3/3/08

Lineup vs the Braves

The Mets and the Braves will face off at Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie at 1:10 p.m. The game will be televised on SNY.

Lineup and pitchers:

SS Jose Reyes
2B Anderson Hernandez
3B David Wright
LF Moises Alou
CF Angel Pagan
DH Ramon Castro
RF Fernando Martinez
1B Michel Abreu
C Robinson Cancel
RH Mike Pelfrey

Scheduled pitchers: When posted.

Good to see Wright and Alou back in the lineup. Also good to see Reyes playing, the knee must be fine then. Pagan is definitely getting his chance to impress, if he keeps this up he's got a great shot at making the team, if he isn't already penciled in.

Pedro throws BP; El Duque does something

Pedro Martinez, who is missing his spot in the rotation and allowing Mike Pelfrey to try and prove himself to make the team, pitched a bullpen session today.

According to Bart Hubbuch, Ben Johnson was the only player to make any sort of contact with one of the 45 pitches Pedro tossed.

Two aces. I still can't fathom it. The Mets actually have two amazing pitchers on the same staff. I never thought I'd see the day.

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Orlando Hernandez was supposed to have a session in the bullpen, but never made it to the mound. David Lennon reports that he never even picked up a baseball to try and pitch.

Instead, El Duque used a towel to go through his pitching motion and work the muscles back into season form.

I don't him coming back any time soon. This is Pelfreys spot to lose.

Gotay and Church hobble into camp

The Mets are dropping like flies, and two of the injured made it back into camp today, one on crutches and the other sporting a shiner.

Ruben Gotay is on crutches, trying to stay off his sprained right ankle. Gotay wants to be back by the weekend, but that seems a tad bit optimistic. Gotay is set for X-rays, but he believes nothing is broken.

Ryan Church is also in camp, wearing sunglasses to hide a black eye. Church suffered a Grade 2 concussion after his collision with Marlon Anderson on Saturday. Church has no memory of the event, as David Lennon quotes him as saying, "I had the ball - that's what I heard." His concussion has caused some nausea, but luckily, no vomiting. He is out for an unknown amount of time, unable to play until his symptoms subside.

Jeremy Cothran claims the team is so beat up, "If you have a glove, I'd book a flight down here and ask for an open tryout. You never know."

Middle relief for sale

With the overwhelming talent of bullpen talent in spring training for the Mets, it comes as no surprise there are a few names with "For Sale" signs attached to them.

According to Adam Rubin in the NY Daily News, GM Omar Minaya has alerted some teams that Jorge Sosa and Scott Schoeneweis are available.

A trade would create room for a guy like Steven Register, who has to make the 25-man team or go back to Colorado with $50 grand because he was a Rule 5 draft pick.

Schoe picked it up at the end of last year, especially when he was used in the correct situation for his abilities. Sosa is sometimes great, except for when the bases are loaded. I think he could help the team out, but his name hasn't been thrown around that much during ST.

3/2/08

Photo of the Day: Pagan


Angel Pagan knocks in two runs in todays game against the Dodgers.
Pagan is batting .412 through the first 5 games of spring training.

(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Gotay latest to go down

Ruben Gotay, who will either make the team, get traded, or be released due to his lack of options, twisted his right ankle while sliding into home plate in the 9th inning of today's game against the Dodgers.

Gotay cannot put pressure on the ankle, and is expected to miss at least a few games.

He will be examined tomorrow in Port St. Lucie (What? No trip to New York for an MRI for Gotay?) and hopefully return to play soon.

(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Game Recap: Mets 6 -- Dodgers 5

In Oliver Perez's first start after going to arbitration and receiving a $6.5 million contract, he got no help from his defense in the first inning, but the Mets pulled out a win over the Dodgers 6-5 today in Vero Beach.

Perez started today's game, getting roughed up for 3 runs in the first inning. Perez went 2 innings, giving up 5 hits and 3 (questionable) earned runs. Perez walked one, and failed to tally a K. Misplays and miscommunication between Michael Abreu, Ruben Gotay and Fernando Martinez helped the Dodgers scored 3 in the first.

Perez didn't look too good, but hey, it's early, right?

Aaron Heilman pitched the third, allowing only one hit while striking out one. Scott Schoeneweis and Joe Smith each pitched an inning, allowing one run a piece. Schoe allowed 3 hits while striking out one, and Smith allowed the run on two hits.

Smith has been getting roughed up in the games so far, which doesn't look too good for him for the bullpen.

Ruddy Lugo, Stephen Register, Nate Field and Joselo Diaz finished out the game, with only Lugo allowing a hit. Lugo tallied 3 K's, striking out the side. Register struck out one, Field struck out two, and Diaz struck out one. Both Diaz and Field walked one each.

The offense picked up a bit today, tagging LA pitchers for 6 runs on 10 hits. Anderson Hernandez and Ruben Gotay both went 2-5, and scored one run. Gotay also added an RBI.
Brady Clark went 1-4, scoring once and driving in one.

Gotay limped into the clubhouse after the game, and its been reported he sprained his right ankle while sliding into home plate. He is unable to put pressure on the foot, but hopes to be back in a few days. A lot of guys are going to get their chance to prove themselves with all of these injuries going around.

Anderson Merchado went 1-2 with a walk, and scored twice. Fernando Martinez also picked up a hit. Angel Pagan continues to deliver, going 3-5 and drove in 3 runs. Pagan also snagged a stolen base, when he took second base in the 5th inning. He's batting .412 so far in spring training.

The B-squad went out and performed fairly well after a few first inning defensive mishaps. It's nice to see the young guys get their shot, and they will continue to play with all the injuries to the veterans.

Line-up vs the Dodgers

The Mets will head to Dodgertown in Vero Beach, FL, to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 1:05 p.m. game.

Here is the line-up:

METS
SS Anderson Hernandez
2B Ruben Gotay
LF Brady Clark
CF Angel Pagan
C Ramon Castro
RF Fernando Martinez
1B Michel Abreu
DH Robinson Cancel
3B Anderson Machado
LH Oliver Perez

Now this is what you call a patched together line-up.
With all the preexisting injuries and the ones the Mets suffered over the past few days, Willie Randolph is lucky the team invites a whole slew of players to spring training.

I'm excited to see Perez today. I wonder if he'll experiment with any arm angles and anger Rick Peterson.

I'll add the pitching list once it's made public.

Again, I won't be able to track the game, so the recap will be a bit sparse.

Quick note: Adam Rubin, in his blog for the Daily News, has an interesting tidbit about Ruben Gotay.
From Rubin:
Scouts suggest the Mets may be concerned about Ruben Gotay's range and expect the team to shop for a bona fide backup shortstop this spring.
Should be interesting to see what Gotay does this preseason to either prove his spot on the team or raise his stock for a trade elsewhere.

Also, check out this great Fernando Martinez article, also by Rubin.

3/1/08

Photo of the Day: Church and Anderson


First baseman Marlon Anderson and right fielder Ryan Church collide while chasing down a shallow pop up from Andruw Jones.
Church has been diagnosed with a concussion and will be out for 2 weeks.

(Doug Benc/Getty Images)

Game Recap: Mets 1 -- Dodgers 0

The Mets staff combined to pitch a two-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Ryan Church and Marlon Anderson collided and had to leave the game in the Mets first win in spring training.

Anderson and Church collided while chasing an Andruw Jones shallow fly ball. Both players remained on the ground for some time, and when Church got to his feet was wobbling and needed to be helped off the field. He was diagnosed with a concussion while Anderson is said to have a contusion on his chest.

Jon Niese made the start for the Mets, walking one and striking out three in 2 innings of work. Niese, who will probably start in AA is said to be one of the Mets top pitching prospects after the Johan Santana trade.

Niese is said to have a sick 12 to 6 curve ball, which is especially surprising from a left handed pitcher.

Jorge Sosa, Willie Collazo, Brian Stokes and Matt Wise each pitched an hitless inning of work. Only Collazo allowed a base runner, walking one. Sosa, Stokes and Wise each tallied a strike out. Wise earned the win for his work in the 9th inning. Pedro Feliciano allowed the only two hits for the Dodgers in the 4th inning, he also struck out one.

I'm unsure of Wise, especially with younger guys like Stephen Register in camp, but with more performances from the bullpen pitchers like today, it's going to be a mighty tough choice for Willie Randolph and Omar Minaya.

Brady Clark was the hero of today's game, who got plunked with the bases loaded in the 9th inning to drive in the winning, and only, run.

With Carlos Delgado heading back to NY for an MRI on his right hip, I think we can see a spot for Clark to get more time while Anderson and Easley fill in at first to keep Delgado fresh through ST. Clark will get his chance to see if he can catch on with the team.

Angel Pagan picked up half of the teams hits, going 2-3 on the day. Ruben Gotay walked twice today. Ezequiel Carrera also walked twice for the Mets, and according to Mets Today, made a "Endy-like, game-saving catch in the 8th to keep the Dodgers from scoring."

Another fairly stagnant day from the offense, but good to see some uncommon guys tallying up numbers in the box score and making plays in the field.