Yesterday, the Mets made the Padres look like they were a powerhouse contending team after an embarrassing 11-5 loss. Luckily the real Padres showed up tonight and the Mets had their bats swinging, Gee dominating, and Citi Field was rocking.

Dillon Gee now has back-to-back good starts since losing his goatee. He was dominant on the mound mixing up his pitches, getting the called third strike on multiple pitches. He has been using more of his secondary pitches this year and it’s been working for him. He’s starting to look like a legit major league starter, even turning me around when I had my doubts about him at season’s start. He ends the night with one run allowed on four hits and three walks in seven innings pitched, while setting a career high with nine strikeouts as well. Gee gets his fourth win of the season.

Tim Bydrak finally got a whole inning to himself, pitching a hitless eighth inning with a walk, strikeout, and he started a nifty double play to retire the side. His arm is going to fall off soon if he doesn’t get a break though. Ramon Ramirez with a one-two-three ninth ended the game and sealed the win.

Mike Baxter got another start in center and leading off. and picked up an RBI double and later scored. Kirk Nieuwenhuis with two hits tonight including an RBI and a run scored. It’s either hit or miss with him, and by miss, I mean strikeout. Still, you gotta expect him to stay in the lineup when Bay comes back and have Torres sitting.

Lucas Duda homered off the Pepsi Porch in the second inning. Fifth of the season. Just before he hit it, Keith said he would like to see Duda be, “a little bit more aggressive at the plate.” Duda also had a walk and a strikeout that was a product of the umps poor calls.

David Wright went 0-3 with a walk and is now hitting .397 this season. The All-Star Game is calling.

Daniel Murphy snaps an 0-15 skid with a two out double in the fifth and later scored on a two run single by Ike Davis. Murphy batting .298.

The aforementioned Ike Davis looks like he may be coming around at the plate. He had another two run single today, that makes four RBIs in the last two games. He also drew a walk in the game. Finally getting cheers when walking up to the plate.

Notes

Chris Young gives up three runs on five hits with one strikeout in 6.1 innings pitched for St. Lucie Mets. First game back after birth of his child. Looking to be Pelfrey’s permanent replacement for the season.

Ump must have had an important meeting after the game, he was calling outside strikes and half swings all game.

Ruben Tejada did some running in Florida today, Mets were not impressed. Don’t expect him back this month. Look for more of Cedeno going 0-4 like he did tonight.

Josh Thole got behind the plate in an extended spring training game today, first time since his concussion earlier this month.

Game Ball

Dillon Gee was rolling tonight. Career high 9 Ks and a dominant start.

Up Next

Santana goes for his second win as Mets continue to host Padres who have Clayton Richard on the mound. Game time is 1:10 on WPIX and MLB Network. Let’s Go Mets!

I don’t know if this bothered you as much as it did me, but on many occasions I found myself getting faked out with the score because my mind couldn’t get past the fact that the number in the middle was the inning.

Here is the the one they started the 2012 season with, courtesy of Amazin Avenue.

And here is the new updated one which was rolled out tonight.

A thousand times better if you ask me.

Hat tip to the MMO Shoutbox peeps!

Could The Mets Be Buyers This Year?

From the comment thread on Hojo’s article today about Egbert’s recall. Metsie wrote something, and I started to respond, and then I said “what the hell.” This is a blog site. Post a blog. So here it is, with inspiration from the unsinkable Metsie, and of course Joe D. Metsie said:

There are a lot of “Fans” who don’t know anything and go solely on the BA List of prospects!
If BA doesn’t mention them then they are deemed no good and not worth having!

Of course anyone who reads Pete’s articles regularly would know that we have a lot of promising kids that are doing well and can be potential pieces in the future of this franchise…

But because they did not get a mention from Baseball America they are not worth squat to us in some people’s minds.

If your not on BA’s list your never going to amount to anything according to them!

And my response:

Thanks Metsie, you know what you made me realize? With the glut of pitching we have right now in the minor league system, you would think June and July might be a very fertile time for SA and Co. to put together an appetizing, tasty little appetizer of a package of minor league arms, for one talented young major league one. I’m not talking Matt Cain, but there must be a Pirates or an Orioles, or a Reds kinda team, that would trade away a young arm to get back three pitching prospects, and bolster their talent pool.

The Mets could be buyers, looking for building-blocks of talent for the future pretty soon.

Starting Lineup

1. Mike Baxter, lf
2. Kirk Nieuwenhuis, cf
3. David Wright, 3b
4. Lucas Duda, rf
5. Daniel Murphy, 2b
6. Ike Davis, 1b
7. Rob Johnson, c
8. Ronny Cedeno, ss
9. Dillon Gee, rhp

The Mets and Padres try to play game two tonight. Last night, after a 68 minute rain delay, Hefner went back out to look for the success he established in the first inning, but he didn’t have it. David Wright brought the game closer with a homer, but then the bullpen stretched it out again. Tonight Gee will take on Anthony Bass tonight.

Dillon Gee gets the call for the Mets tonight. On the season he is 3-3 with a 5.44 ERA over 8 games and 49.2 innings of work. Gee is coming off of a successful bounce back start where he allowed 3 ER over 6.2 innings of work. Last season eh made one start against the Padres where he allowed 1 ER over 6.2 innings of work and 5 hits. The Padres have the following numbers against Dillon Gee:

Guzman 0-3
Maybin 1-2, 2B
Venable 0-3
Hundley 0-1

The Mets bats will get a crack at Anthony Bass tonight, who is 2-4 on the season with a 2.89 ERA. In the month of May he has made 4 starts with a 3.51 ERA and an 1-1 record. Last season he pitched 4 innings of relief against the Mets allowing only one earned run. The Mets have the following numbers on Anthony:

Hairston 0-2
Wright 0-2
Wright 0-2
Baxter 1-1
Cedeno 0-1

Let’s Go Mets! Check 213 Miles From Shea!

The Mets announced that they have optioned LHP Robert Carson to Double-A Binghamton and purchased the contract of RHP Jack Egbert from Triple-A Buffalo to replace him on the roster.

Egbert has been having a fine season at Buffalo where is 2-3 with a 2.08 ERA in 17 appearances spanning 26 innings. He has allowed 22 hits and 5 walks while striking out 17 batters.

Carson allowed two runs in three innings over two games with the Mets.

The Mets also announced that reliever D.J. Carrasco has been released from the team. In two seasons with the Mets, Carrasco went 1-3 with a 6.11 ERA in 53 innings pitched.

Thoughts from Joe D. – Yesterday I wrote the following on this situation:

I’m not going to go into another diatribe on why Josh Edgin isn’t ready like I did a couple of weeks ago, but I wonder how many Mets fans realize that among pitchers who have thrown ten or more innings this season for the Bisons, Josh Edgin (5.02 ERA) has the worst ERA followed by Matt Harvey (4.35 ERA) and Jeurys Familia (4.31 ERA). That’s right, those three have the worst ERA’s on our Triple-A team. And yet you can’t go one day without reading or hearing about them coming to Flushing. There’s a ton of noise out there.

I always feel bad for the players who are more deserving that nobody ever talks about like Jack Egbert and Elvin Ranirez who we have been writing about almost on a daily basis on MMO.

Good luck and congrats to Egbert who I believe will do a good job for the Mets out of the bullpen.

The NL East Report is published every Friday and takes a look at the other teams in the division. The reports covers the latest news and notes, injuries and transactions, divisional records versus the Mets, and updated NL East Standings.

News And Notes

Atlanta Braves: On Monday, May 21, Drew Sutton was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash. They also signed Ian Thomas and Lance Zawadzki. The Braves own the division’s best run differential, by a decent margin, at plus-32. The Nationals are plus-19, second best. The Braves have scored 4.87 runs per game, second-best in the National League and up from 3.96 last season. Martin Prado is on a hot streak for Atlanta. In his last 16 games, Prado has hit .429 with eight doubles, a triple, a home run, nine runs scored and five RBIs. With just 11 more RBIs, Chipper Jones will reach 1,596 and tie Hall of Famer George Brett for the all-time lead among third basemen.

Miami Marlins: Mike Dunn was optioned to Triple-A New Orleans and is expected to callup Daniel Jennings. The left-hander has an 0.95 ERA with 17 strikeouts and five walks in 19 innings for New Orleans. Jennings has made two appearances with the Marlins this season, throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Hanley Ramirez (141 homers, 225 steals) is one of just two players since 2006 to record 140-or-more home runs and steal more than 140 bases. Matt Kemp is the other. Ramirez has caught fire at home lately, carrying a seven-game home hitting streak into tonight’s game. In the month of May, the Marlins have drawn a National League leading 84 walks, ahead of the Diamondbacks (77), Braves (77), Giants (76) and Mets (75).

Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies lead the majors in May with a .286 batting average and are third in total bases, with an average of 15.6 per game. Their .783 OPS is also third in the bigs. Second baseman Chase Utley, who hasn’t played a game this season because of chronic tendinitis in his knees, took some ground balls before Thursday’s game. There still is no timetable for his return. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said Utley won’t move beyond batting practice and pregame activities until he’s ready to play in a game. After missing three games for the birth of his first child, shortstop Jimmy Rollins led off for the Phillies on Thursday. He went 2-for-6 with a strikeout in the victory and is 94 hits away from 2,000.

Washington Nationals: Shortstop Ian Desmond has hit eight home runs this season, tying his total from 2011. He’s only two away from his career high of 10 long balls, which he clubbed in 2010. The eight homers lead all NL shortstops. The Nationals face off against the Braves for the first time this season in a battle for first place. The Nationals are up one game, so they will have to win the three-game series in order to leave Atlanta in first place by themselves.

NL East Standings

This Week shows the divisional record week to date, and is since the last NL East Report.

* Team is currently in line for a wild card spot.

Injury Report

Newer or updated injuries are at the beginning of each team’s injury report.

Atlanta Braves: Chipper Jones (left calf contusion) is day to day. Brian McCann (flu) is day to day. Jonny Venters (calf bruise) is day to day. Robert Fish (left elbow tendinitis) was put on the disabled list on April 2, retroactive to March 26. It is still unsure when he’ll return. Peter Moylan (recovering from right shoulder surgery last season) is currently rehabbing, and is expected to return sometime in May or June. Arodys Vizcaino (elbow reconstruction surgery) had Tommy John Surgery on March 20, and will be out the remainder of the season.

Miami Marlins: Austin Kearns (right hamstring strain) was placed on the disabled list on May 24. Emilio Bonafacio (left thumb) is expected to have surgery on May 25. Jose Ceda (ligament tear in right elbow) had Tommy John Surgery on April 12, and will be out the remainder of the season.

New York Mets: Miguel Batista (strained lower back) was placed on the disabled list on May 20. Jason Bay (rib fracture) is expected to start DHing in rehab games on May 27. Ruben Tejada (right quad strain) took part in running drills on May 24. Josh Thole (concussion) is expected to catch for the first time on May 25. Chris Young (torn right anterior capsule) makes his next rehab start on May 25.  Pedro Beato (right shoulder stiffness) pitched for Class A on May 22. Mike Pelfrey (partial tear of ulnar collateral ligament) is currently on the disabled list, as of April 24, and had Tommy John Surgery on it to end his season.

Philadelphia Phillies: Justin De Fratas (sprained right elbow) is scheduled to resume a throwing program on May 25. Lance Nix (calf) was able to walk but not run as of May 19. Chase Utley (left knee) ran and fielded grounders on May 17. Michael Martinez (right foot fracture) is taking live batting practice as of May 16. Ryan Howard (recovering from Achilles surgery) is fielding, throwing, and hitting as of May 16. Vance Worley (right elbow inflammation, bone chips in elbow) was placed on the disabled list on May 16, retroactive to May 12. Jim Thome (strained lower back) is taking live batting practice as of May 16. Michael Stutes (mild rotator cuff strain) was shut down for 2-3 weeks as of May 11. David Herndon (right elbow inflammation) was placed on the disabled list on May 1, retroactive to April 30.

Washington Nationals: Stephen Strasburg (arm tightness) is not expected to miss a start. Mike Morse (right lat strain) is expected to start extended spring training on May 25. Brad Lidge (abdominal wall strain) threw a bullpen session on May 23. Ryan Mattheus (Plantar fascia strain in left foot) was placed on the disabled list on May 22, retroactive to May 21. Mark DeRosa (left oblique strain) started baseball activities on May 17. Drew Storen (bone chips in right elbow) made 100 throws from flat ground on May 16. Sandy Leon (sprained right ankle) was placed on the disabled list on May 15. Wilson Ramos (torn ACL) was placed on the disabled list on May 13, and was transferred to the 60-day disabled list on May 15. He is out for the season. Jayson Werth (broken left wrist) was placed on the disabled after undergoing surgery. He is expected to be out at least 10-12 weeks. Christopher Marrero (torn next hamstring, shoulder) is having lingering hamstring and shoulder issues. Cole Kimball (recovering from right shoulder surgery) had surgery in July of 2011, and won’t return until July at the earliest.

Upcoming Weekend Schedule

Now, let’s take a look at the upcoming series for these teams:

Atlanta Braves VS Washington Nationals

Miami Marlins VS San Francisco Giants

New York Mets VS San Diego Padres

Philadelphia Phillies @ St. Louis Cardinals

Washington Nationals @ Atlanta Braves

An introduction is not necessary as the title does all of the justice. Statistically, he has faltered in every role this season, from set-up man to mop-up guy. Acosta has almost as many walks as innings pitched, allowed more runs then innings pitched and has allowed a run in 10 of his 18 games pitched. So, logical readers of MMO – why is the man still up north occupying a roster spot, and who could produce a better ERA than Mr. Acosta who is in our minor leagues? The answer is virtually anyone,  but focus will be placed on why he is here.

The 2012 Mets have shown they will endure the growing pains of the early season if players seem to show life, and sadly despite his horrible ERA, Acosta did not have too poor of a May, but nothing someone would write home about either. Acosta was marginal in 2010, great in the latter portion of 2011, and has been atrocious during the 2012 season all together. If yesterday’s outing wasn’t enough of a sign that Mr. Acosta hurts the team, he entered a 6-1 game, his offense gave him two more runs, and he promptly gave the Padres back three. Acosta cannot locate his pitches, and when they are in the zone they are belt-high and right in the middle of the plate. The man is a hard-throwing, batting practice pitcher this season.

Who can outdo Manny Acosta’s 10.80 ERA over 18 games that is in the Mets farm system? Realistically, anyone in the Buffalo bullpen, and quite possibly a few arms in the Binghamton pen could challenge for that same title. Realistically, the names that Mets fans may expect to hear being called up to the big show sooner than later are Joe D’s personal favorites, RHP Jack Egbert and RHP Elvin Ramirez. What happened to LHP Josh Edgin and RHP Fernando Cabrera, early season front-runners set to find their way to Flushing by June? Josh Edgin has had trouble keeping runners off the bases, but is still striking out a ton of batters. Edgin has been decent against lefties with a 4/9 BB/K and 1 ER against lefties in 5.1 innings, but 3/7 BB/K and 7 ER in 9.1 Innings against righties. Fernando Cabrera has allowed two runs each in four of his last six outings, while struggling with his control.

RHP Jack Egbert has done nothing but pitch to contact, limit the walks and when needed turn it up to get his strikeouts. Egbert has allowed three runs and one walk in May, an amazing feat. Elvin Ramirez, who was returned to the Mets after the Nationals took him in the 2011 Rule 5 draft, has been aces since his promotion to Buffalo. When I mean aces, the man has an ERA of 0.00, allowing 3 hits and one walk in 10.2 innings, striking out twelve. What makes this even more amazing? He walked his first batter yesterday. Ramirez has been lights out so far, and has the power stuff required to thrive in a bullpen.

Robert Carson is still up with the big club, but it seems unlikely that Terry Collins would rather keep an unproven lefty with a heavy platoon-split in his MiLB career as opposed to a righty who can get ground ball outs and who doesn’t pitch too poorly against a lefty.

So why, oh why, is Manny Acosta still here? If I was a gambling man, I would bet it was to allow Elvin Ramirez to get some more innings under his belt coming off of a 2011 arm injury. With this last poor outing, however it seems more and more likely that a new arm will be joining the bullpen before the weekend

Tim, Babe-licious, Sean, Clayton, Andrew & Petey - The Incredibles

 Buffalo 6, Scranton/WB 2

By Pete Shapiro

The Bisons scored two runs in the fifth, two more in the sixth, one in the seventh, and one in the eighth, to beat the SWB Yankees going away by a score of 6-2 in Thursday night action. Matt Harvey (5-1, 4.22) went 5.1 IP for the Herd, giving up two runs on four hits, with one walk, and two strikeouts, to pick up his fifth win of the season. Harvey retired his first 11 batters in the game, and didn’t give up a hit until the fifth inning when Yankee C Francisco Cervelli grounded a single with two-outs.

The Bisons scored first, in the top of the fifth, on back-to-back two-out singles by C Lucas May and RF Dustin Martin. They were then driven in on a two RBI-double by SS Omar Quintanilla. The lefty-hitting shortstop went 3-for-4 on the day with three RBI. In the sixth, with two outs and 1B Josh Satin standing on second, 2B Jordany Valdespin would single him home. Then Lucas May doubled, and with Valdespin turning on the after-burners he jetted around the bases to score and make it a 4-0 game.

A two-run double off Harvey in the bottom of the sixth by 1B Steve Pearce, would make the score 4-2 and chase the righthander from the game. He was replaced by Elvin Ramirez, who was in turn followed by Jack Egbert who finished up the game. The two relievers combined to go 3.2 IP, giving up no runs, on no hits, with one walk, and four strikeouts.

DH Valentino Pascucci would add an RBI single in the seventh, and an Omar Quintanilla single in the eighth would bring home Martin who had doubled, and close the scoring at 6-2. All six Bison runs were scored with two-outs in the inning during the game.

Herd Rumblings: At 27-20 the Bisons sit in third place in their division, 2.5 games back of the first-place Pawtucket Red Sox. Harvey has picked up all five of his wins in his last seven starts. In 10.2 IP at AAA so far, Elvin Ramirez has yet to give up a run. In the 10.2 IP, he has only given up three hits, and one walk, with 12 strikeouts. As a team, Buffalo hitters are first in the league in: batting average, OBP, and hits. They are second in the league in: SLG, runs scored, home runs, and RBI’s. It was announced after the game last night, that RHP Jenrry Mejia has been called up to AAA Buffalo to continue his rehab. Game two of the four-game series against the Yankees continues on Friday night at 7:05 pm. The Herd will send righty Jeurys Familia (4-1, 4.35) to the mound, and the Yankees will counter with right-hander Dellin Betances (2-4, 5.24).

New Britain 6, Binghamton 4

By Tim Burns

The Binghamton Mets lost for the third time in four games against the New Britain Rock Cats on Thursday morning. Even though they were able to whittle away the early lead that the Rock Cats built up against Jenrry Mejia and tie the game at four in the seventh, a two run shot in the bottom of the eighth would be the difference maker in New Britain’s 6-4 win.

Mejia made his second rehab start in a B-Mets uniform, and struggled out of the gate. After giving up two singles in the first inning, one of which produced New Britain’s first run of the game, Mejia was able to get the next two Rock Cats batters out. Matt Rizzotti then stepped to the plate and hit a two run shot over the center field wall to give the home team an early 3-0 lead. In the first inning alone, Mejia allowed three runs on three hits, while striking out two.

New Britain would tag Mejia for one more run in the game, Aaron Hicks scoring on a Chris Colabello double in the bottom of the third. On the morning, Mejia would end up throwing five innings, allowing four runs on five hits, striking out five and walking three.

Gonzalez Germen (1-3, 4.50) would replace Mejia in the bottom of the sixth and pitch the final three innings for the B-Mets. Germen gave up a two run home-run to New Britain’s Deibinson Romero in the bottom of the eighth to give the Rock Cats their final lead of the day. Germen would be issued his third loss in four games with the B-Mets this season. In three innings worth of work, Germen gave up two runs on two hits, while striking out two and walking, well, two.

The B-Mets batters pecked away at the Rock Cats lead most of the game, finally tying the score at 4 after scoring one run in the third, fourth, fifth, and seventh inning. Matt den Dekker started a new hitting streak in the game, and was the B-Mets most effective hitter on the day, going 3-fof-5 with a home run and two runs scored. Reese Havens was 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Pedro Zapata was also 1-for-4 and scored one of the four runs for the B-Mets on the day.

B-Mets Buzz: It was home to Binghamton after the game on Thursday morning in New Britain. The B-Mets start a four game home stand against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats starting at 7:05 on Friday night at NYSEG Stadium. This will be the fourth time the two teams have met in a series this season. LHP Darin Gorski (2-2, 4.28) will be on the mound for game one, facing off against the Fisher Cats Joel Carreno (0-1, 6.14). This will be the first time the B-Mets have faced Carreno, who started the season at the AAA level as a member of the Las Vegas 51’s.

St. Lucie 5, Daytona 2

By Clayton Collier 

Starting off with two of the most heart breaking loses of the year, the St. Lucie Mets continued to prove why they are one of the best teams in pro-baseball, rallying Wednesday night to win 8-7, and getting out of Dayona with a tie of the four-game set with a 5-2 victory over the Cubs on Thursday.

Yohan Almonte (4-0, 4.75) got the nod for St. Lucie and gave his best effort of the year. Almonte went 5.2 frames while allowing just one run on eight hits, and punching out four. Almonte has now won in two consecutive starts and has lowered his ERA to 4.75 on the season.

The St. Lucie bats knocked Daytona starter Ryan Searle (1-1, 5.87) out early, scoring on him three times on six hits over only 3.2 innings. RF Cory Vaughn was the first to strike blood for the Mets, lauching a solo shot in the second, his 10th of the year. Things only got worse for Searle in the fourth as the lead became three on a two-run double off the bat of 2B Robbie Shields to score CF Cesar Puello and DH Rylan Sandoval.

Things started to get a little interesting in the seventh as C Micah Gibbs led off the inning with a bomb off of Hamilton Bennett to make it a two-run ball game. Bennett would kill the rally by retiring the next three batters to end the threat. Ryan Fraser then came on and slammed the door, picking up a four-out save and getting the Mets out of Daytona with a win.

Lucie Logistics:  The Mets ran wild today as they had four stolen bases in th victory including two from Robbie Shields, who also had a three-hit game. Cory Vaughn is heating up again as he hit his second home run in as many games. Wilmer Flores went 3-for-5 with an RBI single and a stolen base, raising his average to .315 on the year. With his dominant performance in the ninth, Ryan Fraser lowered his ERA to 2.08 and picked up his first save on the year. The Mets go home to take on the Charlotte Stone Crabs starting tomorrow at 6:30 pm. Port-sider Grayson Garvin (2-3, 4.31) gets the start for Charlotte while fellow lefty Angel Cuan (3-1, 2.37) goes for the Gnats.

Augusta 3, Savannah 2

By Sean Kenny

Mejia made his fourth start of the season pitching for the B-Mets yesterday and went five innings against the New Britain Rock Cats, giving up four runs (all earned) on five hits, with five strikeouts and three walks. He threw 75 pitches, 44 for strikes.

Terry Collins had previously said that Mejia could join the big-league club and pitch out of the bullpen in relief at some point this season. Alderson echoed those sentiments and said it’s possible Mejia could join the Mets bullpen later this season.

Mejia is 1-0 with a 3.79 ERA in four rehab starts between Single-A and Double-A this month.

Man, it’s really getting crowded in Buffalo… But it looks like the top three starters for the Bisons will now be Matt Harvey, Jeurys Familia and now Jenrry Mejia. Meanwhile back in Binghamton, look for Darin Gorski to replace Mejia and get back into the rotation. At least that’s what Pete tells me…

Recap:

It was a tale of two ballgames for Jeremy Hefner and the Mets as the rain kept pouring as did the San Diego offense, resulting in a bruising 11-5 loss.

Jeremy Hefner got his first major league start after several successful long-inning relief appearances. His entire family flew in from Oklahoma to see the 26-year old pitch in front of a crowd of nearly 25,000. After a 1 hour and eight minute rain delay however, it became pretty obvious that the Hefner family would have been better off saving the air-fare.

After two strong innings, the rain cause a 68-minute delay that worked in favor of the Padres. Hefner proceeded to give up five hits including four doubles to surrender a 4-spot to the worst scoring team in the National League. Hefner’s final line for the evening was 3 2/3 innings pitched, six runs, and nine hits… Yikes!

However, there were some bright spots on the evening, not that any of them came from the pitching side of this ballgame. David Wright had himself a three hit game, falling a triple short of the cycle. His two-run blast brought the mets to within three before Terry Collins decided the game was over by sending Manny Acosta to the hill with his 10.80 ERA and all. Andres Torres looked a bit better at the plate, going 1-3 with a walk and a stolen base. Finally Ike Davis came through with a pinch-hit two run sngle coming on the heels of being told he will not be sent down to the minors.

Goat of the Game:

Mother Nature, for spoiling Hefner’s starting debut.

Notes:

-Ike’s two-run knock was his first multiple RBI game since April 16th against Atlanta.

-With Wright’s 3-5 performance, he now has his average back up over .400, his OBP over .500 and his 27th and 28th RBIs of the season.

Next Up:

Dillon Gee takes the hill tomorrow as the Mets continue their series with the Pades starting at 7:05pm.

 Jenrry Mejia follows through after delivering a pitch in the first inning.

I had gotten to the ballpark in New Britain on Thursday morning at around 9am for a 10:35 start time. I really wanted to get some coffee and eat breakfast but that would have to wait until I went up to the press-box about 45 minutes before game time. In the meantime I snapped off a few pictures for you.

Once I had some breakfast and the game was about to start, I made my way downstairs to get some photos of Mejia. I also went down later in the game to get some shots of the second B-Mets pitcher on the day, Gonzalez Germen. Here’s what I came up with, hope you like. You may click on any photo to embiggen.

I spoke with reliever Adrian Rosario on Monday and he told me he is happy to be a Met.

Minutes Until Game Time…….

Reese Havens Before Thursday’s Game.

 Mejia went five rocky innings on Thursday giving up 4 ER, on 5 Hits, 3 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts.

He allowed an RBI double, and a two-run homer in the first inning.

He threw 75 pitches, 44 went for strikes.

Matt den Dekker went 3-for-5, with a home-run, two runs scored, and an RBI.

Eric Campbell smacks an RBI single In the fourth inning Thursday, he went 5-for-11 with two walks, for the series.

Wheeler, Turgeon, McHugh, and Cohoon Watching Thursday’s Game.

It’s the second consecutive outing where Mejia has had command issues and trouble spotting his breaking ball.

Mejia’s velocity was good for his 75 pitches, with his fastball sitting 92-95 mph.

Mejia made two starts at Binghamton and is now being sent up to AAA Buffalo to continue his rehab.

Outfielder Raul Reyes had a hell of a series, in the four games at New Britain he went a blistering 10-for-18 with four runs scored, two home-runs, and six RBI.

Infielder Josh Rodriguez went 5-for-18 for the series with a double, a triple, two runs scored, and two RBI.

Binghamton Mets Hitting Coach Luis Natera.

Gonzalez Germen worked as a piggy-back reliever, coming on after Mejia was done for the day.

Germen had a chance to pick up the win after the B-Mets tied the game 4-4 in the seventh inning on Matt den Dekker’s solo-shot.

For the day, Germen went three innings, allowing two runs, on two hits, two walks, and two strikeouts.

The big hit of the game was the fourth home-run of the season by 3B Delbinson Romero, a two-run blast in the eighth inning off Germen that won it for the RockCats.

Catcher Juan Centeno and Germen try to regroup. The 6-4 loss Thursday would drop Germen’s record to 1-3, with an ERA of 4.50.

Hope you like this Thursday game photo gallery from New Britain. During the four-game series, I shot hundreds of digital photographs of many of your favorite B-Mets. I will be posting more of them over the coming weeks, enjoy.

According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, R.A. Dickey would like the front office to pick up his $5 million dollar option for 2013 and begin negotiating a contract extension, saying:

“I like it here and I want to be here. I feel like the team is moving in the right direction, and I want to be a part of the solution. Now it’s up to them. If I’m in their plans, [a contract extension] is one way to make it known. … I made the comment before, when I signed my contract, that it was my hope to be the best bargain around. It looks like it’s kind of come true the last couple of years.”

I love R.A. Dickey and by all means pick up that option, but as far as negotiating an extension goes, how can you do that while refusing to discuss an extension with David Wright?

During the recently completed road trip, Wright told reporters that the Mets have never approached him about an extension despite several overtures from him that he wants to play his entire career with the Mets.

I just don’t see how 37-year old Dickey gets a new contract before 29-year old Wright. You get my drift?

David Wright gets a good chunk of the credit for the Mets’ unexpectedly solid start to this season and deservedly so. New York doesn’t have a lot of run producers, and Wright is hitting a ML-leading .415 as June approaches.

But credit is due also with the Mets’ pitching staff, particularly its starting rotation. Or, at least, the top two guys in the starting rotation.

These two are definitely key elements that will be affecting in a good way, the MLB picks for the upcoming Mets action.

The Ace

Two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana missed all of last season after having shoulder surgery the previous fall, and nobody was really sure what to expect out of him this season. Well, he’s been the rock of the rotation, even though his record doesn’t show it. Santana so far has held five of his first nine opponents to two runs or fewer, although New York managed to lose two of those games. In fact the Mets are only 4-5 in his starts. Nonetheless, Santana appears close to returning to “ace” status.

The Knuckler

RA Dickey isn’t just known now as one of the rare practitioners of the tantalizing floater, he’s becoming known as a guy the Mets can count on for seven solid innings almost every time out. So far this year Dickey is seven-for-eight on quality starts and New York has won six of those starts.

Then There’s the Rest

Early this season Dillon Gee and Jon Niese were putting up some solid efforts. But not so much lately. Gee has been tagged for 14 runs over his last three starts, and while Niese began the season with four straight quality outings he’s since gotten bombed a couple times. For the year the Mets are a combined 8-8 when Gee and Dillon start games.

The Mets rotation took a hit in mid-April when Mike Pelfrey, a 15-game winner two years ago, hurt his elbow and had to have Tommy John surgery. In his place Miguel Batista made four starts, with New York going 2-2 in those games, but now he’s on the DL with a sore back. So at the moment there is a hole at the back of the Mets rotation.

Don’t Forget the Bullpen

Through Monday’s action the New York bullpen owns the worst ERA in the Majors at 5.11, and has blown nine save opportunities. Closer Frank Francisco has 10 saves, but a 7.56 ERA. Almost every outing is a struggle. And Mets fans thought things were nerve-wracking when K-Rod was working  ninth innings.

Mets Pitching Outlook

Santana and Dickey are a fine 1-2 combo. But after that things get iffy. For the season New York ranks 27^th in team ERA at 4.62, 26^th in WHIP at 1.41 and 13^th in quality starts with 24. And that might be as good as it gets.

As Chumbawamba once sang, "Ike gets knocked down, will he get up again?"

Terry Collins has told reporters that Ike Davis will not be demoted to the minors.

Instead, Davis will lose significant playing time, but will be permitted to work out his problems at the Major League level. Collins said that he will start Davis based on favorable matchups.

Davis is batting .159 with a .213 on-base percentage, five home runs and 15 RBI this season, and has two hits in his last 36 at-bats.

Updated by RJ

Original Post 5/23

It’s no secret that Ike Davis’ hold on the everyday first baseman’s job is in serious jeopardy.  In 141 at-bats this season, Davis is the owner of a .156 batting average and .212 on-base percentage.  That’s nowhere near the production expected of a starting first baseman.  In fact, it’s more in line with R.A. Dickey’s career numbers at the plate.  (Dickey has a .189 batting average and .219 on-base percentage over 132 lifetime at-bats.)

But if the Mets are going to make a decision on whether or not to demote Davis to the minor leagues, they should do it before the team returns to Citi Field on Thursday.  A quick look at the home/road splits will explain the urgency behind this decision.

While wearing his road grays in 2012, Ike Davis has batted .228 (18-for-79) with a .274 on-base percentage.  Although those numbers aren’t great, they’re not worthy of a demotion.  In fact, despite Davis’ season-long slump, his slugging percentage on the road (.456) is very similar to the .460 career mark he posted through 2011.  (All of his team-leading five home runs in 2012 have come on the road.)  But his home numbers tell another story.

In 20 games at Citi Field this year (17 starts), Davis is batting .065.  That’s ZERO-six-five.  Davis has collected four hits in 62 at-bats at home.  By comparison, Ruben Tejada also collected four hits at Citi Field … on April 8 alone!

In addition to his poor batting average, Davis also has a .134 on-base percentage and a .081 slugging percentage at Citi Field.  In Davis’ defense, his .065/.134/.081 line is quite similar to that of another long-time Met.  Of course, that long-time Met was Al Leiter.  (In 394 at-bats with the Mets, Leiter fashioned a .084/.145/.107 line.)

So why should the Mets make their decision on whether or not to banish Ike Davis to the minor leagues before Thursday?  Because Thursday marks the beginning of a season-long 11-game homestand.  Also, starting on Thursday, the Mets will play 20 of their next 29 games at Citi Field.  That’s the same number of games that Ike Davis has already participated in at Citi Field this year to register his anemic batting line.

To demote or not to demote?  That is the question surrounding Ike Davis.  He has one game left at PNC Park to turn things around.  If he doesn’t, the Pittsburgh-to-Buffalo shuttle might be his next mode of transportation after today’s game.

Families around the northeast will have their first traditional BBQ of the year. I love Memorial Day because (with respect to Gary Keith and Ron), I enjoy sitting outside and listening to the WFAN broadcast while enjoying some delicious BBQ.

This weekend, the San Diego Padres head east to join the Mets for the start of the longest home stand of the season. This weekend will be an eventful one for Mets fans.

On Friday night, the first 25,000 fans will receive a Mets Cap.

On Saturday afternoon, the first 25,000 fans will receive a Rusty Staub bobblehead.

Then on Sunday afternoon, Banner Day returns to Flushing!

Thursday, 7:10pm: Jeremy Hefner v. Eric Stults

When somebody who doesn’t watch either team sees this matchup, I can guarantee you their response will be, “who?”

Hefner looked decent against a tough Toronto lineup last week as he came in to relieve Miguel Batista. Hefner threw 5 innings, allowing 4 hits and 2 earned runs. What I liked most was that he fanned 5 batters, and walked none.

Hefner is one of five Mets who have made their major league debut this year with the club, joining Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Zach Lutz, Jordany Valdespin and Robert Carson.

Hefner has been given a golden opportunity here. With Chris Young needing perhaps a few more rehab starts, the #5 spot could be his for at least 3 more starts. That is, unless the Mets see something they don’t like.

Eric Stults may appear to be some young kid and that’s why you don’t know him. Truth is, he’s 32 years old and was a member of the Chicago White Sox until he was waived recently.

Stults is a lefty who has filled the role of “DL replacement” for Colorado and the Dodgers in his past.

Stults’ last start was against the Indians. He went 6 innings, allowed 4 hits and 2 runs. During that outing he walked 4, and struck out 4.

He goes deep into counts, which fits perfectly for the Mets approach. He is considered to be a groundball pitcher, so he’s relying heavily on the men behind him to get out of trouble.

Friday, 7:10pm: Dillon Gee v. Anthony Bass

Gee is coming off of his 2^nd best start of the year in my view. He’s pitched about average so far, but I was really impressed with how he handled the Toronto lineup.

As a side note, I’m very pleased to see that enormous growth has been removed from his chin.

Gee’s control was a bit of an issue on the 20^th. That’s not something we’re really used to seeing with Gee, so hopefully it was just a product of the environment and lineup he was facing.

24 year old righty Anthony Bass will take the hill for San Diego. Bass began the season in the bullpen, but later earned a starting spot in the rotation.

Bass’s 2-4 record is deceiving. He’s had 8 starts, and pitched good enough to probably win at least 4 of them. He has strike out stuff. He’s struck out at least 7 batters in 5 out of 8 starts. In one start he walked 5 batters, but generally speaking you can expect 1-3 walks per game from him.

Saturday, 1:10pm: Johan Santana v. Clayton Richard

Santana has to stop getting beat when it looks like he’s in cruise control. He looked like he was en route to get a nice W against Pittsburgh and then boom, HR.

I’d say Santana has pitched well enough to have 7 wins right now, but truth be told, this isn’t the Johan of old that would throw a gem and get no run support. The Mets for the most part are scoring runs for him.

Generally speaking, Richard has done quite well against the Mets. The Mets are 14 for 49 against him with just 1 RBI.

At 28, Richard’s prospect has diminished a bit. He’s having a decent year despite his record, but he’s not the 2010 version that won 14 games.

Richard is a Petco Pitcher. He doesn’t strike batters out too often, just like the two before him in this series. He puts the ball in play, and has been prone to giving up the long ball this year more so than in years past.

Sunday, 1:10pm: R.A. Dickey v. Edinson Volquez

Volquez while with Cincinnati faired very well against the Mets. In fact, he’s been pretty dominating. The Mets players are a combined 4 for 35 against him. That’s a .114 batting average.

Volquez was a key piece to the deal that sent Mat Latos to the Reds, but he hasn’t pitched like the guy the Padres thought they were getting.

He has had some good starts this year, throwing back to back gems against Washington and Milwaukee, but nothing else really.

The Padres hitters actually have had some success against Dickey. They are 20 for 57 (.351) against him.

Dickey had a lot to like in his last outing against Pittsburgh. His 11 K’s were impressive, no dbout about it. For Dickey though, you know he’s gonna have a clunker every so often. This month though, he’s been fairly consistent with his performance. I worry that based on their history against him, that this game may be that clunker.

As a side note regarding Dickey:  He will hold an exclusive Q & A session about his book “Wherever I Wind Up: My Quest for Truth, Authenticity and the Perfect Knuckleball” on Tuesday, May 29 at Citi Field. Tickets for the event are $100 and include a seat in the Champions Club with complimentary food and non-alcoholic beverages, an autographed copy of the book and admission to the Q&A.

VIEW FROM THEIR WINDOW

This week, we connected with jbox from gaslampball.com for his insight into this weekend’s series.

I was very curious to see how Padres fans view some aspects of this series. These two teams have a lot in common in terms of the men making decisions for them.

You’ll find it very interesting how he reacts toward both Sandy Alderson and Paul DePodesta.

1) Heading into Memorial Day, Yonder Alonso looks like a solid player, but he’s lacking power. What do you think the reasoning for that is?

I’m sure Yonder Alonso has tithed some of his power to Petco Park just like every other Padres player.  Upon coming to San Diego he made it clear that he was a line drive hitter, which is reason why he relies mostly on doubles to get the job done.

2) If there is 1 shining spot for the Padres, it is the bullpen in my view. How comfortable to Padres fans feel if the game is in the 7th and they have a lead?

Getting the lead in the 7th will be the hard part, but with Andrew Cashner throwing 102 mph and Dale Thayer and his mustache closing, we’ll be as comfortable as a bed bug in a New York City hotel room.

3) From a Padres fan perspective, what are your thoughts on Sandy Alderson and Paul DePodesta?

Sandy Alderson was like your cantankerous, egotistical, know it all boss.  He was entertaining from a fan perspective because he loved to mix it up with fans and insult them on his weekly radio appearances, but he is probably better suited as a GM than a club President.  

In the end, his manifesto of being “patiently aggressive” at the plate never seemed to provide anything but players striking out while trying to draw walks.  He also destroyed the relationship between beloved closer Trevor Hoffman and the Padres for years due to his inability to respectfully communicate and his own stubbornness.  

In most cases I felt that he was trying to do the right thing by building from within and creating a “pipeline” of young talent, but he left the club in a worse place than when arrived.  Much of that can be blamed on owner John Moores divorce, but Alderson needs to take his share of the responsibility.

We really liked Paul DePodesta while he was here, but he was doomed to failure by the way Alderson set up the Padres organizational chart.  He reported directly to Alderson rather than to former GM Kevin Towers, which in turn made the Front Office dysfunctional.  After Alderson left, DePodesta’s great baseball knowledge was being used to study beer sales. Really.

4) If you could pluck one Mets player away and put them on the Padres for the next few years, who would it be and why?

I guess we’ll take Ruben Tejada because we are in desperate need of a short stop.  Like we’re so desperate we’ll even take Ruben Tejada.  

5) If the Padres take 3 out of 4, who will be the player of the series? Also, if they lose 3 out of 4, who do you see getting most of the blame?

It will probably be Yonder Alonso. Though I could see Chase Headley being a contender for MVP of the series. If they lose I could see Everth Cabrera or Joe Thatcher being the scapegoat.

SERIES SUMMARY:

This series is one the Mets have to take 3 of 4 in. They have the matchups they want, and they have a Padres team coming into Citi Field after getting swept by the Cardinals.

Remember the Astros series when I worried the Mets would play down to the level of their opponent? I have that same worry here, but I’m confident they will prove me wrong.

The Mets need to attack the Padres starters. Getting the starter out of the game in this series is not a good thing unless there is a healthy lead attached to it.

The Padres bullpen is filthy right now. Former Met Dale Thayer is having a red hot May right now, and is actually closing games for the Padres. In 9 appearances this month, he has 5 saves, 9K and a 0 earned run average.

I personally do not know why Ike Davis wasn’t sent to Buffalo yet, but I have to imagine it’s just a matter of roster space. When Tejada, Bay or Thole get back, Ike better be on the right side of this slump. He’s on borrowed time here so if he wants to stay in the big city, he has to have a big series against the Padres.

OVER/UNDER RUNS: (8-3 on the season) Big win in Pittsburgh, as I picked the under for the series. Picking the over is usually the easy route to go, therefore I deserve my “self high 5”. Tonight’s game sets the tone for the over/under for the series. You have to assume no game will be higher than tonight’s which is set at 8. Therefore, I’ll set the series at 29.5, and take the…Under.

METS POTS:You know, I’m feeling Francisco is starting to snap out of it. I’m going to say Francisco gets 3 saves in this series.

KEEP YOUR EYES ON:Yonder Alonso is turning into a solid ballplayer. He’s hitting .300 with a .384 on base, but as mentioned above, he’s lacking pop.

I’LL BE DRINKING A:cheap beer. I may have to detox a bit this week, because I am going to a concert on Saturday night. The best concert beer is the cheapest concert beer. I check my snobbyness at the door when it comes to $7-$10 beers.

Enjoy the series, and Let’s Go Mets!

It’s funny how some fans view things when it comes to Mets prospects. On Tuesday, I saw some tweets regarding reliever Josh Edgin and that he’s somehow nearing a promotion to the Mets bullpen. Really? That’s news to me. I know this isn’t something they read anywhere because it’s simply not true so I have to assume it’s just this perception that surrounds him and a few other prospects.

I’m not going to go into another diatribe on why Josh Edgin isn’t ready like I did a couple of weeks ago, but I wonder how many Mets fans realize that among pitchers who have thrown ten or more innings this season for the Bisons, Josh Edgin (5.02 ERA) has the worst ERA followed by Matt Harvey (4.35 ERA) and Jeurys Familia (4.31 ERA). That’s right, those three have the worst ERA’s on our Triple-A team. And yet you can’t go one day without reading or hearing about them coming to Flushing. There’s a ton of noise out there.

I always feel bad for the players who are more deserving that nobody ever talks about like Jack Egbert and Elvin Ranirez who we have been writing about almost on a daily basis on MMO. Yesterday Ramirez got a mention on MetsBlog, thank goodness, but now I suppose it means that everyone will now memorize the name and start clamoring for him to join the Mets bullpen before long. Actually by the looks of the comments over there, it’s already begun. Good for Elvin Ramirez, but it’s still too early for talk like that where he is concerned.

On May 8 we highlighted Ramirez and Egbert on our weekly “Who’s Hot” list:

Jack Egbert (AAA) – Yet another great off-season pick-up for the Mets, Egbert has been the model of consistency thus far this season. He’s one of Wally Backman’s favorite pitchers in his pen, and he continues to get outs in big spots for the Herd. This season his numbers are: 2-2 with a 1.50 ERA in 18 innings. He’s given up only 3 ER’s on 12 hits, 4 BB’s and 12 K’s, his BAA is .190, and his WHIP is a tidy 0.89. The 6’3″ right-hander who turns 29 this week could also be pitching his way closer to the majors with each passing day.

Elvin Ramirez (AAA) – The smokin’ hot start to the season for Ramirez already has gotten him a promotion from AA Binghamton to AAA Buffalo a few days ago. Continued success will land him on the same conveyor belt headed towards Citifield as his teammates listed above. What got him the AAA promotion? Here’s the numbers he put up with Bingo in April: 0-1 with a 1.38 ERA in 13 innings, 7 hits, 2 runs, 7 BB’s, 16 K’s, a BAA of .152, and a WHIP of 1.08. This 6’3″ 24-year-old right-hander has some nasty stuff, and unlike the three relievers above who are veteran players, Ramirez is actually a prospect.

Actually, these two have made every Hot List this year so far including last weeks. They’ve always been hot around here…

Yesterday they had a Mets meet and greet before the Binghamton game. Our man Pete was there and when he asked a girl in a Met jersey what was going on, with a smile she said, “Zack Wheeler is talking to fans and signing autographs, and some other guy named Gruberstein.”

Sure enough there was a mob of fans surrounding Wheeler, and poor Darin Gorski, AKA Gruberstein, was all alone. It’s okay, it turned out to be a great moment for Pete who scored an interview and a photo opp with the young left-handed prospect.

I guess the point of this post is to simply say that if you read our minor league stuff, you’ll have a much better idea and understanding of what’s happening in the Mets minors. You’ll pick up a lot more than the little bits and pieces you can get from a box score or a 50 word game recap.

We have our own beat writers covering each Mets affiliate and the knowledge you can glean from any of their daily reports is first hand and insightful.

We have our Minor League Editor Pete currently travelling with the B-Mets in New Britain and he’s picked up some great information from hitting coach Luis Natera, pitching coach Glenn Abbott add interviews with Matt den Dekker, Greg Peavey and another name we keep talking about, fireballer Adrian Rosario, who we got in the K-Rod trade. That kid’s the real deal people and he’s coming on fast.

By the way, we are officially putting it out there – that Collin McHugh will soon be getting promoted to Buffalo and deservedly so. We mentioned it a few days ago, and now the buzz we’re getting is telling us it will happen sooner rather than later and he deserves it.

Andrew is in Daytona covering the 4-game series between the St. Lucie Mets and Daytona Cubs this week, and he’ll be filing a full report sometime today or tomorrow with some updated information on Ruben Tejada, Jason Bay, Josh Thole and of course the kids Chase Huchingson, Cory Mazzoni, Darrell Ceciliani and Wilmer Flores.

What I’m trying to say is don’t get tunnel vision on our prospects. If you went by the hundreds of posts out there each week, you’d get the false impression that we only have six or seven prospects worth talking about. Believe me when I tell you that there are dozens and dozens of great prospects on the horizon and you should do your due diligence as a fan and learn all  about them. Don’t buy into that crap that our minor league system is ranked 25th or 27th because there’s no truth to it at all. We have a great system.

Yesterday, Pete asked a couple of the newcomers to the organization like Egbert and Rosario a simple question. How does the Mets organization compare to the ones you came from?

“ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME”, one exclaimed in shock. “This organization is a first class operation and professional from top to bottom…there’s no comparison”.

Anyway, we have some cool stuff in store for you in the next ten days including plenty of interviews and boatloads of insights from the coaches and managers who are charged with developing all this great talent in our pipeline. So keep your hand off the remote and stay tuned into MMO.

I do have a question for you.

Do you prefer audio and video clips, or do you want us to keep transcribing our interviews the way we’ve always have?

I see a lot of video and audio being done these days, and it seems to be gaining in popularity. MetsBlog seems to have ramped up those formats on their site. Would you like to see that here too? Drop me a line and let me know.

Personally, I’m old-fashioned and I prefer a good read to a good listen and when we transcribe it gives us an opportunity to throw in some insights and afterthoughts which you cant do on a video clip.

Also, I still haven’t found someone to cover the Kingsport Mets who will get things going this summer. If you live in the area, love to write, and would like to attend the games for free, let me know and I’ll hook you up.

The Mets hooked up with new and, dare we say improved Pittsburgh Pirates for a three game set this week. The hallmark of these three games was just outstanding pitching by both teams. The Mets win the series taking two of three, and here are the 3 & 3.

3 Up:

• R.A. Dickey: R.A. Dickey pitched a gem on Tuesday night, going 7 innings giving up only one run, and striking out eleven Bucs. A really nice job by Dickey, who is having an All Star type season.
• Jon Niese: Thankfully 3 & 3 was on vacation during the Mets trip to Toronto. Last Friday night Niese got shelled by the Blue Jays. On Wednesday, Niese was on top of his game going 7.2 innings and allowing only one run. Nice rebound.
• Nieuwenhuis-Baxter: On Tuesday night we got a glimpse of young guys playing some good old fashioned small ball. In the 8th inning Mike Baxter scored the go ahead on a Lucas Duda RBI single. A short while later Captain Kirk scored an insurance run thanks to an error by the Pirate’s third baseman. These guys, Duda included, keyed the victory for the Mets.

3 Down:

• Nieuwenhuis-Baxter: It’s rare enough when we have one player who is both an “up” and a “down”, but a two player tandem, is rare indeed. 8th inning Monday night, Pirate’s second baseman Neil Walker hits an easy fly ball to the outfield. Baxter doesn’t hear Nieuwenhuis calling him off, Nieuwenhuis misplays the ball, and Walker winds up at third, and score the eventual game winning run. A plus here, SNY did a great job showing Terry Collins with his arm around Baxter after the play.
• James McDonald: Tuesday night’s starter for the Pirates was outstanding, giving up only one run in 7.1 innings. As Met fans, that’s a “down” for us.
• Johan’s Wasted Effort: Another nice outing by Santana went to waste on Monday night, when the Mets allowed 5 unanswered runs. Johan has been pitching into tough luck so far this season.

The Mets return home for a four game weekend series with the Padres. They’ll also be giving away baseball caps, and Rusty Staub bobble head dolls this weekend. LGM!!

It’s not the first time Cancer has taken a member of my family. My Grandfather battled with bladder Cancer and fought almost two years on hospice until he could fight no longer. It ravaged a man who in his prime could walk entire New York boroughs barely breaking a sweat. It took my wife’s mother, Arlene Rodgers, just a few years ago, she was only 54. It’s taken the young, the elderly, the poor and the wealthy affording zero prejudice along the way. Of all the medical advances we’ve made as a species, it kills me to think that we’re able to re-grow hair for balding men, lengthen women’s eyelashes with a cream, reverse the signs of aging using Botulism shots in the face and let’s not forget what that little blue pill can do for men.

However when it comes to Cancer, we’ve barely scratched the surface on discovering a cure. Hasn’t it’s time come, no? And only through research – painstaking and ultimately expensive research, will that day come when we can stop blindly shooting arrows at this cagy beast. That’s one of the reasons when my fellow blogger at Metsmerizedonline, Taryn Cooper, also the driving force behind A Gal For All Seasons, approached me with writing this, I couldn’t help but feel both honored and proud of what she’s doing.

This coming November, as it has since it’s humble beginning in 1970 when a mere 127 runners paid a $1 entry fee, Taryn will be running in the ING New York City Marathon as a member of Team McGraw which benefits the Tug McGraw Foundation. The Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life for children and adults affected by neurological conditions such as brain tumors, post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. As a part of Team McGraw, Coop is raising funds to support in this effort. I’m not the only one to feel a sense of pride with what Taryn is doing. I think her husband, Ed Leyro, sums it up best:

Think of how proud Mets fans are of the 1969 and 1986 World Championship teams. That level of pride doesn’t even come close to what I feel for Taryn. I have difficulty running around the block without complaining. She’s going to run around the entire city of New York! And she’s doing it for a fantastic cause. It’s impossible not to gush with pride when I think about her selfless act.

Brimming with pride for what Taryn is undertaking, the Leyro family are no strangers to the harsh reality that Cancer is as Ed told me:

Cancer has hit very close to home in my family. My mother is a two-time cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1979 and colon cancer in 1990. I’m happy to report that the year is now 2012, and my mother is still with us and cancer-free! Without all the money raised for cancer research over the years, I might not have been able to enjoy all these years with my mother.

It’s a sobering fact that according to the American Cancer Society one out of every two men will have some form of Cancer in their lifetime and one out of every three women will as well. Think of that next time you’re at work or with your friends and family. Cancer, if anything, is such a harsh reminder of our mortality. I asked Taryn what drove her to attempt this incredible mental and physical challenge:

The NYC Marathon has been on my “bucket list” of things to do since I was probably a teenager. I just thought the event was something larger than myself, and I wanted to be part of it. The interest has waned over the years simply because the magnitude of running 26.2 miles just seemed too unrealistic. Until a few things changed. I live a few blocks from the finish line of the marathon, and every year on marathon Sunday, I see all the finishers walking through my neighborhood. And every year, I wonder if I’ll do it myself.

My friend Sharon Chapman ran the marathon in 2010, and she was the one who suggested that instead of relying on the lottery to enter the marathon, that I run for charity. Her charity was the Tug McGraw Foundation, which raises funds to assist in quality of life issues for brain cancer survivors and those living with neurological disorders.

To a Mets fan, the very concept of “Ya Gotta Believe” hits home and this was something Tug McGraw believed in until his untimely death, due to brain cancer. It made perfect sense, especially since my hero, Gary Carter, died of the affliction early this year. My friend Kara is also running the marathon for Team McGraw in honor of some family members who had brain cancer, and her father who suffers from a seizure disorder. Team McGraw just made sense for me. If I can run 26.2 miles, and bring awareness to a charity that does great work, then my job is pretty easy!

Those of you who know me know that I rarely if ever ask you to do something. For example I would never tell you who to vote for or what to believe in, for I personally believe that those ideas have to come to you on your own. You have to do the legwork for that, especially if it’s ever going to have some greater meaning for you. This is one of those rare times when I ask all of you to imagine if every reader pledged a dollar to Taryn in the New York City Marathon – just a dollar. The hundreds of thousands of dollars would be mind blowing and the good works that the Tug McGraw Foundation provides would be greatly effected and enhanced. Taryn’s goal is to get to $3000 and so far she’s already raised more than half of that. I say why stop there. You Gotta Believe anything is possible.

Please support our own Taryn Cooper and the Tug McGraw Foundation in honor of the late Gary Carter by heading here to donate:

http://www.active.com/donate/teammcgrawnyc2012/NYCM12TCooper

The Tug McGraw Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax-exempt organization designated by the Internal Revenue Code. Their tax identification number is 20-0586256.

BANNER DAY CONTEST ENDS TODAY!

Hey Mets fans… We are at it again with yet another great MMO Fan Giveaway!

This time we are going to present TWO lucky Mets fans with a Free Pair of Tickets for BANNER DAY on Sunday, May 27, when the Mets take on San Diego Padres!

Hall of Famers Dwight Gooden and Rusty Staub will serve as judges for Banner Day on May 27, alongside WFAN radio personalities Howie Rose and Evan Roberts.

These tickets to Banner Day were made available thanks to our 2012 Ticket Partners:

Seatcrew.com is the ONLY online ticket marketplace that features NO FEES for buyers or sellers!

That means whether you’re buying or selling, if you use Seat Crew there will be no extra charges and you’ll save over 20%

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2012 METS BANNER DAY CONTEST!

Here are the three simple rules to the contest…

1. Follow us on Twitter at @Metsmerized.

2. Register at SeatCrew.com. It’s free and all you need to register is your email address so the winner can be contacted!

3. Answer the following Mets question:

The very first Mets Banner Day was held in between games of a doubleheader on a chilly afternoon in 1963. What team did the Mets play against that day?

That’s it, you’re done!

Send your contest entries to us at GetMetsmerized@aol.com.

At 5:00 PM TOMORROW we’ll randomly select TWO lucky winners from all the properly completed contest entries!

*** Don’t forget to register with SeatCrew.com so they can award you your prize!

TWO WINNERS will WIN a pair of FREE TICKETS to see the New York Mets host the San Diego Padres at beautiful Citi Field on Sunday, May 27!

GOOD LUCK TO ALL YOU METS FANS!

IT’S GOING TO BE A BANNER DAY!

Wheeler Was Virtually Unhittable

Buffalo, Travel Day

Herd Rumblings: Buffalo (26-20) had an off-day on Wednesday as they traveled from Indianapolis back to Buffalo. The Bisons look to get back on the winning track after dropping three in a row at 7:05 p.m. on Thursday, when they play the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees in Buffalo with the Yankees as the home team. No that’s not a misprint, SWB is playing all their home games on the road this year while their stadium is being completely rebuilt. Matt Harvey (4-1, 4.31) will make the start for Buffalo, while the Yankees send Adam Warren (2-2, 4.98) to the hill.

Binghamton 8, New Britain 1

By Tim Burns

Raul Reyes Went 3-for-5 With A Three-run Bomb Wednesday

The fifth time was a charm for the Binghamton Mets as they finally found a way to solve the New Britain Rock Cats, defeating them in a big way by a score of 8-1 on Wednesday afternoon. Zack Wheeler (4-2, 1.97) pitched a gem to get the win for the visitors, his eight innings worth of work the most in a single game for the Mets top prospect in 2012.

The Rock Cats were three up, three down in the first three innings against Wheeler. Their first base-runner of the game came in the form of a walk issued to LF Chris Herrmann by Wheeler in the bottom of the fourth. Herrmann was subsequently forced out at second as part of a double-play to end the frame.

Reese Havens Hitting On Wednesday

New Britain’s lone run came in the bottom of the fifth inning, when Wheeler walked CF Aaron Hicks. Hicks then stole second, and advanced to third during the next at bat. DH Nathan Hanson’s single to right field would score Hicks for the Rock Cats only run of the game.

The sixth and seventh innings were one, two, three for Wheeler as well. In the eighth, Wheeler allowed a double by C Danny Lehmann, but he never advanced further than second base as the following New Britain batter popped out to end the inning.

First-baseman Eric Campbell Is A Connecticut Native

Final numbers for Wheeler on the day were eight innings pitched, one run on only two hits, six strikeouts and two walks; definitely Wheeler’s best outing of the season so far.

Adrian Rosario was brought in for the ninth to finish off the Rock Cats, and finish off he did. One pop-out, one-fly out, and one strikeout later, and the B-Mets defeated New Britain for the first time this season.

Den Dekker Had His 17-Game Hit Streak Snapped

The B-Mets scored their first run of the game in the second inning courtesy of a wild pitch with the bases loaded by New Britain starter David Bromberg, allowing Juan Centeno to score easily from third base.

With the run scored by the Rock Cats in the fifth, the score would remain tied at 1-1 until the B-Mets bats came alive in the final two innings of the game.  In the top of the eighth, the B-Mets plated two runs with DH Raul Reyes and 1B Eric Campbell scoring. The two runs would prove to be all that the B-Mets needed to win the game, but they didn’t stop there.

Juan Centeno Leads Off First

In the top of the ninth, the B-Mets scored another five runs against the Rock Cats.  Three of the five runs came by way of Raul Reyes’ third home run in a week, a wicked shot that bounced high up off the screen of the the right-field fair-pole at New Britain Stadium. Three of the next four B-Mets batters walked to load the bases. The walks kept coming for the B-Mets at this point, as SS Sean Kazmar was issued the free base scoring Campbell from third.  The next batter Pedro Zapata was hit by a pitch, scoring 2B Reese Havens from third. The onslaught ended when CF Matt den Dekker struck out to finish the inning.

Den Dekker’s hitting streak ended at 17 games on Wednesday afternoon. “Double-D” went 0-for-4 with two walks, a strikeout, and a run scored. Raul Reyes continued to swing a hot bat going 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Eric Campbell was 1-for-3 with two runs scored, and Juan Centeno was 1-for-4 with a run scored in the game. Reyes, Campbell, and Centeno were the only B-Mets to have hits in the game.

Zack Wheels And Deals

B-Mets Buzz: If you thought today was an early game, just wait until tomorrow. The B-Mets and Rock Cats meet for the final game of the series at 10:35 tomorrow morning at New Britain Stadium. The B-Mets will send Jenrry Mejia (0-0, 3.00) to the mound in his second rehab start against the Rock Cats righty B.J. Hermsen (2-1, 2.57). After the game, the B-Mets will make their way home where they will open up a four game series against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

St. Lucie 8, Daytona 7

By Clayton Collier

Narrowly avoiding their third straight heart-breaking loss, the St. Lucie Mets rallied late to best the Daytona Cubs 8-7.

It started out looking like the Mets would be in the drivers seat for the entire game as they took a 4-0 lead by the end of the fourth inning. Between two throwing errors in the second and third and back-to-back home runs in the fourth by Cory Vaughn and Francisco Pena, the St. Lucie bats jumped all over Daytona starter Frank Del Valle.

Then it was the Cubs turn to start hitting. Chase Huchingson was dominant through the first three innings of the ballgame, but struggled from then on. In the fourth, Huchingson walked in a run to cut St. Lucie’s lead to three. Then in the next frame, Huchingson imploded, surrendering a three-run bomb to tie up the ballgame at four a piece. He would finish the game completing 5+ frames surrendering five runs (four earned) on four hits and an ugly five walks. It only got worse when Kyle Allen (2-0, 2.40) came in to relieve Huchingson in the sixth, surrendering a single and a triple to hand Daytona a 7-5 lead.

Come the top of the eighth however, St. Lucie went to work, scoring three runs on five hits to take an 8-7 lead. With Cory Vaughn, Francisco Pena, Blake Forsythe, Alonzo Harris and Wilfredo Tovar all getting on base in the inning, the fighting mentality in this ballclub that has eluded them in this series so far seemed to have returned.

After a scoreless eighth by Pedro Beato, Adam Kolarek slammed the door with a shutout frame in the ninth to pick up his fifth save of the year and hand the St. Lucie Mets their first win of this series in Daytona.

Lucie Logistics: Alonzo Harris went 1-for-5 on the day, but his streak of five straight games with a double came to an end. Cory Vaughn appears to have busted out of his slump with a 3-for-5 performance including a home run and a leadoff single in the eighth that proved critical in yesterday’s victory. Rylan Sandoval took another 0-for-3 today and has yet to get a knock since his demotion to St. Lucie. Francisco Pena stayed hot, going 2-for-4 on the day with a solo shot, he now has 11 RBIs in his last ten games. The Mets look to go for a series tie tomorrow to finish up the road trip in Daytona at 7:05pm. Johan Almonte (3-0, 5.25) will throw for St. Lucie while Ryan Searle (1-0, 4.50) makes his first start of the season for Daytona.

Savannah 6, Charleston 3

By Sean Kenny

RHP Domingo Tapia had a strong outing today, and the offense provided all of the cushion he would need to ensure the sweep against the RiverDogs, and a 6-3 win.

Tapia (4-2, 4.29) had his fourth straight quality outing, going six innings allowing three runs on seven hits, six strikeouts and two walks. Tapia had great control today, and has continued to advance on his hit-or-miss offerings. As long as Tapia maintains control and his ability to strikeout people, he is an effective pitcher with a high upside.

LHP Carlos Vazquez came out for an inning and allowed a walk and struck out one. RHP Jared West came out for the two inning save, striking out two and allowing no hits, his first save of the season.

The offense struck quickly as they have this whole series, putting across all six runs before the fifth inning. A two-RBI double by 3B Aderlin Rodriguez in the first and a 1B Brian Harrison RBI groundout scoring LF Dustin Lawley. DH Gilbert Gomez had an RBI single in the second.

The Gnats would push across the last two runs of the game in the fourth on a SS Luis Nieves double-play ground-out and another Gilbert Gomez RBI single. The bats were consistent today, with CF Travis Taijeron being the only Gnat without a hit.

Gnats Notes: T.J. Rivera ended his hit streak at three games, going 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. Aderlin Rodriguez had another great offensive game going 2-for-4 with two RBI and two doubles, but did make his ninth error on the season at third. The question has never been about his bat, but his glove and where it will fit on the field. Gilbert Gomez, the newest Gnat went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Since his call up, Gomez is hitting .500 (5-for-10). After splitting a four-game series at home against the Augusta GreenJackets last week, the Sand Gnats now head to Augusta for a four-game set beginning Thursday night at 7:05. Savannah will send righty Tyler Pill (3-3, 2.29) to the hill. He will be opposed by right-hander Clayton Blackburn (1-2, 4.26).

Andrew, Clayton, Sean, Tim and Petey