Game Recap: Nationals 3 – Mets 2

Twenty-three combined hits, five combined runs.

The Good

I’m going to slot in John Maine’s start into “The Good.”  Sure, he threw almost 90 percent fastballs, but he surrendered two runs over six innings.  They came on back-to-back homers in the third inning.  He walked four (one IBB) and struck out five.  You know, I’ll take it.

My boy Hisanori Takahashi.

Every Mets position player had a hit.

Alex Cora taking over for Jose Reyes.  He made an awesome stop and backward flip from his stomach to save a run in the 9th and singled in the bottom half of the inning.

Angel Pagan homered in the 9th to give fans a glimmer of hope, until…

The Bad & Ugly

…That hope was ripped away by a check-swing strikeout by Jason Bay to end the game.  Youch.

Only two of the Mets 12 hits were for extra bases.

The Mets left 11 runners on base.

Pedro Feliciano was in wayyyyy too long.  I’m fine with him facing Adam Dunn, but Josh Willingham and Ivan Rodriguez?  Wrong.  The run he gave up ended up being the game winner.

Jose Reyes and Jerry Manuel were tossed.  Not really awful, but yeah…

Game Ball

Pagan.

On Deck

Mets and Nats do it again tomorrow, 7 p.m.

Game Chat: WAS @ NYM [Game 32]

Chat removed, as usual.

Lineup for first versus Nats

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. John Maine – RHP

Game Chat will be up at 7 p.m.

Blanco to bereavement, Thole up; Santos demoted

Henry Blanco has been placed on the bereavement list as he deals with a family illness.  Josh Thole is up from Buffalo to replace him on the roster.

Youth movement!

Just kidding.

In other catching news, Omir Santos has been demoted to Double-A Binghamton from Triple-A Buffalo.  Shawn Riggans will take over at Buffalo.

What a fall from grace.

Twitter Poll: What to do with Oliver Perez?

Ah, Oliver Perez.  Nothing riles up Mets fans more.

After yesterday’s short and walk-ridden start, what should the Mets do with Perez?  I took to Twitter to find out.  Here are some responses…

purple_fairy5: get rid of Ollie i'm sick of his antics.

cwatt08: eat the terrible contract and move on. Make a push for Roy Oswalt as well. (Ed. note: It’s not 2005 anymore.)

Jessica_Teresa: Get rid of him!

kevin_tor: Hire Dan Aykroyd and Daniel Stern to kidnap him and keep him from playing the rest of the season.

charlieryczek: take him out back and finish him the way of ole yeller

Majin_Bernard: Take him out the rotation, make him clean up the garbage that keeps being blown onto the field.

SwagBucksFan: burn him at the stake

MrMustSeeTV: The best thing the #Mets can do is release Perez and eat his salary. At the very least, they'd remove the problem.

Well, that about solves it.  Release him, make him a garbage man or put him out of his misery like Ole Yeller.  Just what I expected.

Manuel’s Musing

“We have to take everything into consideration as we contemplate and chew on it and marinate on it and see where we are.”

-Jerry Manuel on the bench

Marinate on it?  I don’t think that’s how it works, Jerry.

Game Recap: Giants 6 – Mets 5

The wind giveth and the wind taketh away.

The Good

The wind.

Raul Valdes in relief.  3 2/3 innings, two hits, two walks and three Ks.  Too be it was after Ollie.

Jason Bay and his wind aided hits.  He picked up two hits and two RBI on the day, but has to thank the wind for both.

Jose Reyes went 2-4 with two runs scored.

Ike Davis picked up two more hits and walked two more times today.  I like Ike.

The Bad

The wind.

Oliver Perez.  Seven walks in only 3 1/3 innings.  Only two hits, though.

11 walks by Mets pitchers in the game.

Jenrry Mejia serving up the go-ahead homer in the 8th.  Enough of this, send him down.

David Wright with 4 Ks and getting tossed in the 9th.  If the Mets managed to tie it up – due to Jerry Manuel’s poor bench managing – the Mets would have had to put a position player in the field somewhere.

Jerry Manuel’s poor bench managing.  (It deserves to be noted twice.)

Game Ball

Jose and/or Ike.

On Deck

The Mets welcome the Nationals to Citi Field tomorrow, a 7 p.m. start.

Manuel’s Musing

“I think this could give you the confidence late that you can still win ballgames.”

-Jerry Manuel

Ed. note: Enjoy Mother’s Day and the pink bats at the Mets game.  No chat today, for obvious reasons.  Have a wonderful, albeit it freezing, Sunday.

Game Recap: Mets 5 – Giants 4

Walk it off, Hank White.

The Good

Henry Blanco!  Second straight day, second straight walk-off home run from a catcher.  He went 3-5 on the day, too.  Let’s go.

Creating runs.  The Mets had three runs in the first three innings thanks to walks and wild pitches.  They could have had a lot more, but good enough.

Johan, baby!  He ended up giving up four runs on eight hits, but again, he did not have his best stuff.  He walked none and struck out six.  A good bounce-back after getting shellacked for 10 earned last time out.

Hisanori Takahashi.  Tak tacked on two more Ks.  Love it.

Francisco Rodriguez.  Two walks in two innings, but that was it.  He made it a little interesting, as usual, but was able to keep the Mets in it.

The Bad & Ugly

Taking out Santana for Fernando Nieve, then Pedro Feliciano.  They ended up surrendering the lead as the inherited runner scored.  Thumbs down.  Let Johan finish it out himself.

The Mets had only three hits through six innings, but amazingly led the game the whole way.

Game Ball

Blanco, who else?

On Deck

Mets and Giants finish it out on Mother’s Day at 1 p.m.

Game Chat: SFG @ NYM [Game 30]

Chat removed, as usual.