Mets in trouble if misplays catch on

Mets in trouble if misplays catch on

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Lucas Duda is a little shaky in right field and the Mets better hope his defense isn't contagious.

P HILADELPHIA The soft fly-ball single that started all the trouble for the Mets should have been caught. No way around it. But the Mets knew all too well that playing Lucas Duda in right field meant there would be days like this, when his defense proves costly.

Sam e for Daniel Murphy at second base. Theyre both going to win games with their bats, perhaps enough to justify having them in the lineup. And its not as if the Mets have better options certainly not in right field, anyway.

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So if youre Terry Collins you just hope the mistakes they make with their gloves arent crucial. On Sunday Dudas mistake wasnt ghastly, but it did prove crucial.

You couldnt tell that by the final score of 8-2 as the Phillies ran it up on the back end of the Mets bullpen. But everything may well have been different had Duda caught Jimmy Rollins soft fly ball for the second out of the seventh inning, with no one on base and the Mets leading 2-1 at the time.

However, the right fielder broke back a step on the ball, then froze momentarily, before recognizing that it was hit softly, and by then he had no chance to make a catch.

Two outs, nobody on, maybe Ramon Ramirez gets out of the seventh with that 2-1 lead, and who knows from there?

Instead Dudas play proved to be the first of many little things the Mets couldnt do that cost them a game.

Ramirez bounced a first-pitch slider for a wild pitch that moved the tying and go-ahead runs into scoring position. Scott Hairston couldnt make a tough but makeable catch down the left field line. Ruben Tejada got careless with a throw from shortstop . . .

And suddenly the Mets visions of a memorable sweep of the Phillies turned into something of an ugly loss that reminded you this team has plenty of flaws, hot start or not.

So while it left a sour taste, the Mets left for Atlanta feeling good about themselves, and rightly so. The Phillies may be anemic at the plate these days, as they hope for the return of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, but Cole Hamels was on his game on Sunday, and so while the Mets wouldnt finish them off, they did win a series in this ballpark for only the second time in their last 10 attempts.

In addition, they got a strong start from Mike Pelfrey on a day when he said he had no command of his fastball, instead relying heavily on his secondary pitches, especially his curveball.

It remains to be seen if thats a good sign or bad, because Pelfrey needs command of his hard sinker to have any chance to win consistently, and he hasnt had it in either of his two starts. On the other hand, getting through six innings without it has been a rarity in the past for the big righthander.