Mets Game 67: Loss to Rays
Rays 10 Mets 6
Another series lost.
The Rays reached starter Mike Pelfrey for 4 runs on 8 hits in 5 innings, but the bullpen did no better. Neither Bobby Parnell nor Sean Green retired a hitter, and they allowed six runs between them. This game was so far gone, in fact, that Brian Stokes, Ken Takahashi, and Jon Switzer each worked a full inning.
Notes
Pelfrey was using a slide step fairly often with runners on base, and though he was getting rid of the ball quickly, he wasn’t throwing too many strikes with that abbreviated motion. One step at a time, I guess.
Anyone notice that Wilson Valdez was thrown out at third base as the third out in the second inning? Anyone notice Mike Pelfrey not backing up home when Gary Sheffield air-mailed a throw to the plate in the fifth? Little things …
The first three hitters in the Rays’ lineup — B.J. Upton, Carl Crawford, and Evan Longoria — combined to go 11 for 16 with 6 runs scored and 7 RBI. If only those three men came down with a stomach bug, the Mets would’ve won easily.
Carlos Beltran went 2-for-4 with a walk and David Wright was 3-for-5 with a double. The rest of the Mets had 5 hits in 26 at-bats and walked 4 times.
Lost in this debacle was Brian Schneider’s second homerun in as many games. As we know, Brian hits homers in bunches. He needs to get a homer in each of the next six games he plays to tie the record for most consecutive games with a homer shared by Dale Long, Don Mattingly, and Ken Griffey. Since he’s the backup catcher, that could take two weeks. Schneider also drove in half of the Mets’ runs.
The Mets’ most productive position is catcher, as Mets catchers have driven in 48 runs this season.
Pedro Feliciano pitched for the sixth consecutive day. According to manager Jerry Manuel, as long as Feliciano pitches to only one batter, he can pitch as many days in a row as he wants. Really? Based on …?
Oh, by the way, Feliciano pitched a full inning in this game, and threw to more than one batter in 4 of these 6 straight games. Just sayin’.
Classic Keith Hernandez quote:
“When Pelfrey is up he loses the sink”
You think?
Next Mets Game
The St. Louis Cardinals come to town for a four-game series beginning on Monday night at 7:10 PM. The opener pits Tim Redding vs. Todd Wellemeyer.
As of today, the bullpen blew 11 saves in 10 games and is on pace to have 27 blown saves. Even more alarming, the Mets lost 9 of those 10 games. (Fun fact: the bullpen blew 4 potential wins for Livan Hernandez.)
Last season, the bullpen blew 29 saves in 28 games, but the Mets still managed to have a 9-19 record in these games.
The Mets have to find a way to win at least some of these games as there certainly will be at least 15 more blown saves this season. Also, it would help if the bullpen learned to stop the bleeding after blowing a save.
He just keeps getting better and better. In his last 10 games he’s hit .355 (11 for 31)
Maybe if Omar took his glasses off he would see other guys to ge instead of just getting the same
guys all the time!!!!
1. Parnell needs to be in AAA, if for no other reason than to get a break. This is his first full season in the bullpen, and no matter what he says the evidence shows he’s breaking down under the intense workload. Instead of getting into games 4 days in a row, Parnell can get some R&R at Buffalo, throw once every other day or every 3 days, get his fastball back above 95, and come back after the allstar break. One of the strengths of this year’s bullpen was supposed to be the ability to keep arms fresh by utilizing the AAA shuttle and calling up one of the relievers in Buffalo to spell someone else who may be faltering. Well, time to get the shuttle in motion. Elmer Dessens, Eddie Kunz, Tim McNab, and Kyle Snyder could all provide a different look that may be able to help out in the interim while Parnell gets his sh*t together.
2. Speaking of the bullpen, here’s a quote from Jerry after yesterday’s game: “What I need to do is really refresh the bullpen. I probably, to a fault, use them too much. I have to do all I can to refresh them and that will help. What I have to do is trust the other people I have down there.” The first step is admitting you have a problem, Jerry. The second step is doing something about it. Let’s hope you follow through.
3. The reasons for not making a trade for a veteran hitter keep piling up after every loss. It is plain as day that even if the Mets pull off a trade for Aubrey Huff or Adam Dunn than they’d inevitably A) get hurt, B) fall into a massive slump, or C) have no effect in turning this team’s fortunes around because some other aspect of the team will fall flat on its face in corresponding fashion. And then we still miss the playoffs, we’re out of more prospects, and we spent too much time letting veterans play on a bad team when we could have been evaluating Dan Murphy, Fernando Martinez, Jeremy Reed, Nick Evans, etc, etc. Sometimes it’s best just to let the fire burn itself out. In the case of the Mets, that phrase rings very true.
EXCEPT: oN BULLET 2.
-wHAT COULD jm DO? As Bobby P said (paraphrase) pitchers have to sh*t or get off the pot. JM is overusing folks because 4-7 BP arms are sucking. If stokes cant pitch, trade him, Bp needs to be demoted. Elmer is ding GREAT in Buffalo on a poor team, Conor Robertson IS on the 40man, so is newbie Art Lopez…the next LOOGY. I take the ‘refresh the pen’ comment to mean…activate the heath bell shuttle (i hope). I hope that nieve is not demoted to the pen….that was his demise in Houston (circa 2006).
– Ditto on the bench. As Joe has said Tatis has comeback to Earth, BUT that said with Murph getting more ABs at 1st…and coming out of his slump, Tats should be platooning in LF.
– Evans is just ‘replacing’ F-mart temporarily.
I am not sure about the trade thing though. I would love a corner OF bat. Just not huff or Dunn.
I would love to know Jerry’s rationale behind hid bullpen use, but it still appears to be one of life’s greatest mysteries.
Tatis does need to get some AB’s and spell Wright at 3rd on occasion besides platooning in left field.
We hardly knew ye!
1st and foremost — Parnell has nothing in terms of secondary pitches. His high-octane fastball is becoming more and more predictable — not to mention, with a little less mustard on it, in each appearance.
He’s got to make the adjustment, and actually become a Major League pitcher, as opposed to a AAAA-talent that hasn’t learned how to handle major league hitters.
And speaking of appearances…..he’s tied for 2nd most appearances now — with 36 already. Does this not remind everyone of how Willie burned Joe Smith’s arm in 2007; where he was fresh-toasted by the All-Star break?
Smith appeared in 40 games before the break that year…….36 already for Parnell.
Says alot.
Over-use, stemming from J.J. Putzes’ injury — no real coincidence here either.
Not really hard to read a scouting report that says, “kid loves his fastball….and will throw it at every turn” — next sentence possibly: “is being utilized at a ridiculous clip right now, and is becoming easier to pick up on”…….
Not sure what anyone is expecting from him right now. He needs to switch it up, and quick — in fairness, they shouldn’t be using him this much yet either.
This is what happens when a “championship-caliber” club is built on a rickety-rack foundation…..nice-to-have developing rookies, are quickly thrust into situations they’re not capable of handling yet.
And such is the life of a Mutt fan.
Wendy: agree with all…especially Tatis at 3B. I know it’s tough to give Wright rest with the offense in shambles, but his health and production will pay if he’s forced into playing without a day off here and there.
‘nutz: good comments, except for the term “Mutt fan.” That reeks of Philadelphia street slang, and makes my blood curdle just reading it, even if the team deserves the moniker.
Payback’s a biotch…lol
I’ve used it from my days as a 12-year old, watching ‘The Worst Team Money Could Buy’ — this team’s a close second, only in terms of “billing” by management.
Ridiculous.