Davis likely coming up this week

The New York Mets plan for their first baseman of the future to be the man of the present, too.

Mets officials have resolved to promote heralded prospect Ike Davis to Citi Field this week, team sources told ESPNNewYork.com.

-Adam Rubin

Though I don’t think he should be called up for short-term benefits (selling tickets), I can’t be upset with seeing the future first baseman in uniform, possibly as soon as tomorrow.

I still think the Mets should call up Chris Carter, even if his glove is suspect.  Davis should be getting more seasoning in the minors and Carter is pretty expendable.  Everyone is just a placeholder for Davis at this point, what’s another stopgap going to hurt?  Might as well give Carter a shot before Davis, unless the team will be OK if Davis struggles – which I doubt.

In short: I think the Mets should call up Carter first, because there is less riding on his succeeding.  But if it is Davis’ time, I guess it’s their call.

Game Recap: Cardinals 5 – Mets 3

Well, at least Omar is happy.

The Good

Angel Pagan.  With the bases loaded in the second inning, Pagan sliced a two-RBI single to right field.  The throw home squirted away from Yadier Molina.  Adam Wainwright, backing up, tried to throw behind Pagan at first.  He airmailed it into right field, allowing Gary Matthews Jr. to score.  Pagan’s questionable baserunning created that third run.  Also, he was the only Met to pick up two hits.

Tobi Stoner.  Stoner wasn’t great, but he pitched 2 1-3 innings, allowing three hits and one earned run, which scored on a home run given up by Ryota Igarashi.  Couldn’t been worse, I guess.

Jeff Francoeur has a cannon for an arm.

The Bad

The Mets had only four hits as Wainwright tossed a complete game.  Pagan picked up two, as noted above.  The other two hitters: Frank Catalanotto (who was batting cleanup!) and Gary Matthews Jr.  The Mets haven’t hit an extra-base hit in their last 29 innings.

Wainwright didn’t surrender a hit after the fifth inning.  He retired the last 11 Mets to face him.

John Maine’s pitchcount.  Five innings and he needed 115 pitches.  He allowed the three runs in the fifth on a three-run home run.  If there wasn’t a 20-inning game last night, he probably wouldn’t have been out for the fifth inning.  He probably did just enough to stick in the rotation for another turn.

Ryota Igarashi, my boy, surrendered the go-ahead home run on his first pitch of the night.  Bah!

Game Ball

Pagan.

On Deck

The Mets return to Citi Field, possibly with Ike Davis in uniform, to face to Cubs tomorrow night, a 7:10 start.

Game Chat: NYM @ STL [Game 12]

Join in and chat with your fellow fans! (Hopefully not for 20 innings!)
Chat removed, as usual.

Lineup for Sunday night baseball

A strange lineup tonight, to say the least…

1. Jose Reyes – SS
2. Alex Cora – 2B
3. David Wright – 3B
4. Frank Catalanotto – 1B
5. Jeff Francoeur – RF
6. Gary Matthews Jr. – CF
7. Rod Barajas – C
8. Angel Pagan – LF
9. John Maine – RHP

Uh, why is Catalanotto batting cleanup?

Game Chat will be up around 8 p.m.

Jacobs DFA’d to make room for Stoner

Mike Jacobs has been designated for assignment, clearing space for Tobi Stoner to join the Mets.

This is me:

Things that should make you angry

Francisco Rodriguez told reporters he threw an estimated 100 pitches between the 9th and 19th innings while waiting for his chance to close out Saturday's 20-inning war of attrition against the Cardinals.

-NBC Sports

This makes my head hurt.

Sure, he’s ballparking a figure, but how far off could he be?  The cameras showed K-Rod warming up at least four times during the game, if not more.  Even if he threw 50 in the bullpen (unlikely), he probably threw five warm-ups on the mound and another 24 during the game.  That’s at least 80.  At least.

Here’s hoping he doesn’t get in today.

Rubin: Stoner expected to be called up

After last night’s 20-inning affair, the Mets are likely looking to add a fresh arm to the bullpen.  Adam Rubin is reporting that Tobi Stoner, who last pitched on Tuesday for the Bisons, is expected to be called up.

I have four words for what should be the corresponding move: Send Jenrry Mejia down.

Simple as that, Mets.  We saw him, he’s good, but now is the time to get him back to the minors with the rest of the bullpen performing well.  He’s not needed at the big league level.

About last night…

Because last night was so odd, here’s a bit of a refresher of the weird…

• The winning pitcher was a closer.
• A starting pitcher earned the save.
• The Cardinals sent a reliever to the plate to pinch hit – with the bases loaded – before catcher Bryan Anderson.
• Felipe Lopez, who hit a grand slam the night before, pitched last night.  He pitched to Raul Valdes, the pitcher who surrendered the grand slam.
• Lopez played: shortstop, third base, pitcher and third base again.
• Valdes picked up his first career hit in the 18th inning, but was thrown out at second after a wide throw to first.
• For some reason I will never understand, Ryan Ludwick attempted to steal second base in the 19th inning…with Albert Pujols at the plate.
• Kyle Lohse, a pitcher, played left field while Lopez and Joe Mather, another position player, pitched.
• The Mets were able to score twice off of Mather – but only on sacrifice flies.
• Mike Pelfrey, who earned the save, leads the Mets in wins and saves.
• Only Oliver Perez did not appear in the game for the Mets.
• Last night was K-Rod’s first save opportunity of the season.
• Mets pitchers walked 11 batters and struck out 19.
• The Mets left 13 on base while the Cardinals left 22 ducks on the pond.
• Of the Mets nine hits, all were singles.
• Of the team’s 24 combined hits, only two were for extra bases.
• Six Mets played the entire game.  Five Cardinals lasted all 20 innings.

…did you follow all that?

Manuel’s Musing [Epic Edition]

Jerry Manuel was in rare form before and after last night’s crazy game.  There are just too many gems to pass up…

“I know 'Frenchy' has never managed. You're 25, 26 -- I mean, c'mon. He's a guy that's very likable, very talkative.”

-Manuel on Jeff Francoeur

“That was pretty crazy. This is about the wildest one I’ve been involved in, the longest one I’ve been involved in, the most decisions I’ve had to make. We fought, we fought, we fought all day. We needed to win this one.”

-Manuel on last night’s game

“Pelfrey asked to pitch. He stepped up and said, ‘Hey I can do this.’”

-Manuel on Mike Pelfrey, the closer

“He's on hip-hop, we're playing jazz.”

-Manuel on Jose Reyes batting third

“Fighting all day to stay in the game. We just couldn't mount nothing offensively. We just couldn't get anything going offensively. But, to their credit, they went out and played on the other side of the ball, and played very well. That's a sign of things to come for us.”

-Manuel on last night’s game

Game Recap: Mets 2 – Cardinals 1 (TWENTY INNINGS)

Wasn’t that fun?

The Good

Pitching.  Every pitcher outside of John Maine and Oliver Perez got into this game on the mound (Maine pinch-ran), and everyone tossed scoreless frames except for Francisco Rodriguez.  Mike Pelfrey earned his first career save.  Johan Santana struck out nine over seven innings of four-hit baseball.  He walked only one.  Pretty much every other pitcher outside of K-Rod was downright spectacular.  Could not ask for much more.  13 IP by the bullpen and only K-Rod surrendered a run.

The Bad & Ugly

Hitting.  Just awful.  They were held hitless until the sixth and only had one hit through 11 innings.  They scored their only runs on sacrifice flies – against Joe Mather, a position player, who had a hard time throwing strikes.  They eventually picked up nine hits, all singles.

K-Rod.  How much are you being paid to save games?  Oh, yet you’re the only one to give up a run.  Perfect.

Tony LaRussa’s managing.  Very little of what he did tonight made any sense at all.

Jerry Manuel’s managing.  Very little of what he did tonight made any sense at all.

Game Ball

Mike Pelfrey

On Deck

They’ll do it again tomorrow, hopefully in less time, at 8 p.m.