There are two themes to tonight's latest New York Mets loss -- new and innovative ways to blow leads and continued futility in the later innings. The Mets grabbed a 3-1 lead against the Atlanta Braves in the fourth inning. That advantage became nullified in the eighth inning, then all hopes were lost in the ninth as the Mets ultimately lost 6-3.
No team has ever lost six straight games at home when they held a lead in the seventh inning or later. But the Mets have, setting a new record.
It's a shame the Amazin's blew this one. Jon Niese was spectacular on the mound, tossing 7 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on eight hits and striking out seven. Instead of what seemed like an easy win, he gets the no decision.
Jason Isringhausen came in to relieve Niese, but walked the first guy he faced, then threw a wild pitch and induced an easy ground ball to Jose Reyes at short. On a play that Reyes makes 99 times out of 100, he stabbed at the ball to his left and missed it, bringing the tying run home.
Shutdown set-up man Jonny Venters allowed a measly single and struckout two in the bottom of the eighth, so the Mets weren't able to scratch a run across.
Francisco Rodriguez came in for the ninth inning, with a tied game, and promptly got battered around. He allowed a home run to Eric Hinske, and later a two-out, two-run Freddie Freeman double to put the game out of reach for the Mets against a nearly unstoppable closer in Craig Kimbrel. To add insult to injury, Hinske was only in the game because Jordan Schafer bunted a ball that hit his face in the fifth inning.