”
Right now, though, the Mets have little time for lessons, regardless of what they might teach in the future. Instead, what they need are victories.
Pelfrey understood that, even if he wasn’t able to provide another one.
“I let the team down,” he said.