Before last night’s game, the team announced they would finally move Asdrubal Cabrera off of shortstop. This should have been a sign the Mets were finally ready to call up Amed Rosario and play him everyday. Instead, this was a move to create more playing time for Jose Reyes at the position he prefers.

Keep in mind the Mets made this decision when they were getting something out of their 2012 first round draft pick Gavin Cecchini. In Cecchini’s first three starts in the majors, he was playing a good defensive second base. At the plate, he was 3-10, and he hit his first ever career home run off of Clayton Kershaw. While he had been struggling in Triple-A, he was showing you the player he was last year. He was showing you he’s not intimidated by playing in the majors. He was giving you a reason to give him an extended look at the major league level.

Instead, the Mets decided to clear a path for two veterans who have simply not been performing this year. In a season where the Mets had a shot at the postseason, you could certainly justify allowing Reyes and Cabrera return to form. If both players were under contract another year, you could justify getting them back up to speed because you need more from them going forward. None of these situations are present. Rather, the Mets are just throwing away games and at-bats that could be used to helping see if Cecchini is a part of the 2018 season.

That’s not the only place they are doing it. Right now, Michael Conforto has a back issue, and he’s struggling. In the Mont of June, he’s hitting .164/.361/.273. This is the second straight year a physical issue has coincided with a Conforto slump. As a result, we still don’t truly know what he is.

Is he a streaky hitter? Is he a guy who gets off a fast start and tapers off? Is he a superstar who just got hindered by a wrist and back issue that are worse than the Mets have let on. We don’t know, and we’re really not going to find out when Terry Collins plays Curtis Granderson over him everyday.

The main difference between Granderson and the middle infielders is Granderson has certainly earned his playing time. Since a dreadful April, Granderson is hitting .287/.395/.574 with 13 doubles, a triple, eight homers, and 21 RBI. He’s been even better in the Month of June hitting .313/.450/.688 with five homers and eight RBI.

Still, even with the Dodgers starting Hyun-Jin Ryu, it was hard to see Granderson in the starting lineup over Conforto. With the Mets entering play so far out of the National League East and Wild Card races, there is little to be gained when you play a veteran like Granderson in the last year of his deal over a young player like Conforto, who could be a cornerstone of the Mets offense for the next decade.

Yes, Granderson did hit a lead-off homer against Ryu giving him the Mets all-time lead in lead-off homers surpassing the aforementioned Reyes. But in the end, what did the Mets gain from this.

The team still lost the game. Steven Matz would lose the lead given to him. The 1-0 lead evaporated when Justin Turner and Enrique Hernandez would hit a pair of third inning home runs to give the Dodgers a 3-1 lead.

Unlike most games in this series, the Mets were able to fight back. Travis d’Arnaud hit a solo home run in the fourth to pull the Mets within a run, and the team rallied in the sixth with Lucas Duda driving in Jay Bruce with a two out double against Dodgers reliever Chris Hatcher.

The good feelings from the comeback were soon diminished. Paul Sewald came on to relieve Matz in the seventh, and he was greeted by a Joc Pederson home run. Things got worse from there. After a Logan Forsythe single, Sewald would not only walk the bases loaded, he would walk Chris Taylor leading to Collins lifting him for Jerry Blevins.

Blevins, the Mets most reliable bullpen arm all year, would get his man Cody Bellinger out. Unfortunately, he followed that by walking Enrique Hernandez and Pedro Baez to increase the Dodgers lead to 5-3. As if that wasn’t enough, Blevins would also walk in Austin Barnes to make it 6-3. This is not to criticize Collins or Blevins. Going to Blevins to pitch to Bellinger in that spot was 100% the right call.

Still, it was disappointing on some level. Even if the Mets were to win this game, it wouldn’t have mattered much. It was the difference between eight and 10 games under .500. It would have been better to see if Conforto could work out of his funk, or in the seventh, to see if Sewald could have gotten out of the inning without allowing another run.

Certainly, you can justify starting the hot hitting Granderson and going to Blevins in that spot. However, doing that hasnt’ gotten you anywhere this year, and it certainly isn’t going to help you find out if the young players are going to be big pieces for the team next year.

Game Notes: Chasen Bradford was called up to the majors, and Tyler Pill was sent down. to make room for Bradford on the roster, Tommy Milone was transferred to the 60 day disabled list. Bradford did not appear in the game.