Game Recap: Mets 6 – Cubs 1

I like Ike.

The Good

Ike Davis, duh.  Making his major-league debut, Davis went 2-4 with one RBI.  He picked up his first hit in the majors in his first professional at bat.  And he looked just fine in the field.  Welcome, Ike.  We like you.

Angel Pagan.  Batting leadoff in the game, Pagan started the big 7th inning with a two-run home run after Jose Reyes, who did not start, was hit by a pitch. 

Jason Bay collected two hits and an RBI and Luis Castillo drove in one on one hit.

Jon Niese’s 5 2/3 innings.  Catching John Maine’s disease and needing 112 pitches to get through 5 2/3 on the mound, Niese allowed only one run, unearned.  He allowed eight hits and walked three, but helped himself with seven strikeouts to work out of the jams.

Fernando Nieve and Jenrry Mejia finished out the game for the Mets with 3 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad & Ugly

Jeff Francoeur went 0-4 and is 0-for-his-last-14 with one walk.

Rod Barajas is now batting .200 with a .191 OBP.

Game Ball

Got to give it to the kid: Ike Davis

On Deck

Tomorrow at 7:10 p.m., these two teams will square off again.

Game Chat: CHC @ NYM [Game 13]

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Lineup, with No. 29 Ike Davis

1. Angel Pagan – CF
2. Luis Castillo – 2B
3. David Wright – 3B
4. Jason Bay – LF
5. Jeff Francoeur – RF
6. Ike Davis – 1B
7. Rod Barajas – C
8. Alex Cora – SS
9. Jon Niese – LHP

Davis will wear No. 29, which was Tobi Stoner’s before he was sent down to make room for Davis.

Game Chat will be up at 7 p.m.

‘The Mets need Jesus in their life’ [Video]

Via the good people at TheMikeFrancesa.com and JLB1031.

Does this mean Mike Jacobs is sticking around?

With the news that first-base prospect Ike Davis is en route to New York and will join the big league club, does that mean Mike Jacobs will stay in the Mets organization?

Jacobs said he wouldn’t report to Triple-A if he was going to play off the bench.  With Davis, Buffalo’s starting first baseman, vacating the position, that opens the position for Jacobs to play every day.  And I doubt they’re going to let Chris Carter play every day.

Unless… The Mets could promote Nick Evans, who is tearing up Double-A pitching for Binghamton and release Jacobs outright.  But that all hinges on whether or not they think the Davis promotion is a long-term or short–term solution.

Poll: Ike up, good or bad?

SNY: Ike Davis will be called up today

That’s Brad Como tweeting, news director for SNY.

Update – 12:26 p.m.: Davis has been removed from the Bisons lineup.

As noted earlier, Ike Davis is in the lineup for the Bisons, but he’ll probably play an inning or two before hitting the road for New York, if he’s not scratched entirely.

No word on if he’ll be starting or not, but I doubt that.  Kevin Burkhardt thinks he’ll start.

Expectations are too high for Ike Davis

I hate to be the sourpuss at the party, but all this chatter for Ike Davis is driving me up a wall.

Yes, it will be nice to see Davis, the likely future of the organization, in his blue and orange Mets uniform at Citi Field.  But no, he’s not going to do much to change the Mets right now.

Promoting Davis from Triple-A Buffalo, where he’s played for only a handful of games, to the big leagues will not greatly affect the team or their chances for the playoffs.  He might hit a little, but he likely will struggle against major league pitching.  He might show a nice glove at first, but he’s not going to win a Gold Glove.

Bringing up Davis now does two things: Throws him to the wolves to see if he can hold his own to hopefully catch lightning in a bottle and attempts to sell more tickets to Citi Field.  These are both last-ditch efforts by what seems to be a lame-duck front office, from Omar Minaya on down.  Minaya knows he’s on the hot seat and Jerry Manuel’s bottom is already burned.  They know they need something – anything – to help take the heat off, and promoting Davis is they see as their best option.

For an organization that rushes prospects through their organization, this should come as no surprise.  Hopefully these crazy moves from a failing front office don’t hurt Davis’ maturation and progress into the team’s next big thing.  But only time will tell.

Davis and Carter in Buffalo’s lineup

I’ll keep track of how long each player stays in the game.  Ike Davis or Chris Carter could play an inning or two before hopping on a plane.

Nick Evans, playing for Double-A Binghamton, has a game at 6 p.m., too.

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Manuel’s Musing

“I think we are really struggling in that area in the sense that I don't recollect too many extra-base hits that we've had. It's tough to put runs on the board if you don't have extra-base pop.”

-Jerry Manuel on extra-base hits

That’s because the Mets only have 15 doubles, 3 triples and 9 home runs.