How sweep it is... (Cliche, I know. But it's fitting.)
Pitching Performance
Oliver Perez pitched a damn fine game, but was maybe left in a little too long. Perez pitched a scoreless game into the seventh inning, but let in runs when Pete Orr hit a pinch-hit triple to right, scoring two. Another run scored when Carlos Delgado overran a ball at first base and Orr scored from third.
Perez went 6 2-3 innings, allowed six hits, three runs (all earned), walked three, and struck out eight batters.
Good stuff from Perez. He was absolutely dealing until he ran into a little trouble in the seventh. Nice to see him pitch well against a bad team for once. And when I say bad team, I mean that in the strictest terminology of the word "bad." The Nationals are really, really bad.
The bullpen combined to throw 2 1-3 hitless and scoreless innings, with Joe Smith, Duaner Sanchez and Aaron Heilman combining to finish out the game.
Smith walked two and Heilman walked one, but they were able to work out of it. Sanchez and Heilman each struck out one.
The bullpen always looks like they're going to make it as interesting as possible, but thankfully the offense exploded for four runs in the top of the ninth inning.
Offensive Output
The Mets bats had eight hits, but managed to push nine runs across thanks to two Nationals errors.
Big nights from Delgado, Brian Schneider, and Damion Easley, who each drove in two RBI's. Delgado drove in two, going 1-5, with a RBI groundout in the fourth and a solo home run in the sixth.
Schneider added a home run of his own, only his third of the year, a two run shot in the fifth, scoring Fernando Tatis.
Easley broke open the 9th inning with a pinch-hit single to center field, scoring David Wright and Tatis. After a Ronnie Belliard error loaded the bases for the Mets, Delgado reached on a throwing error that allowed two more Mets runs to score.
Nothing spectacular, but thanks to some Washington follies, the Mets leave with a sweep. The bats did what they needed to do and that's all that matters. The team, as a whole, seems to be clicking.
The Rest of the Story
Tatis is making me eat some humble pie, and boy is it delicious! He went 1-1, walked three times, and scored twice tonight.
Daniel Murphy went 1-4, scoring one run.
The first four in the Mets order each had one hit and scored one run.
Lastings Milledge was held hitless, snapping his hitting streak.
Game Ball: Brian Schneider
