Mets' Comeback Falls Short
For eight innings last night, the New York Mets acted like theyve been acting for the past two weeksbasically, like theyd rather be hitting golf balls or spending time with their kids or doing anything but playing baseball. In the ninth inning, however, trailing by seven runs, the Blue and Green mounted an improbably six-run rally, before Paul Lo Duca flied out with the tying run stuck on third base to end the comeback.
The [10-9] loss was the second straight embarrassing defeat for the first-place Mets at the hands of the fourth-place Nationals, but New York still held onto their [two-game division lead](http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/standings) because [Philadelphia also lost](http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=270925122) last night. Subsequently, the magic number for clinching the division was reduced to four with just six games remaining. Nonetheless, theres reason to be concerned. Tom Glavine was torched for six runs in just five innings, and then the bullpen continued to give up runs (four in four innings).
Of course, the ninth-inning rally was a good sign that the Mets still cared. Jose Reyes hit a three-run shot with one out in the inning, his second homer of the game, and Moises Alou then delivered a bases-loaded double to pull New York within one run. Alou went 4-for-5 and extended his hitting streak to a team-record 29 games, but despite the last-gasp effort, some players couldnt help but be frustrated by their eighth loss in the last 12 contests. It doesnt mean a thing, Lo Duca said. It doesnt matter if we lose by eight runs or one. Its still a loss.