Game Recap: Mets 5 – Rays 3

On a sunny day in NYC, it snowed.  Or at least, Fernando Nieve pitched, and pitched well.

The New York Mets (34-31) beat the Tampa Bay Rays (35-34) by a score of 5-3.

Nieve, which is Spanish for “snow,” had another stellar outing for the Mets.  Over six innings, Nieve held the Rays to only three hits and one earned run.  He walked three and struck out four.  The one run came in the sixth when Carlos Pena hit into a fielder’s choice, scoring B.J. Upton.

Two times out, two great starts.  Keep pitching him, please.

Bobby Parnell started the 7th, walking the first batter and allowing a hit to the second before tallying two outs, including striking out Pat Burrell.  He then let up a two-run double to Upton, bringing the Rays within one.  Pedro Feliciano finished out the 7th and Sean Green pitched a scoreless 8th.

Francisco Rodriguez pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning to earn the save and close out the win.

Bounces right back.  Great stuff.

Brian Schneider got the Mets off to a quick start with a three-run home run in the second inning.  It was Schneider’s first home run of the season and the first since Sept. 18, 2008.

David Wright picked up his only hit of the night with an RBI double in the third inning, plating Alex Cora.

He also struck out three times.  It’s one or the other, isn’t it David?

Ryan Church provided an insurance run in the bottom of the 8th, driving in Carlos Beltran with an RBI single.

Game Chat: TB @ NYM [Game 1]

The Mets welcome the Rays to Citi Field for the first time.

Join in for some barstool banter with your fellow fans.

(Chat removed, as usual.)

Lineups & notes for game one against the Rays

1. Alex Cora – SS
2. Daniel Murphy – 1B
3. Carlos Beltran – CF
4. David Wright – 3B
5. Gary Sheffield – LF
6. Ryan Church – RF
7. Brian Schneider – C
8. Luis Castillo - 2B
9. Fernando Nieve - RHP

• Fernando Martinez demoted, Nick Evans promoted.
• Mets picked up LHP Arturo Lopez off waivers from San Diego Padres.
• The Mets are 7-5 all time against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Game Chat will go live at 7 p.m.

Nick Evans promoted, F-Mart demoted [Updated]

Adam Rubin is reporting that Nick Evans has been promoted to the New York Mets from Double-A Binghamton. He reports it isn’t clear who has been demoted, but Fernando Martinez is a likely option.

Update – 3:45 p.m.: Martinez is the odd-man out. David Lennon just tweeted he was the player demoted.

Evans, who was set on the Mets roster before the signing of Gary Sheffield, hit just .093 with Triple-A Buffalo before being sent to extended spring training. Of his five hits with Buffalo, three were home runs. After his stint in Florida, he was sent to Binghamton where he was hitting .279 AVG / .350 OBP / .467 SLG with three home runs and nine RBI.

Martinez is hitting just .194 AVG / .286 OBP / .274 SLG with five RBI with the Mets.

If Evans is coming around, this might be a good move for the Mets. It looks like they’re heading into “fixing” mode after realizing this team just isn’t built to win right now.

What I wish happened last night

Not exactly, CBSSports. 

Not. Exactly.

Mike Pelfrey to name his son ‘Chase’

This nugget is just too good to pass up.

The doctors have told the first-time parents their child will be a boy -- but only after they had been told a girl was on the way. Pelfrey called Angela from the clubhouse in Spring Training. She told him, "We're gonna have a girl." Pelfrey was surprised.

"I had my mind set on having a boy," Pelfrey said. "But I made the adjustment. I started thinking it would be cool to have a little girl.

"Then [five months into Angela's pregnancy] I was all for it, so when they said, 'No, it's a boy,' it was a little disappointing. I had my mindset on having a girl. But I got over that, too. Now I just want a healthy baby."

The chosen name for the boy is Chase -- as in Utley, but baby Pelfrey won't be named after the Phillies' second baseman. It was suggested to the father-to-be, his son could be named after the pennant chase. And he liked that idea.

I love it.

Twitter Poll: Do you want Aubrey Huff and who would you give up to get him?

Aubrey Huff was the difference maker in the latter two games of the series in Baltimore.  He’d been in rumors tied to the Mets before, but this may have ratcheted up to the next level.

Last night, I asked my Twitter followers if they would like to see Huff on the Mets and to name the players they would give up to get him.

Here are their responses…

PaulsRandomStuf said: I'm not really interested in Huff. I'd like to trade Parnell for Nick Johnson though.

jeremymyerson said: I'd do Murphy for Huff. Don't know what the O's would want.

mikexdavis said: He's not big enough of a guy for me to give up any of the top prospects.

CharlesRockwell said: Stokes, Niese, nick evans, mike bordick & rey ordonez

gabefarkas said: not really, where would we play him? i guess it depends on what we give up...

patrickboegel said: No & no one

NikkiCJ said: absolutely... I'd give up Wilson Valdez.

metgirl4ever said: I think any trade will prove useless...there's no vaccine for our bad mojo...just gotta wait it out like a fever

darknova306 said: Huff won't put us over the top. One bat won't change things enough. The rest of the team sucks when it matters. Done.

fscker said: Murphy did fine tonight. I see no advantage to adding payroll for a guy we only need until @carlosdelgado21 gets back.

Mets_Fever said: - yes - and you have to make it worth the pick they wont get so it will be a top pros. and something else

samtpage said: I'll take Huff for someone useless like Kunz.

matthawco said: Ike Davis and Michael Antonini

gregpomes said: I think Huff would be good for the Mets. I think Murph would go, most likely Kunz, not sure if that's enough, Niese as well?

gecko32899 said: Then the whole right side of our infield won't be able to catch a pop up.

Not on Twitter?  Hit the comments to discuss Huff and possible trade chips.

Follow me on Twitter (@TheRopolitans) to
participate in the next Twitter Poll!

Manuel’s Musing for June 18

“From a team point of view, it's just something that you have to deal with.  I don't get too - with the way things have gone, I'm almost kind of hardened.”

-Jerry Manuel

Game Recap: Orioles 5 – Mets 4

He was due to falter.

The Baltimore Orioles (29-37) beat the New York Mets (33-31) by a score of 5-4.

Livan Hernandez did it again.  Another strong start, keeping the Mets in the game.  Seven innings, Hernandez scattered eight hits and allowed only two earned runs.  Hernandez walked one and struck out four.

How good has Hernandez been this year?  I had no hopes of him doing anything for the Mets this year.  Boy, was I wrong.

Pedro Feliciano and Sean Green split the 8th inning, allowing one run to score on two hits.  Francisco Rodriguez entered for the 9th inning with a one run lead.  A ledoff double, walk and fielders choice that didn’t get anyone out left the bases loaded and no outs with Adam Jones at the plate.  K-Rod walked him in to tie the game, then struck out Nick Markakis to bring Aubrey Huff to the plate.

Huff promptly singled to right field, ending the game with a win for the O’s.

The overuse of Feliciano and K-Rod is starting to show.  I can’t rail on K-Rod.  Everyone has a off day.

The Mets bats were held off the board until the 6th inning by rookie Jason Berken.  They finally broke through with a sacrifice fly off the bat of David Wright.  Later in the inning, Ryan Church singled off the wall in right field, plating another run.

The next inning, Daniel Murphy and Carlos Beltran picked up RBI hits.

The Mets could have plated a few more, but nothing came to fruition.  Thankfully the Toronto Blue Jays swept the Philadelphia Phillies.

Game Chat: NYM @ BAL [Game 3]

The Mets and Orioles are set to square off in a rubber game.

Join in for some barstool banter with your fellow fans.

(Chat removed, as usual.)