3
2012
Pelfrey Strong Again, I’m Hallucinating, And Ike Davis Walks Off For The Mets In A 7-6 Win
An article by 
Kudos to Mike Pelfrey who looked sharp in his last spring tune-up on the route to a walk-off victory for the Mets over the Skankees, 7-6.
Summary
Either I am going crazy or Mike Pelfrey has actually been pitching better since the last time I yelled at him in a recap. Much appreciated Big Pelf – I will be sure to keep you in line during the season.
On a serious note, Pelfrey pitched 4 strong innings allowing only 2 hits, one which was HR to Swisher for his only ER, and struck out 5. He did not walk a batter which is again, HUGE, for him. 65 pitches for the Pelf overall and a 5:1 GO:FO rate for the balls hit in play show that he was commanding the sinking fastball effectively, at the very least. Niese took over and imploded – allowing 8 hits and 5 ER in just an inning and two thirds pitched. Stevens, Byrdak, and Hampson combined to pitch the remaining 3.1 innings allowing only a H and a BB while striking out two. Hampson finished up the ninth so he vultured the victory.
Offensive explosion of sorts for the Amazins today as they rocked Ivan Nova for 5 ER in 2.2 IP. He allowed 8 hits and drilled two batters – Go ahead and tell me that drilling Tejada after the Thole double was not intentional. It was an act of frustration. 13 hits overall for the Mets today, including 2 from Murphy, Wright, Duda, and Thole. Two RBIs for Davis, who had the aforementioned walk-off shot in the ninth.
Baxter picked up his fifth steal of the spring while Wright got hit with a CS today.
No errors today, no double plays turned, and Pena gunned down Toussen trying to swipe a bag. I tried to make that sound important.
Hero Of The Game
Pelfrey, who pitched well and deserves a pat on the back with only 2 ER in his last two starts.
Notes
Andres Torres, Scott Hairston, and Tim Byrdak all saw time today. No DL for either of the three guys.
Brandon Nimmo, Cory Vaughn, and Philip Evans all saw some defensive time today without an AB.
Pelfrey lowered his spring ERA to 7.62 and Niese’s shot up to 5.73. A little discouraging, to say the least.
On Deck
The Mets finish up their spring schedule tomorrow when they travel to Tampa to play the Yankees once more. 12:05 start in Tampa where Dillon Gee will take the mound for his last tune-up against the Skankees’ Freddy Garcia.
About the Author: Satish Ram
I am a Senior Writer and Editor here at MetsMerized - where I specialize in Minor League coverage. I have been on the staff since 2007 and I am currently in my third semester of college in New York City. You can find me at www.facebook.com/SatishRam or @SilverHeatMMO. Feel free to message me - I love talking about the Mets or baseball overall with anybody.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 26 | 18 | .591 | - |
| Nationals | 23 | 22 | .511 | 3.5 |
| Phillies | 21 | 24 | .467 | 5.5 |
| Mets | 17 | 25 | .405 | 8.0 |
| Marlins | 13 | 32 | .289 | 13.5 |
Last updated: 05/21/2013
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Who else was in the lineup besides Swisher that will play any real games this year?
Eddie,
New York Yankees
1) Brett Gardner LF
2) Nick Swisher DH
3) Eric Chavez 1B
4) Andruw Jones RF
5) Edward Nunez SS
6) Francisco Cervelli C
7) Dewayne Wise CF
8) Bill Hall 2B
9) Doug Bernier 3B
Take from that what you will.
Thee Doug Bernier?
As I’ve been saying all along…
…not surprised at all that Big Pelf found his rhythm.
What’s the difference?
Integrated wind-up with greater torque, higher release point, changing speeds and throwing an out-pitch when ahead in the count.
As I’ve been saying all along…
Bizarre game except the Ike walk off.
Four strong innings from Big Pelf followed by a poor outing from Niese. Safe to say he doesn’t much care for relief appearences?
Double digit hits is always nice – especially when the result in runs.
Can’t believe Byrdak is back just three weeks removed from knee surgery. Still hard to believe we’re going into the season with none of the MLs on the DL (except Carrasco).
@Srt:
I know, right? You’d think, with our luck, we’d be starting with the MLers and the backups on the DL.
@Joey:
I’ll buy into that theory.
Don’t give up yet on my advanced computer analysis calculation – he’s good every year ending in an even number.
When is Jason Bay going to realize he can actually swing before falling behind with 2 strikes. Come on dude hack away at the first good one. They are not paying by pitch.
Friend of mine who saw some of the game said Bay clenched his fist (or something like that) after that second strikeout. A picture paints a thousand words.
I was watching the game and several players on both sides were very unhappy with the K zone and how it seemed to change pitch to pitch.
I know I saw several “you gotta be Eff’ing kidding me” type remarks from Bay and Ike (and other players as well).
I will say that despite the poor numbers, Bay is making better contact now then what he was most of last year. Bay’s been hitting more line drives and fly balls to the OF instead of weak grounders to 3rd.
But the whole Mets strategy is to take as many pitches as you can and try to work out walks.
“But the whole Mets strategy is to take as many pitches as you can and try to work out walks.”
That’s not true at all. Go read all the interviews with their hitting coach. It’s about hunting for pitches you can drive and making the pitcher come to you while threatening to walk if they don’t.
I don’t know where this trying to work out walks comes from. The whole idea is work out hits by not swinging at pitches that produce weak contact or no contact. That and hitting in better counts produce more hits. Walks are just a by product of the approach and in and of themselves are preferable to the low batting average results of swinging at things you can’t do much or anything with.
All good hitters get caught on occasion. Even Keith got caught. It happens but with no where near the regularity of the weak GB or reached for infield pop up of the grip it and rip it approach.
I did also notice Bay hitting the ball in the air, shocking to say the least but he IS a guy looking to take the walk and took strike 3 for that reason. Murphy on the other hand just got caught.
Happens.
Yeah I was reading one of Hudgens comments on Murphy after he hit an infield single on a pitch he couldn’t really reach. Basically, “Nice job kid, but…”
I was being some what sarcastic…I do remember a story a few weeks ago talking about the Mets “walking” strategy and how everyone on both sides of the issue went nuts.
I personally like the idea of taking pitches, not so much looking for a walk, but working the count in your favor, running up a pitchers pitch count, making him throw all his pitches, and mostly zoning in on your pitch to hit.
But working a walk isn’t bad…I know as a pitcher, you never want to walk back to back hitters, so the guy behind you is probably going to get better pitches to hit…or the pitcher is going to “aim” the ball and lose all command.
I know when I’m not hitting well, I tend to get over aggressive (strange, that the same thing happens when I very hot too.) But when I’m struggling, I try to force myself into taking a lot more pitches. There is nothing better than a pitcher grooving you a 3-1 Fastball…and nothing worse than throwing that 3-1 fastball.
I’m not sure if Bay is just zoning, or if he’s struggling, or if he’s trying to work the count or trying to work out walks…I do wish that he was a little more aggressive early in the count sometimes. Strange though, There have been a few times I’ve seen him get aggressive and he gets too aggressive and swings at everything and K after four pitches.
Any time–any time!–we beat that other NY team of lowlifes the world is a very good place!
Russeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllll!!!!!!!!!!!!! my good friend, hope you’re excited to watch this team (on TV) as many of us are
Alexigente!
I am so ready for OD–will be teaching students tomorrow morning in full Mets regalia.
Don’t Mess with the Johan!!!
Lol kudos my friend, i too have my jersey out, i might go sunday as my friend (Braves fan) wants to go and he’s invinting me to go with him.. But it’s eastern sunday so i am not sure..
You need to do a fact check, Pelf had something like 70 pitches not 29. Mike usually can’t get through two innings on 29 pitches, let alone four innings. I know MLB posted those numbers, but they are way off…
As happy as I am to actually see good results from Pelf,I’m not going to get excited until I see him do it against a MLB lineup where he turns the line up over three times. As strong as Mike was pitching, he would have hit the 100 pitch by the 6th inning.
I know I shouldn’t be too picky, I’d take a 6inning 1 run game over a 5.1 4run any day. and I’ll give Mike credit, he’ll go over 100 pitches without much concern when he’s got a really good game going, sadly Pelf get’s knocked out of games because of ineffectiveness more than pitch limits.
Can we get a link to how many pitches he did throw? All the reports I have seen have him at 29 pitches, 25 strikes.
Wonder if MLB just went by the Gameday count – which is not accurate in ST.
They count all walks as 4 pitches, regardless of the true count during that at bat. Same with strikes – 3 pitches only.
Every ball put in play counts for 1 pitch.
Have no idea why they can’t track the true pc. I don’t use Gameday during the season but I have to assume they get it right then.
Last I looked at Pelf’s pc somewhere in the 4th inning, he was at 55. Don’t know what he really wound up with.
Meant ‘same with strikeouts’.
Yeah I noticed it yesterday and was watching the game a little off and on and knew it was not under 30. I also noticed the GD problem about 3 years ago but I can’t find anyone else that did pitch by pitch so I guess there is no real way of knowing.
Just checked. It was 65 pitches through 4 complete innings.
Good find, I know from watching the highlights, that the Swisher HR was Pelfs 53pitch.
And you know where I got that from? The video highlights option y’all added on the new format.
So it’s about 14 pitches per inning…I know in today’s game that isn’t too bad…but I’d prefer a number a little closer to 10 pitches per inning. For Mike to keep that average, he’d have to throw 130 pitches to complete 9 innings, or 100 pitches to complete 7 innings. With our pen and the starting rotation, that number needs to get better or the pen will be wasted by the end of June.
I am not too worried about his pitch count, he’s a big decently durable guy if he needs 120 pitches to get through 7 so be it. Yesterday is about as good as we can expect his pitch count to be considering the lack of walks.
Look at this way,
Pelf needed 65 pitches to complete four innings vs a Yankees “B” lineup and gave up 1ER and 5 Ks.
Gee needed 65 pitches to complete five innings vs the Yankees “A” lineup and gave up 1ER (but run scored because of a Wright Error) and 5Ks.
“Have no idea why they can’t track the true pc. I don’t use Gameday during the season but I have to assume they get it right then.”
they probably don’t have a true official scorer.
Hey guys above, my bad.
I did have to use the MLB stats for pitch count because I take away pitch count from a game lol, I usually expect them to be on target.
Hopefully I can trust them during the season or I’ll have to hope G-K-R give me the pitch count each time -_-
HOW IS IT, PESSIMISM ABOUUNDS AS THE PRIMARY OUTLOOK FOR A FRANCHISE THAT FIRST CORRELATED THE CONCEPT OF “MIRACULOUS” INTERVENTION AND BASEBALL RESULTSDESPITE CONSECUTIVE MISERIES IN 62,63,64,65,66,67,68 OPTIMISM STILL OUTSHONE PESSIMISM IN EARLY APRIL, 1969! SUDDENLY THIS NEW GENERATION OF NYM FANS EXPERIENCETOTAL MEDIOCRITY FOR 07,08.09,10,11 & THAT UGLY PESSMISTIC EMOTION IS STRUTTING @ THE HEAD OF THE THROUGH THE GATES SURGE ON APRIL 5.
IMO, PELFREY STAND TO BE OUR BIGGEST POSITIVE SUIPRISE, ROTATIONALLY THIS SEASON, WHY?
BECAUSE HE SUCKED IN MARCH, ’12 JUST AS HE DID IN MARCH ‘;10 CARRYING A ST ERA OF 6+ & WHIP OF NEARLY 1.5 ONLY TO FINISH THAT RESULTING FULL SEASON WITH 15-9 RECORD 3.66 ERA, 1.38 WHIP BEGINNING WITH 5 STRAIGHT VICTORIES IN APRIL, 2010!
SPEAKING OF “P” WORDS LIKE PESSIMISM, AM I THE ONLY ONE TO NOTE HOW PATTY SNY HAS TURNED IN REFERENCE TO JOSE?
ON GEICO SPORTSNIGHT’S REPORT ON LAST NIGHT’;S MIA/STL OPENER THEY SHOWED REYES CLEAN BH TO RF BREAKING UP LOHSE’S IMPROBABLY NO-NO BID WHILE ANNOUNCER QUERIED IF THAT HIR WAS WORTH 106M?
PREVIOUSLY ON DNL, NEW CONTRIBUTING EMPTY BARREL TIKI BARBER ALLUDED TO REYES’ NOT PROPERLY PREPARING IN THE OFFSEASON CAUSING INJUIES.
DID I MISS TIKI’S BEING SIGNED ON AS JEFF’S SNY ASSISTANT WITH THE BERNAZARD JOB DECRIPTION AS BACK TURNED KNIFE WEILDER?
AS MANY OF U KNOW, I’ ONE OF THOSE WHO HAVE CERTAINLY LOST HIS ENTHUSIASM AS I SEARCH IN VAIN TO RECLAIM IT. PERSONALLY MY BRAIN LEADS ME TO EXPECT A DIVISION FINISH OF:
NATIONALS
MARLINS
PHILLIES
BRAVES
METS
)FINALLY, AS A PARTING GIFT TO JEFFREY (I HATE METS) LORIA HIS VERY HIGH PRICED DEBUT OF HIS “NEW” TEAM,LOGO,STADIUM HAS BEEN FOREVER BRANDED WITH HISTORICAL FIRSTS THAT HAVE DISTINCT FADED BLUE & ORANGE MARKINGS:
1st ASSIST: REYES
1st BH: BELTRAN
1st RS: BELTRAN
1st MIA BH: REYES
SOB DESERVES IT! DISTINCTLY MISSING FROM LAST NIGHT WAS JOSE,JOSE,JOSE CHANTS I’M CERTAIN REYES LONGED TO HEAR.