With Pedro stinking up the joint, who can pitch in his spot? (If needed)

Simple: Jon Niese.

John Harper, in the Daily News, relays a few tidbits about Pedro Martinez and his willingness to help the team in any way he can.

"In a short series you've gotta go with the hot hand," he said. "I'll do anything to help the team. Starting or relieving, I'll do anything I can to help."
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"If I'm healthy I'll try again next year," he said. "But first I'll go home and get everything out of my mind, and then see."

If Pedro doesn't feel right, and after last night it seems that way, it might be time to turn to Niese. Even in a playoff situation, I trust him over anyone else.

Brandon Knight seems only capable of throwing three innings of good baseball, and usually scrapes through the rest. Nelson Figueroa hasn't been stretched out enough to throw more than two innings. Aaron Heilman...no comment.

Niese, though a rookie, turned in a spectacular performance against the Braves last time out. Eight innings, no runs, and only allowing six hits. He also struck out seven.

I respect Pedro a lot for coming out and saying this. He's a veteran and he's not out for himself. He just wants to see the team win, any way it can happen. Good guy.

Take a chance, Mets. Maybe you can really catch lightning in a bottle with Niese.

Game Recap: Braves 4 -- Mets 2

You know it's not good when Pedro Martinez drives in the only two runs for your team.

Pitching Performance

Pedro was the definition of "decent." Pedro allowed three runs in the first inning, allowing an RBI double, groundout, and single before escaping. He ended up throwing six innings, letting up nine hits. He allowed the fourth earned run in the sixth inning, an RBI single to right.

He needed 116 pitches, and even touched 90 mph a few times. He walked three and struck out seven.

Didn't think he's make it through the first, then the third, and he ended up going six. Not bad, but not great. Without his bat, the Mets would have been shut out.

Scott Schoeneweis turned in an inning and 1-3 of scoreless baseball, striking out one. Robert (Bobby? Which is it?) Parnell pitched 2-3 of an inning, striking out one.

Another stellar bullpen performance. Well done, guys.

Offensive Output

Martinez drove in both Mets runs with a double in the fifth inning, plating Brian Schneider and Carlos Beltran.

Yuck.

The Rest of the Story

David Wright was the only Met to pick up two hits, a single and a double.

Schoeneweis needed only 12 pitches to retire four batters.

Game Ball: Pedro?

Welcome back to first place, Mets

Now stay there.

Game Recap: Mets 9 -- Braves 5

Thank you, Daniel Murphy.

Pitching Performance

Oliver Perez struggled again. He lasted six innings, when I thought he wouldn't make it through three, allowing four runs (three earned). He let up six hits, walked three, and struck out six. His control wasn't really there last night, and it showed. He needed 109 pitches to make it through the six.

Not great, but not terrible. Again, the bats came about to bail him out. He was handed a lead on a few occasions and surrendered it just as many. The defense wasn't behind him tonight, but he was able to work out of some jams.

Cue the bullpen. Nelson Figueroa entered in the seventh, and was unlucky enough to have an error committed behind him, allowing an unearned run to score. Ryan Church overran a groundball in the outfield, and it skipped by, allowing the runner to come around from first to score.

Ricardo Rincon, Aaron Heilman, and Pedro Feliciano combined to each get one out in the seventh to shut the Braves out with only one run.

Patchwork, but it worked. Feliciano earned the win as the Mets rallied for four run in the eigth inning.

Brian Stokes pitched two innings of shut out baseball, allowing one hit and striking out two.

Maybe Stokes still has some magic in the tank. Overall, a good night from the bullpen, and a "decent" night from Perez. Again, the defense was lacking tonight but the pitching was somewhat able to work around it.

Offensive Output

Cue the first inning run!

Jose Reyes got the Mets on the board as early as possible, cracking a leadoff home run to left field.

I like it. The beginning of a big night for Reyes. He's starting to spark.

David Wright got off the schneid, ripping a double down the first base line in the third, driving in Reyes to start a three run inning for the Mets. Carlos Betlran then ripped a double of his own, driving in Wright. Carlos Delgado followed that up with a single, plating Beltran.

3-4-5 is getting hot. Last series they were pretty miserable, this series may be a whole new story.

In the top of the fourth, Nick Evans hit his second home run of the season, and his career, a solo home run over the center field wall.

The rookies are contributing in big, big ways.

In the eighth, with the score tied at five, Daniel Murphy came to the plate as a pinch-hitter. Seconds lated, he ripped a double to deep left, allowing Delgado and Argenis Reyes to score. Reyes added to his RBI total with a single, brining in Murphy. Wright capped it off with a RBI single of his own, driving in Reyes.

Excellent. Mets were in a tough spot and the bats came out and took the game into their own hands. That's what I like to see.

The Rest of the Story

Reyes: 3-4, BB, 3 R, 2 RBI.

Wright: 2-5, 2 RBI

Six extra base hits for the Mets, out of 12 total. Four doubles and two home runs.

Three errors for the Mets. (Reyes, Wright, Church.)

Game Ball: Jose Reyes.

Mets walk-up songs

One of the most searched items that land on my blog involve "Mets" and "songs."

Here's a link to some of the Mets walk-up songs, via MLB.com.

My favorite:

Fernando Tatis, LF

Song: "Theme from 'Superman'" composed and conducted by John Williams
Tatis: "I don't care. I don't even know what it sounds like. Somebody was joking with me. I have no idea. They just put it on and play it."
Critic commentary: "Brag much? Although given the way he's saved the Mets time and again this season, the comparisons to a certain caped crusader are not entirely inappropriate." --Saul Austerlitz, freelance critic for Boston Globe and other publications

How about the theme for Mighty Mouse?

Brian Schneider -- who?

John Donavan, as baseball writer for Sports Illustrated, you should probably know who Brian Schneider is.

I understand he's not the best hitting catcher in the league, or even the best defensive guy. He's been tucked away in the Expos/Nationals organization for years, but as a baseball writer you should probably have some idea of this guy.

Guess not.

Stud of the Day

Brian Schneider -- who? -- belted a couple of solo home runs for the Mets on Thursday, which wasn't enough to get them back into first place in the NL East. But it did help them beat the Nationals and it did give them a little more breathing room in the battle for the NL wild card. It was Schneider's first multi-homer game since 2003. The Mets now have a 1 1/2-game wild-card cushion on the Brewers.

As I said last night, I don't expect power out of Schneider, so it's odd when he hits a home run. It's even more odd to see him belt two. But I'm not complaining.

Where the heck is Al Reyes? Redux

On Monday, I wrote:

Way back on August 20th, the Mets signed pitcher Al Reyes. He went to the minors to work back into shape before coming up in September to supposedly help the beleaguered bullpen.

Well, he's up, and he's yet to pitch.

And now he's gone.

The Mets released Reyes before he ever threw a pitch. Apparently, his performance at Double-A Binghamton before he was called up was sub-par, and the Mets decided not to roll the dice with their third Reyes.

It seems the Mets are happy using the same guys out of the bullpen, even if they are getting overworked a bit. Last night, with a five run lead in the bottom of the ninth, Scott Schoeneweis entered the game.

Why?

Where the heck is Bobby Parnell? In his one inning of work, he retired the side in order. Why not give him the ninth inning, with Schoeneweis up in the bullpen if anything goes wrong?

I love Jerry Manuel, but this is Willie Randolph-esque bullpen management. Give the kids a shot, especially with a big lead like they had last night.

Game Recap: Mets 7 -- Nationals 2

Broken helmet: 2-0.

Pitching Performance

Johan Santana as: The Ace. This guy is something special. Santana allowed eight hits over seven innings of baseball. He walked only two, and let up his only run in the seventh inning on a double by, you guessed it, Anderson Hernandez.

Santana matched the number of hits he gave up with the number of Nationals he struck out.

I'm so confident with him on the mound. Santana brought his season ERA down to 2.65. Two point six five! He should be in contention for the Cy Young if it wasn't for the sieve we call the Mets bullpen.

Joe Smith struggled a bit in the eighth, letting up three hits and one run. He also struck out two. Scott Schoeneweis and Pedro Feliciano combined to close it out. Schoe allowed two hits, but Feliciano was able to work out of trouble again.

No criticizing the bullpen tonight. Well done, guys.

Offensive Output

The bats are awake and unlikely sources are driving in runs.

Mets jumped on the board early, as usual, with a run in the first. Jose Reyes led off the game with a double, followed by a Daniel Murphy single to center. An error on Lastings Milledge allowed Murphy to trot to third. He was then stranded there.

After the first, I feared the Mets wouldn't score again. Thankfully, I was wrong.

In the second, Brian Schneider cracked his first home run of the night, a solo shot to right field. Santana helped his own cause, doubling to follow his battery mate's homer. Reyes proceeded to single him in.

These spurts of offense from Schneid are so unexpected. I'm more shocked then happy when he homers.

In the third, the Mets put runs on the board for the third consecutive inning. With two outs, Carlos Delgado walked. Carlos Beltran followed that up with a triple to right field, plating Delgado. Ryan Church then singled to drive in Beltran.

Keep on scoring, boys.

Four for four, as Schneider hit another solo shot.

Weird.

Five for five went the Mets, when Church singled home Delgado for the Mets seventh, and final run.

Good enough. I like what I'm seeing from these bats.

The Rest of the Story

David Wright: 0-5, K.

The Mets had six extra base hits. (3 2B, 3B, 2 HR.)

Game Ball: Johan Santana and Brian Schneider.

Out of seven relievers: Two were good, one was decent, and the rest just scraped by

If the Mets lost last night, it was going to be on the bullpen.

Good: Scott Schoeneweis and Pedro Feliciano.

Decent: Luis Ayala.

Barely got by: Ricardo Rincon, Brian Stokes, Joe Smith, Luis Ayala.

Stunk: Aaron Heilman.

Who do you trust, if anyone, in the bullpen? I'm with Jerry Manuel, who said he's going to leave Johan Santana in up to 170 pitches. Sounds good to me.

The Mets will make the playoffs because Damion Easley won't be on the team

Damion Easley has never played in a postseason game. If the Mets can manage to make the playoffs in 2008, it doesn't look like he'd be able to participate. The man is cursed.

Easley has played the most games in the league without playing in the postseason. My friend and colleague Andrew Beaton has a great post (two, actually) looking at Easley and his postseason-less run.

Easley may be out for a week, or even more with a tear in his hamstring. He suffered the injury legging out a double-play ball a few games ago, and hasn't made an appearance since.

What to do with second base? Well, it seems Luis Castillo has been delegated to the bench, so I guess he's not an option. Daniel Murphy has only seen limited time at second, and hasn't really impressed. That leaves the Mets with Argenis Reyes manning second for the stretch run and hopefully beyond.

Are you comfortable with A-Rey at second? He's a light hitter, like Castillo, but he doesn't look like he's in pain 99 percent of the time. He's quicker, and seems to have a good relationship with his fellow namesake Jose Reyes, as they can turn some pretty double plays.

The Mets will make the postseason in 2008, it's just too bad that Easley won't be able to participate. The curse continues.