NEW YORK - When it was finally finished, and the eight errors and 27 strikeouts and two losses had marinated on his brain for a few minutes, Mets manager Art Howe stood in the middle of his office and offered a soft-spoken observation:
"The only good thing about (yesterday)," he said, "is that it's over."
Perhaps, but Monday still brings a nasty hangover. In just under six hours of baseball, the Mets destroyed the confidence borne from winning their previous three series. The Diamondbacks swept a doubleheader at Shea, 6-1 and 7-3, but even the best night's sleep won't erase the facts: The Mets beat themselves Sunday. Twice.
The Diamondbacks, who entered last in the NL in scoring, took advantage of the shoddy Mets fielding to score more than three runs in consecutive games for the first time this year.
"We get embarrassed just like kids do," Cliff Floyd said. "You might not show it, but when you look like a fool out there you care. Deep down, you have to care."
Eight different Mets made errors in the two games. That isn't even close to the single-game record (12), but the Mets' 27 whiffs in the twinbill did set a new major league mark for futility at the plate (breaking their own record of 26 in 1970 and 1971). Randy Johnson (1-2) came off the disabled list before the second game and struck out 12, while the D-Backs struck out only 11 times all afternoon. Ty Wigginton fanned four times on the day, but did not make an error at third base - the only Met position not charged with one. The Mets have made 28 errors in 25 games.
"That's just poor baseball all around," said Mike Piazza. "I don't know how you can sugarcoat it. You can't, really."
Piazza's wild throw in the first inning of the opener put the first Met error on the board. He was followed by (in order): Tom Glavine (throw), Mo Vaughn (catch), Joe McEwing (catch), Roger Cedeno (fielding), Tsuyoshi Shinjo (fielding), Raul Gonzalez (throw) and Roberto Alomar (fielding). Mike Stanton had a balk, which doesn't count as an error but fit the theme of the day.
As maddening as their fielding was, the Mets had a chance in both games. With Glavine (3-2) pitching against rookie Brandon Webb (1-0) in the opener and Johnson against Jae Seo in the nightcap, it figured that the Mets would get at least a split. But Webb was impervious to the pressure of his first major-league start, throwing seven scoreless innings while Glavine gave up six runs (four earned) in 6 1/3.
The nadir was the fifth inning, when Glavine fielded a comebacker from Steve Finley, tossed the ball to Vaughn and watched as the first baseman inexplicably dropped the ball next to the bag. Craig Counsell doubled two batters later, two runs scored and the Mets were down 3-0 as Glavine slapped his leg in frustration. It was his first loss since the 15-2 Opening Day debacle.
"It's hard not to let (errors) affect you," Glavine said. "But they're just part of the game."
Vaughn heard boos all day, for his fielding (he now has five errors) and for his hitting (.206). He wasn't the only one hearing catcalls, as Armando Benitez gave up three runs in the ninth inning of the second game, including a two-run homer to Mark Grace.
"You've just got to wash it all off in the shower," said Tony Clark, who was one of the few Mets bright spots with a 3-for-6 afternoon including a homer. "You've got to forget it."
The question is, can they? The Diamondbacks swept a doubleheader at Shea last August that sent the Mets, who had been charging into the wild-card race, into a tailspin, and it was hard not to think about that as the 36,491 fans trudged to the exits.
"It's a shame," Piazza said. "(But) I don't think it's in anyone's best interest to throw in the towel."
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©2003, New York Daily News.
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