A Close-Up Look at a Mets' Losing Lineup

The boxscore below is for the Mets July 2, 2015 home game against the Cubs, the third game in a row they lost to the Cubs, the Mets shut out in the first two. Only three batters in the lineup are hitting above .250 while four are hitting below .200. It is not a lineup that will cause concern for an opposing pitcher. Complicating matters is the slump that the #4 hitter, Lucas Duda, is experiencing.

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During June, Duda hit only .179 while striking out in 31% of his 96 At Bats. In an interview published in yesterday's Star-Ledger in the article, "Which player says sad Mets offense is his fault?," Duda said this about his June performance:

"Essentially, it's centered around me," Duda said after the Mets 2-0 loss to the Cubs. "I'm not getting job done. I'm not moving guys over. I'm not getting guys in. I've had a pretty tough month, actually. But I'm going to continue to work hard and prepare like I do. I have a good feeling it's going to change."

I'd rather know what he's doing wrong, what he needs to correct? What are the Mets two hitting coaches, Kevin Long and Pat Roessler, telling him?

In another Star-Ledger article, "Terry Collins' message to the struggling Mets: Just relax," Terry Collins is quoted as telling the team this after their latest loss:

"I just told them, 'No disrespect to anybody in this room, we've got to lighten it up around here,'" Collins said. "I mean, they are so tense and so tight. They are so worried about making a big out instead of walking up there like they're going to get a hit."

That's fine too. But it seems that the team needs to do more than relax. The big question: "What's that more"? Before a recent Cubs-Mets game, Cubs manager Joe Maddon had a magician perform for his team; the Cubs won the game. Maybe the Mets need some of that magic.

Quick Hits

☛ Lucas Duda: Remember the name. Yesterday he accomplished something only five other Buffalo Bisons have ever done.

☛ The Cyclones lost to the Yankees 2-1 in 10. Leftfielder Will Cherry might not be with the team much longer if he continues striking out so much. Yesterday, in five at bats, he struck out four times. In 40 at bats he's struck out a team-leading 15 times. He's hitting .200. In contrast, in 2009, Cherry's final season playing for the Florida Southern Moccasins, he hit .370. In 154 at bats he struck out only 33 times. There, his slugging percentage of .727 plus his on-base percentage of .465 gave him an OPS of 1.192, more than double his current OPS with the Cyclones of .588. Is playing in the NY-Penn League that much harder than playing in the Sunshine State Conference?

☛ The Mets pulled out a victory yesterday thanks to Ruben Tejada's smarts. Closer Francisco Rodriguez was struggling to end the game. Luckily, with two outs and a runner on second, shortstop Tejada signaled for a pickoff play. The play worked. Game over. Mets won.

2010 Topps Baseball Card # 416 Ruben Tejada RC - TBD ( RC - Rookie Card ) MLB Trading Card in Protective Screwdown Case!

☛ The Kingsport Mets accumulated 22 hits, shellacking Pulaski 13-1. Outfielder ZeErika McQueen led the hit parade, going 5 for 5. He's now hitting .400 with an OPS of .914. The Mets drafted McQueen in the 29th round in 2009's June draft.

Minor League Baseball Cap - Kingsport Mets Home Cap by New Era (6 7/8)

☛ Bobby Parnell's comeback continues. In yesterday's Nats game, he had another successful outing, pitching another hitless inning. Since his promotion from the minors, he has pitched in seven games, allowing only one earned run while striking out nine.