Jerry Manuel's Mismanagement to Blame for New York Mets' loss

I understand the business of baseball. I know that one must get playing time in for players who are sub-standard in their abilities so that they can become better players, benefiting the team play as a whole in the future.

Baseball is like any other business, you must utilize the personnel you have to most benefit your bottom line.

I also understand there are 162 games in the regular season, and we are not one-fifth of the way through it.

I get the bigger picture. Planning, strategy, and  execution; it is not dissimilar to how wars are fought and won.

Winning battles wins wars. Winning games wins pennants.

Jerry Manuel needs to, at times like Monday, send the bigger picture to the back burner and do what it takes to get the W. The W will help so much more, if only for team morale.

Let's say that Jerry has his reasons for staying focused on the bigger picture. If so, he surely must have forgotten his notes: Matt Diaz hits .400 against lefties. Why take out RHP Bobby Parnell and put in LHP Pedro Feliciano?

If Parnell needed to be replaced, Brian Stokes could have come in—at least gaining a few points in his own favor.

Poor Mets fielding and well-placed hits by the Braves' in the seventh contributed four of their eight runs. But it was the mismanagement by Manuel that cost New York the game.

Let's hope he finds his notes before tomorrow.