With playoffs nearing, Mets must be more aggressive managing catching and lefty relief deficiencies

As the Mets lost a frustrating game to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-3, on Tuesday night at Citi Field, there was plenty of blame to go around.

Pete Alonso couldn't lay off high fastballs from Andrew Heaney, Daniel Vogelbach tapped into a back-breaking double play on what would've been ball four to short-circuit a potential ninth-inning rally, and Taijuan Walker had a rough third inning in an otherwise solid start.

But Alonso, Vogelbach, and Walker have been enormous pluses for the Mets this season. And they'll likely be huge parts of New York's success down the stretch and into the playoffs.

The same can't be said for Joely Rodriguez and James McCann.

And on Tuesday night, it was the shortcomings of Rodriguez and McCann that were most glaring.

Rodriguez was called on to face the heart of the Dodgers' order (including two lefties) in a 3-3 game in the seventh inning. He allowed a leadoff double against the shift to Freddie Freeman, got Max Muncy to ground out, intentionally walked Will Smith (who pinch-hit for the left-handed Joey Gallo), and gave up an RBI single to Gavin Lux before being pulled.

That RBI single by Lux proved to be the game-winner, and should've been a tough pill to swallow if you're someone who makes the argument (as I'm about to) that Rodriguez shouldn't have been in the game.

To be clear, that the Mets are this starved for left-handed relief (and trusted late-inning relief overall) is on Billy Eppler and the front office, who failed to properly address the bullpen and catching situation at the trade deadline.

But with the Mets' entire bullpen rested following Monday's off-day and the best team in baseball in town, Buck Showalter needed to go to someone other than Rodriguez in that spot instead of simply trusting his shaky lefty.

Instead of Rodriguez, it should've been Seth Lugo (who almost certainly won't be available Wednesday anyway) pitching a second inning. Lugo, by the way, has held lefties to a .184/.259/.263 line this season.

Rodriguez has had a few impressive moments this year, but has been a big disappointment overall, with a 5.17 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in 38.1 innings. That he was in a tie game in the seventh inning last night is a problem.

Also a problem with regards to Rodriguez is the three-batter rule, which makes a pitcher like Rodriguez (who is very good against lefties but struggles against tough righties) a lot less valuable.

Then there's McCann and the catching situation.

Simply put, McCann's at-bats on Tuesday were not competitive.

McCann struck out on three straight fastballs with a runner on first and two outs in the second inning, and struck out again (this time on four pitches, all fastballs) to lead off the fifth.

With runners on first and second and two outs in a tie game in the bottom of the sixth, McCann struck out again, this time on a slider.

Not pinch-hitting for McCann in the sixth was bizarre, and Showalter said after the game that Brett Baty was not available due to a minor wrist issue. But McCann should not have taken that at-bat.

It took until the ninth inning for the Mets to replace McCann, and the result (the Vogelbach DP) was not ideal. But Vogelbach's at-bat, unlike the three McCann had earlier in the game, was actually competitive.

The Mets' catching situation, another problem that wasn't addressed at the deadline, is glaring.

McCann is hitting .185/.237/.266, while Tomas Nido is batting .221/.266/.261.

It seems clear that the Chicago Cubs set an absurd asking price for Willson Contreras at the deadline, but the Mets could've gone for Boston Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez (who wound up with the Houston Astros) instead. They didn't, and Vazquez was acquired for two prospects who weren't in Houston's Top 25.

And with Francisco Alvarez not only not ready for the majors, but injured, what can the Mets do at catcher?

Well, they can do the same thing they have to do when it comes to the bullpen: manage more aggressively.

When it comes to the bullpen, that means instead of relying on Rodriguez, use one of your crossover relievers (like Lugo) against lefties. Try out some other lefty relief options in games that aren't tight to see if they can be options in the playoffs.

When it comes to the catching situation, instead of letting McCann and Nido take enormous at-bats, pinch-hit sooner -- something that should be easier to do starting on Sept. 1 when rosters expand to 28.

To reiterate, this is not Showalter's fault, but the fault of a front office that was not nearly proactive enough at the deadline with a team in front of them that has a serious chance to win the World Series.

But starting now, Showalter and the Mets need to be more aggressive when it comes to utilizing the roster they do have. If they don't, their chances of winning the NL East will decrease, and they could be left searching for answers in the playoffs instead of relying on ones they've already discovered.