Johan Santana absolutely dominated the lowly Pirates with a complete game three-hitter.
Sure, it was the Pirates, but that's a pretty pitching line any way you slice it.
8/17/08
Mets trade for Luis Ayala
Why?
Anderson Hernandez is heading to Washington for Luis Ayala as the Mets try to sure up their bullpen issues.
I'm not a fan of Ayala, and I feel this actually hurts the Mets pen. Obviously, they're not giving up much, as A-Hern was never going to amount to much of anything.
I guess this is goodbye to Eddie Kunz...for now.
Ayala, you have a lot to prove to me before I begin to trust you. I don't like this trade.
Anderson Hernandez is heading to Washington for Luis Ayala as the Mets try to sure up their bullpen issues.
I'm not a fan of Ayala, and I feel this actually hurts the Mets pen. Obviously, they're not giving up much, as A-Hern was never going to amount to much of anything.
I guess this is goodbye to Eddie Kunz...for now.
Ayala, you have a lot to prove to me before I begin to trust you. I don't like this trade.
A good win, and maybe Eddie Kunz isn't the closer we all thought he was...yet
What to say about Pedro Martinez? His last four or five starts have been good to great. He may be giving up hits, but he's limiting the numbers of runs allowed, and that's all that matters.
Still, the home runs, especially of the Solo variety, seem to be a big issue lately. I haven't seen anything different going on with Pedro that would make him more prone to home runs or anything like that, but by my unofficial tally in my head, I think he's allowed 6 or 7 over his last 5 starts.
Pedro pitched well, and the Mets went into the bottom of the ninth with a six run lead. This was the perfect oppourtunity to work "the closer of the future," Eddie Kunz into the mix. Well three runs and a hit batsmen later, Kunz had to be removed in favor of Joe Smith and Pedro Feliciano before the game got entirely out of hand.
Kunz is in a tough spot, as he hasn't pitched in days and is never sure if, or when, he'll get a shot. When he's finally called upon, he's most likely rusty and unprepared, not the best situation for a young pitcher.
Give Kunz a steady job in. A year or two, and I think he'll be a huge asset to the Mets bullpen, but he just doesn't seem ready yet and the Mets are unwilling to hand him the keys to the bullpen car...yet.
Still, the home runs, especially of the Solo variety, seem to be a big issue lately. I haven't seen anything different going on with Pedro that would make him more prone to home runs or anything like that, but by my unofficial tally in my head, I think he's allowed 6 or 7 over his last 5 starts.
Pedro pitched well, and the Mets went into the bottom of the ninth with a six run lead. This was the perfect oppourtunity to work "the closer of the future," Eddie Kunz into the mix. Well three runs and a hit batsmen later, Kunz had to be removed in favor of Joe Smith and Pedro Feliciano before the game got entirely out of hand.
Kunz is in a tough spot, as he hasn't pitched in days and is never sure if, or when, he'll get a shot. When he's finally called upon, he's most likely rusty and unprepared, not the best situation for a young pitcher.
Give Kunz a steady job in. A year or two, and I think he'll be a huge asset to the Mets bullpen, but he just doesn't seem ready yet and the Mets are unwilling to hand him the keys to the bullpen car...yet.
8/16/08
Haphazard getaway
My friend and neighbor just returned home from duty in Iraq, and quickly planned and booked a shore house. So some friends and I are heading down to the Jersey shore for a summer blowout / home from Iraq relaxing time.
I'll try and stay as up-to-date as possible via BlackBerry, but to tide you over, here are some quick predictions:
1. Pedro Martinez will pitch well again tonight, but the bullpen won't be able to hold on. Mets lose 6-4.
2. Mets will win on Sunday in grand fashion. 9-1.
3. Daniel Murphy will have a big weekend. As will Jose Reyes.
4. The Mets will be two games up on the Phillies by Monday.
5. Someone will land on the DL soon.
Again, I'll still be posting quick hits from the road via my phone. Enjoy this weekend, it's shaping up to be a beautiful one.
I'll try and stay as up-to-date as possible via BlackBerry, but to tide you over, here are some quick predictions:
1. Pedro Martinez will pitch well again tonight, but the bullpen won't be able to hold on. Mets lose 6-4.
2. Mets will win on Sunday in grand fashion. 9-1.
3. Daniel Murphy will have a big weekend. As will Jose Reyes.
4. The Mets will be two games up on the Phillies by Monday.
5. Someone will land on the DL soon.
Again, I'll still be posting quick hits from the road via my phone. Enjoy this weekend, it's shaping up to be a beautiful one.
Mike Pelfrey's innings count could become an issue
Mike Pelfrey is playing in only his third professional baseball season after being drafted out of Witchita State.
2006 was his first season, where he saw time at every level: A+, double-A, triple-A, and even the Major Leagues. Pelfrey split time between the minors and MLB in 2007 as well, making 13 starts and appearing in 15 games for the New York Mets.
This year, Pelfrey was a major leaguer from the get go. And now his innings count is becoming an issue.
2006: 117 IP
2007: 153 IP
2008: 145 IP
The Mets are worried Pelfrey is going to run into a wall as he move further and further away from his previous highest innings count. I believe Pelfrey could have stayed in Friday night's game against Pittsburgh. He had thrown only 98 pitches, and had throw shutout baseball through seven innings.
I feel the team may look to limit his starts down the stretch, or if the bullpen ever sures up, hand the game over to them early. As of now, the way the bullpen looks, the Mets can't do that. But if it does return to form (and it must) I can see the team taking Pelfrey out after only five innings if the Mets have a lead.
Pelfrey is leading the team with 11 wins, sporting a 3.91 ERA. He might be critical down the stretch and in to postseason if the Mets make it there. I am iffy on this decision, but I understand if they have to make this choice to save his arm.
2006 was his first season, where he saw time at every level: A+, double-A, triple-A, and even the Major Leagues. Pelfrey split time between the minors and MLB in 2007 as well, making 13 starts and appearing in 15 games for the New York Mets.
This year, Pelfrey was a major leaguer from the get go. And now his innings count is becoming an issue.
2006: 117 IP
2007: 153 IP
2008: 145 IP
The Mets are worried Pelfrey is going to run into a wall as he move further and further away from his previous highest innings count. I believe Pelfrey could have stayed in Friday night's game against Pittsburgh. He had thrown only 98 pitches, and had throw shutout baseball through seven innings.
I feel the team may look to limit his starts down the stretch, or if the bullpen ever sures up, hand the game over to them early. As of now, the way the bullpen looks, the Mets can't do that. But if it does return to form (and it must) I can see the team taking Pelfrey out after only five innings if the Mets have a lead.
Pelfrey is leading the team with 11 wins, sporting a 3.91 ERA. He might be critical down the stretch and in to postseason if the Mets make it there. I am iffy on this decision, but I understand if they have to make this choice to save his arm.
8/15/08
Game Recap: Mets 2 -- Pirates 1
The Mets jumped out, fell asleep, and then barely hung on to a win in Pittsburgh...
Pitching Performance
Another beautiful performance almost slipped through the Mets fingers, but the bullpen staved off the Pirates to secure the win for Mike Pelfrey and the Mets.
Pelfrey threw another spectacular game in his best season so far in his young career. Pelfrey threw seven shut out innings, walking none and striking out only one. He threw 98 pitches, and got the benefit of a perfect throw from Carlos Beltran in the seventh inning, but more on that later.
Pelfrey looked great. He scattered his seven hits, and trusted his players to make the outs tonight. Gotta love Big Pelf.
Duaner Sanchez apparently does not like easy wins, as he gave up a solo home run in the bottom of the 8th inning to make it a one run game. Sanchez allowed a double and intentionally walked one batter before recording the third out in the inning.
Whew! That's all I have to say.
Aaron Heilman started the inning with a spectacular, heads up play by Argenis Reyes to make the first out of the inning. Heilman issued one walk, but induced a game ending pop-up to finish it off and earn his third save.
Again, whew.
Offensive Output
Anything the Mets had, they showed it early and then shut down. The Mets strung together three straight hits before an out was recorded in the first inning for their only two runs of the game. Jose Reyes, Argenis Reyes and David Wright each singled, with Wright's hit driving in Jose. Argenis later scored on a wild pitch.
From there on out, the Mets bats were stifled. Carlos Delgado and Brian Schneider each had doubles, but nothing much came from the rest of the game.
The Rest of the Story
Besides Pelfrey's great outing, defense was the main reason the Mets won this game. I can thing of at least five plays off the top of my head that the Mets made in the field to help get outs.
The two of note were made by Beltran and A. Reyes. Beltran, in the bottom of the seventh inning, gunned down Adam LaRoche at home plate after fielding a single off the bat of Brandon Moss. Beltran threw a perfect ball to Schneider, who didn't do a great job of blocking the plate, but managed to make the tag and record the out.
In the top of the ninth, leading off the inning, Andy LaRoche bounced a ball to first. Delgado backed up, but the ball ate him up and skipped by him. Thankfully, A-Rey was aware enough to sprint over and slide in behind Delgado on the outfield grass and field the ball. Heilman did his job and got over to cover first in time for Reyes to make the quick throw and avert some trouble in the ninth.
There were other great plays, but these were critical in the game. I really like the way A-Rey has played in his limited time. Does Luis Castillo really have to come back?
Game Ball: Mike Pelfrey
Pitching Performance
Another beautiful performance almost slipped through the Mets fingers, but the bullpen staved off the Pirates to secure the win for Mike Pelfrey and the Mets.
Pelfrey threw another spectacular game in his best season so far in his young career. Pelfrey threw seven shut out innings, walking none and striking out only one. He threw 98 pitches, and got the benefit of a perfect throw from Carlos Beltran in the seventh inning, but more on that later.
Pelfrey looked great. He scattered his seven hits, and trusted his players to make the outs tonight. Gotta love Big Pelf.
Duaner Sanchez apparently does not like easy wins, as he gave up a solo home run in the bottom of the 8th inning to make it a one run game. Sanchez allowed a double and intentionally walked one batter before recording the third out in the inning.
Whew! That's all I have to say.
Aaron Heilman started the inning with a spectacular, heads up play by Argenis Reyes to make the first out of the inning. Heilman issued one walk, but induced a game ending pop-up to finish it off and earn his third save.
Again, whew.
Offensive Output
Anything the Mets had, they showed it early and then shut down. The Mets strung together three straight hits before an out was recorded in the first inning for their only two runs of the game. Jose Reyes, Argenis Reyes and David Wright each singled, with Wright's hit driving in Jose. Argenis later scored on a wild pitch.
From there on out, the Mets bats were stifled. Carlos Delgado and Brian Schneider each had doubles, but nothing much came from the rest of the game.
The Rest of the Story
Besides Pelfrey's great outing, defense was the main reason the Mets won this game. I can thing of at least five plays off the top of my head that the Mets made in the field to help get outs.
The two of note were made by Beltran and A. Reyes. Beltran, in the bottom of the seventh inning, gunned down Adam LaRoche at home plate after fielding a single off the bat of Brandon Moss. Beltran threw a perfect ball to Schneider, who didn't do a great job of blocking the plate, but managed to make the tag and record the out.
In the top of the ninth, leading off the inning, Andy LaRoche bounced a ball to first. Delgado backed up, but the ball ate him up and skipped by him. Thankfully, A-Rey was aware enough to sprint over and slide in behind Delgado on the outfield grass and field the ball. Heilman did his job and got over to cover first in time for Reyes to make the quick throw and avert some trouble in the ninth.
There were other great plays, but these were critical in the game. I really like the way A-Rey has played in his limited time. Does Luis Castillo really have to come back?
Game Ball: Mike Pelfrey
Ryan Church finally plays in a real, live baseball game
I'm not lying. Ryan Church is playing baseball again.
Church went 1-3 in his first rehab game, appearing as a DH for the Gulf Coast Mets.
In other news, Trot Nixon is rehabbing as well, and he went 2-2 and played left field.
Obviously, I'm more excited about Church returning. If he can come back and play like he was before the concussions and migraines, this team will be all right. He's due to be fresh as he's taking most of the season off.
Hallelujah!
Church went 1-3 in his first rehab game, appearing as a DH for the Gulf Coast Mets.
In other news, Trot Nixon is rehabbing as well, and he went 2-2 and played left field.
Obviously, I'm more excited about Church returning. If he can come back and play like he was before the concussions and migraines, this team will be all right. He's due to be fresh as he's taking most of the season off.
Hallelujah!
I hate The Wave; Sign the petition to end it
I love when crowds cheer and chant for their teams. I love when the whole stadium sings along to "Eres Aqui" or "Joseeeeeee Jose Jose Jose!" But I absolutely despise when people do "The Wave."
Never in my baseball-loving days have I ever been as mad at such a large number of people as on Monday when the Mets were playing the Pirates. It didn't help that the Mets were letting another win slip through their fingers.
It's the ninth inning, and the Mets bullpen is imploding again. Some guy, sans sobriety, is leading the entire loge and most of the rest of the stadium in a wave. Were these people unaware of the tensity of the game? The win was literally on the line at the time, but they would rather fancy themselves to stand up, throw their arms in the air, sit down and watch their wave carry around the stadium?
They had to pay good money to get in to see this game, and right when the game was at it's climax, they're cheering and yelling as their team implodes and falls to a terrible team in a game they should have won.
This one man was walking around, cursing out fans that refused to participate in the worst fan-led spectacle ever created. Fans who were engrossed in the game, willing the Mets bullpen to just get a few more outs, albeit unsuccessfully. Meanwhile, my friend and I are trying to rally our section around Aaron Heilman and Pedro Feliciano as they tried to stave off the anemic Pittsburgh offense to no avail.
The wave needs to stop, especially in these situations. There has to be a better way to cheer, to support the team, and there are definitely better situations to do it.
Please, fans, stop the wave. If you support ending The Wave, sign the petition found here.
Never in my baseball-loving days have I ever been as mad at such a large number of people as on Monday when the Mets were playing the Pirates. It didn't help that the Mets were letting another win slip through their fingers.
It's the ninth inning, and the Mets bullpen is imploding again. Some guy, sans sobriety, is leading the entire loge and most of the rest of the stadium in a wave. Were these people unaware of the tensity of the game? The win was literally on the line at the time, but they would rather fancy themselves to stand up, throw their arms in the air, sit down and watch their wave carry around the stadium?
They had to pay good money to get in to see this game, and right when the game was at it's climax, they're cheering and yelling as their team implodes and falls to a terrible team in a game they should have won.
This one man was walking around, cursing out fans that refused to participate in the worst fan-led spectacle ever created. Fans who were engrossed in the game, willing the Mets bullpen to just get a few more outs, albeit unsuccessfully. Meanwhile, my friend and I are trying to rally our section around Aaron Heilman and Pedro Feliciano as they tried to stave off the anemic Pittsburgh offense to no avail.
The wave needs to stop, especially in these situations. There has to be a better way to cheer, to support the team, and there are definitely better situations to do it.
Please, fans, stop the wave. If you support ending The Wave, sign the petition found here.
Mets sit alone atop NL East (I called it.)
"With the Mets playing the Nationals, and the Phillies playing the Dodgers, it's entirely possible the Mets could be back in first place by the end of the week."
-Me, on Wednesday.
"I'm calling it now: The Mets will stand alone in first place by tomorrow morning."
-Me, on Thursday.
Well...
Give me a few, I have to go play the lottery...
-Me, on Wednesday.
"I'm calling it now: The Mets will stand alone in first place by tomorrow morning."
-Me, on Thursday.
Well...
Give me a few, I have to go play the lottery...
8/14/08
Game Recap: Mets 9 -- Nationals 3
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
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
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)