Second guessing from the couch: Mets vs. Nationals, 4/21/2017

This will be a brief one, blog readers. I tried to move on and not to write about the game last night, but I can't be the only one out there who was stunned by a couple of the extra innings decisions on the part of Mets. From where I sat last night -- which, to be fair, was my couch -- Josh Smoker let up a double to Bryce Harper, a man who is hotter than just about anyone in baseball right now‪. Then, Terry Collins intentionally walked Daniel Murphy. Finally, with runners on first and second and one out, Collins brought in Jeurys Familia from the bullpen. Glass half full? Familia proved himself to be one of the most dominant players in the game last year. Glass half empty? Familia has a well-established record of not doing well with runners on base, with allowing hits or even runs before closing the door. Thus, despite my frustration as a fan, I can't see Familia as fully to blame for back-to-back walks, the second of which brought home what became the winning run. Collins' concern about Murphy at the plate is understandable given his history against the Mets (thus, the intentional walk) but the alternative option (leaving the solid Smoker in against a lefty) seems the far superior option. Making the move to take Smoker out certainly couldn't have been a confidence booster for the lefty. I know: hindsight is 20/20. Still, I was talking to my television last night well before the game-losing walk was issued.‬