May
21
2011

First Blood: Dickey Dazzles, Murphy Crushes, Mets Top Yanks 2-1

An article by Sean Kenny

R.A. Dickey may have had his best outing of the season, and the combination of Justin Turner and Daniel Murphy provided all the offense for the Mets in their 2-1 win against the Yankees.

Game Notes

R.A. Dickey went out today and pitched a phenomenal game. Robert Allen went out today, and went six innings allowing one run on four hits striking out six and walking three. The only run R.A. allowed was on a Teixiera home run that just went over Carlos Beltran’s glove all of the 320 feet to RF. Dickey got himself in trouble in the early innings, and some strong pitch selection as well as great defensive plays, specifically by Reyes in the fifth ensured Dickey would see the sixth inning

The Mets bullpen today was lights out, going three innings, striking out five and walking none. Mike O’Connor pitched a clean inning with one strikeout, Izzy pitched a major eighth with two big strikeouts and K-Rod pitched the ninth for his fifteenth save, striking out two.

This bullpen has been so crucial in this team’s success.

The offense struggled to get good contact against Freddy Garcia, but after an F.Mart double, Justin Turner kept his torrid RBI pace up, knocking him in with an op.field double in the fourth. The bats were held in check until Daniel Murphy lead off the sixth inning with a home run to that lovely 314 region in right field to put the Mets up 2-1. The momentum of the dog fight style of game seems to benefit the Mets and they play like every hit will win the game.

Justin Turner – 3 for 4 with an RBI – will you be the godfather to my unborn child? If not, cool. Your on a streak right now.

Ruben Tejada – 0 for 4 with two strikeouts (looking) – it’s ok Secret Squirrel, you looked good on defense.

Beltran – 1 for 2 with two walks. Beltran is a major reason the Mets are leading the league in walks.

Turning Point

The Jose Reyes play to end the fifth gave the momentum to the irish hammer Daniel Murphy and his home run.

Game Ball

The Mets bullpen. This is the fourth straight close game and they have continued to do nothing but hold the opponents to NOTHING.

On Deck

The Mets will look to keep their four game streak going, sending Chris Capuano to the mound against the Yankees and A.J. Burnett. Game time is 7:10 P.M.

About the Author: Sean Kenny

Sean Kenny is a student/writer currently attending school at the City College of New York. For more Mets news, notes and thoughts follow him on twitter @TheSeanKenny

15 Comments + Add Comment

Midwestern Met May 20, 2011 at 10:48 pm

So all this happened in one night: R.A. reminded us why we fell in love with him last year, K-Rod and the
bullpen continued their May mastery, Turner’s fire stayed a-blazin’, and
the New York Mets are back at .500. Oh yeah, and we got their by
beating those Damned Yankees. That’ll do.

Read all about it at Midwestern Met:
http://tiny.cc/d1mkd
Mr North Jersey May 20, 2011 at 10:50 pm

Nice win.

WTG Mets.
Hitman May 20, 2011 at 11:07 pm

In the words of the late, great “Macho Man” Randy Savage…

OHHHHHHHHHHHH YEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

Guess Dickey was right when he said he was one good start away from returning to form. Good thing that good start came tonight.
Satish Ram May 20, 2011 at 11:32 pm

The short RF giveth, the short RF taketh.

Yankees got their only run on a fly ball I could have hit and then got that run right back at them with Murphy’s shot. Very amusing.

Great win, feels good all around, K-rod’s a monster, etc, etc.
sarge May 21, 2011 at 5:22 am

R.A. apparently needs good weather for his knuckle ball to wk since I see that last year he came up in mid May and didn’t have to go through all the early season weather woes.
So here we are in mid May again and with the weather improving, warming up hopefully his knuckleball will continue to float like a butterfly.

WTG Mets!
Great win, wow, Yanks are only 1 1/2 games better than Mets.
- Lou May 21, 2011 at 9:27 am
  
  Maybe we’re in the wrong league?
- Metsie May 21, 2011 at 12:09 pm
  
  You know Sarge I had been thinking the same exact thing for weeks but I could not find any statistical data to illustrate it or prove it (Since he wasn’t here last spring) so just let the thought go.
  
  It actually makes a lot of sense when you look at the physics of it but I’m not sure if yesterday was an example of good conditions or just the fact that Dickey really threw a lot harder than usual messing them up.
theonlymaskman May 21, 2011 at 9:31 am

This is more than a nice win; it is a great win against the Evil Empire. The 3 game Subway Series kicks off with guess what? – A Mets win of all things! Oh my! How great! Wouldn’t you know? Let the Yankee fans eat crow starting with Fat Head Mike Francesa. Mike Duh gloated when interviewing David Cone yesterday stating that the Mets were Reyes and Beltran with a pack of Minor Leaguers and would get slaughtered. Well, so much for that theory. Frddy Garcia would have our rooks swinging in the dirt he claimed. Actually I saw very little of that, but a lot of timely hitting, slick fielding and masterful ptiching instead. I loved our new rook Izzy striking out Teixeira on 3 pitches and having A-Rod flailing at outside curve balls. Get a longer bat A-Rd! The Great Self-Appointed Expert has proved how full of Hot Air he is. Lets Go Mets. Oh wouldn’t a sweep be awesome!!! If only that could happen. Who needs Rapture if we have a sweep in the Subway Series!
- Lou May 21, 2011 at 10:10 am
  
  Great post, too bad the end of the world is today so we’ll have to settle on a two game sweep. Isn’t that just the luck of the Mets. Sorry have to go now and get ready for the Rapture, now where is my Wright Met’s jersey and NY Mets cap-want to look good!
  - Metsie May 21, 2011 at 12:12 pm
    
    You know we probably shouldn’t make fun of the guy who said today was doomsday…
    ONE DAY one of these yahoos will be right!
    And there will be no one left to applaud him! LOL
    - theonlymaskman May 22, 2011 at 9:47 am
      
      It’s just not going to happen that way. There will be no prophet with a special insight. It will just happen and that will be that!
  - theonlymaskman May 22, 2011 at 9:55 am
    
    Thanks. I tried to mimic the Schmoozer (Steve Sommers) in my post. I like listening to his wry humor a lot more than the Grand Conceited One. By the way, it looks like we still get a chance to go for the sweep since apparently we’re all still here unless we’re really up in the clouds and just dreaming.
Lifelongmetsfan May 21, 2011 at 10:54 am

1 run! We held the Yankees to 1 run! If only Beltran had worn an extra pair of socks, we would have shut them out! Come on Terry! Get with it will ya! You don’t micro-managed down to the “sock level?”
D.C. May 21, 2011 at 10:59 am

Da Yankees lost. Daaaaaaaaaaa Yankees lost. Gotta like Truck Turner bringing in runs lately.
- Lifelongmetsfan May 21, 2011 at 11:24 am
  
  His opposite field doubles have opposite field doubles.

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