The Baseball Desert

Monday, June 23, 2003

I know I sometimes keep going over and over the same stuff here, but if you needed proof that this game is all about pitching, look no further than yesterday's Subway Series game between the Yankees and the Mets. The Mets' Armando "I'm OK as long as there's no pressure" Benitez walked four batters in the ninth inning (including the tying run), and was followed by Graeme Lloyd, who, after a scoreless tenth, managed to walk home the winning run in the eleventh. Compare that to the stats of Yankee starter David Wells, who has walked four batters in 107 2/3 inning this year, and it's no longer a real surprise to see the Yankees heading the American League East with a 44-29 record, whilst the hapless Mets prop up the National League East, 15 games behind the Braves. Even Tom Glavine's defection from Atlanta doesn't seem to have bridged the gap any - it's going to be a long, hard season for the Mets and their fans.