Mets Game 53: Win Over Pirates
Mets 7 Pirates 3
The Mets extend their winning streak to two games with a win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Similar to their recent loss to the Phillies, which was much closer than the final score suggested, this game was closer than 7-3. Luckily, this time, the Mets were on the winning end, scoring four of their seven runs in the final two frames.
Mets Game Notes
Dillon Gee did a fantastic job of holding back the Bucs, firing strikes through seven innings of five-hit ball. He walked none and threw 76 strikes out of 102 pitches.
Meanwhile, the Mets offense outhit the Pirates 15 to 5, but 13 of those hits were singles and they couldn’t get much going in the first six innings of the ballgame. It wasn’t until Josh Thole rapped a two-run double in the seventh that the Mets collected an extra-base hit. With all those singles they wound up leaving 10 men on base in the ballgame.
Every position player in the lineup had at least one hit, except leadoff hitter Willie Harris.
Angel Pagan, Dan Murphy, and Ruben Tejada all had three hits apiece. Mr. RBI Justin Turner drove in one on two hits, including the Mets’ other double.
Pirates starter Charlie Morton did an unbelievable job of preventing the Mets from scoring through most of his six innings of work. He allowed 11 singles in those six innings, but only one earned run scored (two unearned runs scored, though). Once Morton was removed from the game, the Mets feasted on the Bucs’ bullpen, lighting them up for four runs in the final two innings.
Francisco Rodriguez pitched the top of the ninth, but it wasn’t a save situation. However, he did finish the game, giving him 20 finishes for the year. He needs 35 more for the pot of gold.
Next Mets Game
The Mets and Pirates do it again at 7:05 PM on Tuesday night in Flushing. The scheduled starters are R.A. Dickey and James McDonald.
All those hits with little to show for it (the two runs were gifts) was aggravating. It is a case of letting a bad team hang around. Gee had little margin of error and already made one. But, the team bailed him out and he had another good outing.
Willie Harris was 0 for 5, but made a couple good plays in the field. He was a decent pick-up because of his defensive flexibility — his play at third shows that. OTOH, does Nick Evans play third? Why not give him a shot there, if he does?
No need to keep Tejada around once Reyes, Davis, and Wright are back, mainly because he won’t get much playing time. Send the kid back down to get regular reps in the minors. His current hot hitting will eventually cool off and the Mets need bats off the bench more than they need slick fielders. Murphy / Turner / Harris can handle temporary issues in the infield (i.e., if Reyes or Wright were to go down in the middle of a game).
Thoughts on Adam Rubin’s report on the Mets possibly signing Reyes for, say, five years, and then trading Wright?
First, does Gee remind you a bit of Greg Maddox? I may be wrong, but this kid seems to hit his spots and misses bats without any extraordinary stuff. I’m not trying to compare him to a future hall of famer, but he reminds me of him just a bit.
Second, two months into the season, and with Reyes doing the extraordinary (there’s that word again) things once more, can anyone on this team not seriously be thinking that they won’t sign him? He’s 28. He has about six more prime years available. The team can’t possibly believe that it will take more than a few years to rebuild. There’s nothing out there that can come close to replacing him (either in the FA market — Rollins…HAHAHAHA!– or in the minors). This guy is the face of this franchise. Health is always an issue, but c’mon, it’ll just be an excuse if they don’t sign him.
I’m prepared to say right now that if this team lets him walk, I’m going to take a sabbatical from being a fan…of any team. That’s how strongly I feel about this player. But what do I know…I’m just a schmoe.
Thanks for listening and keep up the great work!
Rob
I can definitely see what you mean about the Maddux / Gee comparison. Maddux had other-worldly control, consistency, and movement on his pitches, but I “get” you. Who knows, maybe Gee can eventually be that good; it would be awesome. I do believe, however, that we’ll see the “real” Gee in the second half of the season, when the “unknown” isn’t on his side (i.e., batters see him second and third times, scouts have compiled a full report, etc.).
As for Jose Reyes, I’m with you on that issue as well. I just don’t know whether the Mets have the wherewithal to keep him. Too much is up in the air right now, but we’ll know more by July.