Demons, begone!
The best part about Mark Reynolds' three-run, game-tying home run off Billy Wagner in the top of the ninth inning Wednesday night was the sight of the ball flying into the picnic bleachers past the DiamondVision screen, upon which was a summary of Reynolds' three previous at-bats:
STRIKEOUT
STRIKEOUT
STRIKEOUT
As Reynolds circled the bases, I pondered why Wagner threw a slider in that spot when Reynolds clearly had trouble with the fastball, and recalled that whenever Wagner gives up a bomb, it almost always seems to be on a bad slider, which when it doesn't slide, is really just a slow, fat fastball.
But then I got to thinking: With all the talk about the Mets' lack of heart, or talent, or leadership, or managerial acumen, or whatever it is you think the team is missing, perhaps what the club needed the most was an exorcism. The mojo or karma surrounding this team is approaching Poltergeist levels. On April 15 a guy died falling off an escalator, and the Mets' luck this season has been downright miserable.
Maybe the team needs that dwarf lady to come in and declare, "This house is clean." Perhaps we need to lob the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch into the clubhouse to blow any evil spirits into tiny bits, so that the Mets may feast upon the lambs and sloths and carp and anchovies and orangutans and breakfast cereals and fruit bats.
And then, after battling into the 13th inning, after David Wright fouled out to first and then pounded the dugout bench in frustration, with Luis Castillo on first base, Carlos Beltran blasted a two-run, walk-off homer to right to win the game.
Beltran, who bats cleanup but only has seven homers all season. Beltran, who gets criticized for not showing enough fire when it was he who has carried the Mets for significant stretches the last two seasons. It was fitting that Beltran provided the winning blast, and that Delgado and Reyes and Wright were there at the plate to dance on it, although to be honest the team looked too exhausted to celebrate too much.
But celebrate they should. Not only did they turn a potentially gut-wrenching loss into a thrilling victory, but they got a tremendous -- and one can only hope a career-altering -- performance from Mike Pelfrey, who pitched like the big, talented pitcher the Mets have expected him to become. He dominated with his fastball and sinker, challenging hitters and striking out eight, a career high.
Pelfrey hit two other career highs in the game for innings pitched (eight-plus) and pitches (112), so no one should have been surprised to see Wagner come in after the leadoff hit in the ninth. Sure, Willie could have left Pelfrey in for another batter, but more likely than not Wagner was coming into this game anyway. Unfortunately for Pelfrey, Wagner seems to be in one of his funks, with two straight blown saves on home runs.
The Mets chased Brandon Webb after five, touching him for three runs early and then literally hitting him hard when Delgado lined a shot off his hip. But of course, after the three runs in the fourth, the Mets could do nothing for eight innings, until Beltran's blast in the 13th.
The 13th inning. Maybe there is something karmic happening here. Wagner wears number 13. And in Florida, Dan Uggla hit a walk-off grand slam to beat the Phillies, allowing the Mets to gain a game on Philly.
There were no ectoplasmic explosions or anything to indicate clearly whether the demons are, in fact, gone. We'll know more today when Johan Santana faces Dan Haren in the afternoon tilt, when both teams will be tired. The Mets' spirits, though, should be uplifted.
STRIKEOUT
STRIKEOUT
STRIKEOUT
As Reynolds circled the bases, I pondered why Wagner threw a slider in that spot when Reynolds clearly had trouble with the fastball, and recalled that whenever Wagner gives up a bomb, it almost always seems to be on a bad slider, which when it doesn't slide, is really just a slow, fat fastball.
But then I got to thinking: With all the talk about the Mets' lack of heart, or talent, or leadership, or managerial acumen, or whatever it is you think the team is missing, perhaps what the club needed the most was an exorcism. The mojo or karma surrounding this team is approaching Poltergeist levels. On April 15 a guy died falling off an escalator, and the Mets' luck this season has been downright miserable.
Maybe the team needs that dwarf lady to come in and declare, "This house is clean." Perhaps we need to lob the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch into the clubhouse to blow any evil spirits into tiny bits, so that the Mets may feast upon the lambs and sloths and carp and anchovies and orangutans and breakfast cereals and fruit bats.
And then, after battling into the 13th inning, after David Wright fouled out to first and then pounded the dugout bench in frustration, with Luis Castillo on first base, Carlos Beltran blasted a two-run, walk-off homer to right to win the game.
Beltran, who bats cleanup but only has seven homers all season. Beltran, who gets criticized for not showing enough fire when it was he who has carried the Mets for significant stretches the last two seasons. It was fitting that Beltran provided the winning blast, and that Delgado and Reyes and Wright were there at the plate to dance on it, although to be honest the team looked too exhausted to celebrate too much.
But celebrate they should. Not only did they turn a potentially gut-wrenching loss into a thrilling victory, but they got a tremendous -- and one can only hope a career-altering -- performance from Mike Pelfrey, who pitched like the big, talented pitcher the Mets have expected him to become. He dominated with his fastball and sinker, challenging hitters and striking out eight, a career high.
Pelfrey hit two other career highs in the game for innings pitched (eight-plus) and pitches (112), so no one should have been surprised to see Wagner come in after the leadoff hit in the ninth. Sure, Willie could have left Pelfrey in for another batter, but more likely than not Wagner was coming into this game anyway. Unfortunately for Pelfrey, Wagner seems to be in one of his funks, with two straight blown saves on home runs.
The Mets chased Brandon Webb after five, touching him for three runs early and then literally hitting him hard when Delgado lined a shot off his hip. But of course, after the three runs in the fourth, the Mets could do nothing for eight innings, until Beltran's blast in the 13th.
The 13th inning. Maybe there is something karmic happening here. Wagner wears number 13. And in Florida, Dan Uggla hit a walk-off grand slam to beat the Phillies, allowing the Mets to gain a game on Philly.
There were no ectoplasmic explosions or anything to indicate clearly whether the demons are, in fact, gone. We'll know more today when Johan Santana faces Dan Haren in the afternoon tilt, when both teams will be tired. The Mets' spirits, though, should be uplifted.
posted by Gaspo @ 6:08 AM
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