Mets Game 7: Loss to Nationals
Nationals 6 Mets 2
What the heck happened? Here we thought the Mets would march over the Nationals with a possible weekend sweep, and instead, the home opener is spoiled by a frustrating loss.
Game Notes
R.A. Dickey had trouble locating his knuckler all day, as he walked five in five frames and was continually behind hitters. Hey, once in a while that’s going to happen — but, after seeing Mike Pelfrey and Jon Niese get rocked in consecutive starts, it’s unnerving to see our “sure thing” lose his magic touch.
While Dickey struggled, Washington starter Jordan Zimmermann pitched well, allowing two runs on 6 hits and no walks in 5 1/3. Not a tremendous outing, but good enough to get the win.
Speaking of Zimmermann, there’s something about his windup that reminds me of Roy Oswalt.
Rick Ankiel seemed very comfortable hitting against Dickey’s knuckler; he stroked two sharp singles through the right side on knucklers and added a third hit in the eighth off lefty Tim Byrdak.
Is it me, or does Ankiel look like a character actor who plays annoying, white trash bad guys in comedy movies?
Speaking of Ankiel … what could have been the biggest play of the game came in the top of the fifth, with the bases loaded and one out. Dickey had just walked Mike Morse to force in a run, and Ankiel rapped another sharp grounder off the flutterball that zipped up the middle and would have scored two more runs. But Jose Reyes made a diving, sparkling play to stop the ball, step on second, and fire to first to complete a “web gem” double play. That play was huge until the 8th, when the game got away from the Mets.
Why was this game so frustrating? One simple stat tells the story: the Mets were 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. This time, there was no Roy Halladay on the mound. So what was the excuse?
If anything, the Nats had an excuse lined up had they lost this game: they arrived in NYC at 4 AM and had to be at the ballpark in time for a 4 PM ballgame. Yet it was the Mets who looked as though they were sleepwalking.
From the “little things” department: the Mets might’ve only scored one run had it not been for two bad decisions in the fourth inning — one by David Wright, and one by Ian Desmond. Wright was on second base with none out, and a ground ball was hit to shortstop. Wright took off for third (bad decision) and would have been thrown out by 20 feet had Desmond thrown to third. But Desmond chose instead to make the play at 1B (bad decision), allowing Wright to take 3B. A few pitches later, Ike Davis hit a fly ball to left field to score Wright with the Mets’ second run of the game. As it turned out, that run didn’t matter, but it was a big run up until the eighth inning.
Pudge Rodriguez was charged with a passed ball during the ballgame, and it was a great example of why the passed ball is a terrible stat. It happened because Pudge called a slider to be thrown on the outside corner of the plate; thus, he set up out there. As Pudge waited for the slider to break, it never did — it just spun, remained straight, and was a good three feet away from the intended target. By the time Pudge adjusted, he couldn’t get his glove on the ball and it went behind him, advancing the runner. In that case, a wild pitch should have been called, but official scorers almost never call a wild pitch that doesn’t hit the dirt. The pitcher messed up, but the catcher gets the blame. Dumb.
The Mets struck out looking five times; Ike Davis was guilty twice. Something I’ve noticed since Ike first came up: he complains often on called strikes, and in particular on called strike threes. Even if Davis is correct, it does him no good to whine about a call — in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he has developed a reputation among umpires as a complainer, and as a result, could get less calls go his way. Not to mention that it is annoying, tiresome, unprofessional, and disrespectful to be constantly complaining about calls.
Otherwise, Davis continues to swing a hot bat. He has driven in a run in 6 of the Mets 7 games.
Todd Coffey finished the game for the Nats. I remember him being a little chubby in the past, but he is now a whale. He kind of reminds me of Bob Wickman now.
The Mets announced a sellout for this home opener. However, from the view provided by the SNY TV cameras, there looked to be a large number of empty seats. Maybe everyone was standing on line at the Shake Shack.
Next Mets Game
The Mets and Nats do it again at 7:10 PM on Saturday night. Chris Capuano goes to the hill against Tom Gorzelanny.
The coldest baseball game I’ve ever been to was opening day for the Tokyo Swallows in Japan last year, but this was right on its heels.
And yeah, Ike’s whining is disappointing. I get excited about Jews in baseball (even half Jews that are totally non-practicing like Ike), and here’s one that can hit bombs, so he’s an automatic lock to be my new favorite Met. But stuff like that is hard to watch.
We all know the truth brother.
Hopefully, a fun season will overshadow the Wilp’s mess.
And I would love to hear what Nelson Doubleday thinks about the lovable Wilpons. Just saying
As for Coffey, I watched on MASN and Bob Carpenter was making fun of Coffey’s physique as well. He runs from the pen to the mound but Carpenter showed that he pooped out before he reached the infield dirt! Don’t matter, he still had the stiff to get the Mets out.
I guess it could have been just people not showing up. But, I don’t buy it as there were a bunch of tix available yesterday morning. No way they sold them all in a couple hours like that. It would be one thing if this was a hot ticket item. I guess though if that were the case the game would have sold out the first day of Ticket sales like the good old days.
As for the game I was surprised at the intensity of the booing, especially during the introductions. I am of the belief you have every right to boo if you buy a ticket. But, on the day of the home opener isn’t everything suppose to be good?
We need 7 innings from Capuano tonight!
Lets Go Mets!
I have to agree 100% with one detail you mentioned and I didn’t in the post: the booing before the game even starts is disturbing and — for me — has no place during pregame ceremonies.
I get that people are upset with the Wilpons, the team, etc. But if you are so angry, why are you buying a ticket to support them on Opening Day? Do people pay the ticket price just so they can boo? Hitting the team in the wallet, rather than sounding off, would have a much more effective impact.
We saw Dickey struggle in the last game, so him struggling (but gutting it out, looking like Al Leiter out there at times) was no surprise. He pitched good enough to win. One aggravating thing is that for the second time in seven games (this happened repeatedly last year too), a pitcher on the other team got a key hit.
This game fits a predictable pattern and it doesn’t bode well. We can predict game after game of nailbiters with the Marlins and Nats (as it was back to the days they were Expos) like this, some the Mets will win, some they will lose. Or, wait until some game breaker like the 8th inning. Slow water torture for this fan.
Ditto when they don’t get clutch hits and I’m stuck with hearing Gary providing emphatic calls (he struck him out!) or Keith or Ron praise the pitching or hitting of the other team. They need not be homers. But, sometimes, they can tone that sort of thing down a tad.
Their first losing streak. Well, that was fast.
Both of these guys project as plus plus bats and could be at Citi as early as late 2012. Although Wilmer is expected to profile as a below average defensive shortstop because of size and slower footing, he also has been compared with Miguel Cabrera’s bat. And Aderlin has 40 plus homerun power afixed next to his name.
Perhaps we may see more than Beltran, Reyes and Frankie leaving the building. Next season may include Wright and perhaps even Bay. That would leave Johan as the last big ticket on the Met tree.
Mets Opening Day Lineup 2013
Puello RF
Den Dekker or Ceciliani CF
Flores SS
Ike 1B
Aderline Rod 3B
FMart & Cory Vaughn LF
Havens 2B
Thole C
Jenrry Mejia
Jon Niese
Matt Harvey
Greg Peavey
RAD (who will pitch for the next decade!)
Goeddel – Closer
J Familia – set up
Kyle Allen 7th inning
Robt Carson – Loogy
Manny Alvarez
Pedro Beato
Jimmy Fuller
Plenty of wishful thinking on my part but some of these kids we’re going to remember. Hope springs eternal, baby.