Terry Collins was off by one day. When Collins, the Mets’ manager, delivered a blistering tirade about his sluggish team last Thursday, he did it with the struggling Logan Verrett scheduled to pitch the next game. Verrett promptly gave up five runs in the first inning on Friday.
Collins, 67, has been around long enough to understand timing. The best moment to rip a team’s effort, and to call a clubhouse meeting, is before an ace takes the mound. The Mets still have pitchers like that, and their efforts since Friday have quickly brightened their outlook.