Calling his performances “pathetic” and “embarrassing,” a fed-up Francisco Rodriguez last night ranted that he needs to get his head right.
“I’m going to speak as a fan, not as a player,” the Mets closer said after blowing his second straight save in a 3-2, 13-inning win over the A’s at Citi Field. “Definitely I have to get my head out of my butt, simple as that. I have to stop those pathetic outings. They are really pathetic.
“I’ve just got to get it done.”
Rodriguez flushed R.A. Dickey’s brilliant effort last night after the knuckleballer had pitched eight innings of three-hit, one-run ball and had seen the Mets give him a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning.
Rodriguez started the ninth by striking out Cliff Pennington, but served up Coco Crisp’s double to right before striking out Hideki Matsui. Crisp stole third before Conor Jackson tied the game up with an RBI single to left on a 2-2 pitch.
Rodriguez said with the speedy Crisp on third base, he didn’t want to risk throwing a wild pitch in the dirt, so he didn’t use any breaking balls.
Rodriguez, who did not finish last night’s game and is on pace for 59 games this season, also blew his last save opportunity on Thursday in Atlanta. Prior to that he had saved 19 straight.
In his last 11 outings spanning 10 2/3 innings, Rodriguez has surrendered 11 earned runs.
“Got to find a way to go out there, be more aggressive, start making quality pitches and start getting people out, because it’s been really embarrassing this month pretty much,” he said. “The way they are out there, they go after me in the batter’s box, they’re really too comfortable. I have to start pitching in, start making pitches early in the count, and that’s the bottom line.”
Rodriguez pointed out he has allowedmore than a hit per inning (37 hits in 35 innings).
“Every time I go out there, there’s just runners in scoring position. It’s got to stop,” he said. “One way or the other, I’ve got to stop and I have to start getting some clean innings and be more aggressive. Bottom line.”