That broken bat may have changed the season.
One out, in the bottom of the fifth inning, Nick Evans on first and Johan Santana at the plate.
Santana swings at a pitch from Sean Marshall, breaks his bat, and knocks the ball past the pitcher and toward second base. Ronny Cedeno moves over to cover, but the bat and ball are traveling together towards second base.
Just as Cedeno seems ready to field the ball, and attempt to avoid the bat, the two object connect again, changing the direction of the ball, and making is nearly impossible for Cedeno to field it cleanly. Everybody is safe, Evans at second and Santana at first.
Jose Reyes then struck out for the second out of the inning. Luis Castillo worked a walk to load the bases, bringing David Wright to the plate with the bases loaded. He then punched a single into left field, driving in two runs and tying up the game.
Lucky? Yes. It's about time a little luck went the Mets way. It's not a black cat, but it may do.
Thank you, physics. Thank you, black bat. Thank you, baseball. Let's go Mets.
9/24/08
9/23/08
Game Recap: Mets 6 -- Cubs 2
Almost everything went right tonight.
Pitching Performance
Johan Santana: the stopper, the savior, and worth every penny. Eight innings, scattering seven hits, and surrendering two runs. He walked only two, and stuck out 10. 125 pitches later, this was one of Santana's best outings as a Met.
He allowed a RBI double to Kosuke Fukudome in the second inning, and an RBI single to Reed Johnson in the third. That was it.
Goodness gracious, I love that man. What more can I say? His numbers speak for themselves. Well done, Santana. Well done, indeed.
Also, Santana was getting squeezed beyond belief tonight. Both pitchers were, but it seemed to affect Johan the most. There were at least two times that Santana thought he had just thrown strike three, but the umpire saw it differently.
Of course, it wasn't easy, as Pedro Feliciano and Luis Ayala had to combine to finish out the game for the Mets. Feliciano allowed two hits in 1-3 of an inning, and Ayala had to come in and clean up the mess, and earning a save in the process.
Never easy.
Offensive Output
Big hits when it counts.
Sean Marshall held the Mets off the board until the fifth inning, when David Wright punched a bases loaded single to left field, driving in both Nick Evans and Johan Santana.
I didn't think he was going to get a hit, but Wright proved me wrong. Keep proving me wrong.
The Mets had a huge sixth inning. Carlos Delgado placed a bloop double just inside the third base line to start the inning. After moving to third on a Ryan Church single, Castro scored on an error by Chad Gaudin. Daniel Murphy followed that up with a pinch hit single, loading the bases for Jose Reyes.
Reyes came to the plate with 199 hits on the season, after singling in his first at bat of the game. His 200th hit was a big one, a triple down the first base line, clearing the bases and putting the Mets up by four, and for good.
Congrats, Jose.
Huge inning. Could possibly change the season.
The Rest of the Story
Santana went 1-3, scoring two runs to help his own cause.
Reyes: 2-3, 3 RBI.
Wright: 2-4, 2 RBI.
Look who is getting hot!
At time of publishing: Phillies lost, Brewers are losing. Mets are 1.5 back in NL East, TBD (Up at lease 1 game) in WC.
Game Ball: Johan Santana.
Pitching Performance
Johan Santana: the stopper, the savior, and worth every penny. Eight innings, scattering seven hits, and surrendering two runs. He walked only two, and stuck out 10. 125 pitches later, this was one of Santana's best outings as a Met.
He allowed a RBI double to Kosuke Fukudome in the second inning, and an RBI single to Reed Johnson in the third. That was it.
Goodness gracious, I love that man. What more can I say? His numbers speak for themselves. Well done, Santana. Well done, indeed.
Also, Santana was getting squeezed beyond belief tonight. Both pitchers were, but it seemed to affect Johan the most. There were at least two times that Santana thought he had just thrown strike three, but the umpire saw it differently.
Of course, it wasn't easy, as Pedro Feliciano and Luis Ayala had to combine to finish out the game for the Mets. Feliciano allowed two hits in 1-3 of an inning, and Ayala had to come in and clean up the mess, and earning a save in the process.
Never easy.
Offensive Output
Big hits when it counts.
Sean Marshall held the Mets off the board until the fifth inning, when David Wright punched a bases loaded single to left field, driving in both Nick Evans and Johan Santana.
I didn't think he was going to get a hit, but Wright proved me wrong. Keep proving me wrong.
The Mets had a huge sixth inning. Carlos Delgado placed a bloop double just inside the third base line to start the inning. After moving to third on a Ryan Church single, Castro scored on an error by Chad Gaudin. Daniel Murphy followed that up with a pinch hit single, loading the bases for Jose Reyes.
Reyes came to the plate with 199 hits on the season, after singling in his first at bat of the game. His 200th hit was a big one, a triple down the first base line, clearing the bases and putting the Mets up by four, and for good.
Congrats, Jose.
Huge inning. Could possibly change the season.
The Rest of the Story
Santana went 1-3, scoring two runs to help his own cause.
Reyes: 2-3, 3 RBI.
Wright: 2-4, 2 RBI.
Look who is getting hot!
At time of publishing: Phillies lost, Brewers are losing. Mets are 1.5 back in NL East, TBD (Up at lease 1 game) in WC.
Game Ball: Johan Santana.
Omar Minaya gets four-year extension
This is straight out of the "Bad Timing" playbook.
Omar Minaya will receive a four-year extension.
I will withhold commenting on this until after the regular season is over.
Omar Minaya will receive a four-year extension.
I will withhold commenting on this until after the regular season is over.
Poll: Once again, I ask
Will the Mets make the playoffs?
Six games in six days. A one game lead in the Wild Card.
Can they pull it off?
Cast your vote on the right.
Six games in six days. A one game lead in the Wild Card.
Can they pull it off?
Cast your vote on the right.
If the Mets make the playoffs, will you be happy?
For me, yes. But it will be so bittersweet.
It looks as if the NL East is slipping away quickly. That leaves the Mets to contend for the Wild Card. A two team tango begins tonight, with the Mets and Brewers each having six games to play to finish out the regular season.
The Mets have a one game lead heading into tonight, with three more against the Cubs, and another three against the recently eliminated Marlins. The Brewers play three against the Pirates, starting tonight, and another three against the Cubs.
I still think the Mets can back into the playoffs. The Brewers have dominated the Pirates this year, and will look to win their 10th game in a row over the lowly Bucs. CC Sabathia was a blown call away from a no-hitter last time he faced Pittsburgh.
The Mets need the Pirates to play spoiler, and this would be the perfect team to do it. They've been held down long, so the Brewers might get a little complacent playing them. If they can come out strong and put up a fight, it might be enough to break the young Brewer team, especially with a new manager at the helm.
Even with a one game lead, the Mets shouldn't even worry about the Brewers, they have enough problems of their own. The Mets can't seem to get enough pitching together to get through nine innings of baseball, and can't seem to buy a win.
What the Mets need to do, for maybe the one millionth time I've written it on this blog, is win. Just win.
If they win, it won't matter what the Brewers do.
A strange case, something I am half-wishing for, is a one game playoff at Shea Stadium. That would only happen if the Mets and Brewers are tied at the of the regular season. Since the Mets won a coin-flip last week, the game would be hosted at Shea.
Could you even begin to imagine how crazy Shea would be that day?
If the Mets get to that point, and I half hope they do, and if they can pull off a win, it might be just the sort of momentum they need to roll into the playoffs.
Wishful thinking, I guess. The Mets still have to get to that point.
It looks as if the NL East is slipping away quickly. That leaves the Mets to contend for the Wild Card. A two team tango begins tonight, with the Mets and Brewers each having six games to play to finish out the regular season.
The Mets have a one game lead heading into tonight, with three more against the Cubs, and another three against the recently eliminated Marlins. The Brewers play three against the Pirates, starting tonight, and another three against the Cubs.
I still think the Mets can back into the playoffs. The Brewers have dominated the Pirates this year, and will look to win their 10th game in a row over the lowly Bucs. CC Sabathia was a blown call away from a no-hitter last time he faced Pittsburgh.
The Mets need the Pirates to play spoiler, and this would be the perfect team to do it. They've been held down long, so the Brewers might get a little complacent playing them. If they can come out strong and put up a fight, it might be enough to break the young Brewer team, especially with a new manager at the helm.
Even with a one game lead, the Mets shouldn't even worry about the Brewers, they have enough problems of their own. The Mets can't seem to get enough pitching together to get through nine innings of baseball, and can't seem to buy a win.
What the Mets need to do, for maybe the one millionth time I've written it on this blog, is win. Just win.
If they win, it won't matter what the Brewers do.
A strange case, something I am half-wishing for, is a one game playoff at Shea Stadium. That would only happen if the Mets and Brewers are tied at the of the regular season. Since the Mets won a coin-flip last week, the game would be hosted at Shea.
Could you even begin to imagine how crazy Shea would be that day?
If the Mets get to that point, and I half hope they do, and if they can pull off a win, it might be just the sort of momentum they need to roll into the playoffs.
Wishful thinking, I guess. The Mets still have to get to that point.
Photo of the Day: Carlos Beltran
If this photo isn't a metaphor
for the Mets season
as they approach the finish line,
I don't know what is.
AP photo
for the Mets season
as they approach the finish line,
I don't know what is.
AP photo9/22/08
Game Recap: Cubs 9 -- Mets 5
The Mets are teases.
Pitching Performance
Jon Niese turned in three decent innings, and one terrible one. He surrendered seven hits and six runs, five of which came in the fourth inning. The opposing pitcher, Jason Marquis, hit a grand slam over the right field wall.
First three were nice, the fourth inning was a disaster. Maybe instead of starting pitching, we just patch together a bunch of players who can throw a few innings at a time. Throw bullpen by committee out the window, how about entire game pitching by committee?
Nelson Figueroa allowed a solo home run to finish off the big inning for the Cubs. Robert Parnell allowed his first hit and first run in the his major league career, in two innings of work.
Bound to happen sometime.
Duaner Sanchez and Aaron Heilman each turned in scoreless performances, an inning of baseball each.
Shocked.
Luis Ayala allowed a run on a butcher boy hit to second, scoring a man from third. Ricardo Rincon came on and got a pop-up to end the ninth inning threat.
Offensive Output
...if you can call it that.
The Mets were held scoreless in the first inning, but were able to scratch one out in the second. Carlos Delgado was able to score on a wild pitch from Marquis. In the third, Daniel Murphy doubled into the left field corner, scoring Jose Reyes.
Looked like a good night for the bats, but they then killed three rallies, with two double plays and leaving nine on base. Awful.
David Wright drove in a pair with a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning, just tipping off the glove of Alfonso Soriano's glove over the AIG sign.
That puts him at the 120 RBI plateau, with 33 home runs. Pretty good season, if you ask me.
The Mets threatened in the ninth inning, scoring one run in the ninth, but were unable to push any more across to close the gap.
The Rest of the Story
Phillies win, Brewers had off. Mets are 2.5 back in the East, and one up in the Wild Card.
Carlos Beltran had to leave the game in the seventh after crashing into the wall in the sixth inning after making a running catch at the warning track.
Game Ball: David Wright. (2-4, BB, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI)
Pitching Performance
Jon Niese turned in three decent innings, and one terrible one. He surrendered seven hits and six runs, five of which came in the fourth inning. The opposing pitcher, Jason Marquis, hit a grand slam over the right field wall.
First three were nice, the fourth inning was a disaster. Maybe instead of starting pitching, we just patch together a bunch of players who can throw a few innings at a time. Throw bullpen by committee out the window, how about entire game pitching by committee?
Nelson Figueroa allowed a solo home run to finish off the big inning for the Cubs. Robert Parnell allowed his first hit and first run in the his major league career, in two innings of work.
Bound to happen sometime.
Duaner Sanchez and Aaron Heilman each turned in scoreless performances, an inning of baseball each.
Shocked.
Luis Ayala allowed a run on a butcher boy hit to second, scoring a man from third. Ricardo Rincon came on and got a pop-up to end the ninth inning threat.
Offensive Output
...if you can call it that.
The Mets were held scoreless in the first inning, but were able to scratch one out in the second. Carlos Delgado was able to score on a wild pitch from Marquis. In the third, Daniel Murphy doubled into the left field corner, scoring Jose Reyes.
Looked like a good night for the bats, but they then killed three rallies, with two double plays and leaving nine on base. Awful.
David Wright drove in a pair with a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning, just tipping off the glove of Alfonso Soriano's glove over the AIG sign.
That puts him at the 120 RBI plateau, with 33 home runs. Pretty good season, if you ask me.
The Mets threatened in the ninth inning, scoring one run in the ninth, but were unable to push any more across to close the gap.
The Rest of the Story
Phillies win, Brewers had off. Mets are 2.5 back in the East, and one up in the Wild Card.
Carlos Beltran had to leave the game in the seventh after crashing into the wall in the sixth inning after making a running catch at the warning track.
Game Ball: David Wright. (2-4, BB, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI)
Dear Brewers...
A letter sent from the Mets to the Brewers.
Dear Brewers,
The Wild Card is yours for the taking.
We're going to roll over and die during the last week of the season again, so feel free to snatch it up if you really want it.
Enjoy October baseball!
Sincerely,
The Mets
Dear Brewers,
The Wild Card is yours for the taking.
We're going to roll over and die during the last week of the season again, so feel free to snatch it up if you really want it.
Enjoy October baseball!
Sincerely,
The Mets
Buster T. Bison is a creepy mascot [Updated]
I have no words.Update:
And just when I thought it couldn't get any weirder...it did.
I present to you: Belle "The Ballpark Diva"
Ew.Another update:
What is wrong with this thing???
Just. Plain. Creepy.A frightening, sobering statistic
This is pretty depressing.
Jayson Stark takes a look at the Mets bullpen, and crunches the numbers if the official MLB game was six, or eight innings.
Here's what he found: If the game was only six innings long, the Mets would have an 11 1/2 game lead over the Phillies, with a record of 84-52 to 71-62.
Even if the game was eight innings, the Mets would be up by 6 1/2 games, 83-59 to 75-64.
Could you imagine? All that heartbreak, defeat, and antacids would never have come to pass.
Too bad, it's nine innings and the Mets are 1 1/2 back in the East, but 1 1/2 up in the Wild Card. Just win, Mets. I'll say it time and again, but all they need to do is win and make this all go away.
Jayson Stark takes a look at the Mets bullpen, and crunches the numbers if the official MLB game was six, or eight innings.
Here's what he found: If the game was only six innings long, the Mets would have an 11 1/2 game lead over the Phillies, with a record of 84-52 to 71-62.
Even if the game was eight innings, the Mets would be up by 6 1/2 games, 83-59 to 75-64.
Could you imagine? All that heartbreak, defeat, and antacids would never have come to pass.
Too bad, it's nine innings and the Mets are 1 1/2 back in the East, but 1 1/2 up in the Wild Card. Just win, Mets. I'll say it time and again, but all they need to do is win and make this all go away.
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