Durbed

Durb your enthusiasm. I'm back, but the Mets are taking a little bit of a vacation.

Sure, they didn't play like their overrated Bronx counterparts, who witnessed the magic of Mike Mussina and Quality Veteran Pitching, en route to being three-hit by Justin Verlander and losing 16-0.

The Mets learned a little bit about why the Quality Veteran Pitching doesn't buy you much tonight. Brian Lawrence, a Quality Veteran Pitcher himself, the former ace of the 64-98 2003 San Diego Padres, took the hill against J.D. Durbin, a pitcher with 7 starts to his career ledger and a 5.68 career ERA.

Who won? It should have been Lawrence, the Quality Veteran Pitcher, the one who was promoted by the Mets despite having zero upside and a fastball that would be lucky to touch 85 on the gun.

The Mets didn't want to lose him on account of his opt-out clause should another club offer him a major league deal. Lawrence would be a major loss: a 3.87 ERA in AAA is impossible to replicate. So they promoted him and let him take the fifth starter spot. Jorge Sosa was slipping, and Mike Pelfrey wasn't going to hold it either.

Fair enough. I was all for Lawrence getting the first shot. And he looked okay, at times.

But now, this is a nightmare that just won't end. Thank Moises that Pedro is on his way. He nearly beat the Class A Palm Beach Cardinals tonight!

However, Pedro isn't your ordinary Quality Veteran Pitcher. He throws a filthy changeup and curve, and also happens to have three Cy Young Awards and is two strikeouts away from three thousand.

Brian Lawrence has a career ERA+ of 95 and once was the ace for some last-place Padre teams, and, well, things didn't go as well as planned tonight.

J.D. Durbin held the Mets hitless through four innings, and shut 'em down afterwards.

I love Quality Veteran Pitchers, don't you?