The magic... is it back?
A buddy of mine texted me before Thursday night's game, noting that Ramon Martinez was starting, along with Robinson Cancel, adding, "Why not?" I texted back, "Ramon's playing third?"
Gallows humor is the calling card of any Mets fan, and it was in abundance yesterday as we waited for what was surely the most critical game of the season -- until the next one. What we got was a rollercoaster ride that saw the Mets go from seemingly certain defeat to walk-off victory, in the middle of a downpour that initially mirrored the Mets' fortunes but ended up incapable of washing away their spirit.
Maybe it was Lenny Dykstra's appearance in centerfield, turning the countdown to 4, that infused Shea Stadium with '86-like vibes. It certainly felt like it.
Start with Pedro, making possibly his last regular-season start for the Mets. Of course, he let up two runs in the first inning and three in the first three, but again, he settled down and ended up with a season-high nine strikeouts. An awakening Ryan Church doubled in two runs to tie the score at 3-3, and when Pedro walked off the mound with two on and none out in the seventh, he received a standing ovation, and it was well-deserved. Unlike Ollie Perez, he gave the Mets his best effort on a night when they needed it, and he deserves recognition for what he's given the team in the past.
The fans weren't even seated when Micah Hoffpauir homered on the first pitch from Ricardo Rincon to put the Cubs ahead, 6-3. Once again, like the Spanish Inquisition, no one expects when the Mets bullpen will implode, or who will be on the mound when it happens. Keeps it spicy!
(And for anyone mad at Lou Piniella for starting some bench players in the game, note that it was one of those bench players who almost single-handedly killed the Mets. But who can blame Lou for wanting to play the Mets in the first round? With this bullpen?)
The rain was falling harder, and things looked mighty grim, although Cancel perked things up a bit by doubling in the seventh and scoring on a Jose Reyes groundout. And after Scott Schoeneweis navigated through a scoreless eighth, David Wright led off the eighth with a single, only to see Carlos Delgado ground into a double play. We've seen this before.
And then, in Game-Six-like fashion, Beltran singled, and then Church singled, and then Beltran stole third off Bobby Howry. And who was at the plate? Ramon Martinez, who was 0-for-3.
What does it say about Luis Castillo (or Endy Chavez, for that matter) that Jerry Manuel stuck with the righty Martinez against the righty Howry with the game on the line? Not much. But Ramon came through with a single to cut the gap to one, and then Cancel singled to right.
Kosuke Fukudome, with a gun, charged the ball. Third-base coach Luis Aguayo -- perhaps responding to criticism for not sending Delgado home the night before -- waves Church home and he is out by a mile. Except... Church avoids the tag by a lunging Koyie Hill, misses the plate, but scrambles back to touch it to tie the score. Cray-Zee.
Pedro Feliciano opened the ninth to face a lefty and promptly allows a single. Ugh. But Joe Smith got out of the inning, getting Daryl Ward to ground out with two down and runners on second and third.
More madness in the bottom of the ninth. Reyes led off with a single, but with two strikes and Reyes stealing second, Daniel Murphy fouled off a third bunt attempt for strike three. Manuel said later that he was not supposed to bunt, and you wonder if Murphy -- a smart hitter -- missed a sign or was given the wrong sign. Either way, not a good sign for the Mets.
But this is an '86 game, remember? Wright struck out as Reyes stole second, and an intentional walk to Delgado brought up Beltran, who lined the ball off the glove of a diving Hoffpauir -- can you imagine if he capped his game with a web gem? Yikes -- to score Reyes with the winner, sending the brave and soaked faithful into a frenzy.
This team ain't dead yet, just a game behind Philly with three to go.
Of course, The Freakin Brewers won in the 10th on a walk-off grand slam, but they get the Cubbies next, while the Mets host the hated Marlins. When those games will be played is anyone's guess with all the wet weather, but we know one thing: We won't know what to expect.
It's like that at Shea.
Gallows humor is the calling card of any Mets fan, and it was in abundance yesterday as we waited for what was surely the most critical game of the season -- until the next one. What we got was a rollercoaster ride that saw the Mets go from seemingly certain defeat to walk-off victory, in the middle of a downpour that initially mirrored the Mets' fortunes but ended up incapable of washing away their spirit.
Maybe it was Lenny Dykstra's appearance in centerfield, turning the countdown to 4, that infused Shea Stadium with '86-like vibes. It certainly felt like it.
Start with Pedro, making possibly his last regular-season start for the Mets. Of course, he let up two runs in the first inning and three in the first three, but again, he settled down and ended up with a season-high nine strikeouts. An awakening Ryan Church doubled in two runs to tie the score at 3-3, and when Pedro walked off the mound with two on and none out in the seventh, he received a standing ovation, and it was well-deserved. Unlike Ollie Perez, he gave the Mets his best effort on a night when they needed it, and he deserves recognition for what he's given the team in the past.
The fans weren't even seated when Micah Hoffpauir homered on the first pitch from Ricardo Rincon to put the Cubs ahead, 6-3. Once again, like the Spanish Inquisition, no one expects when the Mets bullpen will implode, or who will be on the mound when it happens. Keeps it spicy!
(And for anyone mad at Lou Piniella for starting some bench players in the game, note that it was one of those bench players who almost single-handedly killed the Mets. But who can blame Lou for wanting to play the Mets in the first round? With this bullpen?)
The rain was falling harder, and things looked mighty grim, although Cancel perked things up a bit by doubling in the seventh and scoring on a Jose Reyes groundout. And after Scott Schoeneweis navigated through a scoreless eighth, David Wright led off the eighth with a single, only to see Carlos Delgado ground into a double play. We've seen this before.
And then, in Game-Six-like fashion, Beltran singled, and then Church singled, and then Beltran stole third off Bobby Howry. And who was at the plate? Ramon Martinez, who was 0-for-3.
What does it say about Luis Castillo (or Endy Chavez, for that matter) that Jerry Manuel stuck with the righty Martinez against the righty Howry with the game on the line? Not much. But Ramon came through with a single to cut the gap to one, and then Cancel singled to right.
Kosuke Fukudome, with a gun, charged the ball. Third-base coach Luis Aguayo -- perhaps responding to criticism for not sending Delgado home the night before -- waves Church home and he is out by a mile. Except... Church avoids the tag by a lunging Koyie Hill, misses the plate, but scrambles back to touch it to tie the score. Cray-Zee.
Pedro Feliciano opened the ninth to face a lefty and promptly allows a single. Ugh. But Joe Smith got out of the inning, getting Daryl Ward to ground out with two down and runners on second and third.
More madness in the bottom of the ninth. Reyes led off with a single, but with two strikes and Reyes stealing second, Daniel Murphy fouled off a third bunt attempt for strike three. Manuel said later that he was not supposed to bunt, and you wonder if Murphy -- a smart hitter -- missed a sign or was given the wrong sign. Either way, not a good sign for the Mets.
But this is an '86 game, remember? Wright struck out as Reyes stole second, and an intentional walk to Delgado brought up Beltran, who lined the ball off the glove of a diving Hoffpauir -- can you imagine if he capped his game with a web gem? Yikes -- to score Reyes with the winner, sending the brave and soaked faithful into a frenzy.
This team ain't dead yet, just a game behind Philly with three to go.
Of course, The Freakin Brewers won in the 10th on a walk-off grand slam, but they get the Cubbies next, while the Mets host the hated Marlins. When those games will be played is anyone's guess with all the wet weather, but we know one thing: We won't know what to expect.
It's like that at Shea.
posted by Gaspo @ 6:09 AM
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