D.J. Carrasco DFA'd After Mets' Bullpen Falters Again
NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) — D.J. Carrasco was already on thin ice with the Mets after precipitating some drama the night before.
When he gave up a two-run homer to Todd Frazier with his first pitch on Wednesday night, that may well have been the last straw for one of the most embattled pitchers in a struggling bullpen. The 35-year-old right-hander was designated for assignment shortly after New York's 6-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night.
"It's pretty self-explanatory," Carrasco said. "I would have done the same thing if I were the general manager."
On Tuesday night, Carrasco hit Milwaukee's Ryan Braun with a pitch, prompting manager Terry Collins to take David Wright out of a game in which the Mets trailed 8-0, to avoid retaliation.
Collins appeared to be miffed at his reliever the morning after when asked what may have been going through Carrasco's mind.
"I'll tell you guys," he told WFAN's Boomer & Carton on Wednesday, "I wish I had the answer for that."
Wright and his manager had an animated discussion in the dugout about it Tuesday, but both said everything was fine on Wednesday.
"He's the face of the organization and I love him to death," Collins told Boomer & Carton. "I think he plays the game right. And I hope the young players, I hope those young players — we have a lot of them out on that bench — saw what he was willing to do for the ballclub last night."
Said Wright: "Everything's good. Everything's good. Done and over with."
Frazier homered twice and Brandon Phillips hit a tying single off Jon Rauch in the eighth. Pinch-hitter Jay Bruce drove in the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly one out after the Reds put together three straight hits off Rauch (3-2), ending with Phillips' single.
Rauch retired Chris Heisey on a popup before left-hander Tim Byrdak came on to face the lefty-hitting Bruce. After that, Carrasco came on and gave up Frazier's second homer on his first pitch.
"I'm out there to stop the bleeding and protect the lead," Rauch said. "I just didn't get it done."
The Mets bullpen ERA rose to 5.13, among the worst in the major leagues.
Jose Arredondo (3-1) pitched a perfect inning of relief for the Reds. Sean Marshall gave up a hit in the ninth but finished for his seventh save.
"We're in New York and Yogi Berra said if you ain't got a bullpen you ain't got nothing," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "Yogi was right, big time. You've got to have a bullpen."
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