Not Monday. (Photo by The Associated Press.)
So Derek Lowe beat Johan Santana. Of course he did.
That's Derek Lowe -- the free-agent pitcher the Mets allowed to walk to division-rival Atlanta because the Mets preferred to save a couple million a year and just sign Oliver Perez.
That's Oliver Perez -- the free-agent pitcher who despite having a painfully inconsistent walk year and no notable suitors received a three-year, $36 million deal from Omar Minaya and is currently DL'd from his most-recent home in the bullpen.
And that's Johan Santana -- the Mets ace who has a sub-0.80 ERA, yet now has two losses in which he did not allow an earned run.
Yeah, when you put it that way, there clearly was no other outcome for the Amazin's on Monday. It had to add up to a bad night for the Amazin's. An 8-3 Braves win not only rubbed salt in the Lowe/Ollie wound, but it ended the Mets' seven-game win streak. And it happened not only because the Mets couldn't hit Lowe. They could defend Johan.
First David Wright can't field an in-between hop in the first. No error. Then the Gold Glover can't make a clean throw to first. That's an error. It causes an unearned run to cross the plate. Then Jose Reyes can't make the last out of the seventh. That too is an error. And that one caused four unearned runs to cross the plate.
Seven hits over six-and-a-third is by no means a classic Santana outing, but with a little run support it might be good enough to win. But without any fielding support it never will be.
But after a week of wins, the Mets can have one of these games. You just prefer not to have them on Johan nights.