Those who believe Bobby Parnell just doesn’t have the mentality to close have gained a little more ammunition over the last week.
Parnell blew his second save in four days, and Pedro Beato threw a wild pitch to score the winning run in the 10th as the Mets lost to the Nationals 5-4 on Tuesday.
Parnell is now 2-for-4 in save opportunities since replacing the injured Frank Francisco in the closer’s role. He hasn’t really fallen apart in either blown save; the Nationals, like the Braves before them on Saturday, simply managed to string together three singles and score a run off him tonight. Still, that can’t make manager Terry Collins feel much better about things.
After Parnell lost a one-run lead in the ninth, the Mets went back ahead in the top of the 10th on a Josh Thole double. However, Tim Byrdak and Beato combined to blow it from there. A Bryce Harper triple tied the game, and Beato’s wild pitch ended it.
With Parnell looking like a better option in the eighth than the ninth, the Mets could go to a closer-by-committee until Francisco returns. However, they’re short of quality alternatives, and one guy Collins does seem to have faith in for a late-inning role, Miguel Batista, is about to move into the rotation in place of Dillon Gee.