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August 16, 2010 Mets 2010 Games Joe Janish

Mets Game 118: Win Over Astros

Mets 3 Astros 1

Closer? Who needs a closer?

The Mets began the After K-Rod Era in fine style, taking a close one from the Astros — and sealing the deal with a save by Hisanori Takahashi.

But see, that’s the difference that sets the great teams like the Mets apart from all the rest: DEPTH. Only a team as deep and talented as the Mets can lose an $11.5M closer and not even blink.

Game Notes

Jonathon Niese threw another gem, but wasn’t around long enough to earn a decision. Niese went a strong 7 innings, allowing one run on 7 hits, walking none, striking out 5.

David Wright broke out of his lengthy slump, going 3-for-4 and scoring the winning run in the ninth when he scampered home from third on a slider that got away.

Carlos Beltran‘s bat also showed signs of life — he had two hits including his second homerun of the season, a solo shot that accounted for the Mets’ first run of the ballgame.

The only other Met to swat an extra-base hit was Jeff Francoeur, whose ninth-inning triple scored Beltran with an insurance run.

When the Mets are playing in the NLDS in October, we will all look back at this game, and the exit of K-Rod, as the turning point of the season — the start of when everything began to go right. Or not.

I am traveling for work this week and couldn’t get the game on MLB.com so wound up listening to the WFAN broadcast of this game via my iPhone MLB GameDay app. I can’t decide what is most annoying about the radio broadast: the “Cars for Kids” ad, the NY Auto Giant ad, or Wayne Hagin. Maybe it’s easier to say that the most annoying thing was that I couldn’t get MLB.com video to work.

Next Mets Game

The Mets play in Houston again on Tuesday night at 8:05 PM. Johan Santana will face Nelson Figueroa in a matchup of pitchers facing their original organization.

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Joe Janish began MetsToday in 2005 to provide the unique perspective of a high-level player and coach -- he earned NCAA D-1 All-American honors as a catcher and coached several players who went on to play pro ball. As a result his posts often include mechanical evaluations, scout-like analysis, and opinions that go beyond the numbers. Follow Joe's baseball tips on Twitter at @onbaseball and at the On Baseball Google Plus page.
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  1. Harry C August 18, 2010 at 9:01 am
    the answer to your question about the radio broadcast is Hagin. He is the worst Met announcer since the immortal Fran Healy. Bob Murphy rolls in disgust in his grave having to hear Wayne Hagin in his radio booth.
  2. DUB August 18, 2010 at 9:55 am
    isn’t it Kars for Kids?

    Fire Wayne Hagin already!

    • Joe Janish August 18, 2010 at 3:54 pm
      “Kars”? Huh, I must have mis-heard the pronunciation. In any case, kids shouldn’t be driving cars — especially if they can’t even SPELL c-a-r!
  3. Walnutz15 August 18, 2010 at 6:29 pm
    It was actually supposed to be “C-A-R-S”, but there’s word circulating around that Jeff Wilpon had a hand in the creation of the commercial.