Thursday, December 11, 2008

Suddenly a Bullpen

After the Mets season ended, I dropped away for awhile. There's no Mets news where I am unless I go and find it, so it's easy to put them out of my mind for awhile. What I knew before I left was that Minaya was going to make some big deals to address the 'Mets-holes'. So it was with a sense of shock that I returned a couple of weeks ago to hear the news that Heilman was going to be moved to the 5th starting spot. This was a solution to what, exactly? The only thing this would accomplish would be to alleviate the tension of wondering when Heilman was going to blow the game. He could get that done a lot earlier, and then we could all head home.

But, just as I was about to give up hope, Minaya got perhaps the top saver in baseball, Francisco Rodriguez (K-Rod). Anybody with a 'Rod' nickname has to be great, although, admittedly, there are more and more baseball players receiving variations on that nickname every day. The only question mark over K-Rod is: did the Angels burn out his arm last season by using him five days a week at times?

That deal was a great start; and now, Minaya has added J.J. Putz as a setup man for K-Rod. Putz had an off-year due to injuries, but in 2006 and 2007, he was one of the best relievers in baseball.

Things are looking up today!

Sunday, September 28, 2008

It's all over (until trade time)

I woke up this morning unsurprised to find that the Mets had lost their final game at Shea and missed out on the playoffs. For about a week, I felt in my bones that this would be the end result. In typical 2007 - 2008 fashion, the Mets lost when their bullpen (Schonweis and Ayala) couldn't hold a lead (a tie in this case) and when their hitters again failed to generate any offense late in a game.

Minaya needs to get a closer or two, as well as some experienced utilities that can pinch hit in late innings and get the Mets offense going. It may be time to look at dealing Delgado while he still has some value; his slow start to the year while the Mets pitching was a little less problematic was one of the reasons why the Mets were in position to blow it again.

Heilman has to go. And this is probably the last year for Pedro Martinez.

The Mets have some decent arms coming up from the farm, and at least one good hitter. In a weak NL east, I'm sure they can contend again next season.

And maybe they can reach the playoffs, and get that monkey off their back.

Goodbye for now. I'll be back as news and trades unfold.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

down to one

On the day that the Phillies clinched the Division, the Mets three Santana on 3 days rest at the Marlins, and he came through big-time, with a three-hit, complete game shutout of the Marlins. The Cubs helped out by beating the Brewers, and now, the Mets and Brewers are once again tied for the Wild Card, with one game to go.

With nothing better to do, I am questioning the decision to go with Santana today. Sure, he won, but now there is even more pressure on Perez. I think we might see Maine in relief tomorrow, perhaps, if Perez gets into trouble, although I don't think his velocity has completely returned. But will we see Heilman?

Check this Onion article for a possible scenario for tomorrow's game

Thursday, September 25, 2008

...and the aftermath

After making my prediction that the Mets would win no more than one out of the last five games, I turned to Gameday to see that Delgado had just cracked a grand slam, and the Mets were winning 5-1 after 4. It looked good for the Mets but bad for my prediction.

"Now wait a minute," I reminded myself, "this is the 2008 Mets we're talking about here. This game is far from won." And the Mets obliged by losing it in 10 innings, even though they had the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth.

The Phillies lost, so the Mets are still 1 1/2 games out of first, but the bad news is the Brewers won again, so they are tied for the Wild Card spot.

Metstradamus says the season is over, and it's hard to disagree with that.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Five to go (prediction time)

Yesterday, the Mets won 6-2 behind Santana; the Brewers won as well, and the Phillies lost. The Mets are 1 1/2 games out of first and 1 game up for the Wild Card. Now for some reason I feel compelled to make a prediction about how this season will pan out, and here it is:

The Mets will win no more than one more game out of the last five. They will, of course, miss out on the wild card.

I'm not sure exactly what qualifies me to make such a prediction; maybe I am just another negative fan who has been burned too many times before.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

The Final Countdown

With 8 games the go, the Mets are limping home, 1/2 game out of first and 2 1/2 games in front of the Brewers for the Wild Card spot. If any team could find a way to fail to make the playoffs from this point on, it is the bullpen-free Mets. But as a life-long fan, I am torn between feeling that they will blow it, and hoping that they can get in. Much like life, I expect defeat and hope for salvation. :)

I passed through New York but was unable to get to a game. But I was thrilled to catch a little bit of a live Mets game from my hotel room in New York. David Wright cracked a massive home run in a Sunday game that the Mets bullpen (Ayala this time) went on to lose to the Braves. Still, I was glad for the chance to watch a little before my five year old daughter insisted that I change to the Cartoon Network.

She's cruel, but hopefully she will not grow up to be a Yankees fan.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Recap #2: Big Runs, Strange Times

It's been a topsy-turvy last few days for the Mets and the Phillies, but throughout the week of big wins, bigger losses, big run counts, bad pitching, and changing first place margins, there has been one (occasional) constant: Aaron Heilman cannot pitch anymore.

Intelligently, Jerry Manuel has been picking spots to try Heilman again and again, and, each time, he has been well past ineffective. Last night, he came in, tried to pitch an inning, gave up a 3 run homer, and left. Other outings have been similar. Brian Stokes watched Heilman and thought, "Wow, that looks like fun!" So he came in a little later and he gave up a 3 run homer too! The offshoot of all this homer giving is the Mets managed to blow a big lead against the Nationals at home for the second game in a row, but, for the second game in a row, they managed to score more runs and win.

Meanwhile, the Phillies, coming off winning 2 of 3 against the Mets and one more on the Mets off day, were only 1 1/2 games out of first. But in their last two games, they played against the Marlins much like the Nationals are playing against the Mets. The result is that the Mets are now 3 1/2 in first.

The Phillies think they are going to do what they did last year: overtake the Mets. Last year, the Phils were more games out (about 7 at this point). But I don't see it happening, unless the Phils bullpen and the Mets bullpen do a reversal of form. Ayala has been good as the closer so far. The Phillies, however, have proven more vulnerable lately. Last night, it was J.C. Romero who gave away all chance of a comeback when he imploded in the ninth.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Recap

Believe it or not, I am now closer to the Mets than I was a week ago, and yet my ability to see, comment, and blog is reduced.

I am currently stationed in North Carolina, headed toward New York, but the house I am in does not have access to the Mets cable channel, and the internet access and computer are too slow to even try to watch highlights from the web.

But from what I have been able to glean, here is my summary of the past week:

1- The Mets are slowly pulling away from the Phillies, despite the fact that the Mets have been playing the healty Brewers at Milwaukee, and the Phils have been playing the Nationals.

2- If Ryan Church can stay healthy, the Mets have a much better chance of success.

3- To win games, keep Aaron Heilman off the mound.

4- The lineup seems to find a new clutch hero every day. The big hitters (Delgado, Betran, and Wright) are sharing duties well.

5- Stokes and Ayala have so far proven to be great pickups.

On Friday, the Phils come to town at a bad time for them and a good time for the Mets. This is a series that calls out for a sweep by the home team, which would mean a 6 game cushion and a real chance of holding on.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Yesterday and today

Yesterday was a game that the Mets never should have lost, and yet, as it was playing out, most people would have been sure that they were going to lose. Especially after the 5th inning.

The Mets had a 7-1 lead through 4 1/2 in Philly. You'd be excused if you thought the game was in the bag. Perhaps with a solid starting effort from Pedro, you would have been right. But control was an issue today; Pedro gave up 5. And so it was 7-5 with 4 innings to go.

And Mets fans know that a 2 run lead is rarely enough for the Mets bullpen. Stokes was okay, but Heilman and Schonweis gave up the tieing (9th inning) and winning (13th inning) runs.

The Mets ability to score in the first inning has gotten a lot of publicity, but what I have noticed is that they rarely score in the later innings.

That all changed today. Trailing 3-2 after 7, the Mets scored 4 in the 8th. Delgado hit 2 homers on the day; Murphy had a clutch double. Now this is more like it! The Phils bullpen is not unbeatable. Santana gave up 3 in 5; the bullpen, especially Stokes and Ayala, were solid.

click here for the Mets game wrap-up

Sunday, August 24, 2008

nervous wait

I'll be watching the results of the Dodgers-Phils game today. If the Phils win like they did yesterday, they will be 1/2 game out of first. The Mets were looking fantastic, having won 9 of 10, but they have dropped the last 2 at home against the Astros, once again proving that they can't match it up with the NL Central's best teams. It doesn't bode well for the playoffs.

Meanwhile, John Maine got belted yesterday, and may not return this season. Pedro Feliciano was the goat today, giving up a couple of homers in the 10th. Aaron Heilman also allowed a run to score when he relieved Oliver Perez in the 7th. Perez was solid but not exceptional by his standards. And Heilman?

"We aren't going to be perfect out there," Heilman said.

Thanks for that, but I had already noticed.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Jekyll and Hyde (with Hyde hiding at the moment)

I'm enjoying this Jekyll phase of the Mets season. Another shutout (Santana, who pitched 7); a perfect bullpen (Heilman and Ayala each pitched an inning and set down 6 straight - I was especially encouraged by the formerly 'bat-shy- Ayala's 10 strikes and 1 ball); and timely (and lucky) hitting by David Wright, who blooped a single, and the red-hot Brian Schneider, who slammed a 2-run homer.

The Phils are slamming the Dodgers, so the lead will stay at 2 1/2.

Bay Side Story


The Mets are gonna have their way tonight!
The Mets are gonna have their day tonight!
The Mets are gonna get a hit from David Wright!

pulling away a little

The Nationals offered a little help today, breaking a 12 game losing streak to edge the Phillies 4-3 in Philly. Meanwhile, Carlos Delgado was silencing his critics. With a little help from the official scorer, he went 5 for 5. Only one of those hits, a ripped double to right, was clean. There were 2 ground balls through the middle, and a third that was fielded and thrown away by the second baseman. I'm not sure how the official scorer turned that one into a hit. In the ninth, Delgado hit a liner to left that was a sure out, but the left fielder lost it in the lights. That also went as a hit, and Wright scored in a walk off win.

Pedro Martinez pitched 8 plus strongs innings, then Ayala got the win, pitching 1 1/3 scoreless. He must have that arm angle all fixed now.

The Mets are 2 1/2 games in front and have won 9 of 10. The Marlins have dropped back to 6 out.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Mets get another pitcher

The Mets won again today, as did Philly, so the race stayed the same. But one thing did change: the Mets added another dodgy pitcher to their stable. Al Reyes had been sent to the minors by Tampa Bay after having a tough year: two stints on the disabled list, and 2 tazer incidents with Florida cops. He was pitching well when he returned by his second DL trip, but maybe there is a little more to the story than that. In any event, this guy is a real closer: he saved 26 of 30 games last year. The Mets are hoping that a change of scenery will heal his arm and halt his late-night bar episodes. He'll go straight to double-A ball until he gets it together.

It's not a bad strategy: with Wagner still on the DL and looking doubtful for return this year, to assemble a bunch of possible diamonds in the rough, in the hope that a couple will shine up real good. The only thing is: would you trust any of these guys when they walk to the mound, in, say, game 7 of the World Series?

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

...and they blow it open

The Mets 5 run 8th inning, started by Delgado's bases-loaded double, ensured a comeback win against the Braves at home. The Phillies just started a series against the Nationals at home, and they won, so the Mets are unlikely to widen the gap between the two teams in the next couple of days.

watch Delgado's double on Gameday

New face Louis Ayala faced 2 batters and retired both (on fly balls, strangely). Supposedly, the Mets think that he can be effective again if he changes his angle of delivery.

the drama that baseball creates

Well, it all comes down to this.

Delgado was hitting in July, but has fallen off in August.

He's 0 for 3 in this game.

He comes up in the bottom of the 8th, bases loaded, 1 out, Mets trailing 3-2.

What does he do?

Double to drive in 2 runs!

That won't help his stats much, but it's important to remember how clutch that hit was, even if the Mets bullpen blows this game.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Mets find kindred spirit for their bullpen

What do you do if, like the Mets, your bullpen has the highest ERA in the majors? You trade for a reliever with an ERA that's 150 points higher! What do you do if your bullpen has the pitcher with the second most losses in baseball (Heilman with 7)? Not good enough! You trade for the guy with 8! Oh, man. At least that's what Jerry Manual said when he heard about Luis Ayala's stats for the year. Ayala is a once-talented 30 year old right-hander who hasn't been the same since an arm injury in 2006. He's a ground ball pitcher with good off-speed stuff, but it's a confidence thing. Ayala is another Minyana 'love child', having pitched well for the GM when they were at the Expos. Kunz will be demoted to make way for Ayala.

6 straight on the road

The Mets have now extended their winning streak to 6 games, all on the road (albeit against lesser teams). Using a combination of solid starting pitching, clutch hitting, and an adequate bullpen, the Mets have beaten the likes of the Nationals and Pirates in Washington and Pittsburgh.

Meanwhile, the Phillies have been blowing leads. Their bullpen is experiencing a severe case of 'Mets-itis', and they call it. Now the Mets are in first, 2 games ahead of the Phils.

The Mets bats have been good enough to open up 4 to 7 run leads when needed, so last night, when Kunz came in and got belted, they had enough of a cushion to win anyway.

Speaking of Kunz, everyone was wondering why he was called up if he was only going to warm up in the bullpen and not get into a game. Well, he finally got in yesterday, and he went quite mad, giving up hits, hitting batters, etc. With Wagner coming off the DL, I hear he will be going back down to the minors now, where he can pitch regularly and hone his craft. I don't know anything about Kunz, but I do know that, in my opinion, Wagner is just not good enough to carry the Mets to a series. Just my feeling.

By the way, Johan 'the Ace' Santana pitched a complete game, 3 hit shutout today, and Schneider and Beltran belted homers.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Back in first

The Mets have benefitted from a good schedule to take three from the listless Nationals. After scraping in with a 4-3 win, they smashed Washington in the next two games (12-0 and 9-3). The bullpen became a non-issue, with Aaron Heilman safely protected a 6 run lead in the ninth inning of that third game.

Suddenly, the starters have been brilliant, and the setup men like Smith and Sanchez have been solid. The Nationals will make you look a bit better than you are.

But the Mets are hitting. Wright is seeing the ball beautifully and swinging with confidence. Dan Murphy is starting to hit homers. Beltran is out of his slump. Delgado is still belting extra base hits. Even Brian Schneider homered the other day.

I am severely disappointed in former Met Lastings Milledge. I thought he had real potential to become a solid player and was not in favor of the Mets getting rid of him. Now he is hitting .258 at Washington, so it seems I was wrong. I wasn't blogging at the time that the Mets got rid of Milledge, so there was no reason for me to admit this mistake - I must have a bit of honesty in me after all.

Now the Mets are in Pittsburgh to play another sub-500 team. I think the Pirates gave the Phils some problems a few days ago, so I don't expect them to be as easy to beat as the Nationals were. The game has just started and the Mets are up 2-0 in the third.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Up and down

...but today was up. Santana gave up 3 in 7; Smith and Feliciano were effective, and it was the Nationals, so everyone looks better than they are in opposition. Beltran and Delgado had the big hits, but it was Easley getting hit in the helmet with the bases loaded that gave the Mets the lead.

Santana's last win was on July 27th (although he has been pitching well). He's got a 2.89 ERA, so this guy was definitely worth it, even if he has lost some pop on his fastball.

The Phillies lost to the Dodgers, so the Mets are a game out of first.

One of the great things about watching baseball on TV is how partisan the local broadcasters are. When Easley got hit, the Nationals play by play guys were siding with Acta, the Nationals manager, who was claiming that the ball had hit Easley's bat, even though at the same time, they were watching slow-motion replays that clearly showed the ball glance off the helmet and go nowhere near the bat!

click here for the full wrap and boxscore

Saturday, August 9, 2008

The Legend of Dan Murphy

Rookie Dan Murphy continued his legendary playing streak, coming in today and cracking a pinch-hit 2-run homer to extend the Mets lead. Beltran and Delgado homered as well, and the Mets built up an 8-4 lead with a couple of innings to go. As I may have mentioned, the shakey Mets bullpen needs about a 4 run cushion to have a chance to hold the lead. Joe Smith and Duaner Sanchez gave a couple of runs back, but Pedro Feliciano and Aaron Heilman were effective.

The Phils won, so the Mets are still a game out of first.

find out more about this game at GameDay

Friday, August 8, 2008

Reversal of form?

The Mets have gotten 3 excellent starting performances from Martinez, Santana, and Perez, and they managed to win 2 of them. Today, it was almost like a different Mets team was out there. Perez was his usual recent-form self, pitching 7 scoreless innings. The weird thing was that Aaron Heilman came in, pitched the final two innings, and, believe it or not, retired all 6 batters he faced. I assume this means the ball is coming off his hand well, which is the way he described his pre-all star break form.

David Wright, who won the game yesterday with a walk-off two run homer, came up today in the first with the brilliant rookie Dan Murphy on base, and had an interesting and aggressive at-bat. Swing and a miss. Swing and a miss. Swing...and another two run-shot! That was all the offense the Mets needed, but Delgado added a nice one-handed homer to left center a few innings later.

read the wrap at Gameday

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Scrounging a Tatis-based win

With Billy Wagner on the 15 day DL, and Aaron Heilman in a miserable slump, the best the Mets can do is hope they get some deep and decent starting pitching, and that they can open up (at least) a 4 run lead for the bullpen to play around with. Tonight, they managed both. Pelfrey pitched 6.2 and gave up two runs. All of the bullpen was effective, save Heilman, who was spectacularly ineffective, giving up a three run shot in the ninth to make the win a close 6-5 one for the Mets. Fernando Tatis was the hero. He pulled 2 home runs (one a three-run blast that he hand-steered around the foul pole. His raised arms at home plate were showy but deserved.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Going downhill

Another loss, this time a 4-0 shutout. The good news is that the bullpen didn't blow a lead. :)

And there are really bad problems with pitching injuries. Wager has pain and does not know when he will pitch again, pending an MRI. Maine is on the DL; we don't know when he'll pitch again. Kunz is up from double-A, which will please a lot of fans that wanted him up. And the Mets are slipping away, in 3rd place, 2.5 games out of 1st.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

playing games at Gameday

Somehow over at Gameday was messing with our heads. After Delgado was intentionally walked with 2 out in the 7th to put Reyes at 2nd and Delgado at 1st, Gameday reported the LaTroy Hawkins then intentionally walked Tatis! I was about the check the record books for the last time that had occurred when Gameday corrected itself. Tatis had not been given a pass. Instead, he was called out on strikes. The way the Mets pitchers are pitching, this almost seemed like where they opened the door to lose the game. Sure enough...Mets lose 5-4. This time, Wagner and Heilman blow the lead. And if Dan Murphy hadn't robbed someone of an extra base hit and turned it into a double play, Duaner Sanchez would have blown it earlier.

Each game, one or two bullpen pitchers find a way to blow the game. Consistently.

The Phillies won and extended their lead to 2 games. Any scientists noticing a trend here?

Friday, August 1, 2008

Huh?

How's that for bizarre? Three leadoff home runs given up in the first 4 innings by Pedro Martinez today. I would have been tempted to consider taking him out for a pinch hitter in the top of the fourth when the Mets had 2 on, 2 out. Instead, he stayed in and gave up that third home run. But it was probably the right choice; he pitched his 5 innings and gave up 3 runs - not a bad effort.

But once again, it was the bullpen. This time, Smith was effective but Heilman gave up another home run - this time a grand slam. I shut down my Gameday browser window in disgust when that happened, then opened it up a little later to make sure the Mets didn't stage some Amazin' comeback, which they didn't.

The obliging Phillies lost too, so the Mets still trail by 1 game.

Early Mets Memories: Jack Fisher

Jack Fisher was one of the starting stalwarts of the Mets staff from 1964 to 1967. During that time, he boasted won-loss records of 17-10, 24-8, 14-11, and 18-9. Okay, one thing: I've reversed those numbers to put the losses before the wins. Those 24 losses remain a tie for the most losses in a season. In 1966, he had his best year as a Met, with that 11-14 won-loss, and a miserly 3.68 ERA. Unfortunately, he had a sub-par year in '67, and was traded to the White Sox (where he had a very respectable 2.99 ERA in 180 innings pitched). Jack didn't get a chance to stick around and enjoy any of the successes that happened in 1969; he was 31 that year and players didn't have the specialized exercise regimen that allows them to keep going late into their 30s or even 40s. It would have been nice if he could have been a part of the pennant drive, especially if he could have brought some of them 2.99 ERA to the table.

Jack Fisher's Wikipedia article

Jack Fisher's stats at the Baseball Almanac

An unfair system

It's not right that the Phillies should get to play the Nationals on a travel day for the Mets. But the Phillies took advantage of this, beating the Nats and widening their lead on 1st to 1 full game. Just as a sidenote to my baseball expertise, I noticed that former Met Lastings Milledge is hitting something like .237 for the Nationals. I thought this guy was going to be a star, and I was a little disappointed when he got traded. Maybe he will come good, and I'll end up looking like a seer. Or maybe I just really liked his name; I always wanted someone on the Mets with a name that sounded like they just stepped off the Mayflower.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

No surprises

Yep, that game played out just the way you would have thought. Joe Smith gave up a 2 run homer to Uggla, just to depress me even more. The Mets got the winning run to the plate in the ninth but Reyes made the final out. The Phillies went on to win, so the Mets are a game out of first again. Looks like an old timey pennant race! Especially since the Mets are letting the Marlins back in it too - very accommodating of them.

Even Pelfreys Gets the Blues

Great, now even Mike Pelfrey got knocked out - is there no god? He gave up 5 in the 4th. Muniz came on and pitched two good innings (4 Ks). It's the bottom of the 7th. The Mets have come back on a 3 run shot by Easley - they are back in it but still trailing 5-4. Meanwhile, the Phils are comfortably in front of the Nationals. Goodbye first place?

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

A day with solid pitching

The Mets defeated the Marlins 4-1 on a day when Oliver Perez, Aaron Heilman, and Billy Wagner all pitched effectively. Delgado (2 run homer), Wright, and Beltran drove in the Mets runs.

The Mets led off the game with 3 straight doubles, but netted only 1 run, a feat accomplished when Reyes was thrown out while trying to stretch his double into a triple. Why he was trying to do this with none out, I can't say.

Monday, July 28, 2008

It's the Bullpen, Stupid

Jerry Manuel was sitting in the dugout, looking disgusted, as this time Joe Smith and Scott Schoeneweis were the Designated Hittees, blowing a 3-2 lead and John Maine's solid 7 innings by allowing a 5 run 8th and a 7-3 loss to the Marlins. I think Manuel will be hoping that the Mets can deal for one legitimate pitcher to ease this problem, but this hasn't even been rumored. There are rumblings about Ramirez and other hitters possibly coming over, but nothing to ease the one in-your-face weakness that the Mets have. And from what I have read, none of their minor league arms are going to step in and do it.

My Neighborhood Team

I grew up in Flushing, New York, about 10 minutes from Shea Stadium. Maybe this is part of the reason I love(d) the Mets so much. They really were my neighbors. That stadium seemed even larger as a kid, like one of the 7 wonders of the world or something.

First they changed the name to Sh***tiField, and now they are going to close it down altogether. Why is that again? If you demolish it, they will come? Something like that.

Anyway, I'm sure the new park will be great, although frankly I don't care and have taken no interest in what it is going to look like. I'll still be a Mets fan. It won't affect that, but some of the familiar shapes, dimensions, and memories will fade, and that can't be a good thing.

But they will still be my neighborhood team.

Good morning!

Since I'm on the other side of the world, day games in New York happen while I am asleep. So my morning gift was well-appreciated: a comprehensive 9-1 win for the Mets. Santana pitched a complete game five-hitter, the Mets first complete game since 2006. Wright, Tatis, and Castro homered, but the highlight might have been Carlos Beltran's running straight back to the wall and robbing Ludwick of a home run. Watching Beltran run is a thing of beauty, and he had to time the leap perfectly.

This was a 'complete' game in more ways than one; power and clutch hitting, great pitching, amazing fielding.

Even with all that, it was only one win, and the Phils won too, so the Mets hold on first place is just one game.

I still can't believe they are in first, not with the way they were playing for the first 3 months of the season. Thank goodness for the length of baseball seasons - although that proved to be a burden last year, if I recall.

Click here for a link to the wrap of the Mets 9-1 win over the Phils on July 27th, 2008

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Same old weakness (pitching)

I suppose the Mets got what they expected from Brandon Knight. He gave up 4 runs in 5 innings, not exactly settng the world on fire, but probably as good as you would expect from a guy who has only been able to get a handful of major league innings in his 10 year career. Despite the mediocre effort, the Mets bats, led by Delgado and Tatis, still managed to tie it after 9. But this time, Aaron Heilman gave up the winning runs. Has Heilman ever been effective? Sorry, I don't have the knowledge of recent Mets history on a day to day basis like some of you people.

I'm being lazy; I'll look up his stats on baseball-reference.com.

Okay. It looks like Heilman is having an off year (1-4 won-loss, and ERA at 4.70) after 3 straight years when his ERA was 3 and change.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Another win and only one suspect area

The Mets rolled again today, with the usual suspects performing well. Jose Reyes tripled to drive in two. Delgado cracked a home run, and newcomer Argenis Reyes hit his first major league homer (a solo shot in the eighth) and drove in another run earlier, with a two-out, two-strike single. The Mets dugout gave Reyes a brief silent

The only suspect area remains the Mets bullpen. Almost everyone except Joe Smith looks like an easybeat, or at least hittable. Joe Smith pitched the eighth and gave up a double and a walk, but worked out of trouble. In the ninth, Duaner Sanchez gave up 2 singles and a walk to load the bases. Aaron Heilman came in and got out of it with only 1 run scoring, so perhaps I'm being harsh on the pen. Only Sanchez was miserable.

Over in Georgia, I was pleased to see the Braves score 7 runs in the top of the ninth to pummel the Phillies 8-2. So the Mets are 2 games in first now!

Brandon Knight to pitch Saturday night

With Pedro Martinez taking time out to deal with the loss of his father, the Mets have named perennial minor league Brandon Knight to take his place on Saturday night. Knight, a 32 year old right-hander, had a brief stint in the majors in 2001 and 2002 for the Yankees, where he pitched 19 plus innings for a 10.71 ERA. Obviously, the Mets are hoping for at least a 50% improvement on those numbers. They are hoping he pitches more like he has been doing this year in the minors, where ha has assembled a 5-1 record, a 1.60 ERA, and has fanned 49 in his 39 innings. My question is: what was Brandon doing in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2007? There are no records (minor or major) for his during these years.

First place!

After what could be termed an embarrassing loss in the first game of the Phillies series, the Mets did exactly what they had to do: they won the next two games in convincing style, taking the series 2-1 and plunking themselves in sole possession of first place for the first time since April 19th. They did it with solid starting pitching (Maine and Perez), clutch hitting (Wright and Delgado) and their one dependable bullpen ace, Billy Wagner.

I don't think the Mets are currently one of the better teams in baseball - they are going to have to play a lot better for the remainder of the season to change my mind about that - but they do have me reasonably convinced that they can be the best of the mediocre selection available in the National League East.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Did he really say that?

Somewhere back in 2006, in the recesses of my mind, I seem to recall a quote from Omar Minyana saying that good hitting beats good pitching. Sacrilege! Did he really say that? It would explain why the Mets seemed to have stacked their batting order, but also seem a little lacking in true gems on the mound. That came back to haunt them today. Minyana did well to get Johan Santana, and Santana pitched well. (And, in retrospect, I'm sure Jerry Manual wishes he had let the 105 pitch Santana continue into the 9th inning). But instead, the Mets bullpen, without the resting Billy Wagner, blew a three run lead. Now the Mets are a game out of first again. Needless to say, they must win the next two games of this homestand or risk propelling the Phillies back into good form.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Tied for the Top

The Mets scrounged out a 7-5 extra inning win against the Reds to put them back into a first-place tie with the Phillies. Those same slumping Phils are coming to Shea on Tuesday for a crucial three game series.

On a negative note, Mike Pelfrey gave up a couple of long balls and joined the lengthening list of starters who have not been able to recreate their pre-allstar form. click to view the Mets game summary

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Early Memories of a Mets Player with a Lanky Build

1967 Topps #91 - Johnny Lewis - Courtesy of CheckOutMyCards.com
One of my earliest memories of being a Mets fan was watching Johnny Lewis on TV. Johnny was the New York Mets outfielder from 1965 to 1967. For some reason, the incident that sticks in my mind is on Johnny stepping up to the plate, and the announcer saying, "Johnny Lewis: the fans like his lanky build." Over the years, I've thought this could have sounded condescending, but in 1965, this would have merely been looking on the bright side.

Johnny never really got the bat going. He was a lifetime .227 hitter, but in 1965, he had a career year, hitting .245 with 15 homers and 45 RBIs. I assume that, on some other team, he might have had about 70 RBIs, but I don't think the Mets were putting a lot of guys on base in front of him in 1965. Johnny's other claim to fame in 1965 was that he homered in the 11th inning to break up Jim Maloney's no-hitter and win the game for the Mets, 1-0. With wins rare at the time, this must have been a euphoric thrill for the fans.

Johnny was also an excellent fielder who was third in assists in 1965.

Johnny, thanks for providing some nice memories for this Mets fan!

Johnny Lewis - full stats at the Baseball Almanac

Say NO to All Star Games

I'm probably not the only Mets fans who wishes there was no such thing as an all-star game - and an all-star break.

When the Mets were sailing before the break, I wondered if they would be able to continue their run afterward. Why change anything when things are going well? Well, they did manage to win one more game after the break, but even in that one, big cracks were beginning to show in their starting and relieving pitching. Sure enough, now they have lost two in a row, in a style that suggests that they may have fallen back into familiar, negative patterns.

Once again today, the pitchers were ineffective (although Oliver Perez pitched 6 solid innings. But Aaron Heilman, who said before the break that the ball was leaving his hand beautifully, was unable to close the door, and a big Reds inning became bigger. And now the bats have become silent.

Hopefully, this is only a blip, and the Mets can turn it around quickly. The Phillies helped out by losing, so the Mets are still only 1 game out.

Here's a link to an article on today's game

Friday, July 18, 2008

yep, it's over

Well, the streak is over. The Mets finally got done in by two sub-standard starting performances in a row. The Reds win 5-2, and the Mets streak has ended at 10 games.

Down in Florida, the Phillies are leading the Marlins 4-2 in the bottom of the eighth. If they hold on for the win, The Mets brief visit to first place will also end.

Not again

It's the bottom of the seventh inning in game 2 of the Mets / Reds series, and, once again, the Mets are trailing deep into a ballgame. Their starter (this time, John Maine) was knocked out in the 5th, almost exactly like yesterday, when Santana was knocked out in the 4th. Yesterday, the Mets came back from nowhere. That was exhilarating. But you can't consistently win games like that. The streak is really in jeopardy now...and the Reds have now loaded the bases with 2 out...

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Was it really 39 years ago?

During the Mets current streak, one article mentioned that the Mets pitchers were pitching '...like they did 39 years ago.' Was it really that long ago? The memories, or, more accurately, the warm feelings of joy - are still intense.

39 years ago, it was 1969. I was 11 years old, and the Mets were a little younger than me: just a child of a team. They had struggled through 7 unimpressive years of some wins and many more losses. As a child, I didn't care. I loved that team. So did their many fans. I loved them as losers, which made loving them as winners that much more enjoyable. A baseball miracle happened in 1969; the perennial cellar dwellers came from nowhere to win the World Series. For many children, it was a dream come true - to have the team you love win everything. It made you think that anything was possible. A man walking on the moon? Easy. The Mets winning the World Series? Why not!

So thanks to the 2008 Mets, who wear the same uniforms as their predecessors did 39 years ago, and, now...they can say that they are pitching the same way too.

10 in a row!

The Mets ace pitcher got clobbered and knocked out in the bottom of the fourth. The Mets bullpen surrendered the lead and had their long scoreless innings streak broken. But somehow, the Mets still found a way to retake the lead by scoring four runs in the top of the ninth inning. Then Billy Wagner came in for the bottom of the ninth, threw 8 fastballs, and it was over. The Mets had somehow, despite the heartaches, extended their winning streak to 10 games.