It’s never a good time to blow a save, but Wednesday afternoon was probably the worst time for it to happen.
In the Mets biggest game of the season to date, Bobby Parnell was an out away from sending the team to the 9th inning with a 3-1 lead over the division rival Nationals. Jeurys Familia, arguably one of the best closers in all of baseball this season, was warming up in the bullpen and the Mets looked as if they had this game well in hand, as they were four small outs away from winning a series in Washington and climbing to just one game behind the Nationals.
Unfortunately, things didn’t work out that way, as Parnell recorded the first two outs, sandwiched around a walk and a hit, but was unable to maintain the lead.
With runners at 1st and 2nd and the light-hitting rookie Michael Taylor at the plate, Parnell threw a huge wild pitch on a 2-2 curveball, allowing the tying runs to advance into scoring position.
It didn’t take long for Taylor to take advantage, either, as he ripped the very next pitch into left field to tie the game at three a piece.
Parnell remained in the game for reasons unknown after allowing Taylor to tie the game and subsequently steal second base on his very next pitch.
To add insult to injury, Parnell gave up a rope double to Danny Espinosa, Taylor came in to score and the Nationals took a lead they’d never relinquish.
It was a devastating moment for this team and their fanbase, and for Parnell, it wasn’t the first time he’s had a result like that against this very ball club.
After Wednesday’s blown save, Parnell is now 0-5 with a 5.63 ERA and six blown saves in his career against the Nationals. He’s struggled in that ballpark especially, as five of his six career blown saves have come in Washington, where he has a 6.63 ERA in his career.
For whatever reason, the Nationals have had Parnell’s number over the years, even when Bobby has been at his peak.
On Opening Day last season against these same Nationals, it was Parnell who blew a 9th inning save opportunity in what would be his only appearance of the season after tearing a ligament in his elbow.
Since returning from Tommy John surgery as a middle reliever and now the team’s current set-up man, Parnell has actually been great until Wednesday, as he was 1-0 with a 0.78 ERA in 11.1 innings pitched. His velocity had been way down in his first 11 appearances, as his fastball sat at around 92 MPH, but in his last two outings in Washington his fastball got a sudden shot of adrenaline, as Parnell hit 96 MPH on Tuesday and up to 97 MPH on Wednesday.
It’s been a mainly successful comeback from surgery so far for the Mets former closer, but for Parnell, he chose the biggest spot of the season to falter. The Mets are going to be battling the Nationals throughout the remainder of this season for a playoff spot and, at some point, Parnell is going to have to exorcize his demons.
He has to.
Just Mets 