Game Recap: Dodgers 11 – Mets 2

The Livan magic has run out.

The Los Angeles Dodgers (55-31) beat the New York Mets (40-45) by a score of 11-2.

Livan Hernandez has given the Mets half a season.  I think that’s a lot more than anyone could have expected.  It’s run it’s course and the Mets should be thankful.  But that looks like it’s about it for Livan and the team should bring up Jon Niese for the next start.

11 hits in four innings, with eight earned runs is pretty terrible.  It was good while it lasted.

Other than Hernandez, not much of note happened.  Pat Misch and Brian Stokes were good.  Tim Redding, not so much.

The offense sputtered again against Randy Wolf and couldn’t overcome the four-spot the Dodgers put up in the first inning.

Game Chat: LAD @ NYM [Game 84]

Randy Wolf (3-3, 3.49 ERA) vs. Livan Hernandez (5-4, 4.56 ERA)

Join in for some game gabbing and barstool banter with your fellow fans!

(Chat removed, as usual.)

Lineup for Game 84; F-Mart to DL, A. Reyes recalled

Fernando Martinez has hit the disabled list with inflammation in his right knee.

Argenis Reyes was recalled from the minor leagues after heading down only on Tuesday when the Mets needed to make room for Oliver Perez.

Here’s the lineup for the finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers, noticeably without Daniel Murphy after two doubles and a gem of a play yesterday.

1. Luis Castillo – 2B
2. Nick Evans – LF
3. David Wright – 3B
4. Gary Sheffield – RF
5. Fernando Tatis – 1B
6. Ryan Church – CF
7. Omir Santos – C
8. Alex Cora – SS
9. Livan Hernandez - RHP

Two Mets crack Baseball America’s Top 50

Both Brad Holt and Jenrry Mejia appear in Baseball America’s Midseason Top 50 prospects.

Mejia will play in the Futures Game in St. Louis on July 12.

Here’s to hopeful futures in Mets uniforms in their futures.  Whew, that’s a lot of futures.

The best of #OliverPerez

Last night, we attempted to get #OliverPerez trending on Twitter with snarky comments about the $36 million pitcher.

Here are some of the best, in no particular order…

letsgoduke: #Oliverperez is so wild, he once killed a man playing darts. And bocce ball. And horseshoes.

TheWrighWay: #OliverPerez is so wild, he makes the old west look tame

letsgoduke: #OliverPerez LOVES following SEO experts, social media magnates, and marketing aficionados on Twitter.

dances_w_vowels: #OliverPerez has a tattoo of #FernandoTatis on his pitching shoulder.

VivaLMainstream: #OliverPerez gave up 6 hits, 4 ER and 2 BB in a wiffleball game around the corner from my house last night

EliFromBrooklyn: #OliverPerez has discovered his pitching problem. After much searching, doctors realized that he is, in fact, right handed.

gregpomes: Donald Trump is @ citi field maybe he'll tell #OliverPerez "you're fired!"

dances_w_vowels: #OliverPerez likes to watch graduations and weddings because of all the people that walk.

doug_whitehorn: #OliverPerez designed ESPN's new bottom line

VivaLMainstream: Every time #OliverPerez pitches, I feel a great loss of hope and excitement about life...is he a Dementor?

brianjtang: #oliverPerez is best friends with IO digital cable guy.

metstweets: Governor Patterson just bailed out the #Mets, and appointed#OliverPerez Lt. Governor!

letsgoduke: #oliverperez is so wild both at the plate and on the mound, he once struck himself out.

Coopz22: #OliverPerez listens to Barbra Streisand. In Spanish.

metsthoughts: #OliverPerez taught daniel murphy that play...

metsgrrl: bono has breakfast with lance armstrong and #oliverperez

TheRopolitans: #OliverPerez voted in the#IranElection. Twice.

I think letsgoduke was the winner in all of this.  Not that I was keeping score or anything.

Daniel Murphy’s no-look, behind the back flip

Great play by Daniel Murphy.  But, one question, where’s all the love for Bobby Parnell??

Oliver Perez’s balls and strikes

This is a simple pie chart of Oliver Perez’s balls and strikes from his start on July 8, 2009.  I guess this is where the seven walks stems from.

Tracking David Wright [Day 3]

David Wright, 7/8: 2-4, RBI, 2 R

AVG: .325 (Change from previous game: +.003, Change from Game 81: –.001)

OBP: .413 (Change from previous game: –.001, Change from Game 81: –.001)

SLG: .466 (Change from previous game: +/-.000, Change from Game 81: –.006)

  Click for full size.

The black lines on the strikeout chart represent the overall trend line (the thick line) and the moving average over 10 game periods (the thin line).

Manuel’s Musing

“Obviously, it was a big win for us.  We needed to win a game.”

-Jerry Manuel

Game Recap: Mets 5 – Dodgers 4

I don’t remember what it feels like when the Mets have a larger number than the other team.

The New York Mets (41-43) beat the Los Angeles Dodgers (53-32) by a score of 5-4.

Oliver Perez did just enough to put himself in line for a win.  Five innings, 108 pitches, four hits.  But he walked seven and allowed two earned runs.  He also struck out two.

I’m calling this a successful first start for Perez after coming off the DL.  Sure, it was a lot of pitches and sure, almost half of them were balls, but it’s good enough.  Not $36 million good, but good enough.

Bobby Parnell turned in 1 2-3 solid innings in relief, highlighted by a terrific play by Daniel Murphy. 

It’s really one of the coolest plays of the year, so I won’t even explain it to you.  Just GO HERE and watch the video.

Sean Green allowed one run in his one inning of work, bringing the Dodgers within two runs. Francisco Rodriguez entered in the ninth, allowed a solo home run to Manny Ramirez to start, let on two more runners before inducing a game-ending double play.

He likes to make the fans sweat.  That’s for sure.

The Mets finally picked up extra base hits tonight.  Three, to be exact.

Jeremy Reed doubled in the second inning and later scored on a Luis Castillo RBI single.

Murphy picked up his second double of the night in the third inning, and scored on a David Wright RBI single.  A fielder’s choice plated Wright later that inning and Reed delivered an RBI single to cap off the three-run inning.

Didn’t think I’d see that tonight.  Well I didn’t think I’d see one run tonight, nevermind three in one inning.

In the fifth, Brian Schneider ripped a RBI single to right field, plating one run.  That run proved to be the eventual game-winner.

A win is a win.  It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t easy but they won.