Manuel’s Musing

“We had a shot at it. We put forth an effort, but fell short.”

-Jerry Manuel on…well…a lot of things

Lineup for Game 144

The Mets will look to stave off elimination for another day against an old friend.  Pedro Martinez takes the mound for the Phillies as the Mets tragic number stands at two.

Here’s the lineup for the second game…

1. Luis Castillo – 2B
2. Cory Sullivan – RF
3. David Wright – 3B
4. Carlos Beltran – CF
5. Daniel Murphy – 1B
6. Fernando Tatis – LF
7. Brian Schneider – C
8. Anderson Hernandez – SS
9. Tim Redding - RHP

Lineup for Game 143

Welcome back John Maine.  Maine will be making his 12th start of the year, his first since June 6.

Here’s the lineup for the first of today’s twin-bill…

1. Angel Pagan – CF
2. Anderson Hernandez – 2B
3. David Wright – 3B
4. Daniel Murphy – 1B
5. Jeff Francoeur – RF
6. Cory Sullivan – LF
7. Josh Thole – C
8. Wilson Valdez – SS
9. John Maine - RHP

Wright homers twice in dramatic win

Mike Pelfrey got shelled (again), but David Wright and the rest of the Mets bats were able to bail him out.  Six runs in the last three innings propelled the Mets to a 10-9 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday afternoon.

Pelfrey gave up eight earned runs in six innings, allowing 10 hits while on the mound.  He walked one while striking out three.

So up and so down.  What a crazy year.

Ken Takahashi allowed one earned run in relief.  Sean Green, Pedro Feliciano and Francisco Rodriguez closed out the thriller.

The Mets jumped on Jamie Moyer early, plating four runs in the first inning.  Wright drove in two runs with a single in the first inning as the Mets led off the game with five straight hits.  Carlos Beltran followed with a two-run home run to center field.

From there, though, the Mets went quiet.

Moyer ended up tossing seven innings, only allowing another run in the seventh on a Wilson Valdez RBI groundout.

In the eighth, Wright added a two-run home run to pull the Mets within two.  Daniel Murphy later singled to make it a one-run game.

As the Phillies struggle to find a closer, Ryan Madson was the pitcher of choice on Saturday.  A two-out single by Fernando Tatis brought Wright to the plate, who drove the first pitch he saw from Madson into the left field stands, giving the Mets the lead.

As mentioned above, K-Rod came in and closed it out.

This was probably one of the most exciting games of the year.  Too bad it helped the Mets avoid 100 losses.  In a dismal season, this was a bright spot.  This is why I love baseball.

Newsday: A tour of Keith Hernandez’s house [Video]

He’s the best.

And here is the Neil Best column about sleeping at Keith Hernandez’s house and how Hernandez goes about life nowadays.  He’s come a far way since the 80’s.

Lineup for Game 142

Twenty-one games to go.  Howie Rose is in the TV booth on FOX today.  Oh, and Carlos Beltran is back in the lineup.

1. Luis Castillo – 2B
2. Fernando Tatis – LF
3. David Wright – 3B
4. Carlos Beltran – CF
5. Jeff Francoeur – RF
6. Omir Santos – C
7. Daniel Murphy – 1B
8. Wilson Valdez – SS
9. Mike Pelfrey - RHP

Another game, another loss

The Mets are keeping hope alive as they march toward 100.  One hundred losses, that is.

The Mets fell to the Phillies by a score of 4-2, loss number 79 of the season.  With 21 games remaining, the Mets would have to lose every game to reach 100 losses.

Though the score was close through the entire game, it never felt as though the Mets would win.  Nelson Figueroa tiptoed through 5 1-3 innings, allowing nine hits and walking five, but only allowed two earned runs.

Elmer Dessens and Brian Stokes surrendered the other two runs in relief.

Jeff Francoeur stayed hot at the plate, pounding out three hits.  Francoeur is now 6-for-his-last-8 with two doubles.

Luis Castillo drove in one run with a sac-fly to center field.  Cory Sullivan grounded into a double play to kill a rally in the ninth inning, but it allowed a run to score.

But hey, no one got hurt.

Lineup for Game 141

No Carlos Beltran in the crappy weather.  Mets not taking risks.  Smart.

1. Angel Pagan – CF
2. Luis Castillo – 2B
3. David Wright – 3B
4. Jeff Francoeur – RF
5. Fernando Tatis – 1B
6. Nick Evans – LF
7. Omir Santos – C
8. Wilson Valdez – SS
9. Nelson Figueroa - RHP

Howie Rose to call Saturday’s game on FOX

According to Neil Best, WFAN’s Howie Rose will switch to television to call Saturday’s Mets / Phillies game with Tim McCarver.

I like when the Mets broadcasters get picked for these things.  It shows you how lucky we are to have such talented and passionate people both on TV and the radio calling games for us night in and night out.

I’ll be watching.

Remembering 9/11: Mike Piazza’s home run

Today is a day to remember.  Remember all who were lost on 9/11, their families and their friends.  Never forget them.

Yesterday, a teacher asked me what my memories were of 9/11/01.  I can vaguely remember the day, sitting it woodworking class and listening to an old radio play out the news of the morning.

But what I remember most about the days surrounding 9/11 is what transpired 10 days later.

On Sept. 21, 2001, baseball returned to New York.

The Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets squared off at Shea Stadium.  After seven and a half innings of baseball, the Mets trailed by a score of 2-1.

Steve Karsay came on to pitch the 8th for Atlanta.  After inducing a Matt Lawton groundout, Karsay walked Edgardo Alfonzo.  Desi Relaford came on to pinch-run for Alfonzo as Mike Piazza stepped to the plate.

Piazza already had two hits that game, both doubles. 

Behind 0-1 in the count, Piazza stepped into the batters box and hit a home run that meant more to the city of New York than any home run before or since.A towering shot to center field, New Yorkers had a reason to cheer.  It didn’t matter if you were a Mets fan, Yankees fan or no fan at all.  This home run was the first bright spot in the city since the attack.  It was, in a word, euphoric.

I vividly remember sitting on my friends porch and watching this home run through his living room window.  I will never forget Piazza’s home run or the impact it had on the people of New York City.

To relive that moment, here’s a short video on the events leading up to the home run and to see that uplifting moment one more time.

Never forget 9/11.