[Westheim]

The No-RISP Mets - except for Pete; Pete is without blemish, and I will love him forever! - barely pulled a W out of their arses in the opener against the Mountaintops. They were 0-for-8 (or so) with runners in scoring position until Pete finally hit the first 2-run double; and they were about to enter the bottom 9th tied when "Nine Toes" Lindor dragged his sore bottom off the bench to slap another 2-run double.

That was all the offense you care about, really. Pete made a nifty play to strike down the debutant whose name I have already forgotten at the plate when the Mets were behind 1-0.

Baty also made a nice defensive play on a cracked liner with the three adrift, nobody out, and made a snatch-and-tag for a crucial 5-U double play that dragged Stanek through the eighth. But that wasn't the first three-on, no-out that was KILLED by Baty with a confused strikeout. He was in fact the first of three straight strikeouts after the Mets went walk, walk, hit-by-pitch-or-maybe-not-who-knows-but-Taylor-sold-it-quite-convincingly to fill the bases. So at least they didn't waste any hits there. Just oxygen, which is in short supply at the Mountaintops' place.

Baty and Alvarez are useless on offense, useless on defense (most of the time at least), and yes, I'm still foaming from the Will Smith play in Dodgerland. They both need a vacation in St. Lucie. Is extended spring training still going?