Marlon Byrd, OF
MMO Player of the Week!
The Mets had a dismal week out there over the last seven days, having played only four games due to multiple rain outs. Unfortunately, all but one game ended with a check in the Loss Column. It might have been an even worse week for the Amazins’ if not for our player of the week, Marlon Byrd!
Byrd left the yard twice over the course of the week — admittedly in one game — but had two jacks nonetheless. He also had an RBI hit earlier in the week against Miami.
Despite misreading a ball that would eventually attribute to the only Nats run, he was able to redeem himself by starting the propulsion of an offensive outbreak that we could only hope to see ever again. If we wanted to stretch all the way back to the last game of the Subway Series, Byrd’s two run bomb in the second (eerily reminiscent of the one in the Nats game, as Duda was on base both times) was ultimately the game changer as it was the only Mets run of the game.
Byrd has been steadily, but positively contributing to the team, hitting .247 with 8 homers and 28 RBIs. If he continues to regularly come through with the playing time he gets, it puts some value to his name that the Mets could use at the trade deadline come July.
HONORABLE MENTION:
Shaun Marcum has greatly improved over the last couple of starts… or, relief appearances. In the 20 inning circus game on Saturday, Marcum ended up with a better day than Harvey, going 8 innings and tossing 105 pitches in a very long relief effort. He held the Marlins to two hits until that dreaded 20th inning when the wheels finally fell off. He was in position to give himself his first win of the season (in relief, go figure), but the Mets offense went 0-19 with RISP and left a total of 25 men on base as, despite getting a baserunner in almost every inning, they could not score one measly run to win the game. Marcum ended up taking his 7th loss of the season in the longest game in Citi Field history, leaving the couple hundred fans remaining by the end (myself included) with nothing but disappointment and a few thousand all star ballots.
