The Night’s Still Young!
In what looked on paper to be a pitcher’s duel between Matt Harvey and Tim Lincecum, turned out to be an extra-inning duel between both bullpens.
Buster Posey struck first with a two-run home run in the first inning to give the Giants an early 2-0 lead. It took Harvey 50 pitches to get through the first two innings.
Lincecum took a no hitter into the fifth, but Marlon Byrd broke it up with a leadoff single. The Mets got on the board with a double by John Buck that drove in Byrd later that inning to cut the lead in half 2-1. The Mets looked to get more, but Omar Quintanilla struck out on a questionable call that had Terry Collins chirping from the dugout and Harvey grounded out to end the inning.
The Mets tacked on two more to take a 3-2 lead in the sixth after a Daniel Murphy single, a doubleplay groundout by Ike Davis that scored a run and some sub-par defense by the Giants’ outfield.
Harvey went out to pitch the seventh inning with 107 pitches under his belt and it cost the Mets. Harvey surrendered a leadoff triple to Hunter Pence on the first pitch and promptly gave up a single to Brandon Crawford to tie the game 3-3. With Harvey on pace to throw about 240 innings, it didn’t make a lot of sense to keep him out there. It would have been the perfect time to pull him and save him an inning pitched down the road.
The bullpen was stellar in this one. Carlos Torres came in to pitch a scoreless eighth and ninth. David Aardsma held the Giants scoreless again in the 10th and 11th. Greg Burke came on after that and held the Giants at bay in the 12th and 13th. Josh Edgin came in to pitch the 14th and 15th and surrendered no runs. After the Mets grabbed the lead in the 16th, Bobby Parnell shut the door to finally end the five-and-a-half hour marathon.
The Home (Team) Recker
The Mets had a chance in the 11th with two outs and runners in the corners. Byrd couldn’t leg out an infield single after Crawford made a great play to get him out and the game continued. They had another opportunity in the 12th after a leadoff single by Kirk Nieuwenhuis. Buck struck out and the inning was abruptly ended by a fine snag at third by Pablo Sandoval who doubled up Nieuwenhuis at first. The offense went ice cold till the 16th when Eric Young singled and eventually made it to third. After Wright was intentionally walked, Anthony Recker came in to pinch hit with runners in the corners and two outs. Recker grounded to Crawford who made an error that allowed Young to score, giving the Mets a 4-3 lead.
A move lost in the game was Collins’ decision to stick with Davis in the ninth to face left-handed Jeremy Affeldt instead of hot-hitting Josh Satin. Davis proceeded to pop out and Sergio Romo came on to get the last two outs. Seems like Collins is sticking to his guns when it comes to Davis.
All-in-all, good win for the Mets. It was worth the wait. Now, it’s my bedtime.
Stay tuned for the next two games against the Giants where I’ll be live tweeting from AT&T Park.
Note from Joe D.
This just in from Daniel, Collins said Jordany Valdespin would have pitched after Parnell if the game continued.
“Recker had hit,” Collins said. “I wasn’t going to bring in Dillon Gee with his issues with his arm.”
Also, Harvey has been pitching with a blister the last three weeks, but after the game, Harvey said he’s fine.
“It kind of started not the last start, but the start before,” Harvey said. “It’s no excuse for my poor pitching. And I feel fine with it. I just have to figure some things out and get back out there.”
Additionally, Collins said that Harvey might skip his next scheduled start against the Pirates. It would be the first time Harvey has ever skipped a start. Collins said it wouldn’t be because of the blister, but because of Harvey’s pending appearance in the All-Star Game. Collins said Harvey’s outing would either be shortened or he wouldn’t pitch at all in preparation for the All-Star Game.
Geez… What am I still doing up? I’m outta here… The Mets win!
