Edgy MD

It could have been worse. It could have been a four-run error.

Disasterlympics!!

blib.

Game is on the table right here, Bezes loaded and 2 out. 0-2 on Harris ...

Nobody read any reports about Ewing being hurt, right? Green is probably just giving him the protection against lefties that Mendoza didn't want to, but we have our third leadoff hitter in as many days. METS Starting Pitcher Sean Manaea LHP 1-3, 4.71 ERA, 64 SO Lineup Francisco Lindor (S) SS Juan Soto (L) LF Bo Bichette (R) 3B Mark Vientos (R) 1B Eric Wagaman (R) DH Francisco Alvarez (R) C Carson Benge (L) RF Tyrone Taylor (R) CF Brett Baty (L) 2B ATLANTA Starting Pitcher Chris Sale LHP 8-6, 2.10 ERA, 109 SO Lineup Mauricio Dubón (R) LF Drake Baldwin (L) DH Ozzie Albies (S) 2B Matt Olson (L) 1B Austin Riley (R) 3B Michael Harris II (L) CF Eli White (R) RF Joey Bart (R) C Jorge Mateo (R) SS

The thing is that Cavalli is getting a lot of points for sounding "sincere." And while I agree that he was sincere, and his comments were lengthy and contrite, it's pretty clear that he is sincerely weak. Credit, I guess, for having the faith to believe he's an idol to a black middle-schooler somewhere, but how many levels of passive voice are in that sentence? How many levels of not owning what he did is there? "If there's a black kid that ... ... thinks ... (It's not what I did — it's what he thinks I did.) ... that he perceived that ... (I actually really didn't do anything. It's some kid's perception of what I did.) ... in a way ... (What you think you heard me say is open to many interpretations. Some kid may have his way of interpreting it, but that's not on me.) ... that wasn't intended ... (I'm not even sure it was me. Somebody — a very innocent somebody I'm sure — didn't intend something. I'd maybe like to speak to that guy about that thing that happened apart from me and get his thoughts about it.) ... in the way ... (Again, this is a matter of interpretation. The way which somebody heard something — from that guy that intended something — is beyond my control.) ... it came out, ... (Nobody actually said anything. Something just came out of somebody.) ... that he's not looking up to me anymore." I'm hoping that imaginary kid ain't the only one. That's just about the weakest soup imaginable and I have to send it back to the kitchen. Beyond that ... not knowing there is a racist meaning to calling a grown man of color "boy"? How much credulity does it take to swallow that? He wasn't home-schooled in Russia. He's from Tulsa.

Independence Day. Independence from failure declared.

Be well, ashie. You are a mountain.

Andy Green emptied a good chunk of his goodwill account with me yesterday, starting Ewing in the leadoff spot and then pinch-hitting Tyrone Taylor for him against a lefty, mid-game. Ewing is hitting .190 against lefties, but the Mets needed baserunners, and while his OBP against lefties is a still paltry .255, Taylor's is only a half-tick better at .260, with enough game left to play to make it likely that the spot would come up again, which it did, as Taylor not only came up empty quickly in the seventh, but undermined the Mets' rally against Iglesias in the ninth.

Lindor! Lindor! I wish there was ... more ...

Bichette Bichette The table is sette

Tomahawk chant.

Olson likes the Mets.

Pitching Benge in on the hands is where he wants it.

Senga has found his 98 again.

Win it for Senga!

They're throwing Danny Young at us? Just off the IL? That's crap. But ... we're pinch-hitting for Ewing?

Lindor's braids are suddenly resplendently long. Anybody following this funfest?

Once they move Lindor up ahead of Soto and Alvarez ahead of Young, they will have the lineup that will win every remaining game.

LOOK WHO'S LEADOFF! I don't want to make too much of it, but this is massive! METS Starting Pitcher Christian Scott RHP 2-0, 3.20 ERA, 53 SO Lineup A.J. Ewing (L) CF Juan Soto (L) LF Bo Bichette (R) 3B Francisco Lindor (S) SS Carson Benge (L) RF Jared Young (L) 1B Francisco Alvarez (R) DH Brett Baty (L) 2B Luis Torrens (R) C ATLANTA Starting Pitcher Grant Holmes RHP 4-4, 3.96 ERA, 69 SO Lineup Drake Baldwin (L) C Ozzie Albies (S) 2B Matt Olson (L) 1B Mauricio Dubón (R) LF Michael Harris II (L) CF Dominic Smith (L) DH Austin Riley (R) 3B Mike Yastrzemski (L) RF Jorge Mateo (R) SS

What a clusterfuck that story is. Cavalli was way out of line, and despite his contrition, probably ought to be fined and maybe suspended. That said, Contreras is, like, the hottest hothead in the league, and a professional provocateur. He's been a real headache to the Sox, and if they weren't mired in last place, with Contreras providing about 45% of their productivity, they might have been looking to get rid of him, and might still at the deadline. So it's kind of lose-lose. A deep dive from JomBoy.

The Law of Unintended Consequences really kicked into overdrive. Joe Torre chose Bob Gibson to replace Willie as the living legend coach in the dugout. Ater the Mets selected Roger Clemens in the 12th Round of the 1981 draft out of community college, Gibson supposedly gave him a negative scouting report when the Mets invited him to work out for them in Houston, and the Mets (again, supposedly) opted not to sign him (or, perhaps, simply not meet his asking price) largely based on that report. History might have been very different. I mean, how stunningly embarrassing would it have been if Piazza had that bat thrown at him by a teammate?

Who do you think so painted him? Management? Beat writers? Joe Rogan? Because he's still there, and Alonso and McNeil are gone.

A notable portion of the volume that missing is a bizarre lack of wins during that period because of lack of support from the Mets offense and bullpen. Pitcher wins are grossly over-rated, of course, but they stand as mileposts, and the convenient shorthand they provide still tells voter whether to open the book and dig deeper.

Probably, but his story isn't done yet, and I wouldn't put it past him to try to pitch until he's 45 in pursuit of enough wins to put any doubts to bed.