However, when Atchison came in to pitch the bottom of the 7th inning, he appeared to injure in his leg while tossing his warmup pitches.

Atchison was immediately pulled from the game and replaced by Brandon Lyon.

The Mets are calling it a sore right groin.

The ailing Atchison was returning to the lineup for the first time since being removed from his appearance in St. Louis on May 13 due to numbness in his fingers. It turns out the 37-year-old reliever was suffering the effects of a bone spur in his throwing arm. The growth was placing pressure on a nerve and causing inflammation in his elbow. Although he has been reactivated, the spur is still present and may need to be removed in the future. Atchison has opted to pitch through the spur on top of the presence of a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament.

As for Turner, who was batting .266 in 44 games played this season, he was in the throes of a 8-50 slump before injuring his side during batting practice. After a few days with no improvement, he was administered a cortisone shot and placed on the DL.

When trying to assess the strategy of the post-Minaya/Madoff Mets, I have always found it a bit of a puzzler to try to put a finger on when the “money” element of the so-called “Moneyball with money” approach that had been heralded as the defining element of the Alderson/DePodesta/Ricciardi regime would kick in.

Like many, I’ve regarded Sandy’s assertions that the majority of the team’s spending restraint has been his decision alone with a bit of skepticism; after all, part of a general manager’s job is to manage perceptions about the organization as well as its personnel.

Choosing to convey to the world at large that you have accepted the necessity of a period of mediocrity while the team rebuilds is OK, but attempting to maintain the Mets’ role as a big market team along with affording the Wilpon family a degree of mystery as regards their financial strength has resulted in a variety of mixed messages to the fan base. Aiming for the team to remain competitive enough to sustain interest while doing what is necessary to revitalize a barren farm system is an admirable goal, but clearly one that requires a lot of gambles to pay off. Not surprisingly, the results have been desultory, to say the least.

If the team is now ready to rebound from its largely moribund performances of the past few seasons, we should expect that any infusion of new talent to the roster will properly address the weaknesses that are evident to anyone watching. At the same time, we have to hope that the strengths that the team does possess are not unduly compromised by any personnel shuffling that the future may hold.  Still, I would expect that most of us are ready to have some eggs broken if the resulting omelet becomes a breakfast of champions. Let’s take a look at how the promised makeover could take shape:

OFFENSE: The team’s run production has been deplorable. Other than Murphy, Wright, and the surprisingly resurgent Byrd, there hasn’t been a dependable bat to be found, leaving the lineup bereft of the elements that can generate enough runs to allow even a pitcher of Matt Harvey’s meager support requirements to win consistently. The time has come to make a judgment on the very legitimacy of some of these player’s claims to a major league roster spot. This would appear to be the case now with Valdespin, who has been given an audition at second base to see if he can inject some life into the top of the order. So far the results have been disappointing, but the sample size is pretty small. With a player like that, it might never really happen or you could have a scenario similar to what has occurred with Carlos Gomez, now a world-beater years after being merely a piece in the Johan Santana trade. I’m not sure if anyone has the patience to see if ‘Spin’s tools have a chance of translating into a consistent offensive force before his lapses on the field and in the clubhouse become too great an issue to abide. Regardless, it might well be that he is being showcased with the intention of returning Murphy to the spot he has worked so hard to master.

What has really jumped out at me this year is the inability of the “supporting” bats, that is, the 5-6-7 hitters, to get a big hit with any regularity when the game is on the line.  Even as the team struggles to hold down the opposition thanks to the as-always porous bullpen (we’ll get to them in a bit), there have been instances in game after game where “half rallies” have been staged, with runners getting on only to be left high and dry. There has been no spate of 3-run homers, bases-clearing doubles , or even timely bloops despite what seems to be regular opportunities for the lower part of the lineup. With most of these at-bats seeming to fall to John Buck and Lucas Duda, one is acutely aware of the former’s severe dropoff after his blazing start and the latter’s propensity for restricting his power displays to times when the bases are empty.  It is clear that if the heart of the order is reasonably healthy with Wright and Murphy, the lungs and liver are showing signs of distress. Duda is still young enough and shows sufficient potential for me to want to see if he can step his game up as the season progresses, but to be frank, Buck is just killing them at this point.  As we likely won’t be seeing Travis D’Arnaud before rosters expand in September, I think Terry Collins would be better off running Anthony Recker out there three times a week if only to give Buck some much needed rest. Ultimately, what we need to see is another legitimate bat find its way into the order behind the 3-4 slots so that somebody starts knocking those runners in. The most obvious spot for this to happen is first base, so the clock is ticking as far as Ike and a possible non-tender later this year.

BULLPEN: Boy, is this getting to be a tired topic or what? Now that Dillon Gee has largely regained his form, the rotation has been one of the few strengths of the team. Still, even if you get a quality start on a regular basis, you can’t have the bullpen cough up a couple of runs as often as this one has and stand a chance of winning with the anemic offense just described. It might be overwork (certainly in the case of Scott Rice), but there are other flaws in the design of the Mets’ pen that can’t be traced strictly to frequency of use. One of these is the seeming inability to get a strikeout when it’s needed. Despite ranking 6^th in the league in relief innings pitched, the Mets’ pen is ranked next-to-last in strikeouts. The amount of contact permitted to the opposition has led to a bullpen ERA that is the highest in the league. Mr. Leathersich can’t get here soon enough, but in the meantime, reinforcements must be found in the form of anyone who can miss some bats for a change. I’m hoping that the return of Scott Atchison and possibly Pedro Feliciano can address this need to a degree, but clearly an emphasis on power arms is needed.

Looking farther ahead, if we anticipate a lineup that will eventually be bolstered by the addition of legitimate bats at catcher, the outfield, and first base (not too tall an order, eh?), and yet another makeover of the bullpen, the legitimate resources of the starting staff could be given a chance to make their presence felt in the form of ACTUAL WINS.  This ain’t gonna happen overnight, but I’d love to see something start happening soon.

(Photo Credit: Gordon Donovan)

The Mets released a statement on their official website with an update:

Scott Atchison was seen today in Florida by Dr. James Andrews for continued discomfort in his right elbow. Dr. Andrews concurred with Mets physicians on the diagnosis of, and a treatment plan for, a bone spur in the elbow. Scott will recommence his throwing program on his return to Port St. Lucie. There is no immediate timetable for his return to the Mets in New York.

Before hitting the DL, Scott Atchison had appeared in 19 games. He pitched 18.0 innings to the tune of a 4.50 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. The Mets pen feels like a wreck right now, so any veteran help could definitely be useful. On the topic of veteran help, David Aardsma has been effective during his stint in Vegas (7.0 IP, 3 SV, 5 H, 1 ER, 10 K) and could be on his way to Flushing soon.

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas topped Salt Lake, 13-9.
• Binghamton shut out Portland, 5-0.
• Savannah dropped to Augusta, 3-1.
• St. Lucie shut out Bradenton, 8-2.

Prospect Pipeline

• Rafael Montero killed it last night…again. The righty was absolutely dominant through six innings today – allowing just four hits and two walks while striking out eight batters. He allowed no earned runs and dropped his ERA in AA down to 3.08. He was touching 95 mph on the guns last night. #promotemontero
• In case you missed the Prospect Spolight over at MetsMinors.net yesterday, Aderlin Rodriguez is having a month for the ages. Over the past thirty days, his stat line heading into last night’s game is a ridiculous: .321/.353/.571 with 6 HR & 30 RBI.
• Sandy Alderson told reporters yesterday that the organization will limit top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler to 180 to 185 innings this season, likely meaning he will have to go through an end-of-season shutdown, similar to Matt Harvey last year.
• When Zach Lutz was removed from the game in the fourth inning yesterday, speculation ran across Twitter that he was on his way to Flushing to spell the struggling Ike Davis. Unfortunately he was removed due to an oblique injury. With Andrew Brown recently injuring his oblique, Lutz looked to be the favorite. He has more corner infield experience, and currently resides on the Mets’ 40-man roster. Looks like it’s down to Josh Satin and Wilmer Flores as the primary call up possibilities right now — I give Satin the edge.
• Every batter in the starting lineup reached base safely for the 51s last night, and six players had multi-hit games including Omar Quintanilla, who went 4-for-4 with a homer and a walk. If Tejada continues to struggle at the major league level, don’t be surprised if you see Quintanilla get called up to take some time away from him.
• Matthew Bowman (3-0), a 13th-round selection in last year’s MLB Draft out of Princeton University, has worked at least six innings in all four of his starts since being promoted from Savannah earlier this month. Boasting an arsenal that already contains four quality pitches — the changeup being viewed as his primary out pitch — he painted the corners masterfully and sent down the first six Marauders batters he faced last night on during his solid seven inning outing. He struck out five batters and walked only one.

Stat Line of the Day

Omar Quintanilla: 4-for-4, 1 HR, 1 BB, 3 RBI, 2 R

Transactions

None.

Happy Memorial Day from all of us at MMO and MMN.

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas lost to Salt Lake, 7-5.
• Binghamton slipped by Portland, 3-2.
• Savannah defeated Augusta, 2-1.
• St. Lucie shut out Bradenton, 1-0.

Prospect Pipeline

• Logan Verrett was pretty damn good in yesterday’s game, scattering three hits over seven innings while striking out nine. He allowed just one earned run and walked none. In fact, as Mitch pointed out, “over Verrett’s past two starts, he has pitched 13 innings, striking out nineteen batters and walking none. That’s completely ridiculous.” Verrett is the midst of a really impressive season and is thrusting himself right into the middle of prospect radars.
• Mitch also mentioned last night that Rafael Montero was on the mound today – and he will be looking to build on a successful outing during his quick stint in AAA, where he lasted six-and-two-thirds innings and allowed just four hits and two earned runs.
• Angel Cuan was not to be outdone by anyone last night, as he twirled seven shutout innings for St. Lucie and allowed just two hits. He struck out nine in a surprisingly dominant performance. Cuan may not find himself on any prospect lists any time soon, but you could do a lot worse for an organizational lefty.
• Jeurys Familia and Scott Atchison both pitched a scoreless inning of relief to back up Angel Cuan last night, striking out one each. They both looked sharp in their first rehab appearance in St. Lucie.
• Kevin Plawecki went 0-for-4 last night and failed to reach base for the first time in 34 straight games. The fact that it even got that far was enough for me to make a joke about promoting him here.
• Kirk Nieuwenhuis slammed his fifth home run of the year last night – but with a .217 batting average, he was failed to justify the hope a lot of us had for him to fight for the center field job with the MLB team. Collin Cowgill went deep last night as well, but also owns an unsightly .225 average.
• Darrell Ceciliani stole two bases last night to give him a total of 11 on the season so far, which is a pretty nice total. In other Binghamton Mets Outfield News, Cesar Puello walked twice last night, for the first time in a single game since April 12th of last year.
• I know Chris Schwinden doesn’t really qualify as a prospect by any means, but he has been struggling immensely during his time in Las Vegas, posting a 6.24 ERA over ten starts. He is basically placeholding for Rafael Montero or even Logan Verrett at this point.

Stat Line of the Day

Angel Cuan: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 9 K

Transactions

Scott Atchison was sent to rehab in St. Lucie.

Jeurys Familia was sent to rehab in St. Lucie.

Which one of you Met farm hands are ready for The Show? Let’s ask Joe D.

Scott Atchison, who experienced numbness in his fingers while pitching Monday, has been placed on the disabled list according to Assistant GM John Ricco.

Atchison was examined Tuesday in New York by team doctors who said there is “no new structural damage.”

The 37 year old veteran reliever opted not to have Tommy John surgery last year despite a ligament tear in his right elbow.

Collin McHugh has been promoted from Triple-A and is in St. Louis. He will work out of the bullpen while with the team.

In eight starts for Las Vegas, McHugh was 3-2 with a 2.74 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. In 49.1 innings, he’s walked nine and struck out 36.

Originally Posted at 9:00 AM

Mets reliever Scott Atchison took the mound pitched last night at Busch Stadium with numbness in the fingers of his right hand, which he classified as a side effect of his torn elbow ligament.

The Mets plan to send Atchison for tests on his elbow, although the reliever is not sure what that will accomplish. He has been pitching with a torn ligament since at least 2009, according to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.

“It’s documented, obviously, with my elbow,” Atchison said. “Some of it’s, ‘What can I handle?’ I feel like I’ve been managing it pretty good all year, and today for whatever reason the tingling came back.”

Atchison, 37, missed more than two months last season after experiencing similar numbness, but opted against Tommy John surgery.

In 19 appearances spanning 18.0 innings Atchison has a 4.50 ERA and allowed 20 hits, 6 walks, six strikeouts and a 1.44 WHIP.

He said he could not feel his fingers last night when he failed to get an out and gave up three hits including a two-run homer to Matt Holliday.

Just call him Mr. Clutch or as our own Daniel Nelson likes to refer to him, “El Dramatico”. Yes, of course we’re talking about the incredible Jordany Valdespin who came off the bench once again and delivered another dramatic pinch-hit home run to help the Mets beat the Marlins 7-6 and salvage the final game of the series.

Valdespin continues to display an uncanny ability for rising to the occasion whenever the Mets need a big hit, and in the last two seasons, no player in baseball has delivered more pinch-hit home runs than El Dramatico.

His five pinch-hit homers last season set a franchise record, and only one month into the season he’s already launched his second big knock of the year.

The Mets were trailing by three when David Wright opened the sixth with a leadoff double. Marlon Byrd followed with an RBI single and after another Ike Davis single, Valdespin took reliever A.J. Ramos deep with three-run homer. It was incredible and even more so was watching Spin pumping his fist as he rounded the bases. It put the Mets up 5-4.

An inning later, the Mets would tack on two more runs thanks to a two-run double by John Buck who begins the month of May the much in the same way he ended April. Buck now leads the league with 27 RBI.

David Wright had a great game with a dazzling play at third base and he homered, singled, and doubled at the plate.

Dillon Gee started the game and delivered a very rocky performance in which he was tagged for four runs on nine hits and two walks. It could have been worse if not for some nifty plays in the field.

Things got dicey in the bottom of the seventh when Lucas Duda misplayed a fly ball by Justin Ruggiano off reliever Scott Atchison allowing two more Marlins run to score and make the score 7-6. But the bullpen held down the fort the rest of the way, and Bobby Parnell pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to seal the victory and end the Mets’ six game losing streak. For Parnell it was his third save of the season.

This wasn’t a picture perfect win, but after a week of grim and disheartening losses, I’ll take it. After a day off on Thursday, the Mets will head to Atlanta to begin a weekend series with the Braves on Friday night at Turner Field. Shaun Marcum will make his second start of the season and will oppose the Braves’ Mike Minor at 7:05 pm.

Bob Klapisch of The Record, mirrors my post from Monday that the Terry Collins watch has begun:

The countdown on Terry Collins began on the first day of pitchers and catchers and nothing so far has made it any easier to believe he’ll be back with the Mets in 2014. Of course, Collins has handled his lame-duck status with grace and maturity — he’s an honest guy, good with people — but that hasn’t stopped Sandy Alderson from letting his manager continue to drift away from the mother ship.

Collins, no dummy, knows he would’ve already received a vote of confidence, even in private, if Alderson and Jeff Wilpon were entirely sold on his body of work. Both men know what job security — or its absence — does to a manager’s standing in the clubhouse. Without a commitment from ownership, Collins looks like a short-timer on a bad team, a latter-day George Bamberger. The current six-game losing streak, including embarrassing back-to-back losses to the Marlins, doesn’t help his cause, either.

Collins seems to be making one bad decision after another during this current losing streak. It’s hard to ignore his bad calls and the become more glaring especially with the team losing 10 of their last 13 games.

Last night, in a critical save situation – in a game the Mets needed so desperately to win – he called upon Brandon Lyon while his regular closer Bobby Parnell was armed and ready to go.

Lets just say that it didn’t work out too well for the Mets…

Reportedly, Parnell was pissed off after the game and was angry that he didn’t get the chance to preserve the win for Jeremy Hefner who pitched the game of his life and deserved a better fate.

Tick, tick, tick, tick….

Original Post 4/29

After getting off to a 7-4 start to the season, the Mets have now lost nine of their last 12 games and aside from when Matt Harvey and Jon Niese are on the hill, you don’t get the sense that the Mets will win that day.

Part of the problem was a middle to back end of the rotation that was ill-conceived from the beginning. The ever so reliable R.A. Dickey was replaced with Shaun Marcum who has already missed nearly a month of the season. Not surprising coming off an injury plagued season in 2012.

The bullpen, which has been among league’s worst for two years in a row, is in familiar territory once again and sporting the highest ERA in the league and the second worst mark in baseball. While Bobby Parnell has made advances in the closer role, the league is batting .324 against LaTroy Hawkins, Josh Edgin and Glen Burke have already been cut, and Scott Atchison, Brandon Lyon and Robert Carson each have ERAs over 4.00.

The outfield, which many thought would be better than last year’s version, is producing at the bottom of the MLB barrel again. Collin Cowgill is batting a gritty .169, and Marlon Byrd is providing a veteran presence to go with his .235 average. Those two were announced as everyday outfielders on Opening Day and experiment that lasted all of three games. Adding to the folly is the scrappy Mike Baxter and his .229 average. After a solid start, Lucas Duda has been mired in a slump and is batting .233 in his last ten games. Jordany Valdespin is probably the Mets’ best option, but is still relegated to bench and spot duty. He didn’t even merit a start a day after a game winning grand slam.

You have a mixed bag in the infield with David Wright holding up his end of the bargain with a .309 average and a .506 slugging, and Daniel Murphy continues to defy his skeptics offensively and defensively. Ike Davis has been a sore spot all season long and as I said two weeks ago it’s time to bring up Josh Satin who leads the organization with a 1.10 OPS and platoon him at first. Ruben Tejada hasn’t cut it defensively or offensively and yet somehow he frequently finds himself batting leadoff.

This team has gaping holes everywhere. Today on MetsBlog, Matt Cerrone provided a glimmer of hope:

“A Zack Wheeler and a Travis d’Arnaud there, an Ike Davis hot streak there, and things can turn around quick.”

I don’t see that changing the climate in Flushing. The Mets were at their worst last season when Davis got hot, Wheeler can’t seem to find the strike zone in Vegas, and D’Arnaud has missed nearly the first month of the season on the DL.

Yesterday on Twitter, I posted this message:

Mets won’t do anything to draw negative attention before All Star Game. I think Collins will be chopped after that if things don’t improve.

— Mets Merized Online (@MetsMerized) April 28, 2013

I put much of the blame on yesterday’s loss on Terry Collins. His decision to remove Niese when he did was a terrible one, and the worst part was what he said afterward:

“I knew they were going to put Howard in,” Collins said. “Scott Atchison‘s breaking ball is really difficult to hit. I don’t care who it is.”

He knew Mets killer Ryan Howard would come in and yet he proceeded as Scott Atchison is the second coming of Dennis Eckersley.

He also replaced Juan Lagares with Collin Cowgill and as one reader pointed out, that Howard two-run double probably would have been caught with the speedier and more agile rookie who Collins himself said was better than Matt den Dekker defensively.

Is it too early to call for Collins’ head?

Probably, but while we can fix the bullpen, the outfield, the infield or the backend of the rotation, you can’t fix stupid. As I said, the Mets won’t do anything now with the All Star game closing in at Citi Field, but there’s a reason why Sandy Alderson opted to let Terry Collins go into this season without an extension and as a lame duck manager.

Is it time for some Wally Ball at Citi Field?

Jon Niese gets credit for a quality start according to those stats…

As for the others?

Well this, my friends, is where our story begins…

Behold the Mets’ poison pen and embrace the horror…

• Josh Edgin has a 9.75 ERA and his fastball is slowing down in velocity by the day. The situation with him is nearing a panic level.
• Scott Atchison couldn’t get an out and allowed three earned runs to cross the plate. Simply put, he’s not getting it done.
• Jeurys Familia had a rude awakening in his first action since arriving from Sin City. I had high expectations for him today and I’m hoping this was just a blip on the radar. Perhaps a case of jet lag? Perhaps the physical shock of coming from a hot desert into an arctic tundra in the space of 12 hours?
• Jeremy Hefner can now boast that he’s flopped both as a starter and a reliever all in the space of a week. That’s not easy to do.

The toll on the New York Mets bullpen during this Colorado series was disastrous. All told, they pitched to the tune of a 13.09 ERA and during the three games they managed to squeeze in, the Mets bullpen allowed 18 runs (16 earned) on 22 hits and 8 walks in 11.0 innings.

Was it the frigid temperatures? Afterall, the first-pitch temperature was an crisp 28 degrees – the lowest temperature ever recorded in the 20-year history of the Rockies.

But then how do explain the Rockies impressive bullpen who posted an almost invisible 0.76 ERA? How does one explain away that?

Tsk, tsk, what is a poor Mets fan to do…

It was indeed a brutal scene to behold…

It was indeed a nauseating game to watch…

But remember, it’s only April, so let’s not hit the panic button just yet…

Instead, run down to the town square and fill your ice chests with some frosty brews…

Be sure to stop by the village market and stock up on your favorite snacks…

For tomorrow, the tragedy of this day will all be forgotten…

For tomorrow, ’tis Matt Harvey vs. Stephen Strasburg Day….

I was on the phone with Joe D. as I was driving to the park and he asks me if I think they’ll get the game in? I look out my window, light snow showers, “I think so,” I tell him. “Just some light snow at the moment.”

I hadn’t been off the phone for more than 30 seconds when the snow got harder, then it started doing something that I think they call sleet, then more snow and some frozen ice pellet things, then even harder snow and it began to look like maybe there wouldn’t be a game.

Fortunately the snow tapered off just enough as game time approached and the temperature dipped to 34 degrees. It was the coldest game time start since the opening of Target Field.

Now even though 34 degrees is downright balmy when you consider what the past couple of months have been like out here — it gets so bad you have to be careful not to keep your eyelids closed for too long because they can freeze together – it’s not exactly baseball weather. You wouldn’t want your eyelids to freeze together while you’re trying to track down a fly ball… you could run into a wall, or Lucas Duda.

It was a strange night. The Mets came out swinging the big boy bats and pummeled their old National League adversary Vance Worley with a 5 run first that had to feel like a cold slap in the face when the wind chill is 12 degrees. Worley left with his ERA having snowballed to 10.5.

Command appeared to be an issue for both pitchers and they struggled to grip the ball. Worley left pitch after pitch over the plate while Niese uncharacteristically walked several batters in the first few innings. Neise and Buck smartly decided to give up on his cutter after the first inning as Niese was unable to get a feel for it.

“We went to more the 4 seam, changeup and curveball,” Said Buck. “Canned the cutter because it was backing up, it was hard for him to control, obviously we all know it’s his bread and butter, so those runs we got up front definitely helped us be more aggressive, pounding the strike zone, make them hit their way back in the ballgame. We knew were were going to give up a couple of hits, it’s kind of what the game called for, with the conditions.”

The Mets tacked on another 5 spot in the second with Buck hitting a bomb 386 feet over the left field wall with the bases loaded. Worley didn’t get an out in the second.

Murphy had 4 hits with 4 RBI and 3 runs scored. David Wright had 3 hits with 4 RBI and 2 runs, Valdespin had 2 hits with an rbi and 3 runs, Buck had a run a homer and 4 rbi. All in all the Mets left the Twins out in the permafrost this nigh with Terry Collins smartly plugging Aaron Laffey in for 9th inning duty to save his bullpen. The bullpen, incidentally was outstanding as Atchison, Burk, and Laffey contributed 4.0 innings of shutout ball.

Game time: 3 hours 24 minutes
WP Niese
LP Worley

Thoughts from Joe D.

Despite the most deplorable playing conditions one could ever imagine for a baseball game, the Mets braved the snow and freezing temperatures to defeat the Minnesota Twins 16-5 tonight at Target Field.

Leadoff hitter Jordany Valdespin got on base three times and ignited three big rallies for the Amazins as the team exploded for ten runs in the first two innings and knocked out Twins starter Vance Worley faster than you could say Winter Wonderland. By the way, I thought it was a nice tough when Andy Williams started blaring over the PA system singing his Holiday Classic, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” as the Mets baserunners kept crossing home plate.

The Mets torched Twins pitching all night long and racked up 15 hits as they put their two game losing streak in Philadelphia in their rearview mirrors.

Catcher John Buck continues his torrid home run streak and tonight walloped a grand slam in the second inning that iced the game for the Mets. It was his  fourth home run in four games, and sixth this season to lead the league.

David Wright finally broke out of an 0-for-8 slump and racked up three hits falling a home run short of the cycle and driving in and four. But it was second baseman Daniel Murphy who led this hit parade with a 4-for-5 performance including a pair of doubles and he now has 12 RBI for the season, second only to Buck who leads the NL with 19 ribbies.

Jonathon Niese started and didn’t bring his A game, but still pitched well enough to win. He allowed a season high five runs but picked up the win anyway. I’m chalking this up to frostbite. Great job by the bullpen as Scott Atchison, Greg Burke and Aaron Laffey combined to toss four scoreless innings. Nice…

Hey the Mets won and improve to 6-4 for the season and Matt Harvey takes the mound today which bodes well for another win.

Lets Go Mets…

The Starting Pitching

Two words: Matt Harvey. Harvey has been stellar … actually more than stellar, he has been intergalactic. What has impressed me about Harvey is his poise and his fledgling ability to control the came by sheer force of will. No one wants to face Harvey right now, he is overpowering … that’s a scary weapon to have on any team. Need a win? He’s your guy. You can’t put a value metric on that. You aren’t getting swept if Harvey is pitching. If he’s pitching the final game and you’ve won the first two you’re probably looking at a sweep.  Never underestimate the power of a true ace. Matt Harvey really does remind me of Tom Seaver, and there really are some uncanny similarities.

Then there is John Niese, who has been outstanding. I continue to maintain that Niese’s curveball is one of the most underrated pitches in the major leagues. When he’s dropping that thing in for strikes he’s as tough as anyone in baseball. Previous years Niese would unravel after a bloop and a walk. Not so since about half way through 2012, Niese is showing some tenacity under duress, which makes him pretty tough to beat. Right now Harvey and Niese comprise a legitimate one-two punch and there’s a school of thought that subscribes to the belief that two ace level pitchers at the top of a rotation is all you really need to contend. Unfortunately I’m not sure that’s true.

The rotation gets pretty dicey after our top two. Dillon Gee and Jeremy Heffner have been wildly inconsistent with command issues. You get the sense that maybe Gee wasn’t quite ready coming out of spring training, and Heffner just seems to leave too many fat pitches over the middle of the plate. We need Shaun Marcum to hurry up and get better because one more reliable starter and I think the balances are tipped in Mets favor in terms of matching up with other rotations. Lets just say Aaron Laffey seems ill-equipped as his replacement.

The Offense

Two words: Homer happy! The Mets have been hitting home runs like it’s 1998 … Duda hit one the other night at CBP in Philly that I swear was still going up when it hit the upper deck. The man may be lost in the field, but his power is freakish. I feel like he hasn’t even really gotten a hold of one yet, what happens when he does? He could knock a satellite out of orbit, he could hit one to North Korea. How about John Buck? Yeah yeah yeah, I keep hearing how he’s going to come back to earth, whatever. Here’s the thing, with the head start he’s got? Barring injury he’s going to have to come down pretty hard and pretty fast and extremely soon because if he keeps up this rate in another week or so it wont matter, he’ll be able to go back to his lifetime averages and still have the best season of his career (and probably make the all-star game). John Buck is playing with house money at this point.

David Wright I’m not worried about, and Jordany Valdespin needs more playing time. Ike Davis is going to break out sooner or later if he can get his head straightened out. Here’s the thing about Ike. When Ike first came up I was amazed that he was able to make as much contact as he did given his long loopy swing. He was able to because he has great timing, problem is when his timing is off he really struggles, again because of that long loopy swing. The thing that frustrates me about Ike is that he’s playing into the opposition’s prescribed approach. They put the stupid shift on (it’s stupid the shift – no other way to describe it) and they toss him a steady diet of breaking pitches.

Now, correct me, but when Ike came up didn’t he hit to all fields? I remember him talking about how his dad used to make him hit to the opposite field when he was a kid. What happened? I’ll tell you what happened, the stupid shift happened, it got into his head. Ike has fallen into the trap of not adjusting his game to the shift, like it’s taboo or something to change your approach because your approach is what got you to the bigs. Well the problem is, hitting to all fields IS what got Ike to the bigs … since when did he become a strictly pull hitter? I remember Keith Hernandez was incredulous at first that they were even trying the shift on Ike because Ike was always a guy who spread the ball around. Ike needs to get together with Hudgens and practice punching the ball down the third base line, get a few easy doubles, get that average up, get himself going, then he can hit as many homeruns as his heart desires. The rest of the lineup has been playing more or less as expected. We need an outfielder, badly, but in the meantime, Baxter and Valdespin should be splitting lead-off duties.

The Defense

Outside of a few misjudged fly balls by Duda and an inexplicable run of poor play by Tejada I think the defense is actually improved. Murphy has been solid. Ike hasn’t been great at first but I think he’ll settle in. Baxter is a great outfielder and Byrd can hold his own. Center field hasn’t been the disaster we were afraid of, and again, Duda plays the outfield like he’s wearing boots of lead. Wright has been a gold glove third baseman and John Buck has given us a strong veteran presence behind the plate. This team isn’t going to win or lose because of it’s defense, and that is actually a marked improvement.

The Bullpen

Jeckyl and Hyde. The bullpen has had it’s good nights and it’s nightmares. Greg Burke, after one bad outing has been pretty good, that freaky windup of his makes my eyeballs hurt so I can’t imagine it’s easy on hitters. Scott Atchison has been the token “scary old guy” in the pen and he’s been quality through and through, Hawkins has been inconsistent — pretty much the same guy I remember in Minnesota, and Bobby Parnell is throwing a 92 mph change up (need I say more?) I will say more … when he figured out how to dial it back to 91 or 92 to improve his command little did we know he’d still bring the 99 mph heat after he’d get ahead ..  so it amounts to a 92 mph changeup — which is SICK! Anyway, Parnell is fun to watch … and the rest of the bullpen is giving me hope. Josh Edgin has been shaky but reliable and I think he’ll settle in. Overall, with Francisco and Feliciano and Carson and (potentially) Mejia in reserve this bullpen may actually have some depth to bridge the inevitable injuries during the dog days of summer. Fingers crossed on this one.

Overall

I’m hopeful. Right now, as constituted, if they can stay relatively healthy I think this is a .500 team. Maybe a few games better. Things need to break right, the back end of the rotation will need a boost – either by means of Marcum or Wheeler coming to the rescue or Gee and Heffner figuring out their command issues. Ike has to get it going and Wright needs to hit a few out of the park (has he hit any since his injury?). There are concerns, this team’s success is tentative at best. The back end of the rotation let us down in Philly but hopefully Philly won’t always be lucky enough to face Gee and Heffner in the same series in their band box of a home park.

This next series against Minnesota is important. They need to establish resilience, and what better place than a sub freezing tundra on the edge of the great plains against a young and scrappy American League Central team with Ron Gardenhire as their manager. I’ll be there for every game with my lucky hat and my heat-treat pocket warmers.

TARGET FIELD: I think we’re gonna need a bigger shovel.

There are a lot of indicators for a successful team and the Mets did several of them today in beating the Miami Marlins, 4-3, Sunday. Among them are winning close games, being able to come from behind, clutch hitting and solid relief work. The bullpen kept the Mets in the game until aggressive base running by Ruben Tejada and Kirk Nieuwenhuis set up Marlon Byrd’s game-winning, two-run single off Marlins’ closer Steve Cishek.

ON THE MOUND: In his Mets’ debut Aaron Laffey gave up three runs on 10 hits, but did get into the fifth inning. … Greg Burke, Josh Edgin, Scott Atchison, LaTroy Hawkins and Scott Rice combined for 4.2 scoreless innings. … Atchison came into the game with one out and runners on second and third in the seventh and was able to get out of the inning.

AT THE PLATE:  Daniel Murphy homered again. … Tejada was hit by a pitch and Nieuwenhuis singled and took second on the throw to set up Byrd for the game-winner. … The Mets overcame 13 strikeouts and going 1-for-8 with RISP.

IN THE FIELD: Lucas misplayed a ball near the wall, but was bailed out by Atchison. … Murphy is getting better at second, starting two double plays.

POSTGAME NOTE: With today’s win, the Mets have won their first two series of the season. The last time that happened was in 2006.

ON DECK:  A tale of two pitchers heading in opposite directions in their careers when Matt Harvey (1-0, 0.00 ERA) goes against Roy Halladay (0-1, 13.50).

Please follow me on Twitter at @jdelcos

Scott Rice made his Mets and major league debut by pitching a perfect ninth inning in this afternoon’s 11-2 Opening Day win over the San Diego Padres. After the game, Rice told reporters he intends to relich the moment as long as he can and let it all sink in.

“Obviously I had a little jitters just running out there, but once the batters get in, it’s baseball. So I went out there and just tried to stay slow, stay relaxed.”

Rice gave the game ball to his dad afterward, who was on hand to see his son’s lifelong dream finally realized after 14 years in the minors.

“My dad has been the reason why I played baseball growing up. He basically taught me the fundamentals and everything I know about baseball,” Rice said. “He’s the guy I called when I had a bad outing. He’s the first call after every outing. It’s nice that he was able to be there. It’s just as rewarding for him as it is for me.”

Rice is a great story that just keeps getting better.

Original Post 3/29

A short while ago, the New York Mets announced which players have made the Opening Day Roster. Marlon Byrd, LaTroy Hawkins, Scott Atchison, Jeurys Familia, Scott Rice, Greg Burke and Anthony Recker all made the final cut.

But wait, let’s skip back past a few of those names to what I consider to be the biggest surprise on that list… Scott Rice.

At the ripe young age of 31, the lefthander will be making his Major League debut the moment the Mets make a call to the bullpen this season and say, “Bring in No. 56.”

After toiling for 14 years in the minors – only three of those at Triple-A – and for five different organizations, the Simi Valley native will get his first shot in the Bigs with the New York Mets.

Rice, the former 1999 first-round pick of the Baltimore Orioles, has somehow managed to find his place in a wholly revamped Mets bullpen and I bet even he didn’t see that coming. To pull it off, the Mets gambled and won, by sneaking a few names through the waiver wire and not losing any of them.

Last season, Rice made 27 appearances for Triple-A Albuquerque (Dodgers) where he posted a 4.40 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 59 innings pitched.

Overall, he has a 4.52 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in 129 Triple-A appearances where he’s struck out 100 batters and walked 65 of them in 147 innings pitched.

There’s nothing here that jumps out at you, and he could be the first guy to go once Shaun Marcum is activated in ten days, but I always find stories like this somewhat fascinating.

The kid inside me loves to pull for a guy like Scott Rice. I love the backstory… Grinding it out for a decade and a half in the minor leagues is not easy, so right off the bat I see a fighter and someone who has no quit in him.

Maybe Rice was just waiting for his one chance – his one golden opportunity – his one moment to prove something to himself.

We may look at this move today and just shrug our shoulders. But I bet all of Scott’s friends and family smiled a big smile for him when they all learned the news.

I bet his iPhone was surging with activity as the congratulatory texts all rushed in.

There’s something very special and heart-warming about the thought of that…

So let me chime in, along with the rest of his family and friends, to say:

Congratulations, Scott… You’ve made it to the show…

Welcome to the New York Mets!

Atchison, 36, has bounced around baseball in his 14-year professional career. He came out of TCU as a starting pitcher in the late ’90s. Drafted by the Mariners, he rose up through the system, but stalled at Triple-A. He was eventually converted to a relief pitcher, and made his debut with the Mariners. Over the next few years, he bounced around, pitching for Seattle, San Francisco, and even played two years in Japan for the Hanshin Tigers in the Nippon Professional Baseball League.

Atchison finally settled down with the Red Sox organization in 2010, becoming a major part of their bullpen. That year, he tossed a career-high 60 innings and posted a 4.50 ERA. He didn’t pitch very well, but got significant time thanks to injury after injury to Red Sox relievers. In 2011, he bounced back and forth between Triple-A Pawtucket and the Boston bullpen. He pitched very well for both teams in a long-man type role, not seeing too much late-game action. With the Red Sox, he posted a 3.26 ERA in 30.1 innings while putting up a 2.64 ERA in 61.1 Triple-A innings.

2012 was by far, the best season of Atchison’s career. Finally a permanent fixture in the bullpen, Atchison spent most of the season as a setup man. He was flexible, however, and was often able to give the team more than one inning, which, if he could do with the Mets, would be immensely helpful considering the health problems in the rotation. He missed two months of the season after he tore his UCL in his right elbow. The put him out from mid-July to late September. He was able to return to the Sox, and finished up the season with 5.1 scoreless innings in five September appearances. Atchison’s overall numbers for the season are outstanding. In 51.1 innings over 47 games, he had a 1.58 ERA, 4.00 K/BB ratio, and only allowed two home runs all season.

Atchison has pitched well thus far in spring action, allowing only two runs on seven hits in 8.2 total innings, striking out four and walking two. He has almost guaranteed himself a spot on the Opening Day roster. It’s still unclear who will have what role in the bullpen, but my guess is Atchison will have the same role he had last year in Boston. The key for Atchison has always been keeping the ball down and preventing home runs. That’s what has made him so successful over the past two seasons. It’s unlikely that he will pitch as well as he did last year, but if he can stay healthy and keep the ball down, he will have a very solid season for the Mets.

2013 Projection:

60 IP, 2.95 ERA, 6.7 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, 1.1 WAR

The Mets seem to be rolling the dice when it comes to bringing in veterans on minor-league deals to compete for spots in the bullpen.

The team will likely head north in about two months with seven relievers, but spring training will decide who those lucky seven are.

LaTroy Hawkins and Scott Atchison were recently signed to minor-league deals. Do these guys have enough left in the tank to be contributors to this year’s bullpen?

Seriously, what do the Mets have to lose? At the very worst, Hawkins and Atchison will light a fire under the younger relievers who are battling for a roster spot.

Robert Carson and Josh Edgin had strong moments in 2012 but were inconsistent for the most part. Bobby Parnell is expected to keep progressing, and Jeremy Hefner will likely latch on as the long man in the pen.

The Mets signed side-armer Greg Burke to a minor-league deal early in the offseason, so we’ll see what he’s got this spring. Youngsters Jeurys Familia and Elvin Ramirez will also be given a long look.

With the exception of Parnell (who has been inconsistent in his own right), none of the above in-house bullpen candidates are proven commodities. But since relief pitching in general is such a volatile position, the Mets could either have the makings of a solid bullpen, or they could completely tank.

If a few of these arms can get hot at the right time, they could form a strong unit, especially if either Hawkins or Atchison (or both) can be effective. With the team’s lack of offense, it will be imperative for the bullpen to hold rare leads late in games.

And then of course there’s Frank Francisco. The Mets took a gamble bringing him in last year, and for the most part that backfired. But it wasn’t just a one-and-done with Frankie; he signed a two-year deal.

I wish the Mets would bring in some legitimate closing competition for Francisco. Parnell is on the doorstep of becoming a closer, but he needs to work through his inconsistencies to take the next step.

On the free-agent market, Brian Wilson, Matt Capps and Jose Valverde are still available. Valverde fell out of favor with Detroit in last year’s playoffs, while Wilson has already auditioned for the Mets but seems unwilling to accept a minor-league deal.

But as spring training nears, Wilson may be forced to lower his demands and prove that he can still close.

On a minor-league deal, I would love to see the Mets sign Wilson. Nothing would be guaranteed, and he would have to show the organization in spring training that he’s still got it.

Maybe Capps could be a guy the Mets bring in to push Francisco. However, he missed several months last season with the Twins dealing with shoulder inflammation.

Capps will probably draw interest on a Major-League deal, but again as the clock keeps ticking, he too may be forced to swallow his pride.

Signing one of these two closers to a minor-league deal would fit with Sandy Alderson’s theme of trying to piece together a bullpen of reclamation projects trying to resurrect their careers.

The good thing about this plan is that if it falters, not only would it be a short-term problem, but also none of the contracts would be guaranteed.