Game Recap: Braves 8 – Mets 3

The streak is snapped at seven.

The Atlanta Braves (16-16) beat the New York Mets (17-14) by a score of 8-3.

Johan Santana was good, not great.  Of the starts Mets fans expect out of Santana, this was not one of them.  Over 6 1-3 innings, Santana scattered seven hits.  Two runs scored against him, both unearned.  He walked one and struck out six. 

Bobby Parnell, Pedro Feliciano and Brian Stokes combined to finish out the seventh inning.  Four runs came across, all were unearned.  A Jose Reyes error cost the Mets the third out of the inning, allowing the Braves to stay alive in the inning.  Stokes and Ken Takahashi each allowed runs, ruining their 0.00 ERA.

The story of the night was Derek Lowe, who held the Mets in check over 6 2-3 innings.  Omir Santos drove in two, one on a sac-fly in the 5th and another on a single in the 9th.  Fernando Tatis drove in one in the bottom of the 7th on a ground ball.

Sloppy game from the Mets that gets magnified because A) it’s against the Braves and B) because they were coming in with a seven game winning streak.

Live Mets Chat: ATL @ NYM

Johan Santana vs. Derek Lowe.

Should be quite a matchup.  Join in for a Mets themed chat starting at 7 p.m.

(Chat removed, as usual.)

Shea’s home plate

Here’s a photo of Shea Stadium’s home plate or the plaque that stands in it’s place right now.

I dig it.

Sent in by reader John.  Thanks!

Johan Santana gets no run support, no run support at all

Johan Santana and the Mets are set to face off against Derek Lowe and the Braves tonight in what will likely be another pitching duel.

So far in 2009, Santana seems to be the one pitcher suffering from lack of run support.  In his six starts, the Mets have scored 12 combined runs.  In the game after a Santana start, the Mets have scored 38 combined runs.

Take a look at this chart that plots the runs scored before a Santana start, on the day Santana starts and the day after.

To put that even more in perspective, here’s a graph of runs scored for each starting pitcher.  In only two (2!) games have the Mets scored less than four runs – the most they’ve ever scored in a Santana start – for another pitcher.

This is mostly due to the fact that of Santana’s six starts, he’s been matched up against the ace of the opposing team’s rotation (Aaron Harang on Opening Day and Josh Johnson twice).  Two other times, he’s pitched opposite the No. 2 starter in the rotation.

With Santana facing off against Lowe tonight, the No. 1 pitcher in the Braves staff, it might be another low scoring night.  Lowe is 1-2 with a 8.78 ERA in two starts and eight total appearances against the Mets.

Santana, on the other hand, is 0-3 in five career starts against the Braves.  His ERA? 2.76.  Lack of run support is a running theme, it seems.

Hopefully his fortunes will change tonight at Citi Field.

‘Frankie Says Relax’ T-shirts on sale now!

They’re new.

They’re cool.

They’re “FRANKIE SAYS RELAX” T-shirts with Francisco Rodriguez!

Made in collaboration with Ben (@tweetthemets) and sold exclusively on CafePress, all Mets fans should check out these brand new shirts.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE SHIRT.
(in a variety of styles!)

And my apologies for getting the song stuck in your head, but this post would not be complete without the song…

Game Recap: Mets 8 – Pirates 4

Make that seven wins in a row.

The New York Mets (17-13) beat the Pittsburgh Pirates (12-19) by a score of 8-4, sweeping the three game series.

Livan Hernandez labored, but hung in enough to earn the win.  One hundred and four pitches, seven hits and four walks over Hernandez’s six innings.  He allowed only two runs, but was in danger of giving up a lot more.  Pedro Feliciano, J.J. Putz and Sean Green finished out the game.  Green allowed two runs on a Nate McClouth home run in the 9th.

The Mets failed to put up a five run inning, but scored four in the 8th inning.  The Mets got big days from Luis Castillo, Carlos Beltran and Omir Santos, each driving in two runs a piece.  Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado and Beltran each hit doubles in the game as well.

Another well rounded game for the Mets as they continue their roll.

Live Mets Chat: PIT @ NYM (Going for the sweep!)

Join in for a Mother’s Day special live chat.  The room is pink, just like the bats, armbands and cleats the Mets will be using today.  Happy Mother’s Day!

(Chat removed, as usual.)

John Maine’s 2009 season in graphs

More Mets fun with Excel.

Here’s John Maine’s 2009 season, broken down in charts.  There’s ones for hits, walks, earned runs and then all of them together, with innings pitched.

He’s kept the hits fairly low and his last three starts have been fairly good, sans the six walks against Atlanta.

He struggled in his second and third starts, but has really settled in nicely since then.  His arm injury and subsequent surgery seems to be a thing of the past.

As Sandy Alomar Sr. said: “He was throwing the ball hard, he was throwing the ball straight down.  We were very pleased with that.”

I’m very pleased with that too.

Game Recap: Mets 10 – Pirates 1

Make that six in a row.

The New York Mets (16-13) beat the Pittsburgh Pirates (12-18) by a score of 10-1.

The Mini Recap

John Maine made the start and went six strong innings for the Mets.  He allowed only three hits and the only run came off a solo home run off the bat of opposing pitcher Paul Maholm.  Maine walked two and struck out three.  Ken Takahashi and Brian Stokes finished out the final three innings.

The Mets pounded Maholm for seven earned runs in five innings and tacked on three more in the final two innings.  The Mets had their second five run inning in two games, singling six times in the fourth.  Carlos Beltran added a solo home run in the fifth and David Wright knocked an RBI triple in the seventh.

A very solid game all around for the Mets.  Great to see.

Live Mets Chat: PIT @ NYM

Join in for another rousing room of words as the
New York Mets take on the Pittsburgh Pirates!

(Chat removed, as usual.)