Aaaaaaaand... It Got Worse

Me, yesterday:

As Bill Cosby taught us, Don't ever say, "It can't get any worse." It can always get worse.

But I wish it wouldn't. A Yankee win tonight, considering how many factors are against us, could be the spark that lights the season. It could also be a shock to the Mets' system, sending them back into the abyss, which would be a nice bonus for us.

But we can't consider what it would do to the Mets. We have to be concerned with our own team.

Considering that egg it laid last night, very concerned.

Me, today:

It got worse.

If you score 14 runs in 2 home games against the Mets, you should expect to win twice -- not lose twice.

*

As expected, Vidal Nuno did not have it last night. He allowed 4 runs in the 1st inning, 7 total, and didn't get out of the 4th. Alfredo Aceves, now in full "What's the use?" mode at this point, allowed 4 more.

Matt Daley -- a former Colorado Rockies pitcher who was born in Flushing itself grew up as a Met fan in Garden City, Long Island -- pitched 3 innings, allowing just 1 baserunner, a walk. (This was only his 16th major league appearance in the last 4 seasons, which is telling in and of itself.) But Preston Claiborne added a run in the 9th to take away any momentum the Yankees had.

The Yankees closed to within 4-3 after 1 inning, thanks to Brian McCann's 5th home run of the season. He's becoming the catching equivalent of Alfonso Soriano: It's a home run or a strikeout with him.

But despite knocking the Mets' alleged as d'an (Ace of the Year) Zach Wheeler out in the 5th, aside from the homers by McCann and by Yangervis Solarte in the 8th (his 3rd), the runs the Yankees put up were not noteworthy, and they were hardly enough.

Mets 12, Yankees 7. WP: Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-0). That's right, Dice-K. No save. LP: Nuno (1-1).

*

7 runs last night. 7 runs the night before. Neither was enough against a Met team that couldn't hit water if it fell out of a boat until that night before.

The City Series (or "Citi Series," but not a "Subway Series," get that into your heads, people) moves over to Citi Field tonight. Masahiro Tanaka, playing the role that Ron Guidry played in 1978, that of arch-stopper of losing streaks, starts for the Yankees.

Rafael Montero starts for the Mets. Who? He's a 23-year-old righthander from the Dominican Republic, who's made 8 career appearances in the major leagues, only 3 as a starter, all for the Mets.

Also, for tomorrow night's start, the Yankees have called up Chase Whitley. He's a righthander from Ranburne, Alabama, who will turn 25 next month. In 7 appearances at Scranton so far, he's 3-2 with a 2.39 ERA and a 1.025 WHIP. Very good against Triple-A hitting -- meaning he should be ready to face the Mets, if the Mets bat like they did before Monday night. He takes the injured CC Sabathia's place both on the roster and, for the moment, in the starting rotation.

Hopefully Tanaka and Whitley will prevent things from getting any worse.

It can always get worse. Met fans know that, from long experience. Yankee Fans know it, but unlike Met fans, we're not used to it, and we do not accept it. Also unlike Met fans, we expect our management to do something about it.

We've got to not just hit the ball and score lots of runs, but get good pitching, too. Right now, the Yankees and the Small Club in Flushing have the same record: 19-19.

Met fans are, naturally, ecstatic over that -- even if they can't spell "ecstatic." For the Yankees, the emphasis is on the "static."

To paraphrase the immortal Samuel L. Jackson, "Enough is enough! I have had it with these motherfucking Mets in these motherfucking games!"

Everybody strap in. We about to throw some fucking strikes. And score some fucking runs.