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May 31, 2011 Mets 2011 Games Joe Janish

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.

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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. Joe May 31, 2011 at 5:27 am
    Might have been a good time to use Parnell.

    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?

    • Joe Janish May 31, 2011 at 10:59 am
      Evans began his pro career as a third baseman, but has played only about 50 games at the position in the minors. Can he play 3B? Probably. Why the Mets haven’t used him more at 3B in AA / AAA — and continued with the catching experiment — is unclear. One would think that his ability to play both infield corners would make him a more valuable asset … but maybe he was really, really terrible at 3B. Though, Dan Murphy was terrible in the OF and at 2B but the Mets kept putting him at those positions, so who knows?
  2. Steve S. May 31, 2011 at 8:07 am
    Joe: What are your thoughts about the infield, once Davis and Wright return? I’d start Turner at 2B most of the time, and have Murphy coming off the bench. Would you send Tejada back to Buffalo, or keep him around?
    • Joe Janish May 31, 2011 at 10:55 am
      I’ve been clamoring for Justin Turner at 2B since last August. I thought he was the best plan for second base back then, thought the same going into spring training this year, and remain confident that he is the answer at 2B for the Mets in 2011.

      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).

      • Steve S. May 31, 2011 at 11:36 pm
        Agree on Tejada.

        Thoughts on Adam Rubin’s report on the Mets possibly signing Reyes for, say, five years, and then trading Wright?

        • Joe Janish June 1, 2011 at 9:50 am
          I’m starting to wonder … it’s becoming less and less clear what the Mets will do. The motivation will change depending on the deal with Einhorn, so it’s hard to comment until we know for sure the details of the loan/purchase. I hope both players stay, but it seems more likely that either, or both, will go.
  3. Rob May 31, 2011 at 2:19 pm
    Hi Joe: Great job as always and welcome back! Couple of questions.

    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

    • Joe Janish June 1, 2011 at 9:54 am
      Rob, thanks for the kind words.

      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.