The Mets had a huge inning against Odalis Perez scoring six runs in the bottom of the third.  It looked as if they would cruise to the finish, but the Nationals would not go down with out a fight.  New York blew a six run lead but, they seem to have found some offense at the right time and are playing like winners.  After the game was tied at seven, the Mets scored six more runs to win 13-10.  This is a hard time right now, the Mets have a three and half game (four in the loss column) lead with just 17 games left to play.  This is right where the Mets were last year when they blew the seven game lead.  But, this year is different, these Mets are different.  

The Mets scored six times in the first inning to complete the sweep of the Brewers on Wednesday afternoon.  The big hit of the inning was a grand slam off the bat of Ryan Church who was back in the line up today after sitting out last nights game.  Church seems to still be trying to get himself back in game shape and it is good to have him back.  I was so happy for him when the ball left the yard, you know he has been itching to get back into the thick of things.  After Church hit the grand slam, Brian Schneider followed with a solo homer two batters latter.  The Mets did not score again until Nick Evans hit a two RBI pinch hit single in the eighth inning.  

Saturday nights loss was a bad one for the New York Mets as they gave up single runs in the eighth and ninth innings and the Flordia Marlins finished off the comeback with a 4-3 victory over the Mets. When you are in a playoff race like the Mets are right now, you can’t be losing games like that.

With the Mets up 3-0 on a two-run home run by David Wright and a rbi single by Luis Castillo, the Marlins started their comeback in the sixth inning. Dan Uggla singled to center field off of Mike Pelfrey to score the first two Marlins run. Then in the eighth inning, MIke Jacobs hit a solo home run to tie the game. In the ninth it was Aaron Heilman who walked in the game winning run to give the Marlins the 4-3 victory.

With the loss and a Phillies win, the Mets are only up one game in the division. Pedro Martinez will get the start on the mound Sunday so hopefully we will see a Mets victory.

The Mets failed to sweep the Marlins losing 8-2.  Mike Pelfrey who looked as if he had started to figure some things out, has now struggled in his last three starts.  On top of that Pelfrey has failed to win a game against the Marlins this season.  Thus far his numbers against Florida are staggering; in three starts he is 0-3 with a 10.66 era.  For a second start in a row, Pelfrey has failed to go at least five innings.  In Sunday’s start he worked just four and two thirds, giving up six runs on seven hits, he walked three and stuck out three.  Eddie Kunz come in to relieve Pelfrey, with two out and the bases loaded, the run scored on a wild pitch.  Kunz then walked Matt Treanor to load the bases once again, but he got the pitcher Josh Johnson to strike out swinging to end the inning.  In two innings of work Carlos Muniz allowed two runs (two solo homers) on three hits, he didn’t walk a batter and stuck out two.  Joe Smith and Scott Schoeneweis both tossed scoreless frames.   

The Mets offense was abysmal in the loss, only able to muster two runs off six hits.  In the third inning, Endy Chavez lead off the inning with a triple, he would score on a ground out by Jose Reyes.  In the sixth inning, Jose Reyes lead of with a single, advancing to third on a wild pitch by Johnson, and then scoring on a single to center by David Wright.  After looking as if he might be coming out of a slump, Carlos Beltran was 0-3 with a walk.  Beltran was not the only 0-fer of the game; Carlos Delgado was 0-4 with two stikeouts.  Dan Murphy continues to swing a hot bat, he hit a double, and was 1-3 with a walk.

I don’t really know how to feel about this loss.  I thought that Pelfrey had really seemed to find a good groove and was pitching well, but in his last three starts or so, he really hasn’t been great.  The bullpen has been terrible so the Mets really need their starting pitching to be in there for the long haul, or at least until the bullpen can get somebody out.  As far as the offense goes, there are going to be days when you just face a good pitcher and things will not go your way.  I can accept that-so I guess it remains to be seen if this is an aberation, of it the Mets bats are going to go silent. 

Right now, the Mets have a chance to “take care of business” as they will play five with the Pirates (one a make up game) and three with Washington, both teams are the worst of their divisions.  The Mets have played well against teams that are over .500, this year they are 16-9 against the Phillies and the Marlins, but only 6-5 against the Nationals and Pirates.  The Mets have to get it done against those teams. 

Ryan Church is in Port St. Lucie trying to get himself major league ready.  I had heard rumblings that he could be back as soon as August 19th, but given the circiumstances, that might just be wishful thinking on my part.  

The Mets and Pirates are scheudled to start at 1:10 p.m. on Monday afternoon. 

Mets Blog

Thank god Carlos Beltran finally hit a homerun.  Now, every time he comes up to bat, I don’t have to hear that he is now homerless in 82 at bats.  Yes, it took 82 at bats, or 20 games for Beltran to hit a homerun.  Clearly, the Mets need Beltran if they are going to stay in the mix.  In the last six games, Beltran has had four multihit games.  He was 3-3 last night with 3 RBI.  He also said that he felt really good at the plate and that everything finally seemed to be working at the same time. 

It’s not just Beltran who has heated up. David Wright was 3-4 with two doubles.  Wright, who talked his way into the line up last week when manager Jerry Manual wanted to give him a day off has really been in good form at the plate.  Wright is a gamer and goes out there day after day.  I know earlier in the week, I was a little hard on him in the blog, and I thought rightfully so, works and plays so hard, has really redeemed himself after have two bad games in a row against the Padres.  And, because Carlos Delgado has continued to hit well in August-one can only imagine the kind of run the Mets could go on if the three of them were hot at the same time.  Combine that with what Daniel Murphy has brought to the Mets this past week and it could get exciting.  It was Murphy’s fist major league homer, a two run (pinch hit) shot that gave the Mets a 7-4 lead in the bottom of the sixth.  Murphy is hitting .500 in his short time with the Mets, and if he continues to be this productive, him might just figure in the Mets plans going forward (I’m thinking post season roster).   

Speaking of debuts, Brian Stokes made his first start for the Mets on Saturday.  Stokes went five and two thirds innings, allowing four runs on seven hits, walked one and stuck out six.  He allowed to big homeruns, both of them came with one on and two out.  After Stokes left the game, it took five different relievers to close out the game.  Joe Smith allowed two runs on three hits in just a third of an inning of work.  Aaron Heilman worked around a one out walk in the top of the ninth to get his second save in two days.  

After the Astros disaster the Mets took two of three from the Padres, and if all goes well today, the Mets could possibly make a strong statement with a sweep of the Marlins.  The Mets really needed to play well in this series, not only did it get them back into second place, it gets the crowd back into it and I think it gives them confidence going forward.  Also, yes, they didn’t play well against the Astros, but they didn’t let it carry over either-and it was important for them to stop the slide when they did.

Sunday’s starters: Mike Pelfrey 10-7 with a 3.85 ear and Josh Johnson is 2-0 with a 3.34 era.  Game time is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. 

Mets Blog

The Mets took the first of three from the Marlins 3-0 on Friday night.  That win combined with the Phillies loss put the second place Mets just one game out of first place. 

Oliver Perez pitched a really good game for the Mets.  In seven innings of work did not allow any runs, and the only two hits he gave up didn’t come until the seventh inning.  Perez, who has been much better on the mound, did walk three, but unlike earlier in the season, he was able to work around them.   Aaron Heilman worked two innings to earn his first save of the season.  In two innings of work he did not allow a baserunner and struck out three.

The three runs the Mets scored were courtesy of a two run homer by David Wright in the first inning and a solo shot by Carlos Delgado in the fourth inning.  After much chatter about David Wright needing to step it up, he has had some much better at bats and has really helped the Mets offensively.

The Mets play two more with the Marlins and then will play a make up game with Pittsburgh on Monday. 

Mets Blog

Pedro Martinez allowed two back to back homers in the first inning, but really settled in there after.  When he gave up the second homer, I was thinking that maybe he is done, maybe it is time to hang it up.  But in six and a third innings of work, he allowed three runs, only two earned on four hits, walking three and striking out three.  After the first inning, he pitched much better.  However, it is hard to watch him pitch like this knowing what he use to be.  Generally speaking, I think it is hard to watch the great ones age and not perform as they once did. 

On a side note, who are these umpires kidding?  I have harped on this pretty much since I started contributing to this blog, I find it so frustrating that there is no consistency to his to their strike zones, some guys have strike zones the size of postage stamps.  Again, last night, there were several questionable calls; for example, in the top of the third there were at least three pitches that Pedro threw that should have been strikes, but weren’t called as such.  But, in the bottom of the third the first pitch to Jose Reyes was a curve ball, but it bounced-and it was a called strike.

So, what is up with David Wright?  Two boneheaded base running mistakes in back to back games, at the  start of play last night 0-15 at the plate.  It was his error in the seventh inning that allowed the go ahead run to score.  Largely, David has gotten a pass and I do think that is because he is third in the NL in RBI and he plays hard (mostly) and goes out there everyday.  But his struggles have a lot to do with where the Mets are now.  That being said-there is plenty of blame to go around. 

The offense put up only two runs.  Rookie Dan Murphy hit his first triple scoring on a fielder’s choice. he also had an RBI in the game.  The team left 10 guys on base, and with the exception of the opening game against the Padres, the offense has been feeble at best.  Carlos Delgado seems to be coming back to earth and Carlos Beltran hasn’t done anything; both of them were hitless in last night’s game.  There doesn’t seem to be any answers for the Mets offense, if they guys they have don’t come around, it is what it is.  The Mets are counting on Wright, Delgado and Beltran.  And clearly, Delgado’s July performance put the Mets back in the mix, but someone has to break out of this funk otherwise, it will be the end of August and the Mets will have put themselves back in a hole. 

July was such an exciting month for the Mets, but I always worried that it could come back to this and it has.  Night after night, it has been one thing after another and the Mets have struggled to win games.  After the all star break, it was the bullpen, now it is a lack of offense.  As days go by there is more and more pressure to win because there is less time to make up games, do the Mets have the intestinal fortitude to pull themselves up and play like they are capable of playing? 

Eddie Kunz got one inning of work last night and gave up on run, a solo homer to Chase Headley in the eighth inning.  Pedro Felicano entered the game in the seventh inning, he walked one and stuck out one.  He was the guy who got the ground ball that David Wright misplayed.  Scott Schoeneweis pitched the ninth inning putting up zeros.  It doesn’t appear that lefty John Niese will be called up to make the start against the heavy righty line up of the Marlins-no one is sure just yet who will make the start, two of the names mentioned are Nelson Figueroa and Brian Stokes.

Today’s starters: Johan Santana 9-7 with a 2.86 era and Josh Banks 3-4 3.65 era.  Game time is scheduled for 12:10 p.m.

Mets Blog

Powered by the bat of Fernando Tatis, the Mets survived Aaron Heilman’s ninth inning outing to take the first of three from the Padres 5-4.  Tatishad a great night at the plate, going 2-4 with two homers and four RBI.  The crowd was so excited that Tatis was actually called from the dugout for a curtain call (as seen in the picture above).  Not only was Tatis really the main source of offense last night, but he continues to swing a hot bat, extending his hit streak to 11 games.  The Mets got a little a little help from the rookies as Daniel Murphy hit an RBI double in the seventh to record his first major league RBI and Nick Evans hit an RBI double in the eighth inning-that run ended up being really important.  The other guys in the line up really struggled Jose Reyes, David Wright, Brian Schneider, Damion Easley and Carlos Delgado all were hitless in last nights game.  However,  Carlos Beltran; who has been moved back down in the order had a good night at the plate as well going 2-4 with two runs scored-if this guy would ever get hot the Mets could really put a nice win streak together (again). 

Mike Pelfrey pitched a decent game.  He gave up two runs, both solo homers.  He worked just six and two thirds innings, walked one and stuck out three to earn his 10th win of the season.  I know the Mets hoped that Pelfrey would have worked deeper into the game, espeically considering that the bullpen was without Wagner, but Pedro Feliciano worked an inning and a third without giving up anything.  Because Billy Wagner was placed on the 15 day DL prior to last nights game, manager Jerry Manual said that the bullpen would be a closer by committee.  I thought maybe because the Mets had a four run lead that we might see Eddie Kunz, guess not.  And really, would he have been worse than Heilman?  This whole bullpen by committee thing, never works but if this is the way they are going to have to do it, I hope Heilman has been thrown off the committee.  What a terrible outing!  He left the game giving up three runs retiring only one batter that he faced.  Granted, there was a ball that was misplayed by Argenis Reyes, but Heilman walked the lead off hitter which was an indication that the things were not going to go well and I had a sinking feeling they were about to get worse after he gave up the three run homer.  But, Joe Smith and Scott Schoeneweis each faced one batter to close out the game,  Schoeneweis actually got credit for his first save of the season. 

This was a win the Mets needed, and because the Marlins beat the Phillies 8-2 last night, the Metswho are still in third place are now just two games out.  With the Marlins and Phillies playing each other, it is a win-win for the Mets, if they play well.  They might not be in first when that series is over, but if they play well against San Diego, they may make the race just a little tighter. 

I know that the Mets are going to have to fill roles in the bullpen without Wagner there-but I just don’t see Aaron Heilman filling that role.  He has been a disaster recently, and I know you have to tip toe around and not hurt any one’s feelings, but this guy is a freakin’ headcase.  I am so sick of him out there. What is frustrating is, he can be good, and we’ve seen him pitch well, but I think deep down he is still pouting about not being a starter.  Geez Aaron, get over it.  As for the rest of the guys, I feel a little about relief pitching like Bill Parcells feels about kickers, you have one job to do-go out and do it! 

 Wednesday’s Starters: Pedro Martinez 3-2 6.16 era and Cha Seung Baek 3-6 5.22 era.  Game time is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.  

Mets Blog