Manuel’s Musing

“He was able to bob and weave and keep himself out of trouble”

-Jerry Manuel on Mike Pelfrey

Game Recap: Mets 1 – Braves 0

Get out the brooms!  Ugliest shut out I’ve ever seen.

The Good

Rain.  Thanks, Mother Nature.  Saved the bullpen tonight and gave the Mets a rain-shortened sweep over the Atlanta Braves.  We owe you one.

A shut out.  It was ugly, but it will go in the books as a shut out for the Mets.  (Raul Valdes’ one pitch ruined the complete game shut out for Mike Pelfrey.)  Pelfrey was far from sharp, allowing five hits and walking five.  But, he was able to work himself out of trouble inducing two inning-ending double plays to work himself out of jams.

Pelfrey is now 4-0 this year and has a 24-inning scoreless streak.

A Reyes Run.  Angel Pagan and Luis Castillo failed to get on in the first, so Jose Reyes came to the plate like a leadoff man, but with two outs.  Reyes singled and stole second.  Jason Bay followed with a single of his own, as Chipper Jones made a diving stab and his throw was late and bounced away from Troy Glaus.  Reyes, who was running, scampered home for the games only run.

Luis Castillo went 2-3 with two singles.

The Bad & Ugly

Pelfrey’s pitchcount.  It took 106 pitches for Pelfrey to get through five innings of work.  Only 59 of those landed for strikes.  Yikes.

David Wright looks lost at the plate.  Absolutely lost.

Pagan has one hit in his last five games with two walks.

Ike Davis’ two strikeouts.  Tommy Hanson’s curveball completely fooled Davis in both his at bats.

Game Ball

Jose Reyes

On Deck

The Mets welcome the Dodgers to Citi Field tomorrow for a 7:10 p.m. start.

Lineup for Sunday night baseball

1. Angel Pagan – CF
2. Luis Castillo – 2B
3. Jose Reyes – SS
4. Jason Bay – LF
5. David Wright – 3B
6. Ike Davis – 1B
7. Jeff Francoeur – RF
8. Henry Blanco – C
9. Mike Pelfrey – RHP

The weather may have a hand on whether this game is player / delayed.  Stay tuned.

Game Chat will be up at 8 p.m. regardless.

Some stats for your Sunday

These were sent to me by reader Jack W.  Thought they were pretty interesting…

Only 3 teams (NL) have allowed fewer runs and all 3 have played 1 less game.

• Giants: 51
• Padres: 57
• Cards: 59
• Mets: 64

Only 5 teams (NL) have better run differentials

• Phillies: +33
• Giants: +28
• Padres: +22
• Cards: +17
• Mets: +10
• Brewers: +10 (skewed because of the 20-0 Pirates game)

The Mets are one of the hottest teams in the NL going by the last 10 games

• Padres: 8-2
• Mets: 7-3
• Astros: 7-3
• Marlins: 6-4
• Nats: 6-4

The Mets lead the league in putouts

• Mets: 513
• Nats: 489
• Rockies: 488

Thanks, Jack!

Manuel’s Musing

“If we continue to play good defense and the pitching does what it does, we'll be OK.”

-Jerry Manuel

Game Recap: Mets 3 – Braves 1

That’s three in a row, if you’re counting at home.  (Also 5-1 this homestand.)

The Good

Bark at the Park Day.  I love dogs.

Jason Bay: 3-4, 2B, RBI.  That double to dead center was a rocket.  Is someone heating up?

Jon Niese was a bit wild, but… 5 1/3 innings, five hits, five walks and only one run.  He struck out six.  Still winless, but continues to pitch well.

Manny Acosta vs. his old team.  Acosta earned the win with 1 2/3 hitless innings, walking one and striking out three.  Not bad, not bad at all.

K-Rod makes it easy.  A 1-2-3 9th inning was way, way easier than yesterday.  More of these, Frankie.

Henry Blanco stole a base.  Yeah, I know!

The Bad & Ugly

Only five hits, three of them by Bay.  Blanco and Francoeur picked up the other Mets hits.  But only four strikeouts.  Yay?

Frequent Fernando and Perpetual Pedro.  They turned in a combined scoreless 8th inning, but it’s only a matter of time before their arms both fall off.

Game Ball

Jason Bay

On Deck

Sunday night baseball on ESPN tomorrow, an 8 p.m. start.

Game Chat: ATL @ NYM [Game 18]

Join in and chat with your fellow fans!
Chat removed, as usual.

Lineup for Saturday matinee

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

Last night I tweeted that Castillo looked like he came up limping after sliding into home – more so than usual – and today he’s out of the lineup.  Could be the usual day off for Castillo, or it’s something to keep your eye on.

Game Chat will be up at 1 p.m.

Manuel’s Musing

“If the game dictates that you've got a chance to win it you've got to do everything you can.”

-Jerry Manuel on winning

Game Recap: Mets 5 – Braves 2

It’s never easy.

The Good

Ike Davis’ first career home run.  It was an absolute bomb, 450 ft. to the Shea Bridge.  The legend grows.

Hisanori Takahashi out of the ‘pen.  Taka, who came in for an injured John Maine, tossed three innings, striking out seven batters(!).  He did allow one run, but hey, out of the pen in relief of an injury, and seven Ks?  Nice.

The new lineup.  Hooray for small sample sizes.

Chip Hale, Mets third base coach.  Infield fly, runners advance and Hale send Angel Pagan from third as no one is covering the plate.  It was a strange set of circumstances, but Hale and Pagan both kept their heads in it and it paid off.  Who says Pagan is bad on the basepaths?

Jose Reyes and Jason Bay’s back-to-back triples.  That’s always fun to watch.

The Bad & Ugly

Maine’s non-throwing arm.  Muscle spasms and pain in his left elbow forced Maine out of the game in the fourth inning.  While on the bump, Maine allowed one run on four hits and two walks.  He struck out three.  He’s listed as day-to-day.

Francisco Rodriguez loves to make it interesting.  A hit and a walk brought the tying run to the plate before K-Rod closed out the game, passing Mike Pelfrey for the team lead in saves.

My nerves.  Seriously, K-Rod, you’ve got to stop doing this.

Fernando Nieve’s arm.  Though he never got into the game, Nieve was seen warming up at least twice.  His arm is going to fall off by June.

Game Ball

Hisanori TaKKKKKKKahashi

On Deck

Mets and Braves do it again tomorrow afternoon, a 1:10 p.m. start.