What? No Refunds? Can't We at Least Fake Wanting to Win?

Here's an interesting situation: You're about to go to a Met game, perhaps your very first Met game and the game's at home at Citi Field (perhaps your first time at Citi Field). So you get to the ballpark and see the starting lineup:

Angel Pagan, LF
Fernando Martinez, RF
Carlos Beltran, CF
Fernando Tatis, 3B
Daniel Murphy, 1B
Ramon Martinez, 2B
Brian Schneider, C
Wilson Valdez, SS
Tim Redding, RHP

yeesh - Hard to be a Met fan, huh? Think of all the parents bringing their kids to the game hoping that maybe THIS would be the game to turn them into lifelong Met fans. Another marketing opportunity wasted by the hometeam.

... Where's the excitement in THAT order, you say? And you'd be right as the team looked lifeless in a 7-3 loss to the Florida Marlins. Sometimes, fans should get their money back when they waste hours of their lives going to a game, and if there ever was a time when that was the case, today was it.

"Otis" Redding's doing nothing to make people forget about Pedro Martinez (or Jon Niese for that matter), giving up 7 runs before the fifth inning was through to drop his record to 0-2. And with Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado, and Ryan Church still out with injuries, Jerry "Manual" decided to give David Wright, Gary Sheffield, and Luis Castillo the day off.

Nah, we didn't want to win today's game anyway, right Jerry? After all, Sheffield and Wright are the only two hitting and those Saturday games don't mean anything, especially to the fans who may want to actually enjoy a day at the park... don't worry about it.

Jerry: Next time you don't plan on winning, please tell us fans that shelled out some MAJOR money to attend the game beforehand, okay? Thank you very much... I hope this game doesn't come back to haunt us when we lose the division to the Phillies by one game. You know THEY play their real lineup when they matchup against the Nationals.

And on another note: Good luck to Ramon Castro, who was traded last night to the Chicago White Sox for right-hander Lance Broadway. The quick ascent of Omir Santos made Castro (who had fallen way out of favor with Jerry Manuel) expendable. But we'll be sorry to see him go as Castro had a number of memorable clutch hits for the team. Then again, you can't go wrong with a guy named "Broadway" playing in New York.

Omir... Oh My! - Santos With Another Game Winner

The Mets scored just 1 run for Mike Pelfrey over his last 3 starts, and this game was no different. The only difference was this time, Pelf was able to escape with a no-decision despite pitching very well - 7 2/3 innings, 5 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk and 6 strikeouts.

Omir Santos helped him out with a game tying dinger in the bottom of the sixth, and then sent to Mets to a 2-1 victory over the fish with a big run scoring hit in the 11th inning. Santos is now hitting at .276 and is making his case as the backup catcher when Brian Schneider returns from the disabled list tomorrow. With 3 formidable backstops, the smart money says the Mets need to make a move and trade one of them - our guess is that it'll probably be Ramon Castro, who doesn't seem to be a Jerry "Manual" favorite.

Once again, Gary Sheffield found himself at the center of a winning rally. He led off the 11th with a single to left off Brian Sanches (1-1). Sheff drew throw after throw to first base as Sanches tried to hold him on. But he stole second anyway and went to third when Ronny Paulino's errant throw went into center field.

After Fernando Tatis was hit by a pitch, up stepped Santos who punched Sanches' first pitch into left field for the game winner. Pedro Fecliciano got the win and the Mets suddenly have another 4 game winning streak going on.

The Gift that Keeps on Giving: Video Review

If only they kept stats on favorable video review outcomes: the Mets would be 5-0 in the standings. This time video review was used to overturn an umpire's call into a tiebreaking 2 run homerun by Daniel Murphy which gave the Mets a 7-4 over the Nationals with the Mets sweeping the 3-game series as expected (as required, actually).

Murphy had a career best 5 rbis, adding an RBI single in the third and a two-run double in the seventh to add to his dinger. He helped an uncharacteristically wild Johan Santana win his 7th game to remain tied with Cincinnati's Bronson Arroyo for the league lead in wins. We promise to never use Johan's name and Arroyo's in the same sentence again. Santana (7-2) struck out 11 and walked six, one shy of his career high. He labored through six innings, throwing a season-high 120 pitches while allowing three runs and three hits.

... And one of his pitches to Adam Dunn still hasn't hit the ground I bet. The mammoth shot went an estimated 465 feet and did not need video review. Neither did Gary Sheffield's first inning 2-rbi double. Despite playing without Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran (for two games), the Mets overtook the Phils for the NL East lead as well.

So take away all the injuries, and the mental lapses (Fernando Martinez got a taste of what a New York crowd can be like when you don't run out a routine play) and the Mets are looking pretty good going 17-7 in their last 24 games. Next up... Florida hopefully gets Pelfreyized!

THE KILLER INSTINCT ... or not?

For many years I have come to believe that The New York Mets have lacked The Killer Instinct. They just never seemed to put the nail in the coffin, the stake in the heart, or come up with the knock out punch. Oh, they would have had their opponents against the ropes at times, but more often than not they would allow the other team to stay in the game, and have a chance to come back and win, and most of the time, the opponent would. How many times have The Mets scored, and scored big, just to let the opponent right back into the game the very next inning? How many times have they had bases loaded with less than two outs and had been unable to score even one run, let alone hit into a double play? How many times did they need to win the rubber match to sweep a series, yet lose, and lose badly, many times getting hammered?

The evening he was to pitch in the series against the Braves, Johan Santana was 4-1, when I heard a stat that floored me. For the prior twelve games Santana had not allowed more than 2 runs per game. Again, that is 2 runs per game, and yet he was only 4-1 at the time. What does that say about the team in which he is pitching for? It says a lot. It tells me that there is something missing from his teammates. That which I believe missing, The Killer Instinct.

When The Mets went out to face the San Francisco Giants and won the first three games convincingly they had me believing that they just might do it this time. Not so. Then they headed off to Los Angeles and got hammered by Joe Torre's Dodgers. Then off to Boston to play the Red Sox. This time they win the first two games, the second which was a nail biter, then in the final game they get hammered. Boston refused to let a team come into their home ballpark and sweep them. By the final games end, The Red Sox had the heart, the motivation to battle, The Mets on the other hand seemed to be happy with two-out-of-three. Which supported my thought ... does this team have the killer instinct?

Killer Instinct. Santana (7-2) has it. You can see it every time he is on the mound. Every time he throws a pitch. K-Rod (13-13) has it. Just watch him every time he takes the relief. Sheffield (see below for more on Sheff) seems to be showing it, but who else is willing to step up?

After last nights game against The Washington Nationals one might think that I would have to rethink that maybe this team does have The Killer Instinct, not so fast, the sweep was still against the 'Nats, but it is a start.

The Florida Marlins are coming into town this week. I am hopeful that it, "The Killer Instinct", will rear it's head again.

*****

Although brief, I must give my apologies to Gary Sheffield. When I first heard that the Mets were attempting to sign him, I was with those fans that were not happy. It was one of those moments again. Think about it, how many gone, over the hill, pass their prime players was Omar Minaya going to sign for more money than they were worth? Yet, here is Sheffield blasting them out of the ballpark, any ballpark, and making a difference. My only hope is that it lasts for the rest of the season. Gary, you have made a believer out of me.

Livan's day is Complete with 6-1 Win; Sheff Continues to Hit

Finally! Jerry "Manual" threw the book away and let a pitcher do what we fans know they can do: throw a complete game.

Livan Hernandez was masterful in raising his record to 4-1 with a 6-1 victory over the hapless Nationals. His complete game was the Mets first of the season (at Citi Field to boot) and it was also the first for the team in the last 46 games. In fact - and quite pathetically - no Mets starter had thrown a pitch in the 8th inning prior to Livan's performance the entire season so far.

The Mets staked him to a 3-run lead in the early innings and Gary Sheffield broke it wide open with a 7th inning 3-run shot. Sheffield's been nothing short of fantastic for this team. OK... I admit it. I was wrong about the Mets signing him.

Livan struck out 6 in helping the Mets go 5 games over .500. The Mets seem to be weathering the injury storm very nicely. Before the game started, the team added Jose Reyes and Ryan Church to the disabled list and called up Fernando Martinez (who K'ed twice and was hit by a pitch in his Major League debut). But before you start saying "oh, it's only the Nationals", remember this (and there are no exceptions):

You have to beat the teams you're supposed to beat to make the postseason. The Mets choked the last 2 Septembers no so much because they lost to the Phillies, but rather because they couldn't beat the likes of the Marlins and the Nats (at home, no less!).

So let's go out and sweep those Nats tomorrow with Johan on the mound, why don't ya?

Who Possibly CAN'T Like Video Review?

If I've said it once, I'll say it 1000 times: Nothing is better for sports than video review. If I had my way, EVERY controversial call in all sports would be subject to review. We have the technology, let's use it - it only makes the game better!

So once again, the Mets came up on the winning side of another reviewed play. This time, it was Gary Sheffield's 3 run homerun (maybe) at the center of the controversy. Sheffield's 6th-inning drive to leftfield was originally called a homerun, but the play went to review because some idiot fan touched the ball on the ball's descent. (hopefully the fan - who had a glove - doesn't play little league... a coordinated fan makes that catch!).

Six minutes later, crew chief Larry Vanover signaled an official home run, and the injury-plagued New York Mets went on to beat the Nats 5-2, making a winner out of John Maine who pitched pretty well for his fourth victory.

Sheffield, Luis Castillo, and Carlos Beltran each had 2 hits in the game with KRod putting the hammer down for the non-quality save (we don't like giving out saves with 3 run leads). Also, since going seven straight games without a homerun, the Mets have now homered in four straight. That's pretty good for teams NOT playing in Yankee Stadium, which is now officially a joke as more and more major news and media outlets are picking up on the ridiculous ease balls are leaving that stadium.

And according to the team notes, the last rubble of Shea Stadium was removed during the 10-game trip, giving the Mets a full parking lot surrounding Citi Field. Also known as the Grand Central parkway...

Why, Oh Why, Did the Rain Have to Stop?

A thunderstorm in the bottom of the first inning forced a 36-minute delay, but unfortunately the weather turned nice and the rest of the game had to be played. The result was a 12-5 shellacking of the Mets by the Red Sox, who avoided a home sweep at the hands of the Amazin's who magically took the first two games of the interleague series.

The Mets actually had a 5-3 lead in the this game, but gave it up in the bottom of the fifth when the Sox bats were too much for Tim Redding, Sean Green, Ken Takahashi, and eventually Brian Stokes.

2 out of 3 in Boston? I'll take it. So will a depleted Mets team that can field an entire roster with the players they have on the disabled list. There's not much more you can say about this game, other than to give credit to Boston's bats, except of course, Big Papi - who I actually routed for to hit a homerun since the game was out of hand. He really looks lost, and that's sad for someone as popular as he is, even outside of Boston.

Lastly, rumor has it that after the Phillies disposed of the Yankees today at Yankee Stadium, Jimmy Rollins was heard to say "We'll see you guys again in October" to the Yankee players as he walked off the field. Like they need any, but perhaps the Mets can use this as further bulletin board motivation to beat this annoying team?!?!

Mets Ninth Inning One for the Books

And what a ninth inning it was! Down 2-1 on the road facing perhaps the best closer in baseball for a team that hasn't seen a clutch hit since the Bush administration. But the Mets actually pulled this one out of a hat due to Omir Santo's controversial home run with 2 outs in the ninth.

Santo's drive was originally ruled a double, but after video review of the play, it was clear the ball hit above the homerun line and was ruled a dinger by the umpiring crew. Gary Sheffield started the top half of the inning by walking against the mighty Jonathan Papelbon. After David Wright and Jeremy Reed both struck out, Santos came up and smoked the first pitch he saw to give the Mets a 3-2 lead. Before his dinger, no one had even hit a ball Papelbon threw - Sheffield, Wright, Reed... not even a foulball! So Santos shot was truely an accomplishment.

But things got even more interesting in the bottom of the inning when the Mets flashed some nice glovework for a change. With J.J. Putz looking to save the game (it was later learned that KRod was unavailable due to back spasms - and we have our fingers crossed on that one), David Wright made a phenomenal grab of a grounder hit by Jason Bay. However, Wright's throw to second was WAY off the mark (shades of Jeremy Reed in Los Angeles), but somehow not only was Luis Castillo able to catch the throw on the short hop, but he also kept his foot on the bag at second to force out Boston's Kevin Youkilis at second.

Just an amazing play by Castillo (and an equally amazing grab by Wright on the grounder). The next batter, J.D. Drew, smoked a liner to right that looked like it was going to be a homerun when he hit it, but somehow didn't travel nearly as well as it seemed to be hit for out number 2. Finally, Mike Lowell hit a hard liner to short that Ramon Martinez of all people was able to snare and throw out the turtle-like Lowell to end the game.

Pelfrey pitched well after a shaky first inning, Pedro Feliciano (1-1) got the win, and Putz saved it, his second. Nothing like a win snatched from the jaws of defeat - that's something we haven't seen a lot of.

After yesterday's comeback, do we dare dream of a sweep tomorrow?

With Win, Mets Can't Be Swept in Boston

How is it possible that with all the time Johan Santana spent with Minnesota, he never won a game at Fenway Park? Until yesterday that is. A "less than stellar" Johan overcame sloppy fielding to beat the Red Sox 5-3 for his sixth victory of the season.

Despite another 3 errors, the Mets were able to somehow were able to pull this game out in a game that saw tempers flare in the fifth. Johan hit Kevin Youkilis on the elbow with a pitch and the two players began exchanging words. (probably not words I can print here).

And as we mentioned in a previous post, you don't mess with the Johan, as the exchange seemed to make him more dominating after that, finishing with 7 innings, allowing 2 earned runs and striking out 8.

The Mets broke a 4-game losing streak and never trailed after Gary Sheffield went field in the second inning for his 3rd of the season. Jason Varitek homered in the bottom of the inning before the Mets took the lead for good against Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-2) with three runs in the fourth.

And of course, KRod finished the game off with a perfect ninth - he's now 12 for 12 in save opportunities. Nonetheless, the Mets have to feel fortunate to take the first game in the series. After the Dodger's any Met fan has to be thinking "At least we won't get swept at Fenway"!

CitiField on Video from Mets-Pirates game on Mother's Day

Here's a video from the Mets game we attended on a windy Mother's Day against the Pittsburgh Pirates. It shows panorama views of the stadium pregame and live, and also shots from the Jackie Robinson Rotunda where we entered the stadium. Not to mention the excitement level brought upon by a Mr. Met sighting!



Anyone else have a video they shot at Shea (whoops, excuse us... Citi Field)? Let us know and we'll post it to MetsFanClub.com for you.

Mets Success with RISP is Offensive

Since Gary Sheffield's solo home run on May 13th, the Mets have gone seven games, almost 70 innings, and 265 official at-bats without hitting a home run. That even wouldn't be too bad if they were hitting in clutch situations with runners in scoring position, but they're not even doing that.

Yesterday's 2-1 loss to the Dodgers saw them go 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position as the team lost their fourth straight and got swept by the Manny-less Dodgers. They certainly had their chances to win this game, but once again the timely hit eluded them with the result being a 3-game sweep by the Dodgers.

The Mets, who came into Chavez Ravine on Monday with a half-game lead over the Phillies, now trail them by a full game after their fourth straight loss. The road trip beginning with three straight wins against the Giants seems a distant memory.

The Mets, 3 for 27 with runners in scoring position overall in the series, squandered an opportunity to take the lead in the top of the eighth after putting runners at second and third with one out. But this time it was Doghouse Daniel Murphy who grounded out weakly to first and Fernando Tatis bouncing a routine grounder to short. Murphy, who had played in left field the first 1 1/2 months this season, started at first base for the first time in his big league career.

Mets shortstop Jose Reyes was replaced by Ramon Martinez in the bottom of the third inning after aggravating a troublesome right calf that forced him to miss five games. I gotta admit: I really thought Reyes' injury was code for "he's not playing hard and we need to sit him to teach him a lesson". But I guess the injury really is legit.

And speaking of injuries: the Mets now face 3 tough games in Boston. This is gonna hurt!...

Familiar Story Dooms Mets Once Again

Bad defense and no clutch hitting.

What do you do with a 3-1 lead on the road? Give it right back. That's what happened in yesterday's lastest botched win for the Mets, as they fell to the Dodgers 5-3 with John Maine taking the loss to even out his record at 3-3.

The Dodgers got the clutch hits in this game. The Mets did not. Casey Blake hit a go-ahead, three-run homer off John Maine in the sixth inning which caused the Mets to face a deficit in the game, meaning another loss was plainly in sight since clutch rbis and timely hitting is becoming more and more a rarity with this team.

5-3 after six innings and you knew the game was over. Pretty pathetic. And by the way, 2 of the Mets runs were driven in by Maine himself. David Wright had the other RBI, a single in the third inning scoring Carlos Beltran which also extended Wright's hitting streak to 11 games.

The Mets continued their poor fielding with another costly error in the first inning when a liner to left glanced off Daniel Murphy's glove. I'm giving Murphy a pass on these errors. Why do we have an infielder playing the outfield and an outfielder playing the infield?!?! Only Jerry "By the Manual" knows...

You Want Errors?!?!?! We Got Errors!

There were 6 errors committed in the Mets 3-2 loss to the Dodgers last night. The Mets committed 5 of them and I made the other - actually watching this atrocity from beginning to end. And what a brutal end it was!

The Mets brought back memories of those love able 1962 Mets and the days of marvelous Marv Throneberry. But then again, Marvelous Marv wasn't paid the outrageous salaries current ballplayers make, so fans expect them to at least be in the game mentally.

That wasn't the case with Ryan Church who - get this - actually missed third base in the 11th inning after Angel Pagan's drive to the fence in right-center would have scored him easily. In fact it did score him, at least according to the scoreboard that showed the Mets taking a 3-2 lead. But Church was called out on appeal for not touching the third base bag while rounding third towards home. Can you believe that?!? - A player actually failing to step on a base in this day and age?!? Inexcusable. Ryan Church's a good guy and I hate to say this, but I'm starting to believe his concussions from last season have permanently affected his ability and his potential to play this game well at the major league level. At this point, I'll take the 40 year old Sheffield thank you...

And speaking of Angel Pagan, when a gold glove centerfielder with 11 years Major League experience repeatably calls you off on a fly ball, you let him take it! In the bottom of the 11th, Xavier Paul's flyball fell between the two in a near collision (with Beltran charged with the error on the play!) and set up the next ridiculous Bad News Bear's type play.

Later in the inning with bases loaded and one out, the Mets did the right thing by drawing in their infield, hopeful of a short groundball to perhaps turn two. And they got exactly that, except after cleanly fielding the ball, firstbaseman Jeremy Reed threw wide of home - way wide of Los Angeles for that matter. The throw with all the time in the world wasn't even close - allowing the winning run to score and to mercifully put an end to a horrible night.

Little league. And you thought Pelfrey's balks were embarrassing? Plus add two more Mets to the disabled list (Alex Cora and Carlos Delgado) to join Billy Wagner, Oliver Perez, and Brian Schneider. Oh, and did we mention Beltran was 0 for 4 with a walk, ending his road hitting streak at 22 games and leaving him tied with Keith Hernandez for the franchise record?

There's no "E" for effort for this one.

Reyes Needs To Go ...

Have I gotten your attention? Good, read on ...

As a Mets fan, you get used to your life being on a roller coaster. The ups and downs of this team over the last few years has taught this fan one thing, if it has taught me anything at all: how to deal with adversity. Today we are on top, by season's end, well, who knows?

I have yet to make it to the new ballpark. Like most, I just cannot get used to the name change, and from what I hear, you can hardly tell that you are at the new home of the New York Mets. There is no sure signs of the team's past history. I wonder why? What was on the minds of the powers that be when they drew up the plans, and willing to spend all of those million$, that made them not want to include the teams past? Whatever answer they give will never ring with truth. Most corporate responses never do. For me it will always be SHEA, for without him, without those who many years ago believed in a National League team for New York, there would never have been a New York Mets to build a new ballpark for.

Now, the reason for this writing .... the other day when Jose Reyes jogged to base and did not run it out, he caused visions of Timo Perez to dance in my head. Whether the ball was hit hard enough that would allow him to beat out the throw is immaterial. No matter how a ball is hit, I am of the school that a player should always run it out at full speed. You never know what could happen. Think about it, it takes at least seven moves to catch and toss a ball, anything can happen in that amount of time, and if the batter is running it out, that could cause the player to possibly bobble the ball ...

The other day I was bouncing around the dial listening to New York sports talk radio. On one of the shows a caller suggested that we fans and the talk personalities should lay off Jose Reyes since, get this, “... he is only 26 years old and still learning the game.” Well, if you ask me, and I know you haven't, Jose Reyes is a 26 year old that has been in the majors for 7 years and making more money in one season than the caller, his family, and most of us will probably make in a lifetime. Let's not forget the antics of not long ago when manager Jerry Manuel took Reyes out of a game and Reyes responded by being a baby. So callers, the next time you tell us fans to back off on a player, think again.

So, here is my theory about Jose Reyes ... with all the press, media bums, and fans out there, day after day, touting that David Wright and Jose Reyes are UNTOUCHABLE, meaning they are UNTRADABLE. There are however have been some out there who have suggested it and have gotten their heads bitten off, but I believe this is what has led to Jose Reyes acting the way he has. His family and friends probably tell him that everyday. Everyday Jose probably reads somewhere that he is untouchable. That he will never be traded. That he is most important to this teams success. Well, if I went to work and heard this about myself everyday, I would probably act like a prima donna as well. Or, maybe not, considering I don't make million$ and my boss would fire me, and since I do not have a guaranteed contract I would be out there the next day job hunting.

I like Jose Reyes, I like his spunk, however, if he is not going to pay attention, if his antics become even more detrimental to the success of this team then YES, trade him, and let's get another bat, more power, someone who can help us score more runs, especially when the bases are loaded.

Oh, and I cannot believe that I am saying this, but kudos to Mike Francesa for breaking down last night's game on the bases loaded call when Jerry Manuel pulled Daniel Murphy and put in Angel Pagan. Like the C-Man wrote in an earlier article, a bad Murphy is still better than a good Pagan. Since before the game it was stated that Reyes would be available for tonight's Dodgers game, I agree with Francesa on this point, why not put in Reyes? He could have been the spark that was needed. Bases were loaded, what did they have to lose? The game, and they did. Don't get me wrong, I hate having to qualify this but, I am tired of settling for 3 out of 4, a sweep would have been better.

Good luck tonight guys .... let's bury Torre and his boys.

Mets 2-0 Defeat is Nothing to Balk At

The Mets failed to complete a 4-game sweep of the Giants when they lost yesterday without scoring a run. Many people are pointing to Mike Pelfrey's 3 balks in the game, 2 of which led to both runs the Giants scored, as the reason for the loss. But we know better. The Mets lost this one because they couldn't muster a hit when it mattered and because their manager continues to make Art Howe look like a genius at times.

Take the second inning for example. Bases loaded, none out due to 3 consecutive walks by Giant's starter Matt Cain. The next batter, Jeremy Reed, smoked one to first and the Giants turned a nice 3-1-3 doubleplay, leaving it up to Mike Pelfrey - who ended the inning grounding out to second.

What can you do? That was just bad luck I guess. It was the eighth inning rally that really leaves you scratching your head for answers. With the bases loaded and one out as a result of a Carlos Beltran double and walks to Luis Castillo and David Wright, it seemed like the Mets finally had a chance of breaking out big with lefty Daniel Murphy coming up to bat. However, manager Jerry Manuel went "by the manual" and automatically pinch hit the lefty Murphy with Angel Pagan, just called up from the minors to replace Carlos Delgado who went on the 15 day disabled list earlier in the day. Talk about overmanaging!

I'm getting really sick of the notion that this righty-lefty thing has any merits (all things being equal). Here's a quick memo to Jerry "Manual":

A BAD Daniel Murphy is better than a GOOD Angel Pagan. I don't care who's pitching, whether they're righty or lefty, or what kind of "hunch" you may have. I don't want my manager to manage with hunches. I want you to manage with LOGIC. Throw "the book" away and start using your brains!

Was the resulting double play a surprise to anyone in the ballpark other than the Mets manager? Pelfrey took the loss (his first of the year) and obviously did not feel comfortable on the mound. His balks cost the team, but I can't blame him for the loss. After all, 3 out of 4 in San Fransisco is big, and until yesterday's game, the Mets looked good doing it.

My problem is the Phillies, who also played away games against an inferior opponent (The Nats), and ended up sweeping them. They weren't happy with 3 out of 4. That's the mentality this Met team needs to foster.

You Don't Mess With the Johan

It's getting to the point when even if Johan Santana struggles, he still wins the game. The Mets scored 3 times early off camera-smashing Randy Johnson enroute to a 9-6 victory over the Giants in San Fran. Johan Santana allowed season highs in runs (six), earned runs (four) and hits (11), but still improved to 5-2 on the season.

David Wright continues to impress offensively, getting three hits for three straight games. He also had 3 rbis and has now hit safely in 12 of 15 games in May. Add to that Carlos Beltran, who's hit safely in all but 2 games all year. He hit a pair of doubles and drove in three runs as well. Gary Sheffield rounded out the hit parade with 3 hits to raise his once-putrid average to .270.

It started out as a lefty matchup of Cy Young award accomplishments. Santana (2 Cy Young awards) versus Johnson (5 Cy's). But neither pitcher had it. And it ended on a converted save by J.J. Putz (not KRod, who had pitched in too many previous games to be used in this one), his first save since last Sept. 28th when he was with the Mariners.

Randy Johnson is stuck on 298 career victories and really looks like a shell of his former self. I'd like to see him get to 300, if no other reason than so people stop saying "Tom Glavine could be the last pitcher ever to win 300 games". I hate it that he ever pitched for the Mets

Yer Outta Here! Both Managers Ejected In Mets 8-6 Comeback Victory

The Mets rallied back from a 5-1 deficit to defeat the San Francisco Giants with David Wright leading the way with 3 hits and a season high four RBIs . The Mets got two unearned runs in the top of the ninth to complete their rally and have a MLB best 11-3 record in May. But Wright got the big hit in the seventh, a 3 rbi double that tied the game and put them in a position to once again thwart Giant's closer Brian Wilson.


Gary Sheffield came up big again, going 2 for 4 while scoring three times and Daniel Murphy added a pinch-hit RBI single as well. The Mets look to be firing on all cylinders, despite injuries to Carlos Delgado (which may put him on the disabled list) and Jose Reyes.

The team also continued their running ways in this game, stealing four more bases to add to their franchise record seven from the last game.

Sheffield and Wright started the ninth inning rally with singles against Wilson (2-2), who gave up three runs in the ninth Thursday night. Ryan Church bunted sharply back to Wilson, but his throw to third sailed by Pablo Sandoval, allowing Sheffield to score the game winner. Omir Santos then added a sacrifice fly to secure the win - after all, with KRod in the bullpen, just one run probably is enough the way this guy's pitching. He saved the game (his 11th) for winner Brian Stokes, his first of the year.

Of course, neither manager was around to see the last out as both where tossed arguing strikes and balls. Livan Hernandez started the game and was less than stellar. Add to that the Giants had their Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum on the hill with a 4 run lead and I'm sure no one would have thought the Mets would win this game. But they did - hopefully they can continue their newly found west coast momentum into today's game against Randy Johnson. Going for the Mets? Johan Santana ... I like our chances

Speedy Wright's Big Ninth Inning Single Wins It - So Why Does This Feel Like a Loss?

The Mets beat the Giants last night in San Francisco with a 3-run ninth inning for a 7-4 final. So why does this game feel like a loss? Probably because they gave back a 2 run lead after leaving the bases loaded in their top of the sixth - and the annoying guy sitting next to me told me it was going to happen.

Mind you, I'm not complaining because the team's winning, but the Mets lack of a killer instinct was on full display. Bases loaded, Carlos Beltran up and a chance to break the game wide open. But nothing happened and they let the Giants stay in the game. Good thing for KRod, who shut the Giants down in the ninth to remain perfect in save conversion opportunities.

The Giant comeback overshadowed a nice outing by John Maine, who was no-decisioned in the game with Bobby Parnell vulturing the victory despite allowing 2 runs.

However, the big story in this game was the Mets on the run. The team stole seven bases, a club record. David Wright was on base 5 times with 3 hits and 2 walks, plus he tied a club record with 4 stolen bases in a game, last accomplished by Roger Cedeno 10 years ago.

Ramon Castro came up big in the ninth, driving in 2 insurance runs with a hard hit single. Memo to Jerry Manuel: NEVER pinch hit Omir Santos for this guy again!

Jose Reyes sat the game out with a stiff right calf. (yeah, right!) How ironic that the Mets steal the most bases in their history on a night when their fastest player wasn't even in the game. Hey, a win's a win, despite the giveback from the bullpen - and the Mets are now riding a streak of nine wins in 11 games.

Tonight may be a problem however, as the team goes against reigning Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum. The Mets have KRod, so in my opinion, that gives us the "edge".

Jose Reyes' Timo Perez Impersonation Helps Mets Fall to Braves in 12 Innings

After allowing Jose Reyes' leadoff double in the 12th inning and Luis Castillo's sacrifice, the Braves' Mike Gonzalez struck out Carlos Beltran and froze Gary Sheffield with a called third strike, preserving an exhausting 8-7 win over the Mets.

Yes, the Mets should have won this game. Yes, they gave another one away. Yes, Ken Takahashi is no Hideo Nomo,and yes, Jose Reyes is good friends with Timo Perez (perhaps the worst decision-maker in all of baseball history). But the team is generally winning and all seems good in Met-land.

Fernando Tatis hit a fourth inning grand slam and Gary Sheffield went "field" with his second homer of the season and number 501 for his career, 3 shy of Eddie Murray for 24th on the all-time list (including juiced steriod users).

Jose Reyes had three doubles but again cost the Mets with foolish baserunning. A day after he was thrown out at third trying to stretch a two-run double that pulled the Mets within a run in the eighth, Reyes was out trying to cross to third on a grounder to shortstop with the score tied and one out in the seventh. Then, he admired his 12th-inning drive, thinking it was a home run and failing to run hard out of the batters' box. It missed being a home run by about 1½ feet.

I think Reyes needs some "rest", don't you? Perhaps a fake injury to keep him off the field for a few games?

Mets Win on the Other Foot as Beltran Draws Walk-off Walk

What comes around goes around as the saying goes. So it was nice to see the Mets win a game in a fashion that they usually lose with. Fresh in their minds of a recent "walk off" walk loss, the Mets turned the tables this time as they came out on the winning end of such a play.


Carlos Beltran worked out a 10th inning walk off walk to help the Mets beat the Braves 4-3, with KRod getting his first win as a New York Met. Now we all know the term "walk off" is getting way overused - after all, every game won by the home team in an extra inning game is a walk off win by definition. Walk offs are not rare.

But walk off walks are. The bigger story here is that the Mets actually came back from a 3-0 deficit late in the game. I'm impressed. Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, and David Wright each had 2 hits apiece. Mike Pelfrey had a strong outing despite not getting a win, but keeping his 4-0 record in place for another day. And Ryan Church even got a hit (now we have to get Daniel Murphy back on track).

The Mets were previously 0-11 this season when trailing after seven innings. Another curse bites the dust.

Johan's Out, So Team Automatically Loses

This time, the pitch count beat the Mets. You have the best pitcher in baseball, still throwing strong in the seventh, in a game where the team actually scored a run for him!, but just because his pitch count is over 100 pitches, Mets manager Jerry Manuel has to automatically pull him from the game. You can guess the result - an 8-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves at Citi.

Bobby Parnell, Pedro Feliciano, and Brian Stokes, plus a critical Jose Reyes error translated into a 4 run inning for the Braves, which took the game away from the Mets, since you can't expect this team to come back from any deficit late in any game.

Johan left the game allowing just 2 unearned runs and actually lowered his ERA to 0.78. Tom Seaver watch out! In fact, in Johan's 2 losses, he's allowed a total of ZERO earned runs. Who did the Mets give up for this guy with Minnesota? Is Phillip Hughes still on the Yankees?

Johan Santana has now has 13 straight starts with fewer than two earned runs allowed, the fourth-longest streak in Mets history (the record is 15 by Doc Gooden).

Mets Treat Mom to 7th Straight Victory and Sweep of Pirates

Mother's Day was a grand event at Citi Field yesterday, as the Mets upped their winning streak to seven straight with a 8-4 victory over the Pirates, sweeping the series and getting Livan Hernandez a victory in his 150th career game.

Livan struggled early in the game and seemed to have trouble finding the strike zone. But after all was said and done, he made it through 6 innings and struck out 5 for his third win of the year against one loss.

Down 2-0, the Mets struck for 3 runs in the bottom of the fourth, with catcher Omir Santos driving in 2 runs with a clean shot to rightfield in which he was thrown out at second trying to make it a double. No complaints here on that one - we always like aggressive ballplaying.

And the score stayed close throughout the game until the bottom of the eighth when the Mets broke it open against Pittsburgh's John Grabow. Santos and Ryan Church both singled, then Fernando Tatis was hit by a pitch loading the bases. Up came the free swinging Jose Reyes, who worked out a walk for an RBI. After Luis Castillo's sacrifice fly, Carlos Beltran stepped in with his pink bat (several players used pink bats for Mother's Day and breast cancer awareness and the bats will be auctioned to raise money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure) and smoked a Citi Field double to score Tatis and Reyes and basically end the game right there.

By the way, Citi Field doubles are shots that would be homeruns in any other ballpark. Carlos Delgado had one as well in the fourth.

How does a 17-13 record sound so far? And how about tonight's matchup?: Johan Santana against the Brave's Derek Lowe. Wasn't he the guy that didn't like the Mets off-season offer?

First And 10: Mets Continue Their Winning Ways

The Mets scored 10 runs in their latest victory over Pittsburgh, a game which left them in sole possession of first place in the National League East as they thoroughly romped over the Pirates, 10-1 at Citi.


The team amassed a whooping season-high 17 hits, with each starter in the lineup getting at least 2 hits apiece. Carlos Beltran hit another homerun (his 6th) and Jose Reyes had 3 hits and drove in 3 runs to back another great start by John Maine, who raised his record to 3-2 with the win.

In fact, the only run Maine allowed was a homerun to the opposing pitcher, Paul Maholm.

It didn't take long for the Mets to break this game open, and with the score 6-0 after 4 innings, this game was over quickly. Still, it was nice to see Ken Takahashi pitching effectively in relief once again. And did anyone even notice that Jerry Manuel was serving a 1-game suspension (making contact with umpire Bill Welke the other night) and Sandy Alomar Sr. was actually managing the team?

Livan Hernandez takes the mound tomorrow for a Mother's Day matinee. We'll be there hoping to see the Mets extend their 6 game winning streak.

Delgado Caps 8th Inning Explosion with 3 Run Dinger

Carlos Delgado hit a three-run homer in a five-run eighth inning and finished with five RBIs, moving past Mickey Mantle on the career list and helping the surging New York Mets beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3 for their fifth straight win.

Jonathon Niese plugged a hole in New York's rotation with six effective innings and Carlos Beltran had a tiebreaking RBI single for the Mets, who improved to 3-0 on their eight-game homestand.

Jose Reyes started the winning rally with a single to center off Tyler Yates (0-2). After Luis Castillo walked, Beltran then sliced a single down the third-base line to give the Amazin's a 3-2 lead.

Sean Burnett came in for Yates and Delgado promptly greeted him with a drive over the wall in right-center. Delgado's fourth homer gave him 1,512 RBIs, snapping a tie with Mantle for 48th place on the career list. Delgado's blast also snapped his 14-game homerless streak.

Niese pitched well, but not enough to gain the victory which instead went to Bobby Parnell (1-0), who struck out two in a perfect eighth to earn the win. A victory's a victory, no matter who gets it (or however bad the team is you're playing)

Home Run Parade Backs Pelfrey to Sweep of Phillies

Manny Ramirez says to check Carlos Beltran for steroids. Beltran continued his hot hitting April with yet another homerun - a 2 run shot - with David Wright and Jose Reyes going deep as well to back the fine effort from Mike Pelfrey as the Mets Pelferized the Phillies 7-5 to sweep the short series at Citi.

Beltran's now only hitting .382, but he's been nothing short of amazing so far this year. With David Wright coming around (he had 3 hits in a game for the first time this year), Jose Reyes starting to play like he means it, and the Mets starting rotation looking somewhat stabilized, Mets fans have a lot to look forward to.

Carlos Delgado also had 2 hits in the game, and let's not forget Ramon Castro's big 2 rbis. Pelfrey's a quiet 4-0 so far, despite a high ERA. And what more can you say about KRod, who's just been money in the bank as he notched another save - his 9th of the year already.

Remember a few games back when we were concerned that Jerry Manuel was turning into Willie Randolph with his questionable managing? Well, he looked nothing like Willie last night, getting tossed from the game arguing a blown call by umpire Bill Welke on Jose Reyes that let the annoying Shane Victorino slip out of a rundown. The call was clearly wrong, but the Mets hung on to win the game anyway. Once again, another good sign.

Yes, it's way too early to be scoreboard watching, but the Mets have now won a season-high four in a row and five of six. They're now 1 game over .500 and 1/2 game out of first with Pittsburgh coming into town for a 3-game weekend series. Jonathan Niese goes against the Pirate's Jeff Karstens tonight - let's keep that offense going!

Mets Math: Johan + 1 Run = Victory

For the second time this year, Johan Santana's come out on the plus side of a 1-0 ballgame. Santana was brilliant again, fanning 10 and going seven strong innings for this 4th victory against 1 loss on the year. The Mets have scored a total of 10 runs ALL YEAR when Santana's been in the game, making his 4-1 record even more impressive.

I guess you can say the Mets made the most of their 2 hits in the game, although they were helped out by some shoddy Philadelphia defense when they scored their only run in the seventh inning. After Scott Eyre replaced Chan Ho Park (who pitched pretty well himself) for the Phillies, he immediately walked Carlos Delgado. Two outs and another pitcher later, Fernando Tatis hit a dribbler down the third base line which Pedro Felis fielded and tried to pull a "Wright Move". Instead, he threw the ball wide of first and allowed Delgado to keep moving.

And keep moving he did, running through the "Hold" sign from third base coach Razor Shines, and barely sliding home in time to beat the throw from Jason Werth, who mysteriously held the ball for the split second Delgado needed to make it home safely. Razor needs to be a bit more agressive sending runners. Had Delgado stopped at third, we get the feeling this game would still be going on with no scoring at all.

A classic pitchers duel with the Mets bullpen coming up big again. Pedro Feliciano pitched a solid eigth and KRod shut it down for save number 8. Yesterday's post reminded us of the positives we see in this team. 2 hits and a victory? That's a positive. And as a result of this game, the Mets have their first 3-game winning streak of the year and snapped the Phillies 5-game road win streak.

Oh, and after the game, the Mets put struggling starter Oliver Perez (1-2, 9.97 ERA) on the 15-day disabled list with tendinitis in his right knee. And finally, on a non-Met note: can anyone really be surprised about Manny Ramirez?

Mets Ninth Inning Escape Has The Team Livan Large

The Mets had a 4-1 lead with two outs and the Braves batting in the bottom of the ninth inning in Atlanta yesterday - and after Carlos Delgado's unexplainable drop of the simpliest of potential pop outs, they barely held on for the 4-3 victory.

And the fact that good ole Chipper Jones made the final out of the game made the final result even sweeter, but here's what you have to take from this game: Last year's team would have lost this game. Instead, this year, KRod maintained his cool (does anyone think Billy Wagner, Braden Looper, Armando Benitez, Aaron Heilman, et al would have been able to close out the game after Delgado's gaff?). Probably not, but K-Rod did.

Maybe it's just me, but despite the game being played in Atlanta, and despite all the horrible ways the Mets lose games there in the past, I just knew they would close this game out somehow. Glad the team proved me right! This is a huge positive for Met fans moving forward.

Ironically, Delgado provided the Mets with insurance runs in the top of the inning with a 2-run single with the bases loaded to back up Livan Hernandez's 6+ innings of nice work. Livan picked up his second win against 1 loss as the Mets number five starter and if his emergence is for real (and it looks like it is), it takes a little pressure off a starting rotation now without the irratic Oliver Perez, demoted to bullpen duty - and thankfully not appearing in last night's name.

So let's talk more positives. Carlos Beltran continued his torrid hitting and extended his hitting streak to a career high 16 games. KRod's a perfect 7 for 7 in save situations this year. David Wright looks like he's coming around with the bat. With the win, the Mets are just one game under .500 for the season. It was the Mets first sweep of a two-game series in Atlanta since May 1-2, 1989.

And perhaps the biggest positive of them all: the team isn't embarrassing themselves with losses to Boston like some other NY team is...

ALL-STAR VOTING

Hey baseball fans, that time of the season is quickly approaching when you have to put on your thinking caps and figure out through all the muck and hype who REALLY deserves to go to the ALL-STAR game.

I know, I know, most of you who actually follow baseball have come to realize just how much of a joke the ALL-STAR game has become, especially the year when they stopped play because it was going into extra innings with players who made it on past performances and not on how they were during the end of the prior season and how they had been playing until the time that the ballots are to be cast.

So, here is my challenge to you. Look at the ballot and seriously choose the player who deserves it, not the one you like or just because his name is well known. Let me put it this way, unless he has an awesome May and June, David Wright should not be amongst those who are to be considered even though his name is on the ballot. Sorry David ..... nothing personal .... although maybe my words might just light a fire under his butt.

I have found a direct link to the voting ballot, so you can go to MLB.com directly, locate the ad for the All-Star 2009 Online Ballot voting. It is on the right side of the home page .... sponsored by Sprint ..... and no I do not work for them or get paid for mentioning them.

Let's see if ALL of the voters can get it right this year ... so hopefully those who should will get to play ball.

Beltran's Blasts Beat Braves

Now this is the Carlos Beltran we Mets fans know: the guy who homers twice in one game, drives in 4 runs, raises his batting average to .400, and extends his hitting streak to 15 games. Obviously, Beltran was the major catalyst in the Mets 6-4 win in Atlanta, a place which saw the Mets win just one game all last year.


David Wright also went yard in the game, becoming the sixth player for the Mets to have 500 career RBIs with the team. And John Maine overcame a career-high six walks to notch his second win of the season. Bobby Parnell and J.J. Putz held the game in check for KRod to finish it off for his 6th save in 6 save opportunities.

The Mets are now 30-63 at Turner Field since the start of the 1998 season, but I like the Mets future way better than the Braves'. Of course Chipper Jones also homered in the game - "Larry" now has a .329 career average and 40 homeruns against the Amazin's. I'm sure his son "Shea" is proud.

Despite the third inning when Maine was tagged for 3 runs and walked 3 batters, Maine said he was motivated by the "good vibes" in the Mets dugout. Whether that's just lip service or not directed at Omar's comments regarding the team lacking an edge, it's good to believe the Mets are starting to play with confidence. They're going to have to keep a positive mental attitude and stay hungry if they're to emerge as division champions.

It's Cinco De Mayo! Grab a drink and enjoy Livan Hernandez going against Atlanta's Kenshin Kawakami in tonight's episode of "Who's ERA is higher"

Perez Invisible While Mets Loss Just Another Walk in the Park

Oliver Perez knew he was pitching to keep his start in the rotation. He knew the Phillies are a pretty good team (he tends to pitch well against good teams). He also knew the Mets needed a good outing from him for the team to inch closer to the .500 mark. Despite all that, Perez didn't make it out of the third inning in an atrocious 5-hit, 4 run, 6 walk performance in a game eventually won by the Phillies 6-5 in 10 innings. Perez was relieved by 40-year-old Ken Takahashi who became the first player to make his MLB debut after the age of 40 since Diomedes Olivo for the Pirates on Sept. 5, 1960.

Whoo Hoo! The story gets worse. Consecutive homers by Daniel Murphy and Ramon Castro off Jamie Moyer in the sixth was the only thing that saved Bad Ollie from the loss (too bad Johan Santana doesn't have luck like that). But immediately after actually taking the lead, Pedro Feliciano gave it right back by allowing a dinger to Met-killer Raul Ibanez, earning Feliciano a dreaded "blown hold".

That set the stage for the bottom of the tenth, when Sean Green came into the game to walk in the game winning run. Talk about a walk-off win and a brutal way to lose. Now the Mets need to think about what to do with the $36 million dollar Perez and his 9.97 ERA. Perez says he feels embarrassed and Jerry Manuel says his confidence is shot.

Why don't these problems ever surface is the last year of a player's contract?

Murphy's Dinger Gives Mets "Edge"

The Mets responded well to comments by Omar Minaya about the team lacking an edge to win by beating the hated Phillies 7-4 in Philadelphia. Of course Minaya backed down from his comments, but Mets manager Jerry Manuel feels good about how the Mets approached the game.

Daniel Murphy hit an early 2-run shot and Mike Pelfrey pitched 5 1/3 effective innings to put the Mets in a position to win. Then Jose Feliciano and J.J. Putz "held" the game, and K-Rod finished it off for his 5th save of the season. (We won't get into how ridiculous the save stat is when you win 7-4)

Pelfrey (3-0) was also a hitting star in the game. His 2 rbis matched his career total. Fernando Tatis and David Wright each had 2 hits in the game as the Mets raised their record to 10-12 while Chan Ho Park took the loss. Park was washed up when he wore a Met uniform awhile back once again proving the adage, if you want to make it in baseball, become a pitcher. How is this guy still in the majors?!? And on a World Series winning team at that?

Carlos Beltran led off the fifth with a double, extending his hitting streak to 13 games and the Mets scored 3 of their 7 runs on sacrifice flies. I'm not sure whether that's good or bad. And speaking of good or bad, Ollie Perez makes his "do or die" start tomorrow against the ageless Jamie Moyer. It's anyone's guess what to expect, but I'll be watching!