Mets take series lead vs LA
We attended today’s game at Shea, a game that turned out great considering rain was in the forecast throughout the day.
It seemed as if there was no hope for the Mets in this game. Why? Simply because their offense wasn’t able to kick into gear and their struggling starter was giving up hits left and right.
However, Willie Randolph made the decision to keep starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey in as the game rolled on.
Pelfrey stayed in the game, and along the way, allowed several long fly balls caught on the warning track.
With the Mets down 2-0 in the eighth inning, something needed to happen, and fast.
Surprisingly, the offense suddenly kicked into gear and started to turn heads. Carlos Beltran hit a two-run homer following a David Wright double off the wall to fuel the offensive comeback. Fernando Tatis contributed in the three-run eighth to lower the ‘bridge to billy’. Billy Wagner struck out the side easily in the ninth as the Mets won their fourth game in their last five.
Mets turn it around, take series from Fish
Game 3: Mets give Marlins a long plane ride
After the Marlins took game one from the Mets, they figured they had the series under control against a fading Mets team. Well, they almost did.
After a game-tying Endy Chavez home run in the ninth inning, the Mets and Marlins sat deadlocked for the next two innings. However, in the twelfth inning, the Marlins took the lead against Duaner Sanchez. The Mets came into the bottom of the inning and immediately put runners on the corners with one out. Newcomer Fernando Tatis had his turn to salvage the game for the Mets, and he did. A ground ball would have ended the game, but instead, Tatis ripped one down the left field line. The tying run scored, the ball was bobbled, and Carlos Beltran ran around third and scored the winning, walk-off run standing up.
Oliver Perez started and only walked four, but gave up five runs on four hits through his six innings pitched.
The three least-likely sluggers to hit a home run did just that. Jose Reyes, Luis Castillo, and Endy Chavez went deep for the Mets. Jose Reyes stole his 16th base of the season.
Mets take must-win second game from Marlins
After scoring three runs in the first inning, the Mets’ offense stood still until the fifth and seventh when they tacked on two more runs. The Marlins scored sporadically, with one run in each of the second, sixth and seventh.
Johan Santana successfully played his role as stopper, pitching seven innings and only allowing three runs. Duaner Sanchez held the eighth and lowered the bridge to Billy, as Wagner shut down the Marlins 1-2-3 in the ninth for his tenth save of the season.
David Wright and Jose Reyes each had a double for the Mets, while Fernando Tatis contributed with two hits. Carlos Delgado was left out of the lineup to ‘clear his mind’. Easley played first base, while Delgado also sat out the following day.
A famous orange jacket has been worn by different members of the Mets organization throughout the years, but on this night, it belonged to Public Relations man Jay Horowitz. Jay wore it to try and spread some much-needed good luck into the team.
Johan Santana joked "It looks good on him."
Mets continue slide, lose opener to Marlins
Jose Reyes hit two home runs in the first two innings off Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco. You would think the Mets won, but instead, Mike Pelfrey gave up six runs (four earned) in four innings.
Castillo, Wright, and Beltran each had two hits, while Endy Chavez had a single. The rest of the offense produced zero hits otherwise, causing the Mets to fall into an early 6-3 deficit. That included the fading Carlos Delgado, whose batting average dropped to .215 with an 0-3 day. The Marlins scored one more time in the eighth to make it 7-3.
Aaron Heilman seems to be back on track, pitching consecutive innings and only giving up one hit without a run.
Mets lose finale in Colorado
Another lead down the drain. The Mets often seem to grab the lead in a game, lose it, and never regain it. The Mets slipped back down to a game below .500, with John Maine giving up four runs on only three hits in six innings.
Jose Reyes was 1-4 with an RBI, the only Mets run of the game. Carlos Beltran, Brian Schneider, and Endy Chavez were the only others with hits in the finale.
David Wright went 0-4, including a check-swing strikeout that he knew automatically. He never even argued or stood around to wait. He just walked back to the dugout in disappointment.
Scott Schoenweis, who has pitched in what has seemed to be all losing situations, threw a scoreless inning as his ERA sat at a much-improved 1.42.
Carlos Delgado ended his three-game home run streak, but it is a positive sign for the future. With us knowing that Delgado can turn on one three games in a row is never a bad thing. Although I don’t expect it, I hope he keeps the power numbers up.
Rookie Evans turns it around for New York
A rookie who had no part of the Willie Randolph controversy, no part of the Billy Wagner controversy, and had no part of last year’s season-ending collapse, Nick Evans, turned this team around with three doubles in his major league debut. Evans, who was called up from Double-A Binghamton due to shortage of outfielders in the major leagues AND triple-a, made an immediate impact and had a quick RBI double in the first pitch he saw.
Carlos Delgado hit a home run for the third consecutive day, as the Mets easily stomped over the Rockies in game two of this three game series, 9-2. Ramon Castro, who obviously started to give Brian Schneider a rest on a day game after a night game, had three hits, while David Wright contributed with a home run in the second.
Mets Starting pitcher Jason Vargas (1-2) pitched seven innings on three days rest, four days following his five-inning outing in Atlanta.
Mets slide continues as they lose in extras
It was nearly sealed. Billy Wagner was rolling along with one out in the ninth, when Matt Holliday launched a shocking home run over the wall to tie the game and give Billy Wagner his first earned run given up this season.
Starting pitcher Oliver Perez went five innings, allowing six hits while walking eight and four runs.
On what seemed to be a lazy fly ball to centerfield, a ball hit by Carlos Delgado was calmly announced by SNY announcer Gary Cohen, until the ball never game down. The wind sent it over the wall for Delgado’s seventh home run of the year. People can say what they want about Delgado’s batting average, but he has consistently been hitting home runs when he needs to this season.
The bad news in this game was that Marlon Anderson was running out a routine grounder when he came up hobbling and grabbed the back of his leg in pain. He left with a hamstring injury that I expect will keep him out for a couple months.
Atlanta completes four game sweep of Mets
Yet another lead lost. When things seemed like they might be heading in the right direction in the ninth, that direction arrow spun in the opposite direction and the Mets lost before your very eyes. David Wright hit a lead-off single to put a runner on and nobody out. Carlos Beltran RIPPED A LINE DRIVE straight to the second baseman for the first out. But, wait, the ball was hit so hard that they easily gunned it back to first to double off Wright. What a disaster.
Carlos Delgado hit a home run for the Mets, who had a 2-1 lead until the three-run bottom of the seventh for the Braves.
The positive thing in this game, other than Delgado’s home run, was that Johan Santana never gave up a home run like he often does. He still gave up twelve hits, but no homers. He pitched seven innings, allowing three earned runs, four total, with only one strikeout.
Mets lineup in finale vs. Atlanta
Remember last year when the Mets were one of baseball’s best teams right about now and well through the season? Well, that was when Carlos Delgado hit higher in the lineup, and that is what is happening today. To shake things up, Willie Randolph put Delgado in the five spot, but that decision likely stems from the injury to Moises Alou.
Let’s see if Johan can be the stopper.
SS Jose Reyes
2B Luis Castillo
3B David Wright
CF Carlos Beltran
1B Carlos Delgado
LF Marlon Anderson
C Brian Schneider
RF Endy Chavez
LH Johan Santana