I have a few points I want to make about the pen, but before getting there, I'd like to review Feliciano's most recent 5 performances:
9/20: @ Florida. Feliciano comes into to start the bottom of the 9th. Metties have just scored 3 in the top to turn a 4-3 deficit into a 7-4 advantage. Sosa's warm in the pen, and everyone's clear that Feliciano is in to pitch to one batter, left-handed Jeremy Hermida. Sosa will be coming in next to face Cabrera. Feliciano starts off wild, missing badly with two balls. Gets a strike to bring the count to 2-1, and then gives up a single up the middle. The Fish have a rally brewing, and go on to score 3 to tie the game, later winning in extras.
9/21: @ Florida. The line pretty much speaks for itself: 2/3 IP, 2 BB, 1 H, 2 ER's. Comes in for the bottom of the 8th. Strikeout. Walk. Walk. Strikeout. Gives up a 2 run double. Pulled for Joe Smith.
9/23: @ Florida. Relieves Maine in the bottom of the 6th, 2 on, nobody out. Game tied 2-2. Gets a K, gives up a single letting an inherited runner score, lifted for Sosa. Leaves game with Mets trailing 3-2.
9/24: vs. Nats. Starts the 7th and pitches an effective inning in a fairly low-pressure spot, with the Mets already down 7-4. Stays in to start the 8th, and commits the cardinal sin for a reliever: issuing a leadoff walk. He's then lifted, and the leadoff walk turns out to be the start of a 3 run rally.
9/26: vs. Nats. Comes into the bottom of the 5th with no outs, and the Mets clinging to a 6-5 lead with two men on. Gives up the GWRBI hit, a double to Willie Mo Pena, scoring both inherited runners and giving the Nats a 7-6 lead which would grow to become a 9-6 win.
That's 5 straight outings from one of our supposed "better" relievers in which he has been ineffective. Right when the Mets are tailspinning and need him most.
4 of the 5 games were losses. In 3 of the 5 appearances, he is involved in the game turning rally (for the other team).
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No question Feliciano has unfortunately been one of the biggest offenders in the meltdown recently, especially magnified by the fact that we expect the most from him.
I wonder though how many of his missteps to the first batter he faced he would have righted had he been allowed to stay in and pitch the complete side.
It goes back to my post earlier this morning: the Mets screwed themselves out of options by getting rid of all their dependable starting and relief arms. And that just ratchets up the tension and leads to a self-feeding downward cycle.
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