There are many arguments for why the team is lackluster this year. We here at The Stache place the blame almost entirely on the bullpen. We find the bullpen to be responsible for, well, just about all the failings of the team in the last three years. To note:

2006

Game 2: John Maine, still new to the team, goes 4.33 IP and gives up 3 earned. Chris Carpenter, the Cardinals’ ace, goes the same 4 innings and gives up five. The Mets have a 6-4 lead after 6 innings. Guillermo Mota gives up 2 in the 7th for the tie and Billy Wagner gives up a three-run homer in the top of the 9th to break the team’s back.

Game 7: Aaron Heilman gives up a two-run homer in the top of the 9th to end the Mets’ bid for the NL Pennant and a shot at a dead Tigers team.

2007

The Mets lose a 7-game lead in 17 days. They suffer 12 losses in their last 17 games. 6 of those are blown by the bullpen.

2008

The bullpen pitchers have collected 13 losses through today. I’m adding to the body count games in which inherited runner score. It’s stupid to count that as a loss for the starting pitcher when the starting pitcher didn’t actually give up the run.

That said, using my system the bullpen is directly or indirectly responsible for 18 of the team’s 35 losses. I’m going to keep track of the body count until something is done to directly address the bullpen — rather than distracting from the issue by turning the manager in to a daily story.