The New York Mets bounced back from their extra inning loss on Thursday, winning 7-1 and taking the first game of the interleague series against the Texas Rangers.  The Mets were desperate for a win and played well on Friday getting both great starting pitching and some offense.  On a day when reports again surfaced that Willie Randolph’s job is in jeopardy, the Mets went out to save him for one more day.   

Oliver Perez was on the mound for the Mets and with him you never know what you are going to get.  It looked as if it might be a long night when in the top of the first he gave up a homerun to Josh Hamilton.  But, that would not be the case.  Texas mustard just three hits the entire game.  Perez pitched seven solid innings only walking three (come on, if you’ve watched Ollie pitch, you know that is a big feat), he also had 8 strikeouts.  Perez has really benefited from having Pedro Martinez around.  Funny, both of their contracts expire at the end of the season, maybe they end up somewhere as a package deal.  All kidding aside, Perez has had two good outings since the debacle in San Francisco, but that is the problem, you never know which Perez will take the mound.  He did his job yesterday though and in a time when the Mets are really struggling he went out and put up a great performance.  Not only did Perez pitch well, he hit a single in the bottom of the sixth that drove in a pair of runs.    

The bullpen did their job as well.  And how long has it been since we could say that?  Then again, with a 7-1 lead you would hope that this would be a wide enough margin that the bullpen could hold the lead.  Scott Schoeneweis pitched an inning of relief and put up zeros across the board.  Duaner Sanchez came into the game in the ninth, issuing a walk but recording two strikeouts. 

The Mets scored two in the bottom of the first.  Jose Reyes got aboard with a single and moved to second on a ground out by Luis Castillo.  With David Wright hitting, Reyes advanced to third on a balk, Wright hit a bullet, but right to second baseman Ian Kinsler.  Carlos Beltran hit into right field and Reyes would score.  Carlos Delgado drew a two out walk, and he and Beltran would successfully complete a double steal with Marlon Anderson at the plate.  Anderson hit a bouncer to third, but German Duran’s throw sailed on him, and Anderson was safe at first and Beltran would score to make it 2-1  The Mets would add another run in the bottom of the fifth on a sac fly by Wright.

 In the bottom of the sixth the Mets did what they had failed to do during their losing streak, and that was tacking on runs late in the game.  Carlos Delgado singled to lead off the inning; he would score on a single to right by Marlon Anderson, Brian Schneider would single to right and that advanced the runner to third.  Endy Chavez hit a ground rule double (by fan interference) allows Anderson to score and Schneider to take third.  After a pitching change, Oliver Perez hit a bloop single that just cleared the glove of the short stop allowing both Anderson and Schneider to score and the Mets would go on to win it 7-1. 

The Mets played much better on Friday night.  But the whole team seems to be in shambles.  As I mentioned before the stuff with Willie Randolph has to stop.  Either fire him or put it to rest.  Enough already!  To me, he seems less culpable in this last go around then he was early in the season when the Mets were just going through the motions.  But seriously, how can players respect a guy whose job is hanging by a thread?  Why listen to him if he could be gone tomorrow?

Here is a surprise; Moises Alou is on the DL again, with the same calf injury that landed him there the last go-around.  Clearly they are not going to be able to count on him and they have acquired Trot Nixon from the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Who knows when Ryan Church will play again and whether he’ll be able to come back and be the player he has been for the Mets prior to the head injury. 

I don’t know if anyone caught the Phllies-Cardinals score last night.  In case you missed it, they won 20-2; Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Pat Burrell hit back to back to back homers.  The Phillies are a very good team, and they play so differently from how the Mets play, almost like how the Mets played in 2006 and in parts of 2007.  I wish we could get those Mets back.  The Mets are in trouble, the Phillies are the team to beat, and in a head to head match up I think the Phillies would kill us right now. 

The Mets and Rangers continue their series tonight with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m.  The Mets send Pedro Martinez to the mound and the Rangers will counter with Kason Gabbard. 

Mets Blog