Manuel’s Musing

“We need Ollie.”

-Jerry Manuel

Game Recap: Reds 3 – Mets 2

I didn’t see the game and I have two finals and three papers due tomorrow.

So, in short: Crap.

Also, here’s a photo of a Phillies fan who is about to be tased/tazed…

More tomorrow.

Escobar out for season

That’s a good $1.25 million spent.

Game Chat: NYM @ CIN [Game 26]

Chat removed, as usual.

Lineup from Cincy

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. Rod Barajas – C
9. Oliver Perez – LHP

Game Chat will be up at 7 p.m.

I will be on WQAQ.com from 7-10 p.m. tonight, but I should be tracking the game via Gameday, Twitter, etc.

Anthony DiComo taking over Mets MLB.com beat full time

First, a little about me: I'm taking over the Mets beat from Marty Noble, whom you may have followed over at Noble Thoughts. I began at MLB.com as an intern in 2007, then did backup work on the Mets and Yankees beats over the last two seasons. Starting today, I will be covering the Mets full time.

-Anthony DiComo on his blog, Mets Cetera

Marty Noble is not retiring, just cutting down on his work.  DiComo is taking over full time starting today.

And for you tweeters, you can follow DiComo: @AnthonyDiComo

The back pages [Images]

Is it a good thing or a bad thing when the team loses and they’re still on the back page?

Also, same photo for Newsday and the Daily News.

Bad time to have a bad game, but…

It’s just one game.

Unfortunately, that was the Mets ace, Johan Santana.  Unfortunately, it came right behind Mike Pelfrey’s also bad game.  Unfortunately, it happened on national TV.  Unfortunately, it happened against the Phillies.

But one game doesn’t make the season.

Yes, we know “every game counts the same,” but one bad game isn’t going to tank the year.  If/When David Wright or Jason Bay go 0-4 with three strikeouts and 8 left on base, we all say, “Just get them next time!”  But if Santana goes out and gets shelled, suddenly everyone see the four horsemen riding in ready to destroy the world – or at the very least, the Mets season.

But it’s just one game.  If Santana comes out and gets shelled in his next start, I’ll start to worry – quietly and to myself.

If he gets shellacked in his next two, I’ll express my worry.

If he gets pounded in the next three, four or five games, I’m packing it in.

But what we saw last night is the inevitable crapping of the bed by a superstar.  Every now and then, they should be allowed to lose, to fail, to underperform.

Manuel’s Musing

“Things kind of unraveled from there. Walking the pitcher there was huge. Those things happen. Unfortunately it happened against this team.”

-Jerry Manuel

Game Recap: Phillies 11 – Mets 5

Can we go back to April?

The Good

Power.  Home runs from Rod Barajas and David Wright accounted for all the runs scored by the Mets.  A three-run blast from Wright in the top of the first inning and Barajas with a two-run bomb.

Yeah, that’s it.

The Bad & Ugly

Johan Santana was tagged for 10 earned runs in only 3.2 IP.  He walked two and struck out only one.  Staked to a 3-0 lead early, he allowed two solo home runs in the bottom of the first.  It all came apart with two outs in the fourth inning as nine straight Phillies reached base.  Santana walked Jamie Moyer with the bases loaded, then surrendered a grand slam to Shane Victorino.  A batter later, he served up a bomb to Chase Utley.  How very, very disheartening.

Gary Matthews Jr. went 0-4 leading off.  Why he was there, no one knows.

Game Ball

David Wright

On Deck

The Mets escape to Cincinnati for a 7:10 p.m. start tomorrow night.