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Does anybody out there really trust Jorge Sosa anymore? Let me rephrase that... anybody except Willie...

Off season acquisition Matt Wise is ready to join the Mets and may be activated as soon as tomorrow.  Wise, you may remember, hasn't pitched since being placed on the disabled list on April 8th with what was originally called a minor bruise on his right arm.

His activation from the DL will certainly place the Mets in a conundrum. They must decide on who to send down between Jorge Sosa and Joe Smith. If the decision was based purely on performance the answer would easily be Joe Smith hands down. Unfortunately, money changes and complicates everything.

Joe Smith has several options remaining and can easily be sent down to New Orleans with no repercussions. However, sending Jorge Sosa down would not be as easy. He is under contract and can refuse a demotion, get released and still get paid his $2 million dollar contract.

Here are their current season numbers...

Jorge Sosa - 15.2 IP, 20 hits, 4 HR allowed, 8 BB, 9 K, 6.89 ERA

Joe Smith - 11.2 IP, 9 hits, 0 HR allowed, 3 BB, 8 K, 3.09 ERA

What would you do...

Send down Jorge Sosa and risk losing him, or send down Joe Smith?

Posted by Joe D. at 08:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Hey everyone! The NL East report is a brand new feature here at Metsmerized, which I'll be covering every Wednesday. The purpose of the report is to fill in Mets fans of the happenings of their division rivals during the week. Let's get the first one started, and discuss the Atlanta Braves.

Atlanta Braves: The Bravos are currently 12-14, lying in 4th place in the NL East. The key for the Braves right now is staying healthy. Today, second baseman Kelly Johnson was scratched from the lineup due to lower back soreness. There aren't any signs pointing to this becoming a serious problem, but Atlanta simply can't afford to miss his bat in the lineup (Johnson hit 16 home runs with 68 RBI's last year). Also, pitcher John Smoltz was placed on the 15 day disabled list on Monday due to right shoulder inflammation. The return of Tommy Glavine to the Braves staff softens this blow, but talks are beginning for Atlanta to return Smoltz to his old job at the closer's position. I suppose this could potentially save some milage on Smoltz's arm, but I think their current closer on the DL (Rafael Soriano: 70 strikeouts in 72 innings last season) is perfectly capabale of shutting the door this season.

Philadelphia Phillies: The Phils have been on a bit of a roll of late; they've now won 4 of their last 5 games. Their play could improve significantly with the return of speedy center fielder Shane Victorino from the DL. Its not even as though the Phillies needed Victorino; center field fill-in Jayson Werth is hitting .289 with 5 home runs and 13 RBI's this season. A big strength for the Phillies this year has been their bullpen. Closer Brad Lidge has notched 12 K's in 11 innings this year, with 6 saves. Lefty JC Romero has a 0.00 ERA so far this season, and veteran Rudy Seanez has quietly provided steady relief this season. The Phillies have lefty Steve Kline on their Triple A team, he should be able to contribute to the big club at some point this year.

Florida Marlins: One of the biggest surprises in the game right now, the Florida Marlins are still in first place in the NL East, nearing the start of May. The Marlins offense is being headed by Hanley Ramirez, Josh Willingham and Mike Jacobs this year, and all are currently raking at the dish. As of this writing, Willingham's hitting .341, Ramirez has 8 home runs with 18 RBI's, and Jacobs has hit 7 home runs. Their starting pitching's held up, staff ace Mark Hendrickson has a 3.68 ERA with 4 wins. I don't expect the Fish to continue this level of play, but right now their the team to beat in the NL East.

Washington Nationals: I didn't think the Nationals would be very good this year, but I didn't think they'd be this bad. The Nats are currently 10-17, in dead last in the NL East. There are many reasons why the Nationals have played poorly this season; for one, their missing Paul Lo Duca, Dmitri Young and Elijah Dukes to the disabled list. Behind the plate, Johnny Estrada continues to let Omar Minaya know that releasing him was a good choice. Estrada's hitting under the Mendoza line, at .194 without a home run. The franchise's cornerstone player, Ryan Zimmerman, is hitting .241 with 3 home runs so far. The Washington outfield is definitely a weakness of the team so far. Right fielder Austin Kearns is struggling mightily so far, with a  .189 average. Lastings Milledge has just 4 hits in his last 6 games. Left fielder Wily Mo Pena is hardly providing power this season, he hasn't hit a home run in 46 at-bats this year. If Washington continues to play this way all season, the Mets will only have to sweat the Braves, Phillies and Marlins.

Posted by Milo Taibi at 06:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Where to begin? The Mets got absolutely trounced by the Pirates, to the tune of 13-1. Oliver Perez had one of his terrible starts, the type that Mets fans have gotten way too used to.

Perez only lasted 1 2-3 of an inning, giving up five runs while on the bump, and having another two charged to him after he left the game. Of the seven runs Perez allowed, only two were earned due to a Luis Castillo fielding error. Perez walked one in the first, and only faced four batters. In the second, it was an entirely different story.

12 Pirates came to the plate in the second, and only three of them picked up a hit. Perez walked four in the inning, and allowed five runs before being removed for Nelson Figueroa. Figueroa allowed a single to the first batter he faced, allowing two runs to score, both charged to Perez.

No comment.

OK, I'll comment. Honestly, it just does not look like he's focused. Maybe the delay hurt him, but he just looks lost on the mound. He fools with his mechanics, which must bother the living heck out of the coaching staff. I'm far from closing the book on him for this season, but on the track he's running so far, it looks like it's going to be a long season and an even more interesting offseason for him as he most likely tests the free agency market. Good luck Scott Boras.

Figueroa allowed a RBI single in the fifth inning for the only run charged to him. Jorge Sosa pitched the sixth, allowing five runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out one. Sosa was on the wrong end of two errors in the field, one by David Wright and the other by Angel Pagan.

Figueroa pitched because he was skipped in the rotation yesterday, due to the rainout. Not a great performance, but decent when you look at the situation. This is probably Sosa's last day in a Mets uniform for a while, as Matt Wise could be activated by Friday. Again, when Sosa is on, he's great, but that occurrence has become more and more rare this season.

The Mets broke up the shutout in the bottom of the sixth inning as Carlos Beltran walked to lead off. Ryan Church followed that up with a double to center field, driving in Beltran all the way from first. Carlos Delgado picked up the only other Mets hit today, singling in the fourth inning.

Church is the bright light amongst the dark. That last sentence is not supposed to sound like some religious banter, but after this game, some Mets should consider it.

Pedro Feliciano turned in a scoreless inning, allowing one hit. Aaron Heilman pitched a perfect eighth and ninth, striking out one batter.

Poor Heilman. The one day he turns in a six up-six down performance, the Mets are down by two touchdowns (without the extra points).

The Mets committed three errors in the game, allowing nine unearned runs to score.

Numbers: Mets: 2 hits...Pirates: 12 hits...Walks: 16 combined...Strikeouts: 15 combined...Perez: 55 pitches, 28 for strikes...40 Minutes: Time the game was delayed due to a water main break, courtesy of the construction on Citi Field...Team LOB: 10...Xavier Nady: 3-3, 2 BB, 3 RBI, 2 runs...

Game Ball: Church

Via: The 'Ropolitans.  My days here are dwindling down.  I'll let you know more at a later date. 

Posted by Andrew V. -- TheRopolitans.com at 05:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

Week 5: April 26, 2008 - Billy Wagner acheived great accomplishment, 9 straight innings pitched without a hit. Yeah, a "No Hitter!" Too bad it doesn't count in the record books, but it counts to us Mets fans. Keep up the great work Wagner!

Photo courtesy of Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

Posted by Kelly Horn at 01:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Let me start out by saying “kudos” to the fans at Shea last night for not booing Carlos Delgado.  It’s time we put this whole thing behind us, once and for all, and just root, root, root for the home team!  And just to set the record straight, I never said booing was nice.  I don’t boo players.  But the same way booing is not nice, neither is ignoring the fans when they want a curtain call.  Two wrongs don’t make a right.  I don’t agree with booing and I don’t agree with Delgado not giving a curtain call.  I think we, as bloggers, need to choose our words more carefully when criticizing the tendencies of other fans.  It’s okay to disagree.  But since we all share one common goal (to bring a World Championship to Flushing) we should respect and appreciate each other’s opinions. 

As far as the players go, they need to remember that playing professional baseball is a privilege, not a right.  It is because of us, the fans, that they are able to do what they love for a living and never have to work again.  They are living the life they live partly because of the talents they possess, and partly from the support the fans give them.

Great performance by Jose Reyes last night, getting on base six times.  Although he was the one who caused the game to go into extra innings, his offensive show was worth it, since the Mets did win.  

Duaner Sanchez and Billy Wagner had their first taste of trouble this year, although Wagner’s was due to Reyes’ ninth inning throwing error.  But they each managed to get out of it.  It was nice to see Wagner pitch the 10^th inning as well.  Great job by Willie using his pitchers last night. 

Hopefully the Mets can take the final game of this rain-shortened 2-game set this afternoon at Shea, and head to Arizona with a winning momentum.  Let’s Go Mets!!

Posted by MetsWrighter at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Mets attempt to complete the two game sweep with the early afternoon game today at Shea. First off, last night showed the luck of the rain-out as the Mets bullpen got rest and then had to be used heavily last night. Oliver Perez will try to prevent use of the bullpen today as he faces off against his former team.

Perez hasn't had much success against his former team, but like anything with Perez, thats a very complicated statement. When you look at his career line against the Pirates, he has pitched 3 games against the Pirates, and only one against the Pirates after he was traded to the Mets. In those three games, he has an 0-2 record 14 IP, 5.14 ERA, 12 BB and 14 K. Seems like a Perez type line. His 2007 loss to the Pirates has one of more strange lines in baseball: one game, loss, 6 IP, 5 R, 0 ER, BB, 9 K. Basically, thanks to spotty defense, the Mets blew that game for Perez. The hitting stats against Perez are also something to admire:

    Nady 2-5
    Bay, La Roche, Paulino, Sanchez combined 0-12, 5 K

The pitcher, Tom Gorzelanny, for the Pirates has had a tough year. In any season, when you make 5 starts and only have one quality start, its a tough ride. His last quality start was his first start of the season and since then he has struggled including two outings where he lasted 2.1 and 2.2 innings. Overall he is 1-3, 5 G, 22.1 IP, and 8.46 ERA. To add to his stress, last year he took a loss against the Mets after only last 2.1 innings giving up 6 ER (23.14 ERA), walking 3 and striking out one. Mets hitting against Tom:

    Reyes 2-6, 2 RBI
    Wright 2-5, 2 2B
    Church 0-3
    Delgado 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI

Delgado is the player I will be paying attention to today. He had a great day Sunday, and then followed it up with an 0-5 day at the plate. Depending on what he does today is very important because he needs to show that he can bounce back. Going with that, pay attention to the Mets with runners in scoring position, because over this 3 game winning streak, the Mets have still left, what has felt like, a lot of runners on base.

Don’t Forget to go to 213 Miles From Shea For More Mets News!

Posted by 213 Miles To Shea at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

It has been been speculated that if Yankees catcher Jorge Posada's injury is much more serious than originally thought of, they may try and contact former Met great Mike Piazza for a tryout. While this would anger a great majority of loyal Met fans, I would actually be excited to see Mike Piazza playing baseball again, even if it's on the wrong side of town.

I have always been a fan of Mike Piazza long before he became a Met in 1998. He plays with class on the field, and has proven to be an even classier individual off the field. He has not yet officially announced his retirement yet, which indicates that he is still interested in playing at least one more season.

As New Yorkers, I think we owe it to him to give him that chance as fans, even if it is with the Yankees. We seemed to be forgiving with previous Met stars Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden and David Cone for reviving their careers with the Yankees. I don't think Piazza should be viewed any differently. No matter what happens, he will always be a Met in my heart. With all he has accomplished in his career, he deserves to go out with an big ovation and not forgotten. I would also like it if Piazza played at least one more season so he wouldn't have to go into the hall of fame with Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens when they are (and will be) inducted.

I would definitely like to hear your opinions regarding this issue if it were to become true. A lot of our staff writers list Piazza as their favorite all-time Met, and a lot of fans came out to cheer him on at Shea when he was a member of the San Diego Padres and Oakland A's. I am wondering what their views on this are? Either way, I think this is a interesting topic for debate.

Posted by NYgroove at 07:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)

After a very rough start to the day, going 0-4 with two strikeouts, David Wright comes up in the bottom of the 11th with the bases loaded and delivers with a game winning single just fair down the right field line to put the New York Mets on top over the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-4.

Johan Santana made his sixth start for the Mets, and left with the lead, but ended up receiving a no decision after the bullpen blew the lead in the eighth and ninth. Santana had his shortest outing of the season, lasting only 5 2-3 of an inning.

Santana allowed a solo home run to Nate McClouth on the second pitch of the game. McClouth is absolutely tearing up opposing pitchers so far, as this is his seventh home run of the season. In the fourth, Santana was taken deep again, also for a solo shot this time by Jason Bay. Santana left with the bases loaded in the top of the sixth inning, but Pedro Feliciano came in and got Adam LaRoche to check swing a ball to short to end the threat.

Not his best stuff today, as his pitch count was way up there early in the game. I believe he was up to 80 or so pitches through four innings, and ended up throwing 114 overall. Again, not his best outing, but he rarely gets off to hot starts and he's used to pitching in a dome, so just give him time before he really shines.

The Mets tied up the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. Wright began the inning with one of his two strike outs, which was followed by a Carlos Beltran walk. Ryan Church came to the plate and drove a low and inside pitch deep to right field, just to the left of the Mets bullpen.

I'm officially in love with Church. He's such a solid player. Just awesome.

Endy Chavez, who was batting 1.000 against Pittsburgh starter Ian Snell coming into the game, led off the fifth inning with a single to left. After a Santana strike out, Jose Reyes crushed a ball off the wall in right. Chavez came all the way around to score and Reyes slid in headfirst to third base with an RBI triple. Luis Castillo followed that up with a walk, putting runners at the corners. Wright then grounded what looked like an easy double play ball to short, but Freddy Sanchez couldn't handle the toss and everyone was safe as Reyes scampered home on the play.

Beltran then walked to load the bases for Church. After he worked the count full, Snell delivered a pitch well outside the strike zone, and Church thought he picked up another RBI with a walk. Home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt saw it differently, and wrung up Church. Church was livid, jumping off the ground and mouthing off to Wendelstedt, and rightly so. Delgado struck out looking to end the inning.

Unbelievable call by Wendelstedt. The ball crossed the inside of the right hander's batter box, and was not even close to home plate. Ever. Crazy. The Mets have been getting lucky, getting some lucky breaks against some teams that are not that good. They need to start doing the runs scoring by themselves.

Aaron Heilman began the seventh inning, allowed a leadoff single to Jose Bautista and walked Ronny Paulino before retiring his first batter. Heilman was removed for Scott Schoeneweis who got a fielders choice for the second out. Schoeneweis then threw a ball in the dirt, which Raul Casanova could not handle. The ball got away and Bautista took off for home. Casanova pounced on the ball and made the fall away throw to Schoeneweis who came in to cover the plate. Schoeneweis applied the tag and ended the inning without allowing any runs.

It was a close play at the plate, and he looked pretty safe to me. They claim his hand went over the plate, but I'm not too sure. I'll take it though. Great play by Casanova. He's deceivingly quick on his feet.

Duaner Sanchez came on to bridge the game to the ninth inning with a two run lead. Sanchez allowed a single and a double to start the inning before getting Bay to strike out swinging for the first out. After an Xavier Nady walk to load the bases, Sanchez then walked LaRoche to drive in a run. Sanchez rebounded nicely, getting a fielders choice and a pop out to end the inning.

Again, not his best stuff. Sanchez should take the eighth inning role, but no one seems to be sitting pretty there. My only hope is that they don't overwork Sanchez.

Billy Wagner entered the game with a one run lead, looking to close it out and earn the save. Ryan Doumit pinch hit, and grounded one to Reyes at short. Reyes bounced the throw to Delgado, who couldn't handle it and Doumit was safe at first on Reyes' throwing error. Brian Bixler (great name) pinch ran for Doumit and moved to second on a Wagner wild pitch. Wagner then picked up two outs and looked like he would get out of the inning with the save. Freddy Sanchez then hit a single to center which tailed just out of Carlos Beltran's diving reach to drive in Bixler and tie the game. Wagner got Bay to strike out to end the inning.

Very surprised the error came back to bite Wagner, even though it was an unearned run. I thought he was going to get out of it, but the ball tailed away just enough. Nice recovery though. He still has not let in an earned run this season.

Wagner pitched the 10th inning, as the Mets could not get on the board and walk off in the ninth, allowing a one out double to LaRoche. The ball hit off the top of the wall in left, missing a home run by about a foot. Wagner escaped the inning without and damage being done. Jorge Sosa pitched the top of the 11th, allowing a one out single before retiring the side.

Chavez led off the bottom of the eleventh with his third hit of the day, a single to center field. After a balk by John Van Benschoten, Marlon Anderson sacrificed Chavez to third. The Pirates then intentionally walked Reyes, keeping his "perfect game" intact. Reyes went 3-3 at the plate, walking three times, driving in one and scoring once. Castillo walked again, his third of the game, loading the bases for Wright. Wright delivered off the first pitch, singling the game winner deep into the corner in right field, driving home Chavez and winning the game, the Mets third in a row.

Numbers: Reyes: 3-3, 3 BB, RBI, run, SB...Chavez: 3-5, 2 runs...Church: 2 RBI...Reyes/Castillo/Wright/Beltran: 9 walks combined...Team LOB: 9...

Game Ball: Reyes

Via: The 'Ropolitans. Woo! 

Posted by Andrew V. -- TheRopolitans.com at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Hey we just got some good news on Moises Alou and it looks like he's going to be activated on Friday. Bart Hubbuch from the NY Post just put this up on his blog...

Left fielder Moises Alou does not have a fractured ankle and is scheduled to be activated by the Mets on Friday. Alou is in the clubhouse today and speaking to reporters at the moment. Catcher Brian Schneider, however, is still in the hospital with that staph infection. More details (and the lineups) to come ...

Adding Alou's bat to the lineup will make it more potent, especially against right handers. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Moises can stay healthy for us for the rest of the season. With the very capable Angel Pagan on the bench, he should be able to get plenty of work giving Alou a breather now and then.

The news isn't so good on Brian Schneider and I wonder if he still ends up landing on the DL...

Posted by Joe D. at 05:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Tonight, the Mets will go for another three game winning streak and they will try to do this against the Pirates. Thanks to the rainout, this is technically game two of series, but really, its game 1. The Mets have their ace going tonight, Santana, who lowered his ERA to 3.12 in his last game pitched.

I was at his last game and he gave up a lot of hits, it wasn't until the sixth inning that he really started to settle down and be dominant (for his last two innings). That being said, his line still looked pretty good allowing only 2 runs over 7 (which goes to show that their is a difference between watching a game and looking at the box in the morning). Anyway, the last time that Santana pitched against the Pirates was in 2006 during Interleague play. I'll give you a guess how he did against the Pirates. He got the win, went 7 innings, posted a 1.29 ERA for that game, walked no one and struck out 5. Here are some Current Pirate hitting stats against Santana:
    Gomez 8-14
    Nady 1-9
    Bautista 0-9
I have always liked Gomez, who played off the bench for Baltimore for a few years. Welcome back to Nady as well, and please keep up your current numbers against Santana tonight.

For the Pirates tonight, they have Ian Snell pithcing tonight who over 5 games and 30.1 IP, has a 2-1 record with a 4.45 ERA. The Right hander pitched against the Mets twice last year getting an 0-1 record over 11 IP. He posted a 7.36 ERA, 18 Hits, 9 earned runs. As a bright spot for the Pirates, he didn't walk any batter and struck out 12. Here are some Mets hitting stats against Snell:
    Reyes 3-12, 2B, 3B, RBI
    Delgado 2-7, 2B, RBI, BB
    Wright 1-7, RBI
    Chavez, 3-3, 2B
If for some reason, the Mets need to pinch hit while Snell is still pitching, these stats suggest that Chavez should get the nod (although I believe all three AB are from the same game, but 3-3 means that he is getting some sort of good look of Snell's pitches).
Lets Go Mets!

 Also, hello to everyone out there. My name is Elliot and I will be doing Game Previes and more. I hope you all enjoy these entries and if you have any questions/comments don't hesitate to email me at eteich@umd.edu. I also write over at 213 Miles From Shea. So check it out for other Mets related news.

Posted by 213 Miles To Shea at 03:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Ahhh, refreshing April showers, better late than never. The bullpen could have used a day off a few days ago, but last night’s rainout should do just fine. There were some negatives to the day off however. Anytime I have to wait an extra day to watch Johan pitch, it’s a bad thing. Obviously, if Delgado finally had some momentum, you hate to see an off day. And finally, the New York media had extra time to stir the pot on the infamous Curtain Call scandal. I know others have written about it, but I can’t help myself. Am I the only one that thinks it’s great that Carlos still has the confidence to expect great things from himself? He doesn’t just expect solo shots in the 7^th; he expects power…in a timely fashion, with runners on and the game on the line. Personally, I assumed his confidence had been shattered, perhaps beyond repair. So let’s enjoy the abbreviated series with the Pirates. Let’s enjoy each and every pitch Johan throws. Let’s enjoy a refreshed bullpen, if it’s used. Let’s go Mets!

On an unrelated note, today is a great day to give Omar Minaya a HUGE pat on the back, even an “atta boy” if you’d like. Today is the beginning of Barry Zito’s bullpen career. I don’t know about you, but I was really looking forward to watching Zito throw his filthy curve in a Mets uniform. Omar’s decision not to give Zito what he wanted contractually looks better with every 82mph fastball he throws.  Thank you Omar!

Posted by Pete Balich at 02:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Yes, it's true and it pains me to say it. We have created such a feeling of hostility in our own home park that it has permeated into the minds of the players and turned our Mets fan base into a laughing stock throughout all of sports.

We have made it a burden for the Mets to relax at the plate because of the unrealistic expectations we have for each player. It has become as though the weight of the world rests upon the shoulders of each and every player and I'm not just talking about those players who happen to be in a slump.

What my biggest fear is that someday beloved players such as David Wright and Jose Reyes will one day leave for the serenity and calm of a team like the San Diego Padres or Arizona Diamondbacks. If and when that happens we will have nobody to blame but ourselves.

When the Brooklyn Dodgers left us starving for National League baseball, we were left with a giant hole in our hearts. The Mets filled that heart with joy and it didn't matter how bad they were, we loved them.

In 1969 they rewarded that love and loyalty with a World Series trophy that we could all be proud of. Since then the team has had their ups and downs like any other team, but their love affair with their fans was a thing to marvel at.

Those days are now gone because of an impatient society that has been fueled by sports reporters and beat writers who couldn't care less, a sports talk radio show that revels in the failures of the team and it's players, a team sponsored network that is disconnected from the team, and a blogosphere that has gone out of control with negativity and the fascination with the power it yields irresponsibly.

It's a cocktail for disaster and the New York Mets are unfairly swept inside it.

The most unfortunate part is that all those things I mention are not representative of the majority of undying loyalists to the team like myself. The majority of Mets fans are the most supportive fans on earth, but their voices simply are not loud enough to drown out the mindless utterings and negative rantings of the aforementioned.

For the majority of Mets fans it's a travesty... a travesty that is perpetuated each day with the constant barrage of sensationalizing each and every player's misstep or dissecting and over analyzing every players quote. It's not only sad, but disgusting as well.

Everyone is smart enough to realize that for some reason mostly all Mets players hit better on the road, yet they are too naive to see that we are the cause of it. They hit better on the road because that is where they are most relaxed and most comfortable. A homestand has become a great, giant burden for them.

How can we possibly win anything, when we've taken away our team's home field advantage?

How can we hold players responsible for failing to produce in the hostile environment we created?

We have let renegade bloggers and writers warp our good sense. We have let what were supposed to be the radio and cable home of the Mets destroy the fabric of our loyalties and convictions. We have become unique in the sports world for this utter monstrosity.

Shame on us... 

Posted by Joe D. at 08:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (48)

I know it’s not my night, but since we have been rained out, what the heck…

What is the problem? So Delgado didn't give us a curtain call after his second homerun in yesterday's win against the Braves. Boo-hoo. I mean a curtain call is nice and all, but there is no right or wrong time to do it. A player doesn't have to do it. The fact that we are wasting time discussing Delgado’s curtain call (or lack of) at all instead of just being thankful for a great game, is so hypocritical. We booed him because he wasn't performing. Then he performs, and we boo him for no curtain call. There's no pleasing us.

I know it's New York and we expect the best. I know that players are getting paid loads to be number one. And believe me, I am neither agreeing with nor opposing Delgado's actions. But players and fans alike need to understand something. Die-hard fans have an emotional involvement and attachment to their team. When we boo a player, we are not making any personal attacks on him. Usually, it’s not because we don’t like the person. We really just want to light a firecracker under him to get him going, and basically just let him know that we are disappointed in him and his current play. We have a right and an obligation to do that. And we hope that he will become disappointed enough in himself to snap out of it.

Similarly, when a player does well, we want to celebrate with him and let him know how thankful we are that he is here helping us win! Whether or not Delgado or any other player gives us a curtain call doesn’t change the outcome of the game, the series or the season. However, the fans who haven’t booed him and have no intentions of booing anyone when they are struggling, deserve the curtain call. It’s not fair to them. And those who have taken the booing to the extreme have ruined it for the rest of us. A “boo” here and a “boo” there is tolerable. But we are just going “boo” crazy. Maybe this Mets team feels betrayed by the fans and that’s why they are so unresponsive. How does that make Mets fans look to other baseball fans around the Majors? It’s time to end it already.

And what is this crap that David Wright told Delgado not to go out there? Come on people, do you really believe that the biggest leader on this team would intentionally give another player poor advice? And even if he did, it was ultimately Delgado’s choice, and no one else is to blame. Wright, as short-lived as his career may be, knows New York and is far more mature than that. If any advice was given, it was to in-fact go out there. What difference does it make to Wright if Delgado gives a curtain call or not? I believe that they were actually discussing the at-bat, because that's the kind of player Wright is. By the way, I am not just saying this because Wright happens to be my favorite. I am saying it because I truly believe this is the case.

Posted by MetsWrighter at 08:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

What in the world is all this fuss about curtain calls?? Like I said last night, who cares? As far as I'm concerned the only issue is that Carlos Delgado hit two homeruns and even won a Metsy for crying out loud...

Do we have to make everything so negative all the time... even when we should be happy... why are some reporters always trying to rain on our parade?

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What a heck of a job by Billy Wagner to start the season. I haven't seen him dominate hitters like this since his Houston Astros days. Although his hitless inning streak came to an end at nine innings, he deserves all of our praise for such an amazin' accomplishment. I'm glad to see him backing up all his tough talk in the off season with the type of performance that can only be described as... phenomina... stupendous... magnaminous... scintillating... other-worldly... do hyphenated words count as one... 

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If you enjoy betting on baseball, and believe that the team with the best bullpen wins it all, then place your bets on the New York Mets. I don't care about Heilman's and Sosa's early season flubs. The Mets are all set to anoint Duaner Sanchez as our new setup man, and I'll put our 8th inning and 9th inning end game options against anyone in the game right now, and that includes Joba and Rivera.

* * * * * * * * * *

You can't have it both ways... I'm sick and tired of so called Mets fans going off on Willie when he leaves a starter in too long and then gets shelled, or pulling him out when he's in trouble only to have the bullpen blow the lead. There's plenty of other stuff you can nail Willie on, but please... cut him some slack on this one.

I'd rather be more pissed off at Oliver Perez and John Maine for having 100+ pitch counts in the sixth inning instead. Willie is only doing what any manager would do as far as the way these starting pitchers have been handled so far this season. How about Maine and Perez stop going to full counts on every single batter, and start throwing more first pitch strikes. The baseball odds are that the more first pitch strikes you throw, the better the results. Pitching from behind in the count is not a strategy for success. I bet even our resident baseball guru Christian would have to agree with that.

* * * * * * * * * *

Who's ready for some swashbuckling action against those notorious bungling Pirates? After teeing off on Schmoltzie and T-Hud, I'm ready for some bloody carnage against those original men in black. The man behind our Series Previews, Brian, says that a sweep is in order. Arghhh matey, I'll drink to that!

Posted by Joe D. at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

Thanks to the Mets for beating Hudson and Smoltz…just what I needed to help make this absolute dreary Monday morning a little more tolerable…next…

The second place NY Mets (13-11), continue their home stand against the last place Pittsburgh Pirates (10-15) at Shea. The Mets are 5-5 over their last ten games while Pittsburgh is 3-7.

By the way, tonight is Jets Night at Shea, commemorating the Jets and their years playing at Shea Stadium…

Probable pitchers are…

Monday: Johan Santana, LHP (3-2, 3.12) vs. Ian Snell, RHP (2-1, 4.45)  
Tuesday: Oliver Perez, LHP (2-1, 3.62) vs. Tom Gorzelanny, LHP (1-3, 8.46)
Wednesday:  Mike Pelfrey, RHP (2-1, 4.43) vs. Zach Duke, LHP (0-2, 5.34)

It’s actually extremely hard to write about Johan Santana every time he starts, what am I supposed to say? He’s awesome? Obviously. Ian Snell is a 26 year old who had a break-out year in 2007 with a 3.76 ERA, but the Mets have had his number. Let’s hope that continues. However, it may not have to because Johan Santana is awesome, obviously.

Tom Gorzelanny also had a break-out year in 2007 with a 3.88 ERA. Yet the Mets have also had his number, and in 2008 is having control problems walking 22 in 22 innings. Oliver Perez isn’t the epitome of control but if he can hold it together on Tuesday the Mets should be able to walk, no pun intended, through the game.  

Pelfrey looks to rebound after a couple of shaky starts against Zack Duke. Duke doesn’t walk many batters nor does he strike them out. The Mets need to play aggressive here and swing away as Duke throws the ball in the zone.  

Posted by Brian McGarvey at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

A happy Monday morning indeed Met-heads!

This makes two weekends in a row that I was able to lay my head down at night peacefully, knowing the Mets had won. What makes this victory even sweeter is the fact it came at the expense of John Smoltz and the hated Braves. I always cringe when I know a series against the Braves is coming because if the Mets don’t win I’m going to hear it from all of the Braves fans who have been on the bandwagon since 1991. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you Mets.

Much has already been made about Carlos Delgado not obliging the fans for a curtain call after his second homer yesterday. He claims it was because he didn’t feel it was worthy of a curtain call, but in my humble opinion I think he was making a statement. Not that it really mattered to me, but two homeruns don’t outweigh the inconsistency he has shown thus far. He only did what Carlos Delgado is supposed to do. I realize one of the hardest things to do in the world is hit a baseball, but when you make $16 million doing it I think a little consistency isn’t too much to ask. Hopefully, in addition to the immediate dividends it paid today, he can build on his success. That being said, he can hit 30 more homers and pout in the dugout all year if it means a World Series title.

Because I’m grateful to Carlos for helping to take 2 out of 3 from the Bravos, I would like to honor him with this weeks “Monday Morning Metsy” award. So here’s to you Carlos Delgado, slugger extraordinaire... Be prepared for more booing if you don’t keep improving.

Just a quick personal note today… This past week, the American Cancer Society held it’s annual “Relay for Life “ celebrations to raise money for cancer research, honor survivors and remember those who were lost. I just wanted to throw out a reminder to everyone to get themselves checked, depending on your gender you know what types of cancer. If you have other illnesses that could increase your chances of getting cancer like genetic pre-disposition or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), please take the time to stay current on your health. Your life is not something to fool around with. Visit www.cancer.org for more info! Thank you guys for your attention today and try not to work too hard!

Posted by Adam Baker at 09:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Wow, what a way to make a statement. Today's big win over John Smoltz and the Braves would not have been possible if not for the efforts of first baseman Carlos Delgado.

Delgado launched a pair of homeruns today and we're talking huge blasts, not the the garden variety homers the Mets have been hitting this month. What was most impressive was the opposite field shot which put the Mets up 4-0 at the time. His second one came in the seventh inning with nobody on base and hit the scoreboard.

And yet as fans were filing out of Shea Stadium after the game, it wasn't just Delgado's homers they were talking about, as much as his snub of the fans who demanded a curtain call. Delgado knew the fans wanted one but he decided that his efforts were not worthy of a curtain call. At least that's what he said afterward. Hmm... I wouldn't blame him one bit if he was holding a grudge against the fans for the way they have been booing him over the last two homestands...

I remember Carlos Beltran going through the same situation a couple of years back, and eventually he was urged by Julio Franco to got out and tip his hat which he ultimately did. However, nobody was urging Delgado to do any such thing today, not even his buddies Wright and Beltran.

I don't have an opinion either way, I'm just hoping that we get more of today;s Carlos Delgado the rest of the way. I'm easy like that..

Posted by Joe D. at 08:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

The Mets were fans of the long ball today, knocking three in total, and two from a very surprising source. The Mets won the series over the Braves, taking the rubber game by a score of 6-3.

Nelson Figueroa made fourth start of the year, getting off to a very strong start before faltering in the sixth. Figueroa only allowed three hits through the first five innings, benefiting from a double play ball in the second to get out of a mini jam. The sixth was a bit of a struggle for Figueroa, allowing three singles a double to drive in two runs before being removed for Joe Smith.

This wasn't his strongest start, but heading into the sixth he held the Braves scoreless, which is a great sign. He seems to feed off the crowd at Shea, which is great. He seemed to have a bit of an issue with the mound, and it showed in the sixth. He kept checking the mound after a pitch, so something just didn't feel right for him. Again, I love this guy's story. Keep it up, Nelson.

Smith relieved Figueroa with two on in the sixth, and got what looked like a double play ball to escape the inning, but Brent Lillibridge beat it out at first, and a run scored. Scott Schoeneweis pitched the seventh, allowing some balls to get hit deep, but escaped unscathed. Kelly Johnson crushed one to the wall, but Carlos Beltran was there to track it down and after a Jeff Francoeur double, got a sparkling running grab from Ryan Church. Church tracked the ball down at the wall, just missing a sliding Beltran and making probably the best catches of the year.

Good stuff from these two relievers. I though Smith was going to get out of that inning on his first batter, but Lillibridge showed some nice speed beating it out. Schoeneweis needs to take Beltran and Church out for dinner after saving that inning for him.

Pedro Feliciano pitched the eighth, getting the Braves in order. Billy Wagner came on to close our the game, after Lillibridge hit one to Endy Chavez on the warning track, Matt Diaz stuck out his bat and poked one to right field. This was the first hit he has given up all year as Wagner pitched 9 1-3 innings without allowing a hit to start the season. He finished out the game, getting Gregor Blanco to strike out looking.

Feliciano was nasty in the eighth. He needs to be able to maintain this from appearance to appearance. Great stuff from Wagnet, too bad he gave up that hit. He earned his sixth save of the season.

The Mets pounded out 6 runs and 12 hits, chased John Smoltz after only four innings.

Jose Reyes led off the first inning with a double to right field. After a Luis Castillo ground out moved Reyes to third, Reyes scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch.

When he gets on base, he makes runs happen.

Carlos Delgado drew a one out walk in the second inning, and Raul Casanova drove him in with a home run to deep right field. The Mets then had a big chance later in that inning, as Figueroa singled to third, Reyes walked, and Castillo singled to load the bases, David Wright struck out, his second of the game.

Casanova had a breakout day for the Mets, going 3-4, driving in two runs and scoring once. Huge. Wright got out to a rough start to the game, but got back on the horse later on.

In the third, Delgado began his crusade to get back into the good graces of Mets fans, going the other way and knocking a solo home run into the bleachers in left field.

I love when Delgado waits on a pitch and drives it the other way. He looked very good at the plate, going 2-2 with two walks, driving in two runs, and scoring three times. Now, the question is: Who hit their second homer later in the game?

In the sixth, Wright singled to center field, driving home Castillo who doubled earlier in the inning.

Wright went 1-4 and though he's still in his slump, he's starting to see the ball better and will come around soon enough. I'm not worried about the slump, it just looks worse when the rest of the team is struggling around him.

In the seventh, Delgado crushed a solo home run part way up the scoreboard in right field off of Will Ohman, his second of the day.

Wow. The fans were screaming for a curtain call, but Delgado didn't come out for one. Obviously, he's not back yet, but this is definitely a great sign.

Numbers: 0: Church and Chavez's hits, the only two starters to go hitless...Castillo: 3-5, run...Casanova: 3-2, 2 RBI, run...Delgado: 1.000 BA on the day, going 2-2, 2 BB, 2 RBI, 3 runs...Extra base hits: 6 (3 2B, 3 HR)...Team LOB: 8...

Game Ball: Delgado

Please visit The 'Ropolitans for more things Mets! 

Posted by Andrew V. -- TheRopolitans.com at 04:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

The news couldn't get any worse for the Mets where Moises Alou is concerned.

Omar Minaya revealed that Moises Alou had a CT scan that “showed something.” That something, Minaya said, could be a fracture. He’ll be flying back to New York tomorrow for an MRI.

What's interesting about the injury is that Kevin Burkhardt mentioned that Alou could actually play through the injury during today's Mets broadcast. Gary Cohen was surprised by that statement and asked him if that was a real possibility, to which Kevin replied "apparently so".

This really shouldn't be a real shock considering how fragile Alou has been his entire career.

What worries me most is this...

Where will this teams power come from if Alou was to miss anymore significant time?

We are already among the leagues worst in homeruns with 12. Compare that to Philadelphia's 40 homeruns or Florida's 34 and Atlanta's 30...

Posted by Joe D. at 01:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Posted by MetsGal at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I am not one to second guess managers, but Willie Randolph decision making with the pitching staff has clearly backfired on him and it may cost the Mets a chance to piece together a winning streak early in the 2008 season before the Braves and Phillies do.

I am totally clueless to why Willie has constantly gone to Aaron Heilman in close games? It is clear that his confidence is either shot or he is nursing an injury that he is not telling anyone about. Either way opposing hitters and no namers like Felipe Lopez don't seem to mind as they are having fun teeing off on the former starter, set-up man, now long reliever. Jorge Sosa has fared no better. Is Willie sticking with these guys because he believes in them or is he trying to increase their value? I am clueless on this matter, but I do know that his faith in these guys are costing the Mets games here in the early going.

I would also like to know what Willie has against Oliver Perez? This is twice now that Willie has not let Perez pitch out of trouble in the sixth inning. The only way Perez can develop into a consistent pitcher is to learn from his mistakes. Willie seems to be afraid to let Perez make mistakes. Is he upset about his arbitration winning in the off-season?

The way Willie is managing his bullpen now, I would not be surprised if the entire pen is all used up for the season by the all-star break. I would also not be surprised if he is forced to activate his pitching coach Rick Peterson to take the strain off of the pen.

Posted by NYgroove at 10:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

Posted by Milo Taibi at 04:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

It's no surprise that everyone is looking at the Mets future center fielder. Martinez was signed in 2005 as a non-drafted free agent. Native of the Dominican Republic, Martinez has shown signs of a five-tool player last year as he hit some home runs along with speed and a great arm. He was slowed down, much like Carp, last year because of an injury to his finger in which he missed four games. After the injury he wasn't hitting as much as he was before the injury.

In 2008, Fernando started off slow with an average around .200. However, over the past 10 days, Fernando has a 9-game hitting streak increasing his average to a decent .268. Over the past 10 days, Martinez is batting .304 with 4 doubles and 3 RBIs.

Martinez is only 20 years old, and needs another year to really develop. He does strike out quite a lot, as he has 23 Ks in 22 games played. He's playing full-time in AA so he needs to cut down his swing and make more contact. His hot April can help him increase his confidence and hopefully provide his ticket to the Mets in September.

If Martinez and Carp can continue to hit well in April and May, I expect both of them to make a trip to New Orleans by July. We all know AAA pitching is totally different than AA pitching, but if Martinez can mature and shorten his swing, he can handle it. The future is bright for Martinez, and if he turns out to be the player the Mets think he'll be, then the Mets have got a star in the future.

Posted by Ryan Punzalan at 01:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Posted by Milo Taibi at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

They say that money can't buy happiness, but in the case of Carlos Delgado it's even worse than that. The $16 million dollars he is being paid, actually $20 million with the option included, makes Carlos Delgado the highest paid player on the New York Mets and first base overall. Yes, even more than Albert Pujols! And yet, for Delgado the enormity of that contract has become his own personal cross to bear. He carries it on his back with every single at bat and on every singe play at first base.

Today Joel Sherman of the NY Post takes his shot at Delgado with some biting remarks.

The Mets cannot pretend what is going on with Delgado is a blip, because blips don't last a year and a month. There was always a rate of exchange with Delgado - accept the poor defense get 35 homers and 110 RBIs. But the defense is worse than ever, and the offense would be unacceptable for a middle infielder in 1968. 

What he says is true. This slump dates back too long to call it a slump. It is a certain decline that 80% of 36-year olds go through unless they are on steroids...

It is hard to imagine the Mets offense ever taking off if Delgado continues on this path: one homer, nine RBIs and a .555 OPS, the second worst among 28 qualifying first basemen (Pittsburgh's Adam LaRoche is at .429). At this point, Delgado's 24 homers and .781 OPS that so appalled the organization and Mets fans last year would be a godsend.

I'd take last seasons numbers in a heartbeat!

Nevertheless, with Delgado two months shy of his 36th birthday, we should expect regression rather than rebound. That the Mets did not protect themselves for this contingency off of Delgado's plummeting 2007 is a real blemish for Omar Minaya. Nobody on the roster is a full-time answer.

I wouldn't say it was a real blemish for Omar, maybe just one of those mornings when you wake up with a pimple on the day of your big date... a $20 million dollar pimple.

Mike Carp is tearing up Double-A. But three scouts said the 21-year-old lefty thumper said is not ready for the majors. "I like him," one scout said. "But he is a level-to-level guy who is going to have to do Triple-A, as well, because he has a lot still to learn."  

They should promote him to AAA already!

There will not be a happy ending where Carlos Delgado is concerned. He got a free pass last season, but so far this season he has become the poster boy for all of the Mets failures. He is fast becoming as big of negative impact as Guillermo Mota was in 2007.

Posted by Joe D. at 08:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

What a brutal way to start a homestand...

The Mets lost for the third time in as many games to the Braves tonight by a score of 6-3. The loss dropped them back to .500 for the sixth time this season. In fact the Mets have been playing .500 baseball in their last 100 games.

You knew the Mets were in for a long night right from the start as Mike Pelfrey struggled with his command. He was extremely lucky to come out of the first inning allowing only one run to the Braves who loaded them up and were on the verge of busting the game open early. He weaved in and out of trouble for the rest of the game until he was knocked out by a Kelly Johnson 2-run homer in the sixth. Johnson would drive in four runs on the night.

After having the Braves starting pitcher on the ropes in the third inning, all they could manage were two singles against Jair Jurrjens on the night. Jurrjens loaded the bases and then walked in a run when an obvious third strike to Wright was called ball four. He was so rattled that he went on to walk Carlos Beltran and Ryan Church before getting Angel Pagan to strike out to end the inning. The Mets were up 3-1 after that 46 pitch inning. He would then go on to retire the next ten batters.

You just want to scream! How could they rattle this kid to the tune of three walked in runs and not close the deal? Shame on you Mets!

Tonights Notes

The Mets were completely inept tonight. Carlos Delgado was out of the lineup for the first time this season.

Mike Pelfrey was so bad that he walked Matt Diaz on four pitches. Diaz is a notorious free swinger who has not drawn a walk in his last 96 plate appearances.

I wish the Mets starter's had half of the guts the Braves starter showed tonight. While Maine and Perez implode at the first sign of trouble, this kid looked into the eye of the storm and came back to pitch a gem. He could have wilted but instead he manned up and did the job.

Once again a Mets starter was spotted a lead, and once again they couldn't hold it.

The Mets 1-6 hitters were hitless!

Mets have now lost five of the last six games. Their starting pitcher's ERA is 5.56, and the reliever's stand at 6.75. The hitters are batting .216 during this abysmal stretch.

During the post game coverage on SNY, Gary Apple asked Lee Mazzilli and newbie Harold Reynolds if the Mets were basically just a .500 team. Maz said no way... Reynolds paused and then said they are playing some poor baseball. I'm glad SNY has someone who can finally tell it like it is.

Aftermath
The Mets now have to regoup somehow and figure out how to beat the best one-two punch in the division, Tim Hudson and John Smoltz.

Tonight's Gameball - HA! Don't make me laugh!

Posted by Joe D. at 10:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

According to Adam Rubin of the Daily News, Moises Alou is ailing once again. This time it's his ankle thats hurting.

Mets just announced Moises Alou is not playing in a minor-league game tonight because of left ankle soreness. The team does not know if he will play today in the minors. This might set back his return to Shea for a day or two, at least, though the Mets aren’t even sure when that will be.

This season just keeps getting frustrating as it goes along. So instead of getting back a freshly rested Moises Alou who would be raring to go, we'll be getting back a gimpy Alou.

Posted by Joe D. at 09:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Hey Mets Merizers, Happy Friday. Unfortunately I was unable to finish the blog I was planning to post today. It will be a relatively short blog but the research that goes into it is extensive. So I know how much you all would miss me if I didn’t post something. I know many of you would love to be a GM and feel that you could be a GM so let’s see if you have the basic knowledge to be a GM, take a shot at this GM quiz. Have fun with it…

Roster Rules

1. How many days on the roster will earn a player a year of service?

2. How many years of service time must players have in order to earn veteran status?

3. What does veteran status do for a player?

4. Including the major and minor league rosters, how many players are in an organization?

5. What does it mean to be “Designated for assignment?

6. What happens to a player who is designated for assignment?

7. What is the purpose for designating a player for assignment?

Posted by Christian (MetsMan) at 07:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

You're probably thinking, why legend? Let's face it, Keith Hernandez is the king of comedy with it comes to color commentary. There's something about his informations or antics that make the game even better. No offense to Ron Darling, but every pre-game show I just can't wait to see who's sitting next to Gary. Just to display how great this man is, I prepared a short list on what he says in the booth that makes me crack a smile:

• He calls Gary Cohen, "Gaer" as in, "I noticed something about Delgado's swing Gaer."
• Keith loves to talk about footwear, especially Crocs, or lack of them.
• Mex loves to talk about his Tootsie Roll Pops, usually in a bin or in his mouth.
• Keith seems to point out every ad-placements as possible.
• The Coors Freeze seems to amaze him more than anything
• New SNY camera angles also seem to astonish him as he's always caught saying, "Great angle guys."
• He seems to like color too, as he's always talking about the colored highlighters for his scorecard.
• I keep noticing that Keith makes fun of Kevin Burkhardt so much, especially around other fans and stuff.
  
• ..and to top it all off, Keith just loves to talk about the Cardinals and about events during his time there. He also loves to talk about the Cardinals Minor League system and his time there too. Hello Tulsa.
  

That's not all of them, but yeah, those are the great ones that pop into my head. He has such great chemistry with Gary and he gets extremely entertaining during a blow-out or an extra inning game. His spontaneous jokes are just great and I firmly believe he loves his job way too much.

With fun comes controversy. Of course you all remember the incident with the comment toward women being in the dugout and how he states that a woman should not be in the dugout. Comment aside, he brushed it off and continued to be as random as a commentator can be, and everyone enjoys it.

I may be a bit biased, but I truly think that the team of Cohen, Hernandez, and Darling is easily the best broadcasting team in the business right now. Cohen's perfect play-by-play, Darling's in-depth analysis, and Keith's speech about how he hates the head-first slide just fits every position. Keith's great, and he knows he great.

Posted by Ryan Punzalan at 04:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

4 out of 5 from the Nationals this year…good…good…don’t jump, although last night’s game makes me want to…next…

The second place NY Mets (11-10) are home to take on the fourth place Atlanta Braves (11-11) at Shea this weekend. The Mets and Braves are both 6-4 over their last ten games.  

Probable pitchers are…

Friday: Mike Pelfrey, RHP (2-0, 3.18) vs. Jair Jurrjens, RHP (2-2, 3.20)
Saturday: John Maine, RHP (1-2, 3.57)  vs. Tim Hudson, RHP (3-1, 2.93)
Sunday:  Nelson Figueroa, RHP (1-1, 4.05)  vs. John Smoltz, RHP (2-1, 1.00)

Two young arms are looking to put it together tonight; both have been touted prospects and are finally showing flashes in the bigs this year. Hopefully Big Pelf can bounce back from his last start. Tim Hudson looks healthy again and John Smoltz looks 28 again. John Maine and Nelson Figueroa are going to have to dominate.   

Mets Pen – 3.80 ERA, 1.21 WHIP

Braves Pen – 4.17 ERA, 1.34 WHIP

Offensively…

Mets: .259 BA, 100 R, .343 OBP, .374 SLG, 20 SB (NL Ranks: 8^th, 9^th, 5^th, 12^th, 3^rd)  
Braves: .283 BA, 112 R, .345 OBP, .457 SLG, 6 SB (NL Ranks: 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 4^th, 13^th)

The Braves offense is no joke and their numbers are legit. Unless the Mets start knocking in guys that get on base they are going to be in trouble. Below you will see Moises Alou “out”. However, according to Willie, Moises will make the decision himself whether or not to play this weekend.  

Notable Mets Out – Pedro Martinez, El Duque, Moises Alou, Ramon Castro, Brian Schneider

Notable Braves Out – Rafael Soriano, Mike Gonzalez, Peter Moylan, Tom Glavine, Mike Hampton, Omar Infante

The Braves pen has been decimated by injuries in the early going. Unless our bats start swinging circa 2006, Pelfrey, Maine, and Figueroa will have to keep the Mets in the game and make it a battle of the bullpens. However, I fear this is not going to happen especially against the Braves starting pitching and offense we will be facing this weekend.

Prediction: It kills me to do this but I feel the Mets just have too much to over come this weekend; Braves take 2 out of 3. Please hit me in the face with an egg, I feel ashamed.

Posted by Brian McGarvey at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

"He's my guy. I stick with my guys."

I'm sure there's no need for me to reveal the source of that quote. After all we've been hearing those same words day after day for over a year now.

You can't fault a manager for showing confidence in his players, but at some point you have to draw a distinction between performances that most often lead to wins and those that lead to losses. I have two questions for Willie about last nights embarrassing loss.

1. Why would you bring in Aaron Heilman to pitch in the sixth inning of a tie game with two runners on base after being burned by him three times already so early in the season?

2. Why would you stick with him after he walked Lastings Milledge to load the bases?

It has often been said that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Hasn't there been enough history on Aaron Heilman to know that he is clearly ineffective so far this season? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that his fastballs are all up and he is relying to much on a changeup that lost its potency because he throws it too many times in the count.

What are we paying Rick Peterson for? Is there one pitcher you can name that has shown any improvement from last season? Why are John Maine and Oliver Perez still the same promising pitchers with the same lack of focus and inability to work deep into a game?

Am I the only one who thinks Heilman should have gotten the hook after he walked Lastings Milledge? Especially after seeing that scorching laser he drove down the left field line that just missed being a bases clearing double. Knowing how poorly Heilman has performed of late, shouldn't have Joe Smith and Scott Schoeneweis have already been throwing in the bullpen and on call for the first hint of trouble?

I don't know about you, but as far as I am concerned Joe Smith, Duaner Sanchez and Scott Schoeneweis are the only guys I trust in that bullpen after Billy Wagner.

Last night Gary Cohen revealed that the Mets' bullpen have allowed three of the four grand slams hit so far this season. Pathetic...

When will it be time to usher in the Eddie Kunz era? Kunz is our top relief prospect and closer of the future. Obviously it's too early to claim the mantra of closer of the future, but it may be the perfect time for "the reliever who can throw strikes of the future".

With ERA's hovering around 7.00, can Eddie Kunz do any worse. Maybe I'm just talking out of frustration. Maybe I'm just tired of seeing the same guys get trotted out there and blowing would-be wins for us. Maybe I'm just tired...

Posted by Joe D. at 09:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)

Every time Oliver Perez pitches, the Mets fear they will get this sort of start out of him. When Perez was removed, the Mets bullpen fared even worse. The Mets dropped game two to the Nationals by a score of 10-5.

Perez lasted 5 2-3 of an inning, allowing five earned runs on six hits and four walks. Perez struck out three, and benefited from a double play in the third inning. The Nats got on the board against Perez in the bottom of the fifth, when after two walks and a single to start the inning, Felipe Lopez singled to center field, driving in two runs. Later in that inning, Ryan Zimmerman brought home Ronnie Belliard on an RBI ground out. Perez went out to start the sixth and allowed two singles and recorded two outs before being removed in favor of Aaron Heilman.

This was one of those Perez-will-be-wild-and-walk-everyone kind of games. It was bound to happen sooner or later. He's got the talent, but he still lacks the concentration a pitcher needs. Still, this wasn't downright bad, but it wasn't good either.

Heilman entered the game with two on and two out in the sixth inning. The first batter he faced, Lastings Milledge, working as a pinch hitter, was quickly walked to load the bases. Lopez came to the plate again, and knocked a grand slam home run to the right field bleachers. Heilman then allowed two singles before getting Austin Kearns to strike out swinging. Heilman's line: .1 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K.

I'm actually starting to feel bad for this guy. Nothing he does works out. Eighth inning or sixth inning, he still gets rocked. Rough, but he's a professional baseball player, so he needs to step up and get back on track ASAP.

Jorge Sosa came in for the seventh, getting the first out of the inning before Aaron Boone reached base on a Jose Reyes fielding error. Willie Harris followed this with a walk and Wil Nieves came to the plate and singled to right, bringing Boone home. Johnny Estrada, pinch hitting, again singled to right, scoring Harris. After recording another out, Sosa allowed another RBI single to right off the bat of Christian Guzman.

See: Above.

Pedro Feliciano made an appearance and recorded outs, three of them, allowing a single to Wily Mo Pena and striking out Boone in the eighth inning.

Celebrate! A relief pitcher didn't give up runs!

The Mets jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but could not hold on. Two out RBI hits were the specialty tonight, as all but one run came with two outs.

In the third, Raul Casanova singled to right field to start off the inning. After being sacrificed to second by Perez, and moving to third on a ground out to the right side by Reyes, Casanova came home on Luis Castillo's first hit of the game.

First two out RBI: Castillo. He had a very good night, and a very good series overall. Read on...

The next inning, Ryan Church walked to leadoff. After Carlos Delgado struck out swinging, Church stole second with Angel Pagan at bat. Pagan later walked, and Casanova put a charge into one, to the warning track, which allowed Church to move to third. Perez came to the plate and helped his own cause, singling up the middle and driving home Church.

Second two out RBI: Perez. Strange place to get your first two RBI's of a game, that's for sure. I love when Perez hits. He does that little hop swing. It's just beautiful.

Castillo singled to right to start the fifth. With David Wright batting, Castillo took second on a wild pitch. Castillo moved to third when a pickoff attempt hit him in the leg and skipped into the outfield. With two out, Church singled to right, driving home Castillo.

I love me my Ryan Church. How good is this guy? I'm OK with people jumping on the Church bandwagon, because he's just so good.

The rest of the Mets runs came on solo shots. In the seventh, with two out of course, Carlos Beltran hit a home run to the first row of seats in the right field bleachers. In the ninth, Marlon Anderson came in for a pinch hitting opportunity and crushed his first home run of the year to right.

I'll say it again. I love Beltran's swing. So sweet. Too bad he struck out three times tonight. But when he makes contact, I like it. It's only rivaled by Moises Alou's swing, which we should see at Shea very soon. Good for Anderson, who was only 1-15 before this at bat. He needs to get going in case we need him late in a game.

Numbers: Castillo: 3-5, RBI, run tonight, 5-10, RBI, 2 runs last two games...Castillo: 6 SB this season...Church and Casanova: 2 hits apiece...XBH: Church (2B), Beltran (HR), Anderson (HR)...Mets: 11 hits...Team LOB: 7...Perez pitches: 100 (58 for strikes)...Beltran: 3 K's...Delgado and Wright: 0-4...Felipe Lopez: 6 RBI...

Game Ball: Castillo.

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Posted by Andrew V. -- TheRopolitans.com at 10:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

The next time you see Billy Wagner walk to the mound in the ninth inning, you might be seeing history in the making... Well, maybe Mets history... Or maybe not...

You see, Billy Wagner has started this season by pitching eight straight no-hit innings. Gulp...

That's right, he's just three outs a way from a No-Hitter! Well at least the equivalent of a no-hitter... Right?

This can only happen to the New York Mets...

Either way, let's root for Billy the next time he takes the mound because this might be the closest thing we'll ever have to a real no-hitter. 

Posted by Joe D. at 05:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)