Series Preview: Mets vs. Phillies
The phireworks will be on the phield in Philadelphia this weekend, as the second-place Mets take on the phirst-place Phillies in a series that could be a turning point in the season for both teams.
In case you hadn’t noticed, the Phillies are not alone at the top of the division — the Florida Marlins have crept in to share the top seed thanks to an offensive resurgence and solid starting pitching. At the same time, the Phils have been stumbling mightily, losing their last three in a row and seven of their last ten ballgames.
The Phillies’ slide has been congruent with the absence of Raul Ibanez, who has been on the DL since June 18 with a groin strain. He was scheduled to return this evening in time for the Mets, but Philly has decided to play it cautious and hold him back a few days (what a novel concept!). Philadelphia has also been affected by injuries to their pitching staff — LOOGY Scott Eyre, middle man Clay Condrey, and rookie Antonio Bastardo are all on the DL, and Brad Lidge just came off a few days ago (Eyre might be activated this weekend). Additionally, Jimmy Rollins’ season-long slump continues, Cole Hamels has allowed 17 hits and 11 runs in his last 9 innings, and Lidge cannot be trusted to close games.
Game 1: Livan Hernandez(5-3, 4.04 ERA) vs. Rodrigo Lopez (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
You read that right — Rodrigo Lopez is alive and well and starting Friday night for the Phillies. Lopez, who hasn’t been relevant since 2005, and not thrown an MLB pitch in two years, was chosen to make this start instead of top prospect Carlos Carrasco (among others). The 33-year-old was 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA in his last three starts at Class AAA Lehigh Valley. From what I understand he still throws junk. Facing Lopez will be Livan Hernandez, who continues to do exactly what the Mets need him to do — eat innings and keep the team in ballgames. Keep on keeping on, Livan!
Game 2: Fernando Nieve (3-1, 2.25 ERA) vs. Jamie Moyer (6-6, 6.05 ERA)
Talk about a contrast in starters — one, a young flamethrower on the rise, the other, an old junkballer at his demise. Fernandomania suffered a setback a few days ago, but even Jorge Sosa wasn’t perfect through his first four starts (ironically, Sosa also lost his fourth start as a Met — an 8-1 drubbing at the hands of the Braves). If Nieve keeps his fastball down the way he did in his first three starts, he should be OK. What Moyer brings to the table is anyone’s guess — he’s been consistently inconsistent (though pretty impressive for someone collecting Social Security checks).
Game 3: Johan Santana (9-6, 3.34 ERA ) vs. Joe Blanton (4-4, 5.08 ERA)
Santana is still among the top thee starters in all of baseball, but his month of June was the worst of his career. One can only hope that a new month changes that pattern. Blanton has been up and down, and lately down — the Phillies have lost all of his last five starts. He’s been pushed far beyond the 100-pitch count several times this year, so don’t be surprised to see him lingering if the game is close in the late innings.
Final Thoughts
The Mets might take two out of three, or even sweep. They could just as easily get swept — that’s the way this season is playing out for everyone in the NL East. Find a comfy chair, crack open a cold one, sit back, and enjoy the ballgames.
Or, if this rollercoaster ride is too much, distract yourself by attempting to grill the perfect burger this weekend — at least that goal is within your control.
Mets Game 78: Win Over Pirates
Mets 9 Pirates 8
The Magic Bus rides on !!!
Ironically, the Mets continued their hot streak of now two consecutive wins against the Pittsburgh Pirates — the team that had “We Are Family” as their theme song back in 1979. Ironic because, of course, this steamrolling of the competition had its impetus immediately following a “family talk” led by Jerry “Pops” Manuel, the inspiring father figure and fearless leader of the New York Mets.
At first, it appeared the Mets were going to get blown out, as Tim Redding allowed five runs on six hits and two walks in his first two innings. But Bucs starter Pat Maholm was no better, and the “Flushing Lumber Company” exploded with a four-run inning in the fifth that was sandwiched by two two-run innings.
The impressive comeback should have been celebrated in the ninth, but after Sean “Teke” Green used his sidearming style to get out of a major jam in the eighth, Frankie Rodriguez allowed a two-run bomb to Adam LaRoche en route to his third blown save of the season.
However, the Mets came back again, rallying in the tenth against Pirates closer Matt Capps. Ryan “Crazy Horse” Church drove home Fernando “Cobra” Tatis with the winning run, and K-Rod set down the Bucs in order to “earn” his second victory.
Notes
Tatis had three hits, scored four runs, and drove in two with an opposite-field homer that put the game away in the sixth.
In my mind, a key factor in the game was a pinch-hit, two-run single by Dan “Hit Man” Murphy in the fourth that put the Mets on the board for the first time and kept the team within striking distance. Had they not scored those two runs right away, it might have been easy to lose motivation. But down by only three, with five innings to play and Redding out of the game, there was plenty of reason to believe there could be a comeback.
Nice to see multiple-hit games from Alex “Scrap Iron” Cora and Nick “The Hammer” Evans.
Additionally, Church continued his red-hot hitting with three hits of own — he’s now 10 for his last 18.
David “Mad Dog” Wright had only one hit in the game but scored twice.
In a mysterious move, Tatis and Evans switched positions in the ninth inning — Evans going to left and Tatis to first base.
K-Rod threw 46 pitches in his two-inning stint. Will he be able to pitch against the Phillies this weekend?
Rain delayed the start of the game, then interrupted the delayed start of the game. I have to believe the delays had something to do with the abbreviated and awful outings by both starting pitchers.
Next Mets Game
The Mets travel to Philadelphia to play their third game in as many cities in as many days. Livan Hernandez goes to the mound against Rodrigo Lopez (apparently, the rumors of Lopez’s death and/or retirement were greatly exaggerated). First pitch will be thrown at 7:05 PM on Friday night.
Shades of ‘73
A number of loyal MetsToday readers have commented here and emailed me suggesting that this season could turn out to be a rerun of the magical NL Championship year of 1973.
For those too young to remember, ‘73 was the year “Ya Gotta Believe” was coined by Tug McGraw, among other events.
That year, the Mets won 82 games and lost 79, barely edging the St. Louis Cardinals (81-81) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (80-82). Yes youngsters, the Cards and Bucs were in the NL East back then, as were the Cubs and a team from Montreal, Canada, known as the Expos. Further there was no Central Division, and the Milwaukee Brewers were in the American League. This was all “B.S.” (Before Selig) … or is it all “B.S.” now? Anyway, I digress …
There is too much to say about the ‘73 season in one blog post, so if you are interested in re-living it, please purchase the book From First To Worst: The New York Mets, 1973-1977
But there are many similarities between the 1973 Mets and the 2009 edition, the most obvious being their shared lack of punch. The ‘73 Mets most prolific slugger was a wiry, street-tough dude named John “The Hammer” Milner (why is it that no one has cool nicknames anymore?), who mashed 23 homers. Only three other players on the team hit more than 6: Wayne Garrett (16), Rusty Staub (15), and Cleon Jones (11).
Obviously, the ‘73 Mets didn’t overpower the competition with their offense. It was the pitching staff that carried them to the postseason, led by Tom Seaver. Seaver was arguably the best pitcher in baseball at the time but was victimized by poor run support (sound familiar?). As a result, he won “only” 19 games despite a 2.08 ERA through 36 games started and 290 innings (18 complete games). His 19-10 record was one of only two winning records among regulars in the starting rotation (the other was George Stone, who went 12-3).
Back then — as you might have surmised from the high complete-game total — closers were not used as often as they are now. But in addition to the best starter in MLB, the Mets also had one of the best relievers in baseball — Tug McGraw, who appeared in 60 ballgames, saved 25 of them, and hurled 119 innings (some starters today struggle to reach that number!).
The team was built on pitching, defense, and fundamental baseball, and had little room for error. Much like 2009, the ‘73 team was wrought with injuries. First baseman Milner, leftfielder Jones, starting pitcher Jon Matlack, shortstop Bud Harrelson, and catcher Jerry Grote were among the key starters who lost significant time due to injuries. In addition, backup catcher Jerry May, acquired to replace an ailing Grote, injured himself within weeks of joining the team (Duffy Dyer became the backup to the backup), and rookie outfielder George Theodore went down as well. In addition, Staub played most of the year with a badly injured wrist, causing him to swing one-handed and severely diminishing his power.
Amidst the injury spree, a light-hitting, smooth fielding Don Hahn took over in centerfieldand provided clutch hits down the stretch (could that be Jeremy Reed?). For occasional power and leadership, the Mets leaned on aging outfielder Willie Mays, whose best days were long behind him and who was only able to play a few times a week at most (mild parallel to Gary Sheffield, no?).
Without their big hitters for much of the season, the Mets relied on small ball to score runs. Their switch-hitting shortstop — Bud Harrelson — was the main leadoff hitter and baserunning threat until an injury in June took a chunk of his season. In the two-hole they had a slick fielding second baseman named Felix Millan, who choked up on the bat, punched grounders and bloopers for base hits, and was an adept bunter. Sound familiar?
Their manager — Yogi Berra — had taken over the team the previous season as an interim manager, and was a favorite of the media for quotable quotes and malaprops. Though, he expressed a more positive outlook than the ‘09 manager when his team hit rock bottom. Ravaged by injuries and stuck in last place halfway through the year, the press asked Yogi if their season was finished. His reply? “It ain’t over till it’s over.”
Strangely, the ‘73 Mets didn’t steal many bases — only 27 for the entire year. As a team they batted a cumulative .246 with 85 homeruns. With no power and no speed, it’s not surprising they scored just 608 runs all season (3.77 runs per game).
So how did the 1973 Mets get to the World Series? Mostly because the rest of the NL East was as incompetent and affected by injuries as the Mets. The Cubs and Cardinals were aging teams, the Pirates had injury issues, the Expos had terrible pitching, and the Phillies were in rebuilding mode. Essentially, the Mets “won” the division by losing less than everyone else.
Aside from the contrast in stolen bases, there is one other, major difference between the 2009 Mets and the 1973 NL Champions. A picture is worth a thousand words, so I’ll leave you with this:
Mets Game 77: Win Over Brewers
Mets 1 Brewers 0
Too much, the magic bus … magic bus!
Fresh off a wonderful bonding session through the streets of Milwaukee, the New York Mets pounded Yovani Gallardo for five hits and an entire run to claim their first victory in six games.
Mike Pelfrey was spectacular, exhibiting the skillset and resolve of an ace. No temper tantrums in the dugout, no glaring at teammates for making mistakes, no meatballs to sluggers on 0-2 counts, and no free passes to the opposing pitcher — just 7 2/3 solid innings of hard-nosed pitching.
The lone Mets run was scored by Luis Castillo on a single by red-hot Ryan Church in the sixth inning.
Sean Green retired the one batter he faced in the 8th to pull Pelf out of a jam, and Frankie Rodriguez made things interesting before notching his 21st save.
Notes
No one has confirmed whether it was the magic bus ride or the family talk that was the reason for the Mets victory. But it had to be either one or the other, if not both. That Jerry Manuel is one heckuva motivator, as we all know.
Next Mets Game
The Mets ride the magic bus to Pittsburgh for another day game on Thursday. Tim Redding faces Pat Maholm in a 12:35 PM start.
Tongue Lashing for the Mets?
During the SNY postgame, while the team remained behind closed doors, Ron Darling suggested that Jerry Manuel might have given the Mets a “tongue lashing” after Tuesday night’s loss for their poor play. (It was later reported as a “family talk”)
Darling might have been right about that, but if so, how in the world does Manuel have any credibility with this club to say anything? After all, it is Manuel who conceded the next month or so to the competition, telling the world that his team was too decimated by injuries to play above .500. It was Manuel who laughed and joked after getting swept by the Yankees at home. It was Manuel who suggested to the media that his team’s best chance to win would be by hoping the other team made mistakes.
After being told by your manager how inept and incompetent you are, how could you possibly accept — or be motivated by — any type of “dress down” for poor performance by the same man?
If anything, there may be a mutiny.
Mets Game 76: Loss to Brewers
Brewers 6 Mets 3
One for the thumb … the Mets have now lost five in a row.
Career minor leaguer Mike Burns held the Mets to two runs on five hits over 6 2/3 to earn his first MLB victory in his second MLB start, while ace Johan Santana struggled with his command and his composure through six lacluster innings, as the Mets found yet another new way to lose.
The Mets actually jumped ahead 2-0 in the first frame thanks to David Wright’s two-run homer, but that was the extent of the offensive output for the evening.
The turning point in the game came in the bottom of the fourth. It all began when Santana walked opposing pitcher Mike Burns. Then, a Corey Hart fly ball dropped safely as Fernando Martinez slipped and fell flat on his face (no error charged), putting men on second and third. J.J. Hardy followed with another walk to load the bases. Supermensch Ryan Braun ripped a double to left to clear the bases, and advanced to third on the throw to home. The throw home went past catcher Omir Santos, and Santana –backing up the play — fired the ball to third in an attempt to nab the overly aggressive Braun. However the ball sailed over David Wright’s head and into left field, allowing Braun to score easily. It was an ugly, demoralizing ten seconds that ended the Mets’ hopes for the contest. Unfortunately, we as fans had to endure five more lifeless frames before being put out of our misery.
Notes
Santana finishes with a 6.19 ERA for the month of June. In case you’re wondering, it’s the worst month of his MLB career as a starting pitcher.
As Ron Darling pointed out in the postgame, Santana has walked the opposing pitcher SIX TIMES this season. That’s inexcusable.
Hank Hill … er, Dan Warthen … was thrown out of the game for jawing with home plate umpire Jim Wolf. Apparently the two men had contrasting interpretations of the strike zone.
Am I the only one growing tired of Johan Santana’s attitude toward his teammates? He glared at F-Mart after the infamous fly ball off Hart’s bat … but it was Santana who walked the pitcher to set up the inning (and Hardy a few minutes later). For those who forgot, it was Santana who threw Daniel Murphy under the bus earlier in the season for a dropped fly ball. Leaders don’t get down on teammates who are making an honest effort … no one is perfect (as evidenced by Santana’s walks).
Bright spots, bright spots … hmm … well, Fernando Martinez clubbed his first MLB homer in the top of the ninth, when the game was long gone. David Wright went 3-for-4. Ryan Church had another two hits. Nick Evans made a few nice plays at first and slashed a double. That’s about it.
Since my father-in-law refuses to watch any more Mets games with me, I have a quote instead from my wife, which came after witnessing the debacle also known as the bottom of the fourth inning:
“At least the Mets are entertaining, and isn’t that what baseball is about? Entertainment?”
Next Mets Game
The series finale will begin at 2:05 PM, with Mike Pelfrey facing Yovani Gallardo.
Another quote from my wife, in regard to the afternoon start time:
“So less people will see us lose?”
Um, yeah.
Losing with the Cavalry
Before we get too excited about the plan to “tread water and wait for the cavalry to bail us out” (and I KNOW we’re all excited), may we review some numbers?
May 2: 10-13 (The First Domino Falls)
This was the date and the Mets’ record on the last day Oliver Perez was able bodied and made a contribution to a ballgame — a.k.a., the last time the Mets were at “full strength”. Perez was still healthy, as was John Maine, J.J. Putz, Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes and anyone else who might qualify for “cavalry” status. Three games under .500.
May 10th: 17-13 (Last Day of Delgado)
Going a full week without having to give Ollie a start, the Mets ripped off a 7-game winning streak. Didn’t Jeff Wilpon say something about “addition by subtraction” during the offseason? Although two of these seven wins came against the Phillies, the other five came against Braves and Pirates squads that were struggling mightily at the time — but judge it as you see fit. In any case, May 10th was the last game played by Carlos Delgado (suggesting a great title for the documentary of this season: “The Last Day of Delgado”).
May 20th: 21-19 (Reyes really down, no, really)
Ten days later, without Delgado and Perez, but with Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, J.J. Putz, John Maine, et al, the Mets more or less erased that big winning streak, going 4-6. This was the last game played by Jose Reyes. Granted, Reyes was held out of four of those ten games. The Mets were 2-2 without Reyes, and 2-4 with him in the lineup. Go figure.
June 4: 28-24 (ka-Putz)
With Jose Reyes joining Delgado and Perez on the DL, the Mets went 7-5. June 4th was the last game pitched by J.J. Putz.
June 6: 29-25 (Sinking of the Maine)
John Maine met the M*A*S*H unit two days later. The Mets won one, lost one (see the pattern developing here?)
June 21: 34-33 (Beltran Down)
The Mets had already lost quite a few faces, but still had the NL’s two hottest hitters, and Alex Cora was playing so far above his head few remembered Jose Reyes was on the team. Further, Bobby Parnell and Pedro Feliciano emerged as fairly good setup men, and many fans weren’t sad to see Perez and Maine disabled as long as Livan Hernandez, Tim Redding, and Fernando Nieve were providing quality starts. But the team with Beltran and without Maine, Putz, etc., etc., was 5-8. It was during this time that Jerry Manuel began setting stage for mediocrity, and managing fans’ expectations instead of the ballclub. After the game on this day, Beltran joined his teammates on the DL.
Today: 37-38
The Mets are now one game under .500, which I imagine is “below water” as opposed to “treading water”. Many players have been subtracted from the roster on the way to that record, but looking at how things have transpired, is there really any reason to believe that their return will result in success? Perhaps as intriguing, which players will actually make a difference? Perez is the scheduled to be the first one back, but the Mets appeared to improve as a result of his absence. Beltran, despite challenging for the NL batting title, didn’t seem to be a difference-maker. Maine’s presence was similarly indifferent, as was Putz’s. We’d like to believe that Jose Reyes is the catalyst of the team and an important piece of the puzzle, but his presence alone likely won’t be enough to turn this team into a powerhouse. At minimum, he’ll need help from Delgado — the one man who appears to have the most positive impact on the team’s win-loss record.
Final Word
What’s most aggravating about Jerry Manuel’s defeatist mentality while the stars are disabled is that the team wasn’t exactly steamrolling the competition when everyone was healthy. And at that early point in the season, the competition wasn’t anything special. Fully loaded, the star-studded Mets weren’t able to overcome the flaws of their organization-wide philosophies, system, and culture. The strategy of simply out-talenting everyone wasn’t working.
In other words, this team is not necessarily going to find success when “the cavalry” arrives, and furthermore, this team is not necessarily any worse without the walking wounded.
Mets Game 75: Loss to Brewers
Brewers 10 Mets 6
What’s that about self-fulfilling prophecy?
The Mets continue to play down to their manager’s (lackluster) expectations, this time getting pummeled by a Brewers team that on paper isn’t really THAT dominating.
The Brew Crew — or was it the ghosts of Harvey’s Wallbangers? — pounded out 19 hits and 10 runs in completely demolishing the Mets. The scary thing is, the Brewers were only a single or two away from another 3-4 runs, but the Mets wiggled their way out of a few tight situations.
Fernandomania is over — for the moment at least — as Mr. Nieve was pulled from the game with one out in the fourth inning after surrendering 11 hits and 3 runs. But at least the Mets were still in the game at the time of his exit. The bullpen went on to allow seven scores over the next five and two-thirds.
Notes
J.J. Hardy’s batting average coming into this contest: .220. Against the Mets on this night: 1.000. Feeling among Mets fans: priceless.
The Mets mounted a mini-rally in the top of the ninth, scoring three runs against Carlos Villanueva, who was throwing 89-MPH meatballs over the middle of the plate. Trevor Hoffman came in and threw one pitch to induce a double play from Brian Schneider to end the game.
Bright spots: Ryan Church was 4-for-5. Gary Sheffield had three hits, including his tenth homer of the year, which was a monstrous mash to dead center in the top of the ninth.
Father-in-law’s quote of the night:
I can’t even watch this … this is like … TORTURE. It’s painful, it’s really painful. This is the last Mets game I’m watching with you, I’m sorry.
In the sixth inning, Fernando Martinez hit a two-out, mile-high infield popup that was dropped by third baseman Casey McGehee. Ryan Church, who had been on first base, raced all the way to third, but F-Mart only made it to first base. Now, we don’t know for sure whether Martinez busted it out of the box, or watched his popup initially, because Bill “Wizard” Webb didn’t have any camera angles that showed Martinez on the play. The one somewhat telling camera shot showed an overview of the middle of the diamond, with Church about 25 feet from third and no one within 50 feet of second base. Considering how high the ball was hit, and how fast Martinez is, it’s hard to believe F-Mart couldn’t make it to second. Now, please don’t misconstrue — I don’t “have it out” for the youngster. Rather, I condemn the organization’s philosophy in regard to effort and their refusal to properly discipline young players for not hustling. Also, not hearing a peep out of the SNY booth in regard to F-Mart’s effort (or non-effort?) on that play was glaring.
As it was, Brian Schneider hit a booming double to score both runners moments later, so the situation was buried immediately. But it doesn’t erase what may or may not have occurred. And for all the people who continue to say “he already learned his lesson”, I don’t doubt it — I only wonder if what F-Mart “learned” has actually been applied.
And again, I’m not looking to taint F-Mart’s character. The kid DOES hustle — most of the time. Unfortunately, no one has taught him that hustling is not something you make a decision to do depending on the situation (which by the way is something Jose Reyes was never taught, either) — it’s simply something you ALWAYS do. Ask Mark Teixeira.
Next Mets Game
Mets and Brewers do it again on Tuesday night at 8:05 PM. Johan Santana faces Mike Burns.
40 Wins and No Excuses
In the New York Post, Joel Sherman brought up an eye-opening, and valid argument for Mets fans living in their Mets-centric cocoon and thinking that it’s only their beloved orange and blue getting struck with injuries and other forms of “bad luck”. In truth, many other teams in the NL have problems of their own.
Feeding off that article, and taking an unbiased perspective, let’s take it a step further and look at the adversity faced by all of the National League teams that have won 40 games. (more…)
Mets Game 74: Loss to Yankees
Yankees 4 Mets 2
That whisking sound is coming from a broom brushed against a floor.
The Yankees retrieved bragging rights to New York City by sweeping the Mets in their home park and dominating them in five games out of six. And despite the fact that it was a close game for most of the nine innings, it never once felt as though the Mets had a chance.
Livan Hernandez was certifiably good against a tough Bronx Bombers lineup, going seven innings and allowing three runs on three hits and an uncharacteristic five walks. For a guy who barely made the roster out of spring training, and is supposed to be a fifth starter, that’s not too shabby.
Mariano Rivera joined Trevor Hoffman as the only pitchers to save 500 games, as Mo notched his 500th on this evening. So although the Mets lost, at least we were able to witness history. Yee ha.
Notes
Is Livan the Mets #2 starter? (Fernando Nieve doesn’t count until he makes at least six starts.)
Gary Sheffield stroked two of the Mets’ four hits. Luis Castillo (single) and Fernando Martinez (double) collected the others. Sorry, I meant five Mets hits … Danny Murphy fisted a bloop into left in the final inning.
In case you missed it, Frankie Rodriguez intentionally unintentionally intentionally walked Derek Jeter to load the bases in the ninth inning, then walked Mariano Rivera to force in a run. It was Rivera’s first career RBI.
500th save and first RBI. Not a bad night for Rivera.
Speaking of K-Rod, Luis Castillo did NOT botch a pop fly while he was on the mound. But Alex Cora did.
Danny Murphy (.310 OBP, zero footspeed) was the leadoff batter in this game. Perhaps Jerry Manuel is buying in to my belief that Murphy will one day evolve into Mike Hargrove.
Murphy has really looked great at first base. Except for the dropped balls and poor decisions in regard to chasing grounders and throwing balls across the diamond. But hey, those minor defensive issues are excusable when you have a powerful, productive bat such as his in the lineup.
Tonight’s words of wisdom from my father-in-law:
“I think it’s time we became Yankee fans”.
Tempting …. tempting …
Next Mets Game
The Mets travel to Milwaukee to face the Brewers on Monday night at 7:05 PM. Fernando Nieve faces Braden Looper.
