Mets Game 7: Win Over Phillies

Mets 8 Phillies 2

Mike Pelfrey is the new stopper …. who’d a thunk it?

Pelfrey threw five full innings, allowing five hits, two walks, and two earned runs, while striking out three and expending exactly 100 pitches. Not an outstanding start, but encouraging and absolutely acceptable from a fifth starter. Too bad he’s a fourth starter right now.

But I don’t want to play down the performance; this is exactly the type of game Pelfrey needed badly to regain his confidence. It’s something he can build on. It’s also exactly what the Mets needed, having lost three straight and nine straight against the Phillies.

Pelf was pitching like a man with a purpose; his body language and focus were outstanding.

And believe it or not, the Mets bullpen didn’t blow it — the relievers threw four innings of shutout ball.

Meanwhile, the offense scored eight runs — on five hits. Phillies pitchers walked nine batters, including 6 bases on balls by starter Kyle Kendrick in two innings of work. All those walks lulled the Philly defense to sleep, and as a result they committed four key errors that led to six earned runs.

With such sloppy play, it’s hard to say the Mets’ offense looked great, but at least they were smart enough to take pitches and get on base. Angel Pagan was the most impressive batter, hitting a double, driving in two, drawing 2 walks, and scoring once.

Notes

Pedro Feliciano looked a little rusty, but nonetheless pitched a scoreless eighth. Carlos Muniz pitched another hitless inning … well done.

Very smart play by Brian Schneider in the bottom of the seventh: while on first base, with one out and Damion Easley on third, Jose Reyes hit a grounder to Chase Utley, and Utley went to tag Schneider but Schneider backtracked, forced Utley to throw to first, thereby also forcing Ryan Howard to tag him for the third out. Before Schneider was tagged, Easley crossed the plate with the eighth run. In a six-run ballgame, it means little, but it nonetheless was very heady baseball.

Jorge Sosa pitched two quick, scoreless innings of relief in his fifth appearance of the year. He is on pace to pitch in 116 games this season.

Carlos Delgado had another base hit to the opposite field, and seems to hit very well with no one on base. Maybe he should be moved up to the two spot. (Kidding.)

In the first two innings, Kyle Kendrick threw a first-pitch strike to 9 of the 12 batters he faced … but walked 6 of them.

Next Game

The rubber match pits John Maine vs. Adam Eaton in another 7:10 PM start on Thursday night.