Game Recap: Mets 7 – Nationals 0

Livan Hernandez and a big first inning were all the Mets needed on Sunday afternoon.

The New York Mets (30-25) beat the Washington Nationals (15-40) by a score of 7-0.

Hernandez is a master of the Washington Nationals.  In two starts against them, he’s thrown 16 innings, allowing only one run.  Today he pitched seven shutout, allowing four hits, walking four and striking out four.  Hernandez needed 116 pitches.

Pedro Feliciano and Bobby Parnell combined to work the 8th inning without allowing a run. Francisco Rodriguez got an inning of work, walking one and striking out one.  His ERA on the season is now 0.68.

The Mets put up five runs in the first inning. Fernando Martinez, Daniel Murphy and Brian Schneider each picked up one RBI on a double, single and sac-fly respectively.  Martinez and Ryan Church also scored on two separate wild pitches.

David Wright drove in a run in the seventh with a single to left.  The Mets tacked one on in the 9th inning, when Carlos Beltran doubled in Martinez for the seventh and final run.

Game Chat: NYM @ WAS [Game 3]

Mets look to salvage the series in Washington by taking the rubber game. 
Livan Hernandez is on the mound for the Mets.

(Chat removed, as usual.)

Lineup for finale; Church returns, starts

Ryan Church has been activated and will start today in right field.  Luis Castillo gets a day off with Alex Cora shifting over and Wilson Valdez filling in at SS.

1. Alex Cora – 2B
2. Fernando Martinez – LF
3. Carlos Beltran – CF
4. David Wright – 3B
5. Daniel Murphy – 1B
6. Ryan Church – RF
7. Brian Schneider – C
8. Wilson Valdez – SS
9. Livan Hernandez – RHP

Shoulder tightness for Maine

Though David Lennon chalks it up to possible post-operation issues, I’d say John Maine’s poor start had more to do with him battling a stomach virus.

After the game, Maine told reporters his shoulder “is still tight back there.”

Maine was coming off a good May, where he went 4-1 with an ERA below three.  Shoulder tightness then was never an issue.

Maine did leave his last start after cruising through six innings as the latest casualty to a stomach virus that had been sweeping the team. 

I’d say that has more to do with Saturday’s poor start then a surgery that he got months ago, especially  after winning five of his last seven starts, pitching into the sixth inning in all of them.

Manuel’s Musing for June 6

“We were a little confused on the bases on that, and obviously ended up with two outs there,”

-Jerry Manuel on the Emil Brown / Luis Castillo double play in the 4th inning.

If you haven’t seen the play, click here.

F-Mart sticks around

With Ryan Church ready to come off the disabled list tomorrow, the Mets needed to make room.  Emil Brown has been designated for assignment.

Fernando Martinez, the young 20-year-old, will stay on the team.  That means he will continue to get consistent playing time.

And there’s your bright spot of Mets news today after the 7-1 drubbing.

Game Recap: Nationals 7 – Mets 1

Sloppy.

The Washington Nationals (15-39) beat the New York Mets (29-25) by a score of 7-1.

John Maine allowed three in the first, one in the fourth and three in the fifth.  Seven  earned runs were charged to Maine.  He allowed six hits in four innings, three of which left the park.  All of them were no-doubters.  Maine walked two and struck out one.

Ken Takahashi and Fernando Nieve each pitched two innings in relief.  Neither allowed a run to score.

The Mets were shut down by John Lannan.  Lannan threw a complete game, four-hitter.  He walked three and struck out two.  The only run came in the 8th inning on an Elijah Dukes fielding error.

Just awful.

Game Chat: NYM @ WAS [Game 2]

Saturday night baseball. John Maine, free of the stomach virus,
takes the mound for the Mets.

(Chat removed, as usual.)

F-Mart did it again

I was on sabbatical when Fernando Martinez failed to run out the pop-fly in front of home plate two weeks ago.  I wasn’t going to blast him over it, but it would be something to bring up and hopefully Jerry Manuel talked to the kid about it.

Promising it would never happen again, F-Mart got a pass.

Well guess what?  It happened again.  I’ll leave it to Joe Janish of Mets Today to lay it out:

While we’re on the subject of running and not running, in the top of the seventh, Fernando Martinez attempted a sacrifice that rolled foul. Ironically, Ron Villone — the pitcher last week when F-Mart chose not to run on an infield popup — was again the pitcher. Catcher Josh Bard alertly allowed the ball to roll, in case it spun into fair territory (it was only about a foot, maybe less, from the baseline), because Martinez never left the batter’s box. I’m not picking on F-Mart here — I can’t, not when the “leader” is making assumptions on long fly balls, and not when his manager doesn’t make hustling a priority. Rather, I’m pointing out that this team continues to run hard only when they feel like it, rather than all the time. And also pointing out that, despite all the “he’ll never do THAT again!” rants, Martinez DID do it again, only this time the ball remained foul and wasn’t nearly as glaring a gaffe as last week’s popup. And why did he do it again? Because he wasn’t disciplined the first time. Again — it’s not F-Mart’s fault, but rather the fault of Mets management and the lazy, loser approach to the game that they’ve cultivated.

Another rookie mistake?  Hmmm…

I think the Mets will retain F-Mart when Ryan Church returns and give the young player a majority of time in the outfield.  Gary Sheffield and Church will split time in the opposite outfield corner.

Again, I really hope someone spoke to Martinez about this.  It’s one of the most basic fundamentals to any sport, not just baseball.

“Run first, ask questions later.”

Manuel’s Musing for June 5

“That's a huge hit for him. But when he went to third, I could have strangled him.”

-Jerry Manuel on David Wright getting thrown out trying to steal third in the 10th.