One-Run Games Making Mets tiRED in Cincinnati
The Series Recap
The Mets lost 2 out of three games in Cincinnati, all of which were decided by just 1 run, losing Monday 3-2, winning Tuesday 5-4, and losing yesterday 5-4. Both loses were extra inning games where the Mets looked flat-out tired. The teams combined to hit a total of 11 home runs in the series - all solo shots - and the games were decided in the ninth inning or later. Exciting, but also very frustrating at the same time.
THE GOOD: It's nice to see the Mets show some spunk in yesterday's game, tying the game in the ninth before eventually losing to Orlando Cabrera's walk-off homerun off Pedro Feliciano. (by the way, did you know that EVERY TIME the home team wins a game in extra innings, it's a walk off win? Let's stop thinking these "walk offs" are a rare event. And I'd really like to see these "jumping up and down at home plate" celebrations toned down a bit - even in victory, I find them annoying unless it's really a special win.).
David Wright looks like he's back. He smoked one deep into the stands for his 7th homer of the season (maybe his grand total of 10 last year really was an aberration). He also homered in Tuesday's win as well and went 2 for 5 on Monday. But he doesn't lead the team in dingers - he's now tied with Rod Barajas, who hit his 7th in the Mets win on Tuesday.
Angel Pagan's looking good with his 5 hits in the series and the Mets got their best performances by John Maine and Oliver Perez this season (although neither was involved in the decisions). And let's not forget another outstanding performance by Hisanori Takahashi, who we at MetsFanClub.com are officially referring to him from now on as "Takman" and who pitched 3 perfect innings again while striking out 4.
KRod picked up his fourth save Tuesday with a very impressive 1-2-3 ninth inning. I guess he reads MetsFanClub.com and is trying desperately to prove us wrong. Lastly, I know Met fans from all over always get on this guy, but Luis Castillo is quietly having a great season so far and continues to do all the right things, both on the field and at the plate.
And you saw something yesterday that I can almost guarantee you'll never see for the rest of the season and maybe ever: consecutive hits from Gary Matthews Jr. and Henry Blanco (who throws out just about every base-runner who tries to steal - this guy's amazing behind the plate.)
THE BAD: Remember that consecutive hits comment above? Well, the Mets had the bases loaded with 1 out in that inning, could have broken the game wide open, yet settled for just one run that wasn't even driven in with a hit (Alex Cora walked with the bases loaded before Jose Reyes first-pitch flied out to right). Which brings us to the real bad here: I think we have to admit the Jose Reyes batting third experiment is a failure. I'm not sure he has the mindset to hit third and I'm not sure he even wants to. He's doing the right thing by quietly obeying his clueless manager but he was 2 for 10 in the Met losses and the move certainly doesn't look to be helping Jason Bad (oh, I mean Bay) who went 0-12 with 5 strikeouts and looked worse than those stats sound! Is he hurt as predicted by MetsFanClub.com when Minaya signed him with no effort by Boston to keep him? Originally we thought that scenario was a longshot, but when the news came out that the Mets don't do physicals on players before acquiring them (see the J.J. Putz story), it's looking more and more like the Mets (and Minaya) have been fleeced by yet another American League team once again.
We're going to give Fernando Nieves (who tried hard to give Tuesday's win back to the Reds) and Pedro Feliciano passes on their bad pitching performances, mainly because Jerry Manuel pitches them everyday for some reason. Jon Niese went a shaky 6 innings, giving up 4 runs, in an outing that many I think expected better from him. (although he K'd 4 without walking anyone). His ERA somehow stands at only 3.60, which I guess these days is pretty good.
Even though Omar Minaya's hand-picked big winter acquisition finally singled in his first AB yesterday breaking an 0 for 15 draught, Gary Matthews Jr is still only 4 for 39 with 16 strikeouts since April 7th, without once ever facing what's considered a "strike out pitcher" in that stretch.
The Mets are now 1-4 in extra innings and 3-6 in one-run games. What's the old adage? You want to know how good a team is, look at their one-run game record. Finally, what's with Mike Pelfrey? Is he hurt, or not? I feel a disaster from the Mets medical staff about to happen very soon....
THE UGLY: There were many ugly moments in this series for the Mets, but none more uglier than David Wright trying to steal second in the second inning yesterday. Was it a hit-and-run with the free swinging (and missing) Jason Bay at the plate or was it a straight steal? Either way, Wright was thrown out by at least 30 feet (no exaggeration here). The ball from the catcher's throw arrived at 2nd base before Wright was even in the picture! How do you get thrown out by that much? And if it was a hit and run, shame on Jerry Manuel for calling the play with Bay at the plate, who's swinging through grooved fastballs these days at an alarming rate.
The Mets lost 2 out of three games in Cincinnati, all of which were decided by just 1 run, losing Monday 3-2, winning Tuesday 5-4, and losing yesterday 5-4. Both loses were extra inning games where the Mets looked flat-out tired. The teams combined to hit a total of 11 home runs in the series - all solo shots - and the games were decided in the ninth inning or later. Exciting, but also very frustrating at the same time.
THE GOOD: It's nice to see the Mets show some spunk in yesterday's game, tying the game in the ninth before eventually losing to Orlando Cabrera's walk-off homerun off Pedro Feliciano. (by the way, did you know that EVERY TIME the home team wins a game in extra innings, it's a walk off win? Let's stop thinking these "walk offs" are a rare event. And I'd really like to see these "jumping up and down at home plate" celebrations toned down a bit - even in victory, I find them annoying unless it's really a special win.).David Wright looks like he's back. He smoked one deep into the stands for his 7th homer of the season (maybe his grand total of 10 last year really was an aberration). He also homered in Tuesday's win as well and went 2 for 5 on Monday. But he doesn't lead the team in dingers - he's now tied with Rod Barajas, who hit his 7th in the Mets win on Tuesday.
Angel Pagan's looking good with his 5 hits in the series and the Mets got their best performances by John Maine and Oliver Perez this season (although neither was involved in the decisions). And let's not forget another outstanding performance by Hisanori Takahashi, who we at MetsFanClub.com are officially referring to him from now on as "Takman" and who pitched 3 perfect innings again while striking out 4.
KRod picked up his fourth save Tuesday with a very impressive 1-2-3 ninth inning. I guess he reads MetsFanClub.com and is trying desperately to prove us wrong. Lastly, I know Met fans from all over always get on this guy, but Luis Castillo is quietly having a great season so far and continues to do all the right things, both on the field and at the plate.
And you saw something yesterday that I can almost guarantee you'll never see for the rest of the season and maybe ever: consecutive hits from Gary Matthews Jr. and Henry Blanco (who throws out just about every base-runner who tries to steal - this guy's amazing behind the plate.)
THE BAD: Remember that consecutive hits comment above? Well, the Mets had the bases loaded with 1 out in that inning, could have broken the game wide open, yet settled for just one run that wasn't even driven in with a hit (Alex Cora walked with the bases loaded before Jose Reyes first-pitch flied out to right). Which brings us to the real bad here: I think we have to admit the Jose Reyes batting third experiment is a failure. I'm not sure he has the mindset to hit third and I'm not sure he even wants to. He's doing the right thing by quietly obeying his clueless manager but he was 2 for 10 in the Met losses and the move certainly doesn't look to be helping Jason Bad (oh, I mean Bay) who went 0-12 with 5 strikeouts and looked worse than those stats sound! Is he hurt as predicted by MetsFanClub.com when Minaya signed him with no effort by Boston to keep him? Originally we thought that scenario was a longshot, but when the news came out that the Mets don't do physicals on players before acquiring them (see the J.J. Putz story), it's looking more and more like the Mets (and Minaya) have been fleeced by yet another American League team once again.
We're going to give Fernando Nieves (who tried hard to give Tuesday's win back to the Reds) and Pedro Feliciano passes on their bad pitching performances, mainly because Jerry Manuel pitches them everyday for some reason. Jon Niese went a shaky 6 innings, giving up 4 runs, in an outing that many I think expected better from him. (although he K'd 4 without walking anyone). His ERA somehow stands at only 3.60, which I guess these days is pretty good.
Even though Omar Minaya's hand-picked big winter acquisition finally singled in his first AB yesterday breaking an 0 for 15 draught, Gary Matthews Jr is still only 4 for 39 with 16 strikeouts since April 7th, without once ever facing what's considered a "strike out pitcher" in that stretch.
The Mets are now 1-4 in extra innings and 3-6 in one-run games. What's the old adage? You want to know how good a team is, look at their one-run game record. Finally, what's with Mike Pelfrey? Is he hurt, or not? I feel a disaster from the Mets medical staff about to happen very soon....
THE UGLY: There were many ugly moments in this series for the Mets, but none more uglier than David Wright trying to steal second in the second inning yesterday. Was it a hit-and-run with the free swinging (and missing) Jason Bay at the plate or was it a straight steal? Either way, Wright was thrown out by at least 30 feet (no exaggeration here). The ball from the catcher's throw arrived at 2nd base before Wright was even in the picture! How do you get thrown out by that much? And if it was a hit and run, shame on Jerry Manuel for calling the play with Bay at the plate, who's swinging through grooved fastballs these days at an alarming rate.
posted by Mets Fan Club @ 9:05 AM
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