Game Recap: Mets 3 – Red Sox 2

Mike Pelfrey was great, Josh Beckett was better.

Jonathan Papelbon was good, Omir Santos was better.

Kevin Youklis, Jason Bay, J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell were good, J.J. Putz, David Wright, Luis Castillo and Ramon Martinez were better.

The Red Sox were good, the Mets were better.

The Mets won after a two-run home run by Santos in the top of the 9th inning off Papelbon.  Pelfrey pitched seven spectacular innings, allowing two runs in the first.  Putz closed, as K-Rod was suffering back spasms and collapsing.

Surprisingly, the Mets have a chance to sweep this afternoon.  I was very wrong with my preview.

K-Rod taken away in ambulance

Dropping like flies.

Francisco Rodriguez was taken away in an ambulance after the game to have his back checked out, after suffering spasms while running in pregame workouts, according to Adam Rubin.

“I’ve never experienced some pain like the way that I have right now,” K-Rod said. “I’ve been struggling even to walk. Tomorrow is another day. We’ll see how my body responds for tomorrow.

This account is from the New York Post…

The Mets gave K-Rod muscle relaxers, but he collapsed shortly after trying to leave the clubhouse on his power. Rodriguez started weeping from the pain after being helped into a golf cart, and a stretcher and EMTs were called to the scene.

Color me worried.

Maybe the Mets shouldn’t trade J.J. Putz…

Mets Game Chat: NYM @ BOS [Game 2]

Mike Pelfrey vs. Josh Beckett

Tune in to the game and log in to the chat to watch the Mets
and talk with some fellow fans.

(Chat removed, as usual.)

Twitter Poll: People I would rather have playing shortstop

Ramon Martinez made two more errors in the field last night while filling in for Jose Reyes.

Here’s some replies from Twitter followers on who they would rather see at SS…(I asked them to be funny!)

DonCheech said: Rafael Santana

newyorkr521 said: My cousin's 2 year old son.

hennycognac said: Mr. Met...

cvelardi said: How about Felix Mantilla?

MetsGal said: Sid Fernandez

ByronBrewer said: Cowbell Man! http://tr.im/mc5O

Retire31 said: I would like to see Jean Claude Van Damme play Shortstop

pattigibbons said: Santana (Rafael, of course)... or, my gramma cuz nothing gets past her!

pattigibbons said: Bud Harrelson # 3 jersey's available, right?

kevin_tor said: Pat Corning http://bit.ly/H1OXq

pricedout said: Tito Navarro!

cutiepie0319k said: Pelf should play ss.. maybe with his yips he will be jumpy and catch the ball =D

jintman said: Frank Taveras

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KevinMcCarthy21 said: Ruben Tejada - cant hit but at least he can glove it

digitalspit said: Argenis Reyes. He'll have make adjustments to play SS but, defensively, he HAS to be an improvement over R-Mart.

The walking wounded

Injured and have gone on the DL:

• Brian Schneider – Back and calf strain
• Oliver Perez – Right knee tendinitis
• Carlos Delgado – Right hip impingement
• Alex Cora – Torn ligament in thumb

Injured and have not gone on the DL:

• Jose Reyes – Tendinitis in calf
• Ryan Church – Sore hamstring
• Carlos Beltran – Sore right knee

This bodes well.

Manuel’s Musing for May 22

“We needed to win a ballgame. 
That was for sure.”

-Jerry Manuel after a win over Boston

Game Recap: Mets 5 – Red Sox 3

The Mets scored runs.  The Mets pitched well.  The Mets realized this is how to win baseball games.

The New York Mets (23-19) beat the Boston Red Sox (25-18) by a score of 5-3.

With Johan Santana on the mound, the Mets actually gave him some run support.  The Mets got on the board early with a Gary Sheffield home run off the foul pole in left field in the second inning.

Jason Varitek got it right back with a solo home run of his own in the bottom half of the inning.

The Mets then picked up three RBI singles in the fourth inning, from David Wright, Omir Santos and – wait for it – Ramon Martinez.

In the bottom of the fourth, Martinez gave two runs back when his fielding error allowed two runs to score.

Angel Pagan added an insurance run in the 7th inning with an RBI single.

Santana scattered seven hits and allowed three runs (two earned) over seven innings.  He struck out eight.

Bobby Parnell and Francisco Rodriguez each pitched 1-2-3 innings, one to earn the hold and one to earn the save.

Church left game with sore hamstring

Ryan Church was removed from the game in the middle of the fourth inning with a sore hamstring.

Angel Pagan took over in right field.

Church left the game and received treatment for the injury.  He will not start tomorrow, but may be available off the bench.

Yikes.  Who is next?

Live Mets Chat: NYM @ BOS [Game 1]

Friday night in Fenway. 
Join fellow Mets fans to discuss the game before, during and after.

(Chat removed, as usual.)

Mets lineup for Boston; Murphy leading off [Updated]

With the Mets usual leadoff hitter, Jose Reyes, on the bench with tendinitis, one would expect Luis Castillo to take over as the first man in the order.  Think again. 

Tonight, Daniel Murphy will be the first batter Daisuke Matsuzaka faces in the Mets lineup.  Ramon Martinez will fill in at shortstop once more.

UPDATE – 5:55 p.m.: Beltran, Sheffield and Reed have all be shuffled.  Batting order stays the same, though.  Beltran is apparently suffering from “right knee soreness.”  And it begins.

1. Daniel Murphy – 1B
2. Ryan Church – RF
3. Carlos Beltran – CF DH
4. Gary Sheffield – DH LF
5. David Wright – 3B
6. Jeremy Reed – LF CF
7. Omir Santos – C
8. Ramon Martinez – SS
9. Luis Castillo – 2B

I also like Church batting second.  He had a good run of it last year before the concussions.  The lineup really drops off after Wright, though.  Reed is not someone that should be protecting Wright.