The Importance of Pitching

On a night when the Mets had anything but good pitching, the top pitcher of the National League proved just how important an ace in the hole can be.

Roy Halladay threw a perfect game for the Phils on Saturday night in a game where he got one mere run of support. Meanwhile in Milwaukee the Mets scored 6 runs but lost 8-6 thanks in most part to a 4 spot by Nieve in the first and typical pitching from Oliver Perez.

Over the last year and a half Bryan and I have been a broken record about Roy Halladay and how the Mets needed to get a guy like him. I was shocked at some of the responses and comments from other Mets fans saying he was "too old" or "too much money" or that the Mets didn't "need" him.

I offer Saturday's performance as proof of the error of these thoughts. While the Mets scramble to find a decent pitcher on the closest street corner, the Phillies have a guy that didn't just throw a perfect game but has been lights out from Opening Day. He doesn't need run support. He doesn't even have to worry about the bullpen blowing a lead because Halladay pitches complete games as often as John Maine walks the leadoff batter.

In only 48 hours, the Mets have gone from sheer dominance over the Phils and sending them packing with their tails between their legs to being a measly one game over .500 and the Phils riding high.

The difference? Pitching. The Mets felt success when their pitching overachieved, but now fall from their cresting wave of victory as their arms on the mound come back down to earth.

Until a reliable rotation can be reconciled, Mets fans should break out their wet suits because the ebb and flow of this season will continue to ride the current tide of victories followed by crashing defeats.