Terry Collins Not Happy After Mets' Latest Sloppy Effort
CHICAGO (WFAN/AP) — Mets manager Terry Collins is tired of his team's recent sloppy play.
"We've got to get it stopped," he said. "We've got to turn it around right now. We've got to start playing with some energy, playing with some thought, like we have been all season long."
Dillon Gee pitched five shaky innings and New York had another rough day in the field and on the bases during a 5-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.
Anthony Rizzo doubled home Steve Clevenger with two out in the fourth, making it 4-3 and sending the Mets to their fourth straight loss — matching a season high. Rizzo was called up earlier in the day for his highly-anticipated Cubs debut.
"I haven't the faintest idea," Collins said of his team's struggles. "I don't know if it's fatigue, I don't know what it is. We didn't run the bases, we didn't play good defense, we didn't drive the runs in."
After three errors led to four unearned runs in a 6-1 loss on Monday, it was more of the same for the Mets on Tuesday night.
Up 2-0 in the third inning, Lucas Duda held up at third on Ike Davis' double to right despite being waved around by third base coach Tim Teufel. Daniel Murphy grounded out with the bases loaded as the Mets failed to add on.
"That was my fault, I caught him a little late," Duda said. "Ike hit the ball pretty hard, I was expecting a pretty big bounce at the wall. That's why I held up at third."
Collins wasn't happy.
"You're taught to run until you're stopped," he said.
The Cubs tacked on an insurance run in the eighth when shortstop Ruben Tejada threw the ball away trying to get a force out at second.
The only fire the Mets showed came when Davis was ejected in the eighth for arguing a tag play at first base. He made contact with first base umpire Manny Gonzalez and was tossed.
"I didn't say anything too revolting. I obviously didn't mean to touch him," Davis said. "I was just using my hands as a gesture. I didn't say anything crazy."
Gee (5-6) struck out six in five innings, but gave up four runs and nine hits. The right-hander is 1-3 with a 3.69 ERA in his last six starts.
"It's the worst Dillon's pitched in a while, nothing was working," Collins said. "He battled through it, got us five innings. I was happy with that."
New York's David Wright went 0 for 3 with a walk and a sacrifice fly, ending his hitting streak at 15 games. It was the longest active streak in the majors.
Luis Valbuena, Darwin Barney, Clevenger and David DeJesus joined Rizzo with two hits apiece for the Cubs, who finished with 12 hits overall.
Collins said the bleeding has to stop Wednesday with Jonathon Niese on the mound.
"Niese has got to give us a ballgame tomorrow," he said.
Think the Mets will bounce back Wednesday? Be heard in the comments below...
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